PAUL SIMON POLL RESULTS THREAD AND DISCUSSION

I guess I was a contrarian as a 10 yo then,
Just a 10 year-old contrarian,
Contrary as can be.
My mama'd take me too the park
And try to buy me ice cream
I said Mama, no, no ice cream for me.

Once I was down in Chinatown
I was eatin' some Lin's Chow Fun
I happened to turn around
And when I looked I seen my Chow Fun's gone

I'm really surprised by the high regard for "Graceland." Always thought it was one of the weaker moments on the album, myself. Regardless, let it be said that Paul Simon is probably the greatest American songwriter of the past 50 years.

I kind of agree -- and was really interested to see him say on that Classic Albums special that he believed it was the best thing he ever wrote. His discussion of the song is a great sequence on that.

I didn't know there were enough Paul Simon die-hards on here to conduct a Paul Simon poll.

got some news for ya

and wtf is Homeward Bound doing at 29. there's no fucking way DUNCAN beats that

IIRC, "Duncan" doesn't sound like a museum.

Homeward Bound almost made me cry on bus home to Toronto after SImon & Garfunkle (& Pulp)-laden NYC trip. <3

Duncan wasn't really bigged up that much on the voting thread either; I like the unexpected consensi that these polls throw up.

Been listening to a Simon & Garfunkel compilation in the car the past couple of days. I think "America" might be the most obvious, self-important bid for a work of genius in the history of pop music that is an actual work of genius...I'm amazed at and moved by how good it is, and puzzled as to why I didn't have it higher on my ballot here. "Kathy, I'm lost"--between that and the Joe DiMaggio line in "Mrs. Robinson," I think Simon, in a much quieter and more writerly (self-consciously so, yes, and easy to make fun of) way was as inside that moment as Weekend or "Gimme Shelter" or anything.

this was a fun poll, i automatically think "sounds like a museum" whenever i hear S&G now

^^^

'Late Great Johnny Ace' is so great, lovely take from Letterman in '82. https://youtu.be/HmJJZVXOeKA?t=858

5+ years since this poll! my god, seems like just yesterday. "and he idly thumbs through the pages..."

I've been listening to lots of 21st century Simon lately. Obviously these polls are never going to feature later work much, and he was already pushing 50 when he released Rhythm of the Saints, which is featured on the top 40. But I do think he has some strong 21st century songs that could be contenders for the list - songs like Wartime Prayers, Father and Daughter, The Afterlife, Wristband are all contenders for my Simon top 40.

xpost thanks for posting that version of "Late Great Johnny Ace." he's an underrated acoustic guitarist as well.

"the obvious child" placed staggeringly high, but yeah. bummer for "capeman" onward.

Wristband is def a new classic

Let's rank albums!.

7.

hearts and bones has a couple of his worst songs, would keep it out of a top 10 for me

Whoa. Not sure what happened. Here's the real link.

Did you not do a favourite songs list on this one? I’d like to see one either way.

Graceland
Paul Simon
Rhythm of the Saints
There Goes Rhymin’ Simon
Hearts and Bones

Still Crazy is half good and One Trick Pony is dreck. I’ve tried periodically to get into his albums from this century but have yet to find a compelling entry point.

You didn't like So Beautiful, sc0tt? He played "Dazzling Blue" and "Rewrite" at my show last night and they sounded tite.

Did you not do a favourite songs list on this one? I’d like to see one either way.

― piscesx, Sunday, September 9, 2018

Oops -- thought I included it in the link. Anyway, here

hey gang I have been listening to S&G all afternoon

...or, “taking a stroll round the museum” you might say

strollin' around and feelin' musey

hello placard
whatcha knowin'

man, i love Bookends the way it is, but "Save the Life of My Child" sets the bar SO high in this psych freak-out way. never really sat down with this album turned up loud enough to really enjoy the curtain-raising track (ahh, it's like i'm right there in the coffeeshop with the other beatniks...), which in turn means being absolutely bombarded by that first Moog blast in "Save." and then there are all these almost-dissonant shrieks during the breaks, like a succession of wispy, screaming Garfunkel heads dissolving into frame one after another. "America" then comes in to weld the same sonic fullness to something entirely more anthemic and harmonious. that suite right there could make an incredible first side of a double 10" or something.

imagine if the whole album were all AS insane as that. eat your heart out, Smile! but then again it's a great album as is. feels like one of the best things to come out of that period of people being rocked by Sgt. Pepper and expanding their ambitions and all that (is that still considered more or less accurate or is it Beatle propaganda?). i get the sense it was received as a Major Album at the time, but i don't remember ever really seeing it namechecked when i was learning the musical metanarrative of "The Sixties." is it effectively S&G's Revolver?

clemenza otm upthread about how jaw-dropping "America" is when i let myself listen with fresh ears. i know it was when i first got into them at like age 17. but damn!

it’s a heavy album. “old friends” is especially intense. really love that weird little mini detour with the piccolo or whatever and the typewriter is very British-y to me and makes me think of that era of McCartney kinda

I mean the detour in “fakin it”, accidentally clipped a sentence about how much I dig that one

"Fakin' It" also has the crazy opening, with the Mellotron (?) and stomping, Cecilia-esque percussion bursting in while already fading out... anticipating by decades the sound of an album with continuous transitions getting chopped up by skipping to an individual track on CD or MP3. so yeah side 2 is a little trippier than I remembered last night while only on side 1!

hello i am having a paul simon day today & remembering how great this poll was <3

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

Life, I love you.

Liberace was the last-minute fill-in for that number when Stravinsky was unavailable.

And the Young Folks were subbing for the Fugs.