Nestled between The Akron Family and the Animal Collective lay an abode occupied by the Department of Eagles. They have bonfires and barbecues. Akron Family bring alone the potato salad and weed, Animal Collective the kabobs and acid, and the Department of Eagles show up with a tank of nitrous and several bottles of cheap whiskey.
"The Whitey on the Moon UK LP" (Isota Records, 2003) imagines a carnival with rides manned by Jimmy Webb and Van Dyke Park, while Brain Wilson sings Italian love songs. Perhaps its an attraction that shimmers and glimmers in the usual kaleidoscopic way, only to be forgotten with other gems of the past.
Such was the fate of Jimmy Webb's own "Words and Music" (Reprise Records, 1970). More proof that talent doesn't sell records alone. A stroll through MacArthur Park on a blustery day, some stranger walking along, telling you his strange story, filled with fantastic imagery, solid statements, but low on the zeal and pop. MacArthur Park fades away and the author's crystalline voice is all that remains.
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