Chain Lightning

Released in 1978 (and seeing wider international success in 1980), Chain Lightning represents a pivotal moment where Don McLean leaned into his strengths as a traditional pop interpreter. Recorded at Jack Clement's Nashville studio, the album features elite session players who provide a sophisticated country-rock foundation. The standout success of the album was his cover of Roy Orbison’s 'Crying,' which became a global hit and demonstrated McLean's ability to tackle technically demanding vocal material. While his earlier work like 'American Pie' focused on cultural epics, this record is more personal and stylistic, blending rockabilly covers with ambitious originals like the seven-minute 'Genesis.' Critics often note that while it moved away from the 'protest folk' image, it solidified McLean as one of the premier vocalists of his generation, capable of bridging the gap between folk-rock and the Great American Songbook tradition.