His songs are iconic: Castles in the Air, Vincent and American Pie.

Now, Don McLean returns with an album that took the better part of four years to write. The album is called American Boys – the first time he’s used “American” in the title of a song since his 8 minute and 35 second opus was released back in 1972.

The title track pays tribute to some of the pioneers of rock and roll, from Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Elvis, Hank Williams, and, of course, Buddy Holly. It’s a catchy little tune.

In this interview, I talked with Don McLean about the new album, songwriting and his legacy.

Enjoy. Let me know what you think.

Copyright Peter J. Maurin, The Vinyl Professor. Published under Creative Commons License: Attribution/Non-Commercial Use.