i will say this for cecilia: it doesn't sound like a museum
― horseshoe, Friday, 23 March 2012 18:51 (twelve years ago) link
i was the first place vote for 'diamonds' and 'cecilia' was, coincidentally, my 20th place vote. 'diamonds' was the first paul simon song i really loved its soft and sad and perfect the way the first minute or so wistfully lays out the premise, the ta-na-nas coming out almost resigned, and then the terrific insight of 'you're taking me for granted because i please you' and then the song starts to expand and brighten but stays a little forlorn 'putting on aftershave' the fantastic horns and the ooh-oohs its just such a perfect song
― Lamp, Friday, 23 March 2012 18:53 (twelve years ago) link
My perception may be coloured by first knowing it through Suggs' version.
― Ismael Klata, Friday, 23 March 2012 18:54 (twelve years ago) link
yeah the beginning of "diamonds" i will never get sick of
xp
― horseshoe, Friday, 23 March 2012 18:54 (twelve years ago) link
also the second verse
by the bodegas and the lights on upper broadway
― tylerw, Friday, 23 March 2012 18:57 (twelve years ago) link
Cecilia!!!! Lamp that pic is perfection
I love everything about this song, AND IT HAS HANDCLAPS.
― Peppermint Patty Hearst (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 23 March 2012 18:57 (twelve years ago) link
jubilaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaation
surprised by "cecilia" tbh -- just always sounded throwaway to me. not, like, casually-tossed-off greatness but actual throwaway.
― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Friday, 23 March 2012 18:58 (twelve years ago) link
http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee366/lamp11/06TheObvious.jpg#06 THE OBVIOUS CHILD1990459 points/19 votes/2 #1 voteshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HKNAhAxMAk&ob=av2e
― Lamp, Friday, 23 March 2012 18:58 (twelve years ago) link
xpost whut
― Peppermint Patty Hearst (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 23 March 2012 18:58 (twelve years ago) link
man these results are really interesting.
Love Obvious Child, love love love love
― Peppermint Patty Hearst (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 23 March 2012 18:59 (twelve years ago) link
xpost (damn lamp u move fast) whereas at times "american tune," "america," "the boxer" and "graceland" have actually saved my life
― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Friday, 23 March 2012 19:00 (twelve years ago) link
i really should have got it together to vote in this one huh?
― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Friday, 23 March 2012 19:01 (twelve years ago) link
Obvious Child was my number 1
― kornrulez6969, Friday, 23 March 2012 19:02 (twelve years ago) link
'the obvious child' is another one of those paul simon songs that - over and above what a total fucking jam it is - just seems to capture the sort of generous humanist spirit that simon at his best. like theres a quality of clear-eyed empathy in both songs that allow them to be both sorta joyous and melancholy and gently self-mocking thats really appealing to me and also seems to genuinely express how id like to see the world, hopefully but resigned to setbacks. idk the way he elongates 'died' in 'obvious child' just fucking slays me
― Lamp, Friday, 23 March 2012 19:02 (twelve years ago) link
My top 3 were Cecilia, Diamonds, and Al - so I'm pretty satisfied with this poll so far!
"Cecilia" is just ridiculously joyous (despite the heartbreak theme) - JUBILAAAAAAAAAATION! This is incredibly fun to sing in huge groups, for a while here it was an end-of-the-night karaoke standard, whoever was still at the bar at 2:20 or whatever piling on stage and feeling the love etc.
― Doctor Casino, Friday, 23 March 2012 19:02 (twelve years ago) link
"The Boy In The Bubble" was my #1. Had known it before, but rediscovered it a few years ago over the speakers at used book store. I was in the early stages of a still-happening life change, and man-oh-man that chorus says it all.
― Mike Love Costume Jewelry on Etsy (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 23 March 2012 19:03 (twelve years ago) link
Obvious Child was my #2 - it just kept rising and rising, and might've been #1 had I not had a euphoric reaction to something else first.
― Ismael Klata, Friday, 23 March 2012 19:03 (twelve years ago) link
I listened to "Obvious Child" several times thanks to Alfred's urging, but it still hasn't grabbed me.
― any major prude will tell you (WmC), Friday, 23 March 2012 19:04 (twelve years ago) link
I didn't vote for Diamonds, there are other songs on Graceland that I like more - didn't know it was so highly regarded tbh
― the sir edmund hillary of sitting through pauly shore films (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 23 March 2012 19:04 (twelve years ago) link
That percussion, WmC - keep listening!
― Ismael Klata, Friday, 23 March 2012 19:05 (twelve years ago) link
at the end of this poll I hope there's an explanation of all Lamp's pic choices cuz a bunch are going right over my head
― the sir edmund hillary of sitting through pauly shore films (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 23 March 2012 19:06 (twelve years ago) link
That squawking according (I'm guessing it's an accordion) is such a perfect way to open Graceland.
― "Flashy...hip" (Eazy), Friday, 23 March 2012 19:07 (twelve years ago) link
uh accordion I should only type at home on a typewriter
I thought "Cecilia" would be what u folx dismiss as a novelty song
― Literal Facepalms (Dr Morbius), Friday, 23 March 2012 19:13 (twelve years ago) link
lol, "u folx"
Morbs, you are an ilxor, you are ONE OF US. Embrace it or throw yourself off a bridge as you see fit. (I'd prefer the former.)
― any major prude will tell you (WmC), Friday, 23 March 2012 19:15 (twelve years ago) link
Embrace us as we fall into thr troubled water.
― "Flashy...hip" (Eazy), Friday, 23 March 2012 19:16 (twelve years ago) link
that's mighty kind of you
― Literal Facepalms (Dr Morbius), Friday, 23 March 2012 19:16 (twelve years ago) link
We will all fall into Graceland...
― Mike Love Costume Jewelry on Etsy (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 23 March 2012 19:18 (twelve years ago) link
'Cecilia' is probably a novelty song, but it's joyful, funny and crackles with life. Which most novelty songs aren't.
― fun loving and xtremely tolrant (Billy Dods), Friday, 23 March 2012 19:18 (twelve years ago) link
lol, i TOLD yuz "cecilia" was top 10
it's not just some tossed-off pop tune, either, it's 2:55 of compressed human joy, delivered straight
― Fozzy Osbourne (contenderizer), Friday, 23 March 2012 19:24 (twelve years ago) link
it is "people who seem to have figured out how to live" in musical form
― Fozzy Osbourne (contenderizer), Friday, 23 March 2012 19:26 (twelve years ago) link
http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee366/lamp11/05America.png#05 AMERICA1968 (album)/1971 (promo b-side)/1972 (single)459 points/21 votes/2 #1 voteshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W773ZPJhcVw
― Lamp, Friday, 23 March 2012 19:26 (twelve years ago) link
so Only Living Boy is gonna be number 1 then
― the sir edmund hillary of sitting through pauly shore films (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 23 March 2012 19:28 (twelve years ago) link
I have no idea why I left "America" off my ballot. Helluva tune.
― EZ Snappin, Friday, 23 March 2012 19:28 (twelve years ago) link
sounds like a museum iirc
― the sir edmund hillary of sitting through pauly shore films (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 23 March 2012 19:29 (twelve years ago) link
That was it!
Actually, I bumped it off so I could vote for childhood favorite "The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine"
― EZ Snappin, Friday, 23 March 2012 19:30 (twelve years ago) link
kinda figured that was gonna win, seems like the song you'd put in the paul simon time capsule
― iatee, Friday, 23 March 2012 19:31 (twelve years ago) link
I like Bowie's version of "America."
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 23 March 2012 19:33 (twelve years ago) link
"America" is so good, the swell of "counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike" is no museum piece.
― Euler, Friday, 23 March 2012 19:33 (twelve years ago) link
Okay, America - it didn't grab me on my run through the catalogue so I set it aside. I was surprised to see you all putting it down as a lock.
Listened there again and reassessed a little. It's beautiful, but complicated - I feel like I'd need to spend a lot of time with it to appreciate it properly, like there are links and resonances where I'm not making the connections. What it reminds me most of is Surf's Up, which is a good start I'd say.
― Ismael Klata, Friday, 23 March 2012 19:34 (twelve years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FM1cPS6i24
― the sir edmund hillary of sitting through pauly shore films (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 23 March 2012 19:35 (twelve years ago) link
^^^ empty & aching
― Euler, Friday, 23 March 2012 19:36 (twelve years ago) link
"Be careful/His bow-tie is really a camera!"
― Mike Love Costume Jewelry on Etsy (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 23 March 2012 19:37 (twelve years ago) link
http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee366/lamp11/04Duncan.jpg#04 DUNCAN1972470 points/18 votes/2 #1 voteshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngH4zZ-oiuY
― Lamp, Friday, 23 March 2012 19:38 (twelve years ago) link
his hand gestures/pantomiming in that video totally cracks me up
― the sir edmund hillary of sitting through pauly shore films (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 23 March 2012 19:38 (twelve years ago) link
Duncan was my no.1
― Ismael Klata, Friday, 23 March 2012 19:39 (twelve years ago) link
wow! didnt expect duncan this high, but happy abt it
― just sayin, Friday, 23 March 2012 19:39 (twelve years ago) link
if i had voted, America and American Tune might've been my 1-2.
http://www.angelfire.com/al2/diggers/images/americanflag.gif
― JIM THOMETHEUS (zachlyon), Friday, 23 March 2012 19:39 (twelve years ago) link