What is "song cycle"

A song cycle (German: Liederkreis or Liederzyklus) is a group, or cycle, of individually complete songs designed to be performed in a sequence as a unit.

The songs are either for solo voice or an ensemble, or rarely a combination of solo songs mingled with choral pieces. The number of songs in a song cycle may be as brief as two songs or as long as 30 or more songs. The term "song cycle" did not enter lexicography until 1865, in Arrey von Dommer's edition of Koch’s Musikalisches Lexikon, but works definable in retrospect as song cycles existed long before then. One of the earliest examples may be the set of seven Cantigas de amigo by the 13th-century Galician jongleur Martin Codax.

A song cycle is similar to a song collection, and the two can be difficult to distinguish. Some type of coherence, however, is regarded as a necessary attribute of song cycles. It may derive from the text (a single poet; a story line; a central theme or topic such as love or nature; a unifying mood; poetic form or genre, as in a sonnet or ballad cycle) or from musical procedures (tonal schemes; recurring motifs, passages or entire songs; formal structures). These unifying features may appear singly or in combination. Because of these many variations, the song cycle "resists definition". The nature and quality of the coherence within a song cycle must therefore be examined "in individual cases".

Song Cycle is the debut album by American recording artist Van Dyke Parks, released in December 1967 by Warner Bros. Records. It mixes a number of genres, including bluegrass, ragtime, and show tunes – framing classical styles in the context of 1960s pop music. Upon its release, Song Cycle was largely raved by critics despite lukewarm sales, and later gained status as a cult album.

With the exception of three cover songs, Song Cycle was written and composed by Parks, while its production was credited to future Warner Bros. Records president Lenny Waronker. The album's material explores unconventional song structures, and lyrically focuses on American history and culture. The subjects of many songs are Southern California locales, including Laurel Canyon Boulevard, Vine Street, Silver Lake Boulevard, and Palm Desert. The lyrics on Song Cycle also reflect Parks' history working in both the film and music industries of Southern California.