The 1981 Listening Post - Don McLean - Believers

 Reviewed by Stephen Romone Lewis

Released: October 29 1981 Don McLean Believers Genre: Adult Contemporary Rating: 1.7 out of 5 Highlights: Castles In The Air Believers Don Mclean changed my life. When I was in 4th grade, before internet, iTunes, Spotify…, I got a turntable for Christmas and Homeless Brother by Mclean. “The Legend of Andrew McCrew” (the last song on side one) told the TRUE story of a drunk whose corpse was used as The Amazing Petrified Man in the freakshow of a traveling carnival. McLean helped raise cash for a headstone for McGrew who was buried 50 years after his death. I was obsessed with this song. It was music AND a story. Two things I loved squished together. A sonic Reese's Cup. I decided then, in 4th grade, that I needed - not wanted - NEEDED, to tell stories with music. I’ve been writing songs and stories and story-songs ever since. Homeless Brother is a great album. Massive harmonies. The theme of helping the needy runs through every song. Pete Seeger, the king of folk, sings backup. But it’s not the album I’m reviewing. The album I am reviewing, Believers, is shitty, or at least predominantly shitty, or maybe it just sounds shitty compared to the first album I fell in love with, my first big boy record, Homeless Brother. Believers does have 2 winners. It starts with a re-recording of McLean’s hit from ‘71, “Castles in the Air”. “Castles” originally appeared on his debut album, Tapestry, and was the 1st single he ever released. It briefly landed on the Billboard Easy Listening/Adult Contemporary chart. After the success of his 2nd LP, American Pie, he reissued “Castles in the Air” as the B-side of “Vincent”. That generated enough airplay for it to chart again. Ten years later, his creative juices spent, he re-recorded it slightly slower and released it as a single for the 3rd time. It hit 36 on the billboard chart. The other decent song is the title track. I didn’t expect him to be full-throatedly critical of organized religion but the track benefits from this rare glimpse of raw emotion. The rest of Believers is disappointing. McLean titled a song “Sea Man'' and it’s not even a little funny. It’s actually depressing. “Sea Man''! Any 12 year old boy could crank out 20 hilarious verses, but Don clearly had no idea what a goldmine of double entendres he’d overlooked. Other bombs on Believers are covers of the Everly Brothers “Love Hurts” (Narareth does it best), Huey Piano Smith’s “Sea Cruise” and Bobby Darin’s “Dream Lover” with a tempo and choral “Owww’s” meant to put you to sleep. Don’s pop career peaked with his 2nd LP, American Pie. The next 5 albums were a mixed bag of artistic triumphs and forgettable blandness. He ended his pop aspirations with Believers. There’s a nice symmetry to him re-recording and releasing his 1st ever single, “Castles in the Air” 10 years later as his last pop record. After Believers he officially came out as a country artist, signed with Capital and put out 14 well received albums. Over 50 years and 22 albums every note can’t be gold. Believers is aluminum or tin. If you have never heard “The Legend of Andrew McCrew”, check it out, and if you’re having trouble sleeping try McLean’s cover of “Dream Lover”. Better than Ambien.