Already there is speculation among record critics, commentators and cognoscenti as to how and to what extent his emergence will influence tomorrow's tastes and trends. No matter what your age, musical preferences or sociological point-of-view, it is uncommonly predictable, inevitable, inescapable: You are about to become involved with Van Dyke Parks!

             These words from a 1968 advertisement for Van Dyke Parks' Song Cycle LP have turned out to be much truer than Warner Bros. may have realized nearly forty years ago. Whether you have taken a rewarding plunge into one of his five solo albums or not, it is likely that anyone who listens to music has benefited from hearing something bearing his timeless, whimsical imprint.

             Nowadays, most people who hear the name Van Dyke Parks probably associate him with his collaborations with Brian Wilson in the late 60s, as he provided lyrics for the masterwork SMiLE. However, considered one of the hardest working men in his craft, the majority of his work has been behind the scenes as an arranger (first with "The Bare Necessities" from Disney's The Jungle Book, and currently with Joanna Newsom's forthcoming sophomore album), producer (Randy Newman, Phil Ochs, Rufus Wainwright, etc.) and film scorer (Popeye, Oliver Twist, etc.), Parks has worked with everyone from Tim Buckley to Frank Stallone and has done so throughout his life with an uncompromising and inspiring love of music in its purest form.

             Thirty-eight years after his continually underappreciated solo debut, Parks is currently at work on a new solo album to be released this year. His first since 1989, it should not be anticipated as a comeback, but rather the long-awaited return of a gentlemanly comet that has decided to show itself in its colorful brilliance once again.

It was difficult to accept failure as a part of life.  Yet, somehow, I always knew that the Play's the Thing, and my reward was in simply making the best effort I could. In that, I was secretly happy with what I brought to American folklore at age 23.

            Bandoppler  The studio albums that you have released, lauded by critics, have often been enthusiastically praised by a few, yet unheard by many. Your audience size, seeming to be disproportionate to the quality of your work, might be a disheartening injustice. Do you think that your career would have taken a different path regarding what you did in the industry had Song Cycle or Discover America been more properly received? Or were the different paths you took (as arranger, scorer, producer, label executive, etc.) areas that you wanted to pursue at the times when you did anyways, even if you had, say, topped the pop charts in ‘68?

             VDP  I'm sure I would have issued more works, had the ones I offered made sponsorship an easier affair. I'm very happy as an arranger, however, it being my favorite musical job. I'm now arranging for harpist/vocalist, singer/songwriter Joanna Newsom, on her second CD. She's marvelous, and modest. I've never had a bigger challenge, or more joy in discovery. Still, I plan to put out another CD of my own this year. Songwriting has a magnetic appeal for me, and is the epic adventure.

             Bandoppler  Your production work, for yourself or otherwise, is often experimental and unique while remaining aesthetically pleasant, enjoyable on the first listen as well as the hundredth. What are some production methods or artistic ideologies, unconventional or otherwise, that Van Dyke Parks brings to a piece of music that the average person may not?

             VDP  I put as much time and effort into each arrangement as anyone I know. My limited talents don't allow for any coasting. I sweat bullets, trying to bring the most companionable sounds to the careless observer I can. I try to make music that is durable goods. At the same time, I try not to tell the observer what to think ... whether to laugh or cry. This makes for a select audience that doesn't mind making up its own mind, and simply enjoys effort in design.

             Bandoppler  What is your favorite meal?

             VDP  A good bowl of cold Senegalese soup with a spray of coconut is a step up, but any kind of peasant food hits the spot for me. Labor-intensive kitchen-work makes plain fare elegant, however, and I can whip up a reasonable stuffed bell-pepper or cabbage leaf---have you ever tried to envelope a pilau with a cabbage-leaf, with a visually pleasing result? Peasants know how to cook.

             Bandoppler  It seems as though you find something that sparks your interest—i.e. Trinidad steel bands, children’s literature, motion pictures, historical or current events, etc.—and use that as inspiration to create something great that may or may not be commercially marketable at the given time. But have you ever been part of a project that you were not very interested in being involved with? How does this effect your work?

             VDP  Nothing is beneath my effort, when music is in the equation. I've never been disengaged, although I've come close, in the triviality of film-scoring.

             Bandoppler  Which film did you enjoy working with the most?

             VDP  Oliver Twist, with Richard Dreyfus. He, no Alec Guinness, and me, no Vaughn Williams. Still, the learning of idiom, the use of historical themes in character underscoring, all leads to an experience that's pure revelation. Oliver Twist brought out the Druid marrow in my bones. It refreshed my faith in all that's English, both pre-&-post-Industrial Age. Very interestingly, director Tony Bill simply put his arm around me at the spotting-session (the con-fab that determines where music stops and starts) and said:  "...Van Dyke, this picture needs a lot of music." That was the liberty and responsibility that only a great director would place on a film composer. I'm very grateful for it.

            Bandoppler  How did the shelving of SMiLE, at least in its intended form, affect you initially and in the subsequent years?

             VDP  It was difficult to accept failure as a part of life. Yet, somehow, I always knew that the Play's the Thing, and my reward was in simply making the best effort I could. In that, I was secretly happy with what I brought to American folklore at age 23.

Brian had no opinion about what he would do to become "counter-culture" in the 60s. He trusted my instincts. I suggested we use a thematic approach to Pilgrims' Progress and Manifest Destiny. I wanted to take an optimistic (yet informed) take on American History, when it was considered passe.

             Bandoppler  How did you feel about SMiLE finally being released, in regards to it being partially your creation? Were you happy with the way it was released, having been completely redone and not patched together from the original tapes?

             VDP  It really seemed somehow after-the-fact, and more of a satisfaction in the way it offered redemption (in the public eye) to Brian Wilson. It was clearly his victory. I'm happy to say that we still communicate. He called me both yesterday and today, to suggest more songwriting.

             Bandoppler  Aside from what we may already have heard about the SMiLE sessions, could you give us an anecdote that would paint a picture in our minds of what the experience was like?

             VDP  Brian had no opinion about what he would do to become "counter-culture" in the 60s. He trusted my instincts. I suggested we use a thematic approach to Pilgrims' Progress and Manifest Destiny. I wanted to take an optimistic (yet informed) take on American History, when it was considered passe.

             Bandoppler  Do you think that your work would be significantly different if you did not live in California? Do you feel that location and one’s physical surroundings translate into a certain musical tone?

             VDP  California is my adoptive home. It's an undeniable presence in all my songwriting. Things might have turned out differently had I spent my adulthood in NYC. It may have made me harsh. I am not harsh.

             Bandoppler  What is your favorite book?

             VDP  The short story appeals. When I was 12, studying French, it was "The Diamond Necklace," Eugenie Grandet (de Mauppasant). In my adult life, the master of this form is Kurt Vonnegut. One of my faves of his is "Hocus Pocus," with its insight into America's decline as a world-power. This book supports my theory (vented in my album Tokyo Rose) that there's more to life than mastery of numbers.

             Bandoppler  Many younger artists discover your work, absorb it, and allow it to influence their own. Are there any new bands that you enjoy?

             VDP  I don't listen to much fabricated by the American middle-class. I avoid well-heeled and boogie perspective. I'm more into world-beat, with its time-tested rhythms and higher social calling.

            Bandoppler  What are some words of advice that you would give to young artists today who may be facing Mike Loves of their own who do not understand them and their creations?

             VDP  Dance as if no one's looking. Wrestle things out to bring moment to your own sense of discovery, and make the world a better place. This is no time for whiners. That includes Mike Love.

I want free-reign to compose, without one hint of progress-of-profit. This will take a miracle, for at my age—I turned 63 yesterday—I'm an anomaly in a society that celebrates Youth.

             Bandoppler  What is something that frustrates you that you would change if you had the power to?

             VDP  Mendacity in government officials, and a Republican regime. Eco-consciousness is at the core of my every political leaning. Anti-intellectualism is part of our American decline, and not all "Red-States." To live in a time when Darwin's "theory" is being questioned is a sad thing. I lived through McCarthyism, and feel this is a much darker age. I would change one thing for sure: Religion should not be taught in public schools. Theology has a purpose, and that is to teach Ethics. Science is to be taught that can help us implement our Ethical motives.

             Bandoppler  Have you ever written with motives besides aesthetic enjoyment? How do you feel about the use of music as a medium for an individual’s personal, political, or religious agenda?

             VDP  I've always written out of a sense of urgency, and I sense that's felt. I can only hope it'll bring aesthetic enjoyment for others. I think all's fair in the motives that drive a musician. After all, it's only music!

             Bandoppler  Was working with Harry Nilsson ever an arduous task or was it mostly a smooth process? Did his personality and approach to creating songs mingle well with yours?

             VDP  Harry was too close a personal friend for me to think of any of it as "arduous." You'll hear what I think of Harry in the documentary soon to appear on HBO. He's been so totally underappreciated. I visited his grave last month, and poured a glass of fine vodka on his headstone. The Earth moved.

             Bandoppler  Much of your work is rather jovial and, at times, playful, even if the lyrical content is of a darker nature. Is this a reflection of your personality? Would you consider yourself to be an optimistic gentleman?

             VDP  All optimism should be informed. It must serve a dual purpose. Still, I emphasize consolation. One never knows what fragility there may be in the numbers that attend a performance.

             Bandoppler  What is your favorite album?

             VDP  For the last five years or so, it's been Paolo Conte's Reveries, on Nonesuch. He da man.

             Bandoppler  What would you like to be remembered as?

             VDP  I don't want to be remembered. I want to be welcomed, and welcomed back. I want to find relevance while I'm here to exploit it. Being Old & In the Way is no fun, but it beats being Old & Out of the Way, I trow.

             Bandoppler  What is one thing that you would still like to accomplish, musically or otherwise?

             VDP  I want free-reign to compose, without one hint of progress-of-profit. This will take a miracle, for at my age—I turned 63 yesterday—I'm an anomaly in a society that celebrates Youth. I have no idea what the future holds (I don't feel quite so "pre-destined" as your average Presbyterian), but I walk into each project with an open mind, and the desire to serve.