''Discover America'' is the second album by American recording artist

Van Dyke Parks Van Dyke Parks (born January 3, 1943) is an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer who has composed various film and television soundtracks. He is best known for his 1967 album ''Song Cycle'' and for his collaborations with ...

, released in May 1972 by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

Its sound is a major departure from his debut album, ''

Song Cycle A song cycle (german: Liederkreis or Liederzyklus) is a group, or cycle (music), cycle, of individually complete Art song, songs designed to be performed in a sequence as a unit.Susan Youens, ''Grove online'' The songs are either for solo voice ...

'' (1967), featuring all

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

s of previously written songs. The album mostly features songs popularized by early Calypso musicians, as well as songs by Allen Toussaint (" Occapella" and "Riverboat"), Little Feat ("Sailin' Shoes"),

John Philip Sousa John Philip Sousa ( ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to dis ...

Stars and Stripes Forever "The Stars and Stripes Forever" is a patriotic American march written and composed by John Philip Sousa in 1896. By a 1987 act of the U.S. Congress, it is the official National March of the United States of America. History In his 1928 autob ...

") and one song of unknown origin ("Be Careful"). The title of the album is derived from the poem "I Am Waiting" by

Lawrence Ferlinghetti Lawrence Monsanto Ferlinghetti (March 24, 1919 – February 22, 2021) was an American poet, painter, social activist, and co-founder of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers. The author of poetry, translations, fiction, theatre, art criticism, an ...

Background

Most of the album's songs were originally written by early Calypso musicians between the 1920s and 1940s, but had fallen into the public domain by the time ''Discover America'' was recorded in 1972. As such, nearly all of the songs are listed as "Public domain; arranged & adapted by Van Dyke Parks." Lyrical themes run a wide range of

American history The history of the lands that became the United States began with the arrival of Settlement of the Americas, the first people in the Americas around 15,000 BC. Native American cultures in the United States, Numerous indigenous cultures formed ...

, from

John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-American naval captain who was the United States' first well-known naval commander in the American Revolutionary War. He made many friends among U.S political elites ( ...

, to early 20th-century musicians Bing Crosby and

The Mills Brothers The Mills Brothers, sometimes billed the Four Mills Brothers, and originally known as the Four Kings of Harmony, were an American jazz and traditional pop vocal quartet who made more than 2,000 recordings that sold more than 50 million copies an ...

, actor

Jack Palance Jack Palance ( ; born Volodymyr Palahniuk ( uk, Володимир Палагню́к); February 18, 1919 – November 10, 2006) was an American actor known for playing tough guys and villains. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, all fo ...

, and political figures Franklin Roosevelt and

J. Edgar Hoover John Edgar Hoover (January 1, 1895 – May 2, 1972) was an American law enforcement administrator who served as the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He was appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation � ...

. Parks would continue his study of Calypso and Caribbean music on his third album, ''

Clang of the Yankee Reaper ''Clang of the Yankee Reaper'' is the third studio album by Van Dyke Parks, released in 1976. It continues his exploration of calypso music started in the previous album '' Discover America'' (1972). In particular, it contains several songs by Mi ...

'', released in 1975. Throughout the 1970s, Parks acted as producer on Calypso albums for other artists, including The Esso Trinidad Tripoli Steel Band's ''Esso'' in 1971, and

The Mighty Sparrow Slinger Francisco ORTT CM OBE (born July 9, 1935), better known as Mighty Sparrow, is a Trinidadian calypso vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist. Known as the "Calypso King of the World", he is one of the best-known and most successful calyp ...

's 1974 album, ''Hot and Sweet''.

Songs

''Discover America'' has been described as a work of calypso,

progressive pop Progressive pop is pop music that attempts to break with the genre's standard formula, or an offshoot of the progressive rock genre that was commonly heard on AM radio in the 1970s and 1980s. It was originally termed for the early progressive ...

, art rock and

Americana Americana may refer to: *Americana (music), a genre or style of American music *Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States Film, radio and television * ''Americana'' (1992 TV series), a documentary series presented by J ...

. "Jack Palance", is a one-minute clip of

's actual version of the song. Parks did not cover any Mighty Sparrow songs on the album, but would later produce Sparrow's 1974 Warner Bros. release, ''Hot and Sweet''; Parks would later re-release ''Hot and Sweet'' on his own record label, Bananastan in 2011. "Introduction" is credited to Samuel Alter, and features an unknown man (likely either Alter or Parks) speaking into a tape recorder about Parnassus, Pennsylvania,

Mount Olympus Mount Olympus (; el, Όλυμπος, Ólympos, also , ) is the highest mountain in Greece. It is part of the Olympus massif near the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea, located in the Olympus Range on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, be ...

, and

Daylight Saving Time Daylight saving time (DST), also referred to as daylight savings time or simply daylight time (United States, Canada, and Australia), and summer time (United Kingdom, European Union, and others), is the practice of advancing clocks (typicall ...

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

review:
Discover America
" The third track is Parks' cover of "Bing Crosby", written by

Roaring Lion Roaring Lion (22 February 190811 July 1999) was a Trinidadian calypsonian (calypso singer/composer). His 65-year career began in the early 1930s and he is best known for his compositions "Ugly Woman" (1933), " Mary Ann" and "Netty, Netty", whi ...

. "Steelband Music" prominently features The Esso Trinidad Tripoli Steel Band on vocals and steel drums; "Steelband Music"'s original writer is unknown, and it may be a traditional Calypso song.

review:
Steelband Music
" "The Four Mills Brothers" was written by The Lion (also known as Roaring Lion), and it speaks about the history and fame of

jazz vocal Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

group

. The song's chorus is lifted from that of 1915 song "

I Ain't Got Nobody "I Ain't Got Nobody" (sometimes referred to as "I'm So Sad and Lonely" or "I Ain't Got Nobody Much") is a popular song copyrighted in 1915. Roger A. Graham (1885–1938) wrote the lyrics, Spencer Williams composed it, and Roger Graham Music Pub ...

", a song covered in the 1930s by The Mills Brothers. "Be Careful" has been described by

as "a piece of advice from a father to a son when the offspring is approaching the age when love is being considered. A brilliant, almost chamber string arrangement carries the overall melody, yet this is combined with the Trinidad steel band music that Van Dyke Parks was fully and happily involved in at the time."

review:
Be Careful
" AllMusic credits the song to

Leo Robin Leo Robin (April 6, 1900 – December 29, 1984) was an American composer, lyricist and songwriter. He is probably best known for collaborating with Ralph Rainger on the 1938 Academy Award for Best Original Song, Oscar-winning song "Thanks for t ...

, but this is an error. The author is currently unknown. "John Jones" was performed by

Trojan Records Trojan Records is a British record label founded in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary Records Group. The name ''Trojan'' comes from the Croydon-built Trojan truck ...

artist Rudy Mills in the late 1960s. "

FDR in Trinidad "FDR in Trinidad" (also known as "Roosevelt in Trinidad") is a calypso song written by Fritz McLean and popularized by Atilla the Hun (Raymond Quevedo) to commemorate U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 1936 trip to Trinidad. As part of At ...

" was written by Attila the Hun, and speaks about United States President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

's 1936 visit to

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

review:
FDR in Trinidad
" "FDR in Trinidad" also features performances by members of the band Little Feat. A Rykodisc version of ''Discover America'' contains a bonus track, a cover of Joseph Spence's "Out on the Rolling Sea (Where Jesus Speaks to Me)".

Reception

Released in May 1972 by

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

, initially only in North America, ''Discover America'' received positive reviews from

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

. In their review, '' Billboard'' praised the "richly rewarding" album as a "marvellous synthesis of sounds and eras", drawing attention to the memorable songs, the presence of Parks' "strange charisma" and the appearances from the Esso Trinidad Steel Band throughout. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' writer John Mendelsohn noted the album saw Parks' continue his "celebration of the musical culture of the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greate ...

" after his prior production of the Steel Band. Describing the album as far more accessible than ''

'' (1967), he wrote that the record is danceable, interesting and sometimes enchanting, but found that the musician had yet to capture the steel band sound effectively.

Gene Sculatti Eugene Paul Sculatti (born January 30, 1947) is an American music journalist who compiled and edited the book ''The Catalog of Cool'' (1982). In 1966, he became the first journalist to write about the nascent San Francisco music scene in a nati ...

of ''

Creem ''Creem'' (often stylized in all caps) is a monthly American music magazine, based in Detroit, whose main print run lasted from 1969 to 1989. It was first published in March 1969 by Barry Kramer and founding editor Tony Reay. Influential crit ...

'' highlighted the calypso focus and deemed it an art rock project reminiscent of those released less than five years earlier. Commenting on the lack of straight "

rock 'n' roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...

", he added the few rock elements "are purposeful, placed with regard to their function in that spot, just like the Forties movie music, the Tiny Tim throw-offs,

the Magic Band The Magic Band was the backing band of American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Captain Beefheart between 1967 and 1982. The rotating lineup featured dozens of performers, many of whom became known by nicknames given to them by Beefhe ...

loon frills, accordians,

Tex-Mex Tex-Mex cuisine (from the words ''Texan'' and ''Mexican'') is an American cuisine that derives from the culinary creations of the ''Tejano'' people of Texas. It has spread from border states such as Texas and others in the Southwestern United ...

rhythms, et. Al. They all play parts in ''Discover America'' and together, the aural relief they create is indescribably delicious if you're in the mood for it." ''Words & Music'' writer Mark Leviton described the album as a mix of "Caribbean rhythms, '30 lyrics, modern pop,

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

and

atonal Atonality in its broadest sense is music that lacks a tonal center, or key. ''Atonality'', in this sense, usually describes compositions written from about the early 20th-century to the present day, where a hierarchy of harmonies focusing on a ...

classical techniques" which together form a "composite musical picture of the United States". He also drew attention to its unusual compositional elements, highlighting the "rampant counterpoint, counter-rhythms, odd harmonic progressions, non-resolving chords and obscure lyrics". Retrospectively, Jayson Greene ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...

'' noted the album's "distanced weirdness", writing that "Parks treats calypso with the same forensic fascination and trickster spirit he applied to ''Song Cycle''", further considering ''Discover America'' to be more

vaudevillian Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

than that album.

reviewer Lindsay Planer praised Parks' "purity of vision", writing that few could create a concept album about America "entirely in the style of

the Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

, most specifically Trinidad circa the 1940s". They deemed it an "eclectic masterpiece of multicultural

" and a "pop music history lesson that is without question one of the lost classics of the early '70s. Likewise, it may as easily have been several decades ahead of its time." In ''

Uncut Uncut may refer to: * ''Uncut'' (film), a 1997 Canadian docudrama film by John Greyson about censorship * ''Uncut'' (magazine), a monthly British magazine with a focus on music, which began publishing in May 1997 * '' BET: Uncut'', a Black Enter ...

'', Alaistar McKay considered the album a "joyous" celebration of Trinidadian culture balanced by sly commentary on post-colonial Trinidad and American

race relations Race relations is a sociological concept that emerged in Chicago in connection with the work of sociologist Robert E. Park and the Chicago race riot of 1919. Race relations designates a paradigm or field in sociology and a legal concept in the ...

. He added that the album foreshadowed

The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the w ...

's work from "a decade later in their pan-global phase".

Legacy

In a 1997 interview, Brian Wilson of

the Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by the ...

praised ''Discover America'' as one of his favorite albums. He said, "I liked ''Discover America'' by Van Dyke – that's the greatest album ever made. Oh. Have you heard it? I've played it, like, 50 times, maybe, over the years. I've really learned a lot from it. It's really something how you play something and you hear something and you don't quite hear exactly the way you did before. It's really different."

Track listing

All songs "public domain; arranged & adapted by

" unless otherwise noted. Side one #"Jack Palance" (

Mighty Sparrow Slinger Francisco ORTT CM OBE (born July 9, 1935), better known as Mighty Sparrow, is a Trinidadian calypso vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist. Known as the "Calypso King of the World", he is one of the best-known and most successful caly ...

) – 0:59 #"Introduction" (Samuel Alter) – 0:27 #"Bing Crosby" ( The Lion) – 2:21 #"Steelband Music" – 2:11 #"The Four Mills Brothers" ( The Lion) – 1:28 #"Be Careful" – 2:48 #"John Jones" (Rudy Mills) – 3:08 #"

" (Fitz McLean) – 2:27 #"Sweet Trinidad" – 0:56 Side two #"Occapella" ( Allen Toussaint) – 2:41 #"Sailin' Shoes" (

Lowell George Lowell Thomas George (April 13, 1945 – June 29, 1979) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer, who was the primary guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and founder/leader for the rock band Little Feat. Ear ...

) – 2:09 #"Riverboat" ( Allen Toussaint) – 3:02 #"Ode to Tobago" ( Lord Kitchener; arranged & adapted Van Dyke Parks) – 5:13 #"Your Own Comes First" ( Lord Kitchener; arranged & adapted Van Dyke Parks) – 3:24 #"G-Man Hoover" (Sir Lancelot) – 2:55 #"

" (

) – 1:00 A

Rykodisc Rykodisc is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, operating as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance. History Claiming to be the first CD-only independent record la ...

edition added "Out on the Rolling Sea (Where Jesus Speaks to Me)" to the end of the album.

Copyrights and legalities

Nearly all tracks on ''Discover America'' are listed on the album sleeve as being "Public domain, arranged & adapted by Van Dyke Parks". However, many of the songs' original artists were still alive in 1972, but were not given writing credits on the album. At the time,

The United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

Copyright Act of 1909 The Copyright Act of 1909 () was a landmark statute in United States statutory copyright law. It went into effect on July 1, 1909. The 1909 Act was repealed and superseded by the Copyright Act of 1976, which went into effect on January 1, 1978; ...

allowed for a copyright term of 28 years, followed by an optional one-time renewal for a second 28-year term. As such, the longest copyright allowed was 56 years from the original creation date. The Copyright Act of 1976, signed into law only four years after ''Discover America'' was recorded, greatly changed copyright laws in the US, extending the copyright of the artist to either 75 years or the life of the author plus an additional 50 years.

References

External links

''Discover America'' lyrics
{{Authority control 1972 albums Warner Records albums Van Dyke Parks albums Calypso albums Progressive pop albums Art rock albums by American artists Americana albums