Now, Paul Simon is not to be specially faulted if his last record matters less than the elimination of chattel slavery on this continent.
ok no i can't do this
― call all destroyer, Wednesday, 25 April 2012 01:28 (twelve years ago) link
that "now" comma
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 25 April 2012 01:35 (twelve years ago) link
ollowing “Homeless,” Simon tells us, “I don’t want no part of this crazy love.” For a record that pretends to reclaim rock-n-roll verities, this is an odd stance. The celebration of crazy love, the crazier the better, has been at the heart of the music. To surrender such nutsiness may be the merest prudence, but it is untrue to the deepest impulses of the music Simon has laid claim to here.
how does someone write this and sleep at night?
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Wednesday, 25 April 2012 02:17 (twelve years ago) link
the article's at least 80% bullshit, but i find it oddly...compelling, somehow? like, he's got sentence after sentence that makes no apparent sense at all ("the merest prudence"?), yet he retains that weird, arrogant, see-this-is-how-it-really-is attitude throughout. it's like someone crossed armond white with a drunk greil marcus.
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Wednesday, 25 April 2012 04:43 (twelve years ago) link
the result of that union would have to be put down immediately, i would think, to spare itself and the human race.
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Wednesday, 25 April 2012 04:51 (twelve years ago) link
i dunno. i think the basic thrust of the article is sound: paul simon used african musicians and music, at a time of great crisis in south africa, in a way that lent an aura of dramatic import and moment to graceland without ever really moving outside the small sphere of his own personal concerns. this may not have been simon's intent (a point conveniently elided), but it was nonetheless the effect. he refused to really engage with the political dimensions of the "material" he was using, choosing instead to throw sops to the idea of political engagement while concentrating more fully on music as music, the political as personal. it's a fair criticism, though not a particularly toothy one in my view.
― THE KITTEN TYPE (contenderizer), Wednesday, 25 April 2012 05:36 (twelve years ago) link
it's like someone crossed armond white with a drunk greil marcus.
i suggest we kill it before it multiplies
― I accidentally sonned your dome (stevie), Wednesday, 25 April 2012 06:36 (twelve years ago) link
I agree that it's smarter and more riveting than a piece that gets so many things wrong should be. But boy, the howlers.
from Foucault’s conclusion to Madness and Civilization: “The moment when, together, the work of art and madness are born and fulfilled is the beginning of the time when the world finds itself arraigned by that work of art and responsible for what it is.” I don’t think Graceland works that way.)
― And I have been called "The Appetite" (DL), Wednesday, 25 April 2012 11:31 (twelve years ago) link
To surrender such nutsiness may be the merest prudence, but it is untrue to the deepest impulses of the music Simon has laid claim to here.
Anyone who was married to Carrie Fisher has got nothing to prove on the crazy love front.
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Wednesday, 25 April 2012 13:57 (twelve years ago) link
http://www.thedreamerofmusic.org/BIOGRAPHY/WIVES/image011.jpgjust saw this pic and wondered what in the lord's name was the deal with the hat.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 25 April 2012 15:40 (twelve years ago) link
what to do when your roommate doesn't realize you're home and thusly is having loud sex in the living room
― Doctor Casino, Wednesday, 25 April 2012 15:43 (twelve years ago) link
i dunno. i think the basic thrust of the article is sound: paul simon used african musicians and music, at a time of great crisis in south africa, in a way that lent an aura of dramatic import and moment to graceland without ever really moving outside the small sphere of his own personal concerns.
this is (a) already nearly conventional wisdom and (b) not very interesting anyway.
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Wednesday, 25 April 2012 15:45 (twelve years ago) link
Just googled that hat for about 10 minutes to no avail :(
― she started dancing to that (Finefinemusic), Wednesday, 25 April 2012 15:59 (twelve years ago) link
it's like, why so glum, hat-guy! your wife is a total fox!
― tylerw, Wednesday, 25 April 2012 16:06 (twelve years ago) link
new Graceland documentary airing on A&E tonight!
― some dude, Saturday, 26 May 2012 01:56 (twelve years ago) link
This is fascinating: he's so *abstract* about his songwriting; it's about the *patterns* in the rhythms.
― Euler, Saturday, 26 May 2012 02:59 (twelve years ago) link
it makes sense to me, i've always thought of his stuff as being very driven by rhythm and meter
― some dude, Saturday, 26 May 2012 03:11 (twelve years ago) link
i've watched that "Diamonds" performance on SNL so many times and i had no idea that they'd booked that appearance before the album release was delayed, and recorded that song while in New York for the show. nobody had ever heard that song before that broadcast! i can't even imagine how exciting that would've been.
― some dude, Saturday, 26 May 2012 03:15 (twelve years ago) link
whoa that is crazy
― call all destroyer, Saturday, 26 May 2012 03:29 (twelve years ago) link
Thanks for the tip! Enjoying this.
― she started dancing to that (Finefinemusic), Saturday, 26 May 2012 03:43 (twelve years ago) link
related: http://www.evtv1.com/player.aspx?itemnum=5609
― all things must pass (shaane), Saturday, 26 May 2012 08:54 (twelve years ago) link
new doc on BBC uk tomorrow http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01kkn74
― piscesx, Monday, 2 July 2012 16:10 (eleven years ago) link
i just watched the "classic albums" special on this album (on netflix streaming). cool to see how chopped up/edited the whole thing was.
― tylerw, Monday, 2 July 2012 16:11 (eleven years ago) link
Thanks for the tip, compulsory viewing by the looks.
― Ismael Klata, Monday, 2 July 2012 17:06 (eleven years ago) link
the new doc was on Irish tv on Saturday night, it's excellent. recommended viewing even if you are already very familiar with the classic albums doc (as I was).
― Volvo Twilight (p-dog), Monday, 2 July 2012 18:05 (eleven years ago) link
also, this: http://www.kleptones.com/blog/2012/06/28/hectic-city-15-paths-to-graceland/
a creative reconstruction of the mixtape that inspired Simon to go to Africa and make some music
― shaane, Monday, 2 July 2012 18:49 (eleven years ago) link
wow that looks great, thanks!
― tylerw, Monday, 2 July 2012 19:03 (eleven years ago) link
yeah! 1 hour 15 minutes of summery African pop beats.
― shaane, Monday, 2 July 2012 19:23 (eleven years ago) link
and "speaking the deep truths that artists speak" as paul simon opines on the bbc clip...
it would be nice if the talking heads didn't get in the way of fine music.
― For bodies we are ready to build pyramids (whatever), Monday, 2 July 2012 19:57 (eleven years ago) link
Only had time to check out the first minute of that tape, but I'm sold already - will listen again
― Ismael Klata, Monday, 2 July 2012 20:55 (eleven years ago) link
finally watching the new doc from the begining--LOVE the early jam version of boy in the bubble
― call all destroyer, Friday, 13 July 2012 01:04 (eleven years ago) link
holy shit the part where they go out to lesotho to find the old accordion dude
― call all destroyer, Friday, 13 July 2012 01:07 (eleven years ago) link
A friend who's been obsessively listening to Graceland this (antipodean) summer has asked me to throw together a comp of, uh, Graceland-related stuff after I was enthusing about the Todd Terje edit of "Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes", the 12" mix of "The Boy In The Bubble" & Lizzy Mercier Descloux's self-titled album. Apart from combing through Xgau reviews of 80s afropop/digging out my Bhundu Boys and finally getting around to hearing Peter Gabriel's Passion (+ suitable Talking Heads, I guess), what else would fit? That mixtape shaane posted a link to looks fabulous.
― etc, Thursday, 31 January 2013 01:07 (eleven years ago) link
I don't think stuff like Talking Heads or Peter Gabriel (neither of whom are as "African" as people claim) would fit at all. I guess I would seek out more specifically South African stuff, like "The Indestructible Beat of Soweto." The Kleptones mix upthread rules.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 31 January 2013 01:24 (eleven years ago) link
there are a lot of days where I think the title track is the greatest song ever written.
"as if I didn't know that!as if I didn't know my own bed!"
then that brief contemplative silence after the outburst, which you can just *hear* even though Simon's voice barely changes...
"as if I'd never noticed the way she brushed her hair from her forehead,and she said 'losing love is like a window in your heart...'"
it's a very cinematic song. I see the scene in my mind's eye every time I hear it, them driving along in the car, seeing the narrator deep in thought, as his son gazes obliviously out the window.
not many songs I can say all that about.
― president of the people's republic of antarctica (Arctic Mindbath), Friday, 27 December 2013 04:06 (ten years ago) link
I always liked the distance of "my traveling companion is nine years old / he is the child of my first marriage" - ie he never says it's "my son."I like the way it contrasts with the intimacy of the next section detailing his divorce ("As if I didn't know my own bed").
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Friday, 27 December 2013 05:56 (ten years ago) link
http://africasacountry.com/when-steven-van-zandt-convinced-azapo-to-take-paul-simon-off-a-hit-list-and-what-paul-simon-really-thought-of-nelson-mandela/
Miami Steve Van Zandt and Dave Marsh vs Paul Simon
one excerpt--
He knew more than me, he knew more than Mandela, he knew more than the South African people. His famous line, of course, was, “Art transcends politics.” And I said to him, “All due respect, Paulie, but not only does art not transcend politics… art is politics. And I’m telling you right now, you and Henry Kissinger, your buddy, go fuck yourselves.” Or whatever I said. But he had that attitude, and he knowingly and consciously violated the boycott to publicize his record.
Well, to make his record. That’s the violation of the boycott — to make his record.
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 26 January 2014 23:05 (ten years ago) link
Wow, that whole thing.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 27 January 2014 03:34 (ten years ago) link
Paulie
― Bryan Fairy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 27 January 2014 03:36 (ten years ago) link
some head-spinning stuff there. most of all Simon dismissing Mandela, then sucking up to him as soon as he's out and free.
still an ace record and I'm so glad it was made.
― president of the people's republic of antarctica (Arctic Mindbath), Monday, 27 January 2014 03:42 (ten years ago) link
Paul thought Los Lobos had Russian connections too--Caesar ROJAS anyone?
― ...out of that weakness, out of that envy, out of that fear.. (C. Grisso/McCain), Monday, 27 January 2014 05:07 (ten years ago) link
Goddamn. I know I'm getting Stevie's version here, but Stevie just went up a lot in my esteem and Paul Simon just went down a lot.
"My friend Henry Kissinger told me..."
― Burt Stuntin (Hurting 2), Monday, 27 January 2014 05:20 (ten years ago) link
ha im sure simon is awful or w/e but lil stevies vers doesnt sounds anything like real life
― lag∞n, Monday, 27 January 2014 06:20 (ten years ago) link
not to mention all the s african musicians who recorded and toured graceland seemed cool w breaking the boycott
― lag∞n, Monday, 27 January 2014 06:22 (ten years ago) link
anyway the best part is him bargaining for simons life
― lag∞n, Monday, 27 January 2014 06:25 (ten years ago) link
Yeah, and he actually had the nerve to say, “Well, I paid everybody double-scale.”
While taking the songwriting credits to himself
I knew Dave Marsh had a long-standing feud with Bono, didn't realize he had one versus Paul Simon as well
― curmudgeon, Monday, 27 January 2014 14:03 (ten years ago) link
he has long-standing feuds with Neil Young, God, everyone
― Bryan Fairy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 27 January 2014 14:06 (ten years ago) link
Not with Bru$e.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 27 January 2014 14:22 (ten years ago) link
erm
Side one No. Title Writer(s) Length 1. "The Boy in the Bubble" Forere Motloheloa, Paul Simon 3:592. "Graceland" Simon 4:483. "I Know What I Know" General MD Shirinda, Simon 3:134. "Gumboots" Lulu Masilela, Jonhjon Mkhalali, Simon 2:445. "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" Joseph Shabalala, Simon 5:45Side two No. Title Writer(s) Length 6. "You Can Call Me Al" Simon 4:397. "Under African Skies" Simon 3:378. "Homeless" Shabalala, Simon 3:489. "Crazy Love, Vol. II" Simon 4:1810. "That Was Your Mother" Simon 2:5211. "All Around the World or the Myth of Fingerprints" Los Lobos, Simon 3:15
― lag∞n, Monday, 27 January 2014 14:26 (ten years ago) link
I remember the uncredited zydeco musicians and I thought Steve Berlin of Los Lobos grumbling about the credits. I think they all had to push Simon to get their names there.
― curmudgeon, Monday, 27 January 2014 14:41 (ten years ago) link