The Smiley Smile Message Board

Nice lil write up about Arrangements, Vol. 1

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15840-van-dyke-parks-arrangements-vol-1/

Thanks for posting!

Although I don't see any mention of a release date - it was supposed to have been released 'Summer 2011'

I've checked almost every week on itunes and bananastan but no such luck :-\

Pitchfork never didn't love Van Dyke. Ys got a 9.4.

Hipster Love, Mike's nickname when he performs after the inevitable hip surgery of his old age.

also, here it is on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Arrangements-Vol-Van-Dyke-Parks/dp/B0059889OW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316730284&sr=8-1

What the hell, it's £20 on the uk site and listed as sold out.....


VDP honestly needs to hire himself better management - his tours are underpromoted and he had to start up his own label to get his new songs out. No-one seems to to recognise he might actually be one of the foremost american composers of our era, and so he's relegated to releasing singles on his own imprint. People should be comissioning symphonies from him, imo.

apologies for the rant.  ;D

No apologies necessary, as you are 100% right....

'Arrangements Vol 1' should arrive at my doorstep in a couple days....I also treated myself to the 'Van Dyke Parks Presents The Esso Trinidad Steel band' - has anyone here heard this?

I clicked on a few samples - it sounded incredible...like Spector meets a steel drum band - can't wait to hear this in full!

Yes but it's possible that Van Dyke doesn't want to be a big superstar.  Maybe he likes minor touring and having a small label he releases music through. 

Got "arrangements" yesterday - fantastic compilation of songs (I can't stop listening to Arlo Guthrie's "Valley To Pray" and "One Meatball" by Ry Cooder - those arrangements are great) - I really can't wait for Volume II.....and I'm super glad that Van Dyke is still being pro-active in promoting his older music (as well as continuing to make new music).

Just got 'The Esso Trinidad Steel Band' album in the mail today - incredible. Really glad Parks recorded this - it is other-worldly - and so beautiful. Really recommend this to all the music lovers here! Anywho, just my two cents.

Still waiting for the boxset to come in the mail; but between ITKOD and the Parks albums, I'm fairly well set until then ;D

Yeah, that Trinidad Steel Band album is amazing! It's produced really strangely, I thought it was going to be really dry and funky, but no. Watch the DVD that comes with it too, that's great! Although VDP himself doesn't show....

Ron, you are probably right. But I'd like to see more from him, and when you find his only London show of the year on page 15 of Google in a Timeout listing, for example, it just looks like someone isn't doing something right. I don't think he's showed any sign of slowing down, it's just opportunities are scarce because his management, if he has any, are f*cking about.

I watched the DVD and I swear I saw Van Dyke in it: in the scene when they are unloading the steel drums from the top of the bus a man walks across a shot in a suit, smoking a cigarette.....and it looks just like VDPs....but I could be mistaken. I know what you mean though: I wish they would've interviewed him or something.

I loved that movie though; has a very 'Dont Look Back' feel - I just wish it had been longer!

I first heard "Out On The Rolling Sea When Jesus Speak To Me" back in 1971 on the Warner Brothers "loss leader" 3-LP mail order set, Looney Tunes.  I haven't had that piece of vinyl since 1975, so I've waited 36 years to get to hear it again on this release.  It's good to have it back in my collection.