Music
Don McLean
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Jonathan Geddes
Three stars
Don McLean had barely arrived onstage when a voice from the crowd cried out "American Pie!", such has that one song been so clearly identified with the 69-year-old. But there was to be a lengthy, career-spanning set before the inevitable occurred.
That meant a Buddy Holly cover, a dash of rock n' roll, some reflective tunes that took the slow lane and even a banjo segment. McLean's voice has worn these years well, and it still possesses distinctive character. Perhaps that's why the night's strongest moments tended to occur on more subdued and pared-back songs, letting The King of Fools be enjoyably scathing and piano ballad Crossroads thoughtful and plaintive.
His backing band were slick, arguably to too great a degree. Several numbers, from that early Holly cover of Everyday and It's Just the Sun to Tulsa Time's rock'n roll beat all occupied a similar mid-tempo groove that never had the urgency you'd desire. It's all very well being pleasant, but sometimes a bit of pace would not go amiss. At one stage McLean referred to his tunes as a safe haven, and this was arguably true in a different context to what he'd intended, including on the couple of tracks from his forthcoming next album, Botanical Gardens.
It's why that aforementioned banjo segment came as a nice relief, letting some carefree freewheeling slip into the set with good-natured spirit, before American Pie roused the audience from their seats to generate dancing scenes akin to a wedding reception. It may remain an era-defining tune, but it was the melodic grace of the encore's Vincent, performed solo, that lingered longest in the mind.
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