Not American Pie

I've done a lot of reading on the Folk revivalist period in the US and UK as well as the Rock and Roll era and Rock of the 1960s. During this reading, I saw more than a couple citations and references to Don McLean, who had written and performed, of course, the impressionistic musical quiltwork, "American Pie" as well as a great song about the Impressionist, Van Gogh. 
I had never thought of McLean as a music historian before seeing all these citations, but apparently he is a respected voice, at least to certain authors, in this area. 
So, while reading, searching and listening to a particular post-1950s era in popular music, I stumbled across this video by Don McLean on the history of the banjo.  While it gives just a little bit on the history of certain styles of playing, it's mostly about his love-affair with bluegrass. I found it satisfying to learn that McLean agrees with my sentiment that the Child's ballads are special due to their fluidity, portability and constant evolution and that Bob Dylan had a unique talent for taking old ballads, reworking them completely and making them his own.  As a special treat, at the end of this video McLean sings a full version of Dylan's "Masters of War" accompanying himself on banjo.  He also demonstrates an open hand strumming technique at the end, one that I've used with many different variations on guitar for as long as I can remember, and open hand down-strum with a up-strum using the thumb - but one I've never seen anyone else outside of Spanish guitar players use in any fashion at all.
Don's voice no longer has that lyrical quality and range that made "Castles in the Air," "Vincent" and American Pie" so dream like but it's still a good voice.
Anyway, I found this video both surprising and edifying.

Ok

👍 didnt know he still was alive

He is alive...very much so... and worth listening too. 
Of course making pithy comments requires a lot less effort.

This is fantastic.  I remember when American Pie came out.  It was a phenomenon.  No social media but it went viral in the old fashioned way, word of mouth.  Thank you for posting this. 

"American Pie" was voted by the Recording Industry Association as one #5 in it's list of the 365 "Songs of the Century" . (the first four were Judy Garland's "Over the Rainbow,"  Bing Crosby's "White Christmas,"  Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land," and Aretha Franklin's "Respect")

"American Pie" is an immortal song, and so is "Vincent".

By the way, there is a theory that Vincent Van Gogh did NOT kill himself....

That would mess the song up!

"And when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry night
You took your life as lovers often do.
But I could’ve told you Vincent
This world was never meant for
One as beautiful as you"

Was the moon full last night?

Neffex