Paul Simon

i liked carl wilson's review a lot, but i do think that there's a sort of trap for songwriters of simon's ilk. if he tries to write about "social"/"political" phenomena that are supposed to be outside of his own experience, he can be accused of being opportunistic, naive, or touristic. but write solely about his own life and experiences and he'd be accused of being solipsistic. some songwriters choose to end-run this dilemma by just being impressionistic and/or inscrutable (someone like scott walker) but i think it's not in simon's nature to do that exclusively. i think he strikes a pretty decent balance b/t the various options.

It's true that I haven't noticed a track that really stands out.

Man, there are definitely some dud tracks and cheese on Still Crazy/One-Trick Pony/H&B, but the good stuff is so good. This probably reads like challops but I actually think OTP is one of his strongest records, if you just lop off the forced "Ace in the Hole" and maybe the title track. More consistent than H&B (though the top-drawer stuff there is really essential Simon) and just more memorable, lyrically and melodically, than most of Still Crazy. (I will admit that side two of that one is super forgettable - can't hum most of the songs, looking at the titles, and why on earth he left "Slip Slidin' Away" off of that I cannot fathom.)

Tried halfheartedly to like Capeman, never could.

i saw Capeman for free... he needed a dramturg or somethin'

i listened to the new album on a plane last week, on shitty plane headphones. Had some decent stuff.

hard to get past the lyrics of Still Crazy - it has a self-pitying, self-justifying tone

p sure he was going for a Dostoevskian thing here

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/30/books/review/rock-lives-this-seasons-pop-music-biographies-and-memoirs.html?_r=0

Alan Light reviews a bio done on Paul Simon, without any cooperation from Simon

HOMEWARD BOUND: The Life of Paul Simon (Holt, $32), Peter Ames Carlin’s biography of Paul Simon, presents the portrait of an artist with a much greater compulsion to keep his eyes on the prize. Carlin — who has chronicled the lives of Brian Wilson, Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen — received no cooperation from Simon; the closest he got to the singer was getting glared at from the stage of a 2013 lecture at Emory University. But the thoroughly researched and solidly told “Homeward Bound” reveals many sides of a complicated, ambitious, insecure figure.

The most newsworthy element of this story is Simon’s ruthlessness. Carlin explains that at the heart of the fraught, almost comically competitive relationship between Simon and his on-again-off-again partner/rival, Art Garfunkel, is a solo deal that a teenage Simon secretly made with a record company during the duo’s early, brief moment of pop success under the name Tom and Jerry. It’s a pattern that seems to play out repeatedly in his career as described by those who have known Simon — according to one of the legendary Muscle Shoals session musicians, he promises them royalties on 1973’s “There Goes Rhymin’ Simon” album, but they never see the money; he borrows a tape of South African music from a musician acquaintance, then, she says, blows her off and turns her idea to use the irresistible rhythms into the basis for the “Graceland” album — only to record two songs for the project that Los Lobos and Rockin’ Dopsie and the Twisters say were largely created by them without giving them songwriting credit or revenue.

But Carlin isn’t out to do a hatchet job; his love for Simon’s towering accomplishments as a songwriter is clear. He’s especially insightful examining the colossal Broadway flop of “The Capeman” and the “Rhythm of the Saints” album, inevitably overshadowed as the follow-up to the “Graceland” juggernaut. Unfortunately, “Homeward Bound” breezes over Simon’s fascinating latter-day work, sprinting through the last 20 years (a new family with the singer Edie Brickell, and new music that stands up to the best of his catalog) in about 20 pages.

Um, who cares about lending someone an inspirational tape, really, as long as the South African musicians he recorded with got paid (?).

as long as the South African musicians he recorded with got paid (?).

That is the question. Did not realize earlier musicians had also grumbled about him not paying :

according to one of the legendary Muscle Shoals session musicians, he promises them royalties on 1973’s “There Goes Rhymin’ Simon” album, but they never see the money

When I saw him on tour this summer, he didn't ever introduce the band (but I assume they got paid).

Maybe they got paid in exposure, a la nu-economy interns.

Carlin did a pretty good biog of Springsteen (albeit with Bruce's co-operation). I trust him to do a decent job here.

Would read if only for, but of course not only for, The Capeman material.

I have no problem believing Simon is something of a cagey asshole professionally and personally. great songwriter though.

i guess simon probably won't write an autobio? i can see it being kinda feisty.

I saw Paul Simon on the Graceland tour - it was one of the first concerts I ever saw. I have strong memories of his bass player from that show. When I saw him again a couple years ago, that bass player was still in the group. For what it's worth. Assuming the guy gets paid.

I love this guy's work, but have no doubt at all that his autobiography would be insufferable self-serving crap.

I'm under the impression that the core of Simon's backing band these days have been with him for quite a while, including a few South African musicians dating back to Graceland and Vincent Nguini (whose Cameroonian) who's played with him since early '90s as main guitar dude.

If Simon can't be honest enough about going bald to not try to hide it for 40 years, I doubt he would hold his own feet over the flame in a memoir.

Put it this way, I love Simon & Garfunkel as much as anyone and I spin The Rhythm of the Saints frequently, but I've never read or watched an interview with the guy where I haven't felt like dozing off.

maybe garfunkel should just make a documentary about him and simon a la Herzog's My Best Fiend

I've just had to throw on The Rhythm of the Saints briefly just to listen to 'The Coast', which is probably my answer to the question "what is your favourite song from Paul Simon's solo career?"

ba ba ba Ba Ba Ba PROUST!

Okay, I'm leaving this LP on for lil while.

He was a mean individual

^^ would watch

also yeah "The Coast" is amazing. Turrican, I think you and me were the only people to vote for it on the Simon ballot poll, maybe. But mannnn that main guitar figure is just so compelling and lovely.

"The Coast," "The Cool, Cool River," "Can't Run But," "Further to Fly" -- these are best-ever compositions.

yeah Rhythm.. is amazing and Graceland isn't even all that great really.

The demo of "The Coast" is worth a listen just for the alternate first verse alone.

"The Coast" and the title track are among the most r e l a x e d pieces of music ever.

Cool Cool River is soooo good!

And is in 9/8 for bonus points.

'Spirit Voices', 'Born At The Right Time' and 'The Obvious Child' are all amazing too, IMO. I don't know if it's better than Graceland but I certainly listen to it more!

huh I had never really dug into the whole arc of S&G's career/output. Weird how much of it was in fits and starts - a hastily recorded debut album that disappears, Paul goes to England and records a solo album (and produces Jackson C. Frank), Garfunkel goes off to act in Catch 22, their big breakthrough single is orchestrated and released without their input, Paul has writer's block for most of 1967, etc. It's almost like they were never really a functional unit apart from maybe 1969.

Yeah, that's very true! One of the main reasons for their on-and-off activity post-Sounds of Silence is that Simon took a long time to come up with a batch of material. He was really picky when it came to songwriting.

damn STS

good songs

Just realized I missed him in Chicago last night on his farewell tour.

Great setlist:

America
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover
The Boy in the Bubble
Dazzling Blue
That Was Your Mother
Rewrite
Mother and Child Reunion
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard
Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War
Can't Run But
Wristband
Spirit Voices
The Obvious Child
Questions for the Angels
The Cool, Cool River
Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes
You Can Call Me Al
Graceland
Still Crazy After All These Years
Late in the Evening
Homeward Bound
Kodachrome
The Boxer
American Tune
The Sound of Silence

The Cool, Cool River

yeeessssssss

damn that setlist is fire

i just impulsively spent a small fortune to catch this tour so uh thanks i guess!

this show was a lot of fun btw though i think the think that will stick with me was a sort of chamber music version of rene & georgette magritte; he sang it faithfully and intimately and it was just totally gorgeous.

yeah i’m hoping he works more with ymusic (and gabriel kahane, who did some of the arranging) in the future

yeah definitely. (also thought your globe review aptly captured the vibe of the show.)

thank you : )

https://www.npr.org/2018/08/30/641385734/first-listen-paul-simon-in-the-blue-light

Sounds good:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wu2f5LHnVKk

is someone gonna stream his final show on 9/22?

Oh, I've been waiting to hear this since I saw the show. Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War is really good.

Can't Run But is a nice version as well. Pretty great live.

Man, all old Jewish men really end up looking like the same person.

I dig the New Orleans-ized 'Pigs, Sheep and Wolves'.

These new versions, especially Can't Run But, are horrible. The way he phrases the lyrics in that song on the new version is so bad. His enunciation of the T in 'but' drives me crazy. I had high hopes, but this sucks.

Going to see him tomorrow, my first solo experience with him since the '91 tour behind The Rhythm of the Saints.

I can't imagine a new version of 'Can't Run But' being anywhere near as good as the original. One of my favourites on Saints..., that.

Strongly disagree with brotherlovesdub here. Just having heard the new album for the first time, I'm really loving it already. No matter how good the original versions already were, these new takes exist in their own right and all have something to offer.
The original 'Can't Run But' is a big fave of mine as well, and I agree nothing could top that song with its outstanding rhythm section. But this variation is so different, I'd think that the two versions could exist on the same album without it being repetitive and with neither take being redundant.

'How The Heart Approaches What It Yearns' might be an early favourite with its gorgeous Wynton Marsalis trumpet work.