Van Dyke Parks Quotes

United States, Musician
January 3, 1943

Van Dyke Parks is an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer who has composed various film and television soundtracks. He is known for his 1967 album Song Cycle and for his lyrics on the Beach Boys' unfinished album Smile. In addition to producing or arranging albums by Randy Newman, Harry Nilsson, Phil Ochs, Little Feat, Happy End, Ry Cooder, and Joanna Newsom, Parks has worked with performers such as Syd Straw, Ringo Starr, U2, Grizzly Bear, Inara George, Kimbra and Silverchair.

Also known as Record Producer

The older I get, the better I was.

Van Dyke Parks
- Age
- Golf
- Wine
Eclectic is a word that appears almost as much as the word smarmy in rock journalism and I've come to the fact, just as a personal side, this reminds of Oscar Wilde's insight that criticism is the highest form of autobiography. I think that's exactly what rock journalism has attempted to do, to celebrate its autobiography at my expense.

Van Dyke Parks
- Thinking
- Rock
- Criticism

I think that smoking is a very good thing to do - it's got the association with the Indians; it's a peaceable thing. But like much else that the Indians gave us, we abused the privilege. And so, in my case I must simply stop. I'm too old to smoke. But I do believe that nicotine provides a great creative thrust.

Van Dyke Parks
- Good
- Great
- Believe
To make a collaboration succeed there can be no visible contusions or abrasions. For the collaboration to succeed, the relationship must be nourished and survive. That is absolutely essential for a collaboration to succeed.

Van Dyke Parks
You know, any sane magician would never reveal his method of deception. And I don't think that a sensible musician would either.

Van Dyke Parks
I don't want to give too much lugubrious thought to the gravitas of a coherent album. I don't want to develop a life of slavery to a large topic. I want to throw out some singles and that's what I'm doing, and they're not to be done in any other way.

Van Dyke Parks
- Life
- Done
- Giving