Maps of Music

Love Tracks (1987)

Where the lyrics of Love Tracks take you, and where it was really made.

Cash Box once called Don McLean the great hope of folk music, but on this album it found him more countrified and corny than eye-opening.

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Cash Box wrote that McLean had been the great hope of folk music a decade and a half earlier
Cash Box described him as a bit countrified on this record
You Can't Blame the Train reached No. 49 on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in December 1987
Love in My Heart reached No. 65 on the same chart in August 1988
The first single charted before the album's 1988 release
Billboard noted that the songs were melodic and listenable
Duane Eddy appears as a guest guitarist on the album

Donald McLean III, born October 2, 1945, American singer-songwriter and guitarist.
Known as the "American Troubadour" or "King of the Trail".
Grew up in New Rochelle, New York; became interested in folk music as a teenager.
By age 16 had bought his first guitar and made contacts in the music business, becoming friends with Erik Darling and Fred Hellerman of the Weavers.
Graduated from Iona Preparatory School in 1963; briefly attended Villanova University.
Performed for six years at venues including The Bitter End, the Gaslight Cafe, the Newport Folk Festival, and the Troubadour in Los Angeles.

Recorded the album Tapestry in 1969 in Berkeley, California; rejected 72 times by labels before Mediarts released it.
Breakthrough came with the album American Pie, released after Mediarts was taken over by United Artists Records.
The title song "American Pie" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in January–February 1972 and is his most successful single, certified six-times Platinum by the RIAA.
"Vincent", a tribute to Vincent van Gogh, reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart and number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Roy Orbison's "Crying" by McLean reached number 1 in the Netherlands, UK and Australia, and number 5 on the US pop chart in 1981.
Other hits include "Castles in the Air", "Wonderful Baby" and "Dreidel".
Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004; "American Pie" entered the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002.

Cash Box wrote that McLean, once the great hope of folk music, was back but not nearly as eye-opening
Cash Box said he had become a bit countrified and more than a little corny, though Duane Eddy's guest guitar was a point in its favor
Billboard said the profound and vivid lyrics that had long been McLean trademarks were missing here
Billboard also said the songs were melodic and listenable

Jim Esch of AllMusic, in a retrospective review, described the album as overly slick and dated '80s Nashville production
Esch wrote that this production marred the comeback effort by Don McLean
Esch said the obvious intent was to pitch McLean at the mainstream country market
Esch judged that McLean did a credible enough job, but his real strength was always his sensitive songwriting

You Can't Blame the Train: No. 49 on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, December 1987
Love in My Heart: No. 65 on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, August 1988

Duane Eddy appears as a guest guitarist, a detail Cash Box picked out in its review.
Cash Box wrote that the singer who had been the great hope of folk music a decade and a half earlier had returned.
Billboard said the album lacked the profound and vivid lyrics that had long been McLean's trademark.
Love in My Heart reached No. 65 on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in August 1988, the second single's chart run.