Van Dyke Parks :: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview

Van Dyke Parks :: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview

Posted on October 16, 2023

Ahead of planning an upcoming concert at the Getty Museum, Van Dyke Parks caught up with AD from his home in Los Angeles. In addition to his philosophies on arranging and composition, we discuss some of the more understated (yet fascinating) parts of his prolific career: the audio/visual unit he created at Warner Brothers, relationship with Haruomi Hosono, fascination with steel drums and tuneful percussion, the moment he was embraced by psychedelia, and much more.

Van Dyke Parks, like many folk I guess, I discovered through Ry Cooder and an early purchase and fascination for his album Discover America followed and every project since we knew that a genius was involved whether as a fellow player (keyboards) or as an exemplary producer. Here Aquarium Drunkard pins down the maestro for a fascinating interview exploring his resurgence in profile and why younger musicians still seem to seek him out . . . . . . 

VAN DYKE PARKS :  The Four Mills Brothers - with Haruomi Hosono & The World Shyness (Yuzo Kayama AKA Dr. K. (guitar), Miharu Koshi (accordion), Ren Takada (steel guitar), Wataru Iga (bass), Motoya Hamaguchi (drums), plus Ryuichi Sakamoto (keyboard) during a concert tribute to Hosono.

Or this . . . . from 1996  a concert featuring Hominy Grove . . . . let’s go there!