Paul Simon

I did spring for it, am about 3.5 hours into it, and loving it. Lots of Simon playing songs on an acoustic guitar and walking through choices in the music and lyrics. There's a Gladwell essay within it that creates an overall theory about Simon's songwriting (related to his being from Queens), but there's definitely enough Simon overall that Gladwell doesn't overshadow it.

That said, the except on Broken Record isn't so different from what follows.

Thanks, Eazy. I did enjoy the excerpt, a little more than I had characterized it. I’ll just chew up a credit on it, ffs, Simon’s songs have been part of my life since birth & a huge influence besides, & I dunno why I was being so flinty about it.

I had the same feeling at first, as someone who has enjoyed so many Broken Record interviews for free. This one is carefully edited and put together in a way that feels more like a five-hour documentary that happens to be audio-only, rather than just podcast interviews.

Finished this and would definitely recommend it. They spend as much time (or more) on Rhythm of the Saints as Graceland.

Only downside is having the "climax" of the documentary being Simon getting somewhat personal, when he clearly hates doing that in public outside of his songs. It reminded me of the Bill Cunningham documentary culminating in exposing this very private person, rather than letting him speak through his work and public life.

If this had been made earlier, it unquestionably would have been a holiday-ready coffee-table book Conversations with Paul Simon, and maybe it still will be.

As is, it's a really satisfying listen to dive into as we all hunker down for a bit.

What so many hats on his album covers

One man’s ceiling is a taller man’s floor

Rhiannon Giddens, accompanied by PS on acoustic gtr., did a great "American Tune" on that recent Simon tribute TV special (the only performance I saw).

Also like Willie Nelson's studio versions of that and "Graceland."

and Elvis's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," at Madison Square Garden ca. '71. When he gets to bridge of the song, especially.

was listening to this yesterday
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranger_to_Stranger

The weird instruments are neat but they often just sound like either a synth or a crappy guitar - still it's interesting

Hmmm:

Paul Simon has announced the release of his highly anticipated musical work, Seven Psalms. Intended to be listened to as one continuous piece, the 33-minute, seven-movement composition transcends the concept of the “album” and will be released in its entirety on vinyl, CD and across digital platforms on May 19.

Glad he's not 100% retired yet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiDc4DbFQZY

Hidden track:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51Fn2r-8hHI

Preview of the new album, free NY Times article

“Seven Psalms” sounds like a last testament from the 81-year-old Paul Simon. It’s an album akin to David Bowie’s “Blackstar” and Leonard Cohen’s “You Want It Darker,” which those songwriters made as mortality loomed; they each died days after the albums were released.

…that’s quite the premonition.

Dang.

what the fuck!!!

Paul Simon won't die, he'll just be homeward bound

i don't think i could write that graf without following it up immediately with one about how he's not sick / dying, he still feels fine, he's healthy / productive, etc. (assuming those things are true.)

I'm reluctant to be one of those ghouls who speculate about strangers' health, but his facial appearance and slight hand tremor in the trailer suggest he is dealing with Parkinson's. He may be farewelling his performing days, rather than life. Seems like a beautiful record.

When he released Person to Person a few years back, he talked about having no new material and potentially wrapping things up, so it's been extra special that he made In The Blue Light (dense rearrangements of some of his neglected songs) and now this. Definitely agree the paragraph sounds ghoulish unless Pareles has inside info.

Of course we all remember the exactly 0 contemporary reviews of You Want It Darker or Blackstar which labelled them as premonitions of death (think there were one or two of The Next Day which may have hinted at this though)

I thought there were such reviews of Blackstar, but I’m notoriously revisionist in my recollections.

Can anyone recommend a good write up on Simon's lyrics and/or lyrical approach? I was listening to Negotiations & Love Songs and admiring what I perceived to be significant lyrical growth from the self-titled thru the late 80s.

Separately, I never listen to One-Trick Pony but "Late in the Evening" is such a monster track for him that really stands out in the context of that comp.

The Hilburn bio was, I thought, terrific about his lyric writing. He dedicates parts of chapters to how Simon (who participates) pared the lyrics to "Graceland" and "The Cool Cool River."

Is the Gladwell audiobook any good? I like the idea of the format but not sure I can cope with extended Gladwell-ese.

I don't relish repeating myself too much, but here I am again saying that the bonus "work in progress" tracks from Saints reflect a type of magic.

"My horse and my saddle and my gracious companions, we tripped over a mountain and we fell into a vast canyon."

That is a lyric that the dude THREW AWAY. He wrote stuff that nobody else could, and was just like, "Nah. Not good enough. I'll do something else instead."

It is a great blessing that we even have access to his discarded ideas. Imagine what life would be like if we could know about the stuff that Mozart or Bach considered and rejected.

In the last few months many of us watched the frickin Beatles consider, then reject, various musical and lyrical ideas. That was a certain type of run but not nearly as sublime in my view.

How about the bio by Peter Ames Carlin, Homeward Bound?

my travelling companions are ghosts and empty sockets, I’m looking at ghosts and empties
and I’ve reason to believe we all will be received at Graceland

Ordered the Hilburn bio - thanks, Alfred. I do think the Gladwell audiobook is probably worth it in spite of Gladwell, and I should buy that. I listened to the first (free) one a year ago and enjoyed it. Will probably spring for that, too.

Ok I will say one more thing about the lyric writing of Simon is how honest he is about being embarrassed by his early output.

Ask him about "Call Me All" and he gives you a decently intelligent answer. Ask him about "For Emily" ("clothed in crinoline," etc.) And he is like "ouch, too early."

His assessment of his own work is refreshingly direct.

His lyrics on the new one are especially spare & elegant. On first listen, they remind me of Quebec folkie Myriam Gendron's album of Dorothy Parker poems.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VzfSWMzUA0

Is the Gladwell audiobook any good?

I loved it. Simon is up there with De Niro as far as giving evasive, shut-down interviews, and this one feels like him “opening up” just this once definitively for the record. He also has a guitar handy during the interviews, so there’s a lot of him demonstrating moments musically/lyrically by talking through the songs themselves.

I wonder if it's the same bit included in the 2013 reissue where he discusses the origins of "Graceland" and plays a couple of his guitar runs.

Separately, I never listen to One-Trick Pony but "Late in the Evening" is such a monster track for him that really stands out in the context of that comp.

― Indexed, Friday, May 19, 2023 9:51 AM (three hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

great album. 'nobody' 'oh marion' too

xp aw I love For Emily, and find it charming

xps I've never been a huge Simon & Garfunkel fan for that reason, though I guess it's remarkable how much he grew as a lyricist, steadily improving right into his solo career. The only S&G records I really want to listen to are the last two LP's, Bookends and Bridge, and even they have moments that I'm not too crazy about, where they get too precious or lean in too hard into self-pity, etc.

I was listening to Negotiations & Love Songs and admiring what I perceived to be significant lyrical growth from the self-titled thru the late 80s.

Separately, I never listen to One-Trick Pony but "Late in the Evening" is such a monster track for him that really stands out in the context of that comp.

FWIW, what's pretty remarkable about his solo output through One-Trick Pony and maybe even Hearts and Bones is that if you mix together the highlights, they all sound apiece, like they could be from the same incredible album. Individually they all clearly have their own identity, but until he did Graceland there's a strong stylistic unity to much of his solo work.

Listened to Seven Psalms and it played as fairly stuffy and serious. Maybe suitable for a career coda, but not how I'd like to think of Simon after he's gone (hopefully never).

The audiobook is on Slsk if that's your thing.

I am very much in awe of Seven Psalms. While it's essentially a lengthy poem over relatively sparse acoustic music, I still find it very lush with beautiful guitar playing and clever, intriguing lyrics.

Listened to Seven Psalms and it played as fairly stuffy and serious.

It's a half hour musing on pretty serious stuff, but there are also funny moments and relativation. For example: "Good morning, Mr Indignation / Looks like you haven't slept all night / In my professional opinion / Go back to bed and turn off your light".
I also really love this bit: "The Lord is my engineer / The Lord is my record producer / The Lord is the music I hear / Deep in the valley of elusive"

I'm reluctant to be one of those ghouls who speculate about strangers' health, but his facial appearance and slight hand tremor in the trailer suggest he is dealing with Parkinson's.

That would be terrible, I hope you're wrong there and I hope Paul's still got some time to go. Interesting to note here that the final 'Psalm' includes the following bit:
"Wait / I'm not ready / I'm just packing my gear / Wait / My hand's steady / My mind is still clear"

"in my professional opinion" is such a Paul Simon lyric... I haven't listened to this yet but I can hear him singing it...

xp you're right, though I was referring to the music itself, which I'm still having a hard time finding a way in to

Wow this record is seriously great, top tier work IMO, one of the greatest things he’s ever released.

gorgeous

we’re blessed to have him <3

that Myriam Gendron records is one of the best of this century

Insider info or not I find that NYT excerpt in super bad taste. “This sounds like Paul Simon will croak any day now”.

he's such a good guitarist

yeah i was marveling at how he still knocks me out in all three facets
lyrically, there’s lines that just floor me with starkness or beauty or both
vocally, his voice still has the power to send me back to childhood in the best way
musically, his guitar playing sounded so good (idk any smart guitary words to say so “good” has to cover a lot of technical griund lol)

how is he still the best

He doesn't always play sophisticated guitar parts (because he has so many skilled subordinates) but lots of people have not what a fine, precise player he can be when he sets his mind to it.

In one mid-career interview he rummages around in a closet, pulls out a Martin and starts playing "The Coast" - which is demanding enough for anyone - so nonchalantly as to make it look easy.

I think about that sometimes. Dude could just casually write some of the best music ever, and yet still have extra effortless music that he might - might - eventually get around to recording.