PAUL SIMON: "THERE GOES RHYMIN' SIMON"

Original released on LP CBS 69035 (UK)

and Columbia 32280 (US), May 1973

A1. Kodachrome 3’35

A2. Tenderness 2’55

A3. Take Me to the Mardi Gras 3’30

A4. Something So Right 4’36

A5. One Man’s Ceiling is Another Man’s Floor 3’48

B1. American Tune 3’47

B2. Was a Sunny Day 3’44

B3. Learn How to Fall 2’47

B4. St. Judy’s Comet 3’21

B5. Loves Me Like a Rock 3’40

All songs composed by Paul Simon

MUSICIANS:

Guitar: Paul Simon, Cornell Dupree, Pete Carr, David Spinozza, Alexander Gafa, Jerry Pucket

Electric Guitar: Jimmy Johnson, Pete Carr

Bass: David Hood, Gordon Edwards, Bob Cranshaw, Vernie Robbins

Acoustic Bass: Richard Davis

Electric Bass: Bob Cranshaw

Drums: Roger Hawkins, Rick Marotta, Grady Tate, James Straud

Percussion: Airto Moreira, Roger Hawkins

Keyboards: Barry Beckett, Bobby James

Piano: Paul Griffin, Bobby Scott, Barry Beckett

Organ: Carson Witsett

Vocal Group: The Dixie Hummingbirds

Vocal Duo: Maggie & Terre Roche

Horns: The Onward Brass Band

Strings arranged by Del Newman

Produced by Paul Simon

Cover designed by Milton Glaser

«And high up above

my eyes could clearly see

the Statue of Liberty

sailing away to sea.

And I dreamed I was flying»

Paul Simon’s “There Goes Rhymin' Simon” is the logical step in Paul Simon's solo recording career, and it is a dazzlingly surefooted one. Despite its many light, humorous moments, the core theme of his first album, Paul Simon, was depressing: fear of death, its focal point a sung poem, "Everything Put Together Falls Apart," that while worthy of comparison with the best work of John Berryman, could hardly be called "easy listening." Since the album dealt with anxiety, it communicated anxiety and was difficult to accept as entertainment. This isn't true of “Rhymin' Simon”. Like its predecessor, it is a fully realized work of art, of genius in fact, but one that is also endlessly listenable on every level. Simon has never sounded so assured vocally. He demonstrates in several places pyrotechnical skills that approach Harry Nilsson's (in embellishment of ballad phrases) and John Lennon's (in letting it all hang out), though for the most part, Simon's deliveries are straight - restrained and supple, bowing as they should to the material, which is of the very highest order.

“Rhymin' Simon” shows, once and for all, that Simon is now the consummate master of the contemporary narrative song - one of a very few practicing singer/songwriters able to impart wisdom as much by implication as by direct statement. Here, even more than in the first album, Simon successfully communicates the deepest kinds of love without ever becoming rhetorical or overly sentimental. The chief factor in his remarkable growth since Simon and Garfunkel days has been the development of a gentle wry humor that is objective, even fatalistic, though never bitter. Thematically, “Rhymin' Simon” represents a sweeping outward gesture from the introspection of the first album. Simon has triumphantly relocated his sensibility in the general scheme of things: as a musician, as a poet of the American tragedy, and most importantly as a family man. “Rhymin' Simon” celebrates, above all, familial bonds, which are seen as an antidote, to psychic disintegration in a terminally diseased society. As an expression of one man's credo, therefore, it is a profoundly affirmative action. The chief new musical element Simon has chosen to work with - one he has hitherto eschewed - is black music: R&B and gospel motifs are incorporated brilliantly both in Simon's melodic writing and in the sparkling textures of the album's ten cuts, more than half recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. 

The opener is "Kodachrome," a streamlined pop-rock production that uses the image of color photography as a metaphor for imaginative vitality. The song opens with a couple of Simon's most pungent lines: «When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school / It's a wonder I can think at all.» Next is "Tenderness," a late-Fifties-styled doo-wop ballad in which Simon tells a friend: «You don't have to lie to me / Just give me some tenderness beneath your honesty.» In addition to boasting one of Simon's loveliest vocals, "Tenderness" has a nicely subdued horn arrangement by Allen Toussaint and a soulful R&B backups by a gospel group, the Dixie Hummingbirds. "Take Me to the Mardi Gras" is sheer delight - a Latin-flavored evocation of abandon in New Orleans that fades out in joyous Dixieland music by the Onward Brass Band. This sensuous flight of fancy is followed by "Something So Right," Simon's love song to his wife in which he tells her he can hardly believe his present happiness, since he is by nature a pessimist. A ballad that begins in an offhand, almost conversational tone, it builds slowly into a declaration of great eloquence. Side one closes with a witty, R&B piece of homespun city philosophy, "One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's Floor."

"American Tune," which opens side two is the album's pivotal moment. A flowing ballad with the chordal structure of an American hymm-tune, its magnificent lyrics give us Simon's definitive reflection on the American Dream. Writing from a state of exhaustion in England (Paul Samwell-Smith co-produced the cut in London, and Del Newman provided the stately string arrangement), Simon sees the country as a nation of «battered souls», but still «home,» and the American Dream either «shattered» or «driven to its knees.» In an apocalyptic reverie, he equates his own death with the death of America and sees «the Statue of Liberty sailin' away to sea.» The song, which has instrumental touches that deliberately recall Simon and Garfunkel's "America," is the single greatest thing Simon has written, a classic by any standard.

"Was a Sunny Day" reshuffles images from "Kodachrome," treating them playfully in a semi-reggae setting. A «high-school queen with nothing really left to lose» makes love with a sailor whom she calls «Speedo but his Christian name was Mr. Earl.» "Learn How to Fall" has an opening melodic phrase similar to that of Bette Midler's now-famous intro, "Friends," but a different message: «You've got to learn how to fall / before you learn to fly.» The album's last two cuts, "St. Judy's Comet" and "Loves Me Like a Rock," complete the thematic cycle of songs avowing familial devotion. In the exquisitely tender acoustic lullaby, "St. Judy's Comet," Simon enters into the imaginative life of his son, who wants to stay up late to watch for the mythical comet of the title. Simon concludes: «'Cause if I can't sing my boy to sleep / well it makes your famous daddy / Look so dumb.» In "Loves Me Like a Rock," a hand-clapping, call-and-response gospel anthem with the Dixie Hummingbirds providing the response, Simon resurrects his own childhood relationship with his mother. 

Since the anxiety-laded "Mother and Child Reunion" was the opening cut on the first Simon album, it is fitting that this incredibly powerful song of love and gratitude, reminiscent in spirit of "When The Saints," should close the second. “Rhymin' Simon'” is a rich and moving song cycle, one in which each cut reflects on every other to create an ever-widening series of refractions. Viewed in the light of the first album, Simon seems ultimately to be saying that acceptance of death is only possible through our ability to honor our human ties, especially those formed within the family structure. Only through the mutual affirmation of love can we redeem our imaginative powers from despair and be able to live with the breakdown of the wider "family" structure that is the American homeland without ourselves breaking down. (Stephen Holden, Rolling Stone 1973, June 21)

PAUL SIMON 72

Original released on LP Columbia KC 30750 (US)

and on LP CBS S 69007 (UK) – 1972, January 24 

Depois da dupla Simon & Garfunkel se ter separado, pouco depois do lançamento da obra-prima intemporal que é “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, a expectativa era grande em saber-se como iriam evoluir as respectivas carreiras a solo. Foram precisos dois longos anos para que pudessemos ter a alegria de pegar num novo álbum, este primeiro (se não contarmos com o “Songbook”, que nessa altura ainda não tinha sido editado oficialmente) de Paul Simon (“Angel Clare”, de Art Garfunkel, só saíria a público 20 meses depois, em Setembro de 1973). Vi esta capa pela primeira vez numa discoteca de Johannesburg, onde fui passar uns dias de férias, que, invariavelmente, eram preenchidos a escutar as últimas novidades discográficas. Lembro-me de me sentar ao balcão da loja (chamada “Look & Listen”, na Eloff Street) e por ali ter ficado a tarde inteira, a escutar todas aquelas pequenas maravilhas: “Mother and Child Reunion”, “Duncan”, “Run That Body Down”, “Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard” e “Peace Like a River” foram as que mais me chamaram a atenção e, ainda hoje, continuam a ser as minhas favoritas. Quando saí da “Look & Listen”, pelo fim do dia, já trazia o álbum debaixo do braço. Este, e o seguinte (“There Goes Rhymin’ Simon”, publicado em Maio de 1973), foram dois dos mais assíduos companheiros que tive em mais de meio século. Eu envelheci, mas eles não: continuam lindissimos, tal como da primeira vez que nos conhecemos. São assim, os amores eternos.

If any musical justification were needed for the breakup of Simon & Garfunkel, it could be found on this striking collection, Paul Simon's post-split debut. From the opening cut, "Mother and Child Reunion" (a Top Ten hit), Simon, who had snuck several subtle musical explorations into the generally conservative S&G sound, broke free, heralding the rise of reggae with an exuberant track recorded in Jamaica for a song about death. From there, it was off to Paris for a track in South American style and a rambling story of a fisherman's son, "Duncan" (which made the singles chart). But most of the album had a low-key feel, with Simon on acoustic guitar backed by only a few trusted associates (among them Joe Osborn, Larry Knechtel, David Spinozza, Mike Manieri, Ron Carter, and Hal Blaine, along with such guests as Stefan Grossman, Airto Moreira, and Stephane Grappelli), singing a group of informal, intimate, funny, and closely observed songs (among them the lively Top 40 hit "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard"). It was miles removed from the big, stately ballad style of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and signaled that Simon was a versatile songwriter as well as an expressive singer with a much broader range of musical interests than he had previously demonstrated. You didn't miss Art Garfunkel on Paul Simon, not only because Simon didn't write Garfunkel-like showcases for himself, but because the songs he did write showed off his own, more varied musical strengths. (William Ruhlmann in AllMusic)

WILLIE NELSON Live With Friends

Original released on CD Lost Highway B000045302

(EU 2003, June 24)

For his 70th birthday gala, Willie Nelson decided to celebrate by inviting a cast of musical stars to join him in duets on a televised concert. In keeping with Nelson's eclecticism, only a few of the famous participants are country artists (Shania Twain, Toby Keith, and old pal Ray Price). How much is added to his classic "Crazy" by guests Diana Krall and Elvis Costello (then-hot celebrity couple of the moment) is an open question; what's really important is the well-deserved recognition Nelson receives from the musical world's biggest names. If you're a hardcore Willie fan, you've probably already got a couple of earlier live versions of, for example, "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," but part of "Live and Kickin'"s purpose is to expose fans of Nelson's duet partners to the magic they've been missing out on for many decades. In that, it's a success. (John Bush in AllMusic)

PAUL SIMON: "Hearts And Bones"

Original released on LP Warner Bros 23942-1

(US 1983, October 31)

"Hearts and Bones" was a commercial disaster, the lowest-charting new studio album of Paul Simon's career. It is also his most personal collection of songs, one of his most ambitious, and one of his best. It retains a personal vision, one largely devoted to the challenges of middle-aged life, among them a renewed commitment to love; the title song was a notable testament to new romance, while "Train in the Distance" reflected on romantic discord. Elsewhere, "The Late Great Johnny Ace" was his meditation on John Lennon's murder and how it related to the mythology of pop music. Musically, Simon moved forward and backward simultaneously, taking off from the jazz fusion style of his last two albums into his old loves of doo wop and rock & roll while also incorporating current sounds with such new collaborators as dance music producer Nile Rodgers and minimalist composer Philip Glass. The result was Simon's most impressive collection in a decade and the most underrated album in his catalog. (William Ruhlmann in AllMusic)

The PAUL SIMON Songbook

Original relased on LP CBS 62579 (mono)

(US, August 1965)

After the Tom & Jerry period and the first disappointing Simon & Garfunkel album ('64 "Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M."), Paul flew to England, while Art stayed in the USA to study architecture. In England he found himself immersed in the underground folk scene, performing regularly and writing material inspired by the events and relationships he was newly enjoying. Finally he succeeded in getting a contract for an album. And what an debut album he made on his own. Only accompanied by his guitar, he sings 12 songs of his own. Adding to the remarkable circumstances surrounding this album was the almost simultaneous and independent decision of Simon & Garfunkel producer Tom Wilson to take "The Sound of Silence" and rework it with electric guitars, bass and drums, giving it a distinct and perfectly-timed folk-rock flavor. That version of "The Sound of Silence" became a huge hit and ignited Simon & Garfunkel's career bringing Paul back to the States with his new collection of songs. Here are those songs in their raw, embryotic form before they were transformed into what would become Simon & Garfunkel's classic repertoire.

"American Tune" By PAUL SIMON

PAUL SIMON: "One Trick Pony"

Original released on LP Warner Bros HS 3472

(US 1980, August 12)

Though it was released to coincide with the opening of the film "One-Trick Pony", which Paul Simon wrote and starred in, the "One-Trick Pony" album is not a soundtrack, as it is sometimes categorized, at least, not exactly. If it were, it might contain the Paul Simon song "Soft Parachutes" and other non-Simon music featured in the movie. Instead, this is a studio album containing many of the movie songs, some of them in the same performances (two were cut live at the Agora Club in Cleveland). The record is not billed as a soundtrack, but a sleeve note reads, «The music on this Compact Disc was created for the Paul Simon Movie "One-Trick Pony."» Anyway, if Simon was in fact writing songs for Jonah, his movie character (as seems true of songs like "Jonah," "God Bless the Absentee," and "Long, Long Day"), he intended that character to take a somewhat less considered lyrical viewpoint than Paul Simon generally does, but to be even more enamored of light jazz fusion than Paul Simon had been on his last album, "Still Crazy After All These Years". Tasty licks abound from the fretwork of Eric Gale, Hiram Bullock, and Hugh McCracken, and the rhythm section of Steve Gadd, Tony Levin, and Richard Tee is equally in the groove. This is the closest thing to a band album Simon ever made, and it contains some of his most rhythmic and energetic singing. But it is also his most uneven album, simply because the songwriting, with the exception of the title song and the ballads "How the Heart Approaches What It Yearns" and "Nobody," is not up to his usual standard. Maybe he was too busy writing his screenplay to polish these songs to the usual gloss. (It can't have been than Jonah wasn't supposed to be as talented as Paul Simon. Could it?) In any case, though the album spawned a Top Ten hit in "Late in the Evening" and may have sold more copies than the film did tickets, it remained a disappointment in both artistic and commercial terms. (William Ruhlmann in AllMusic)

From what I see in the ratings, this seems to be Paul Simon's lowest rated album. I don't really see why. I think it is a great album. It must be a curse based on it's ranking: ranked #666 for 1980. Ouch. Regardless, his contains some very underrated tunes. The songs have a soft-rock, jazzy r&b kinda feel. It's a similar type sound that he did with "Still Crazy after all these Years", but he steps it up a notch. The songs are more upbeat and a bit catchier in my opinion. My favorite numbers here are "That's why god made the movies", "Oh, Marion" and "Long, Long Day". It's possible that this album isn't recognized as much is because the movie didn't do to well (I think), but overall, it is a solid and very enjoyable album. It's great to relax to and it provides a great atmosphere. It's not a Paul Simon album to dismiss or pass over. Check it out! (in RateYourMusic)

PAUL SIMON IN CONCERT AT HYDE PARK

Original released on 2CD/1 DVD Sony/Legacy 88985404822

(US 2017, June 9)

There are plenty of Paul Simon DVDs — not including ones with Garfunkel — already available that document different stages in the singer-songwriter’s extensive, 45 year solo career. But this one, recorded shortly after his less expansive but still impressive "Live in New York City" (with the same band), gets the nod for the most explosive, exciting and moving performance of the lot. It’s also arguably the best shot and recorded one with striking Blu-ray resolution, uncompressed PCM surround sound and multi-camera angles providing a stage eye view of one superb, memorable concert recorded at the titular location on July 15, 2012. Even with the overindulgent editing that’s occasionally a little too caffeinated, this is an extraordinary document. The circumstances of this particular night where Simon played to what looks like tens of thousands of London fans outdoors with special guests helps make it exceptional. Invitees include not just Jimmy Cliff, who turns in energetic versions of — surprise! —“The Harder They Come,” “Many Rivers to Cross” and “Vietnam,” and sticks around to join Simon for a stirring “Mother and Child Reunion,” but also the original touring version of the Graceland Band. While three of those remain in his outstanding backing unit, it’s a treat to see the great guitarist Ray Phiri, trumpeter Hugh Masekela and especially vocalist Ladysmith Black Mambazo take the stage to run through all but one track from that career high release.

Only one track from Simon’s then most recent disc, 2011’s "So Beautiful or So What" (“Dazzling Blue”), and two Simon & Garfunkel tunes make the cut. But both a solo acoustic “Sound of Silence” and “The Boxer,” featuring Jerry Douglas on unplugged slide, are riveting. Other highlights include an imaginative mash-up of “Hearts and Bones,” with Elvis’/Junior Parker’s “Mystery Train” and Chet Atkins’ “Wheels,” a creative combination that explores some of Simon’s deep Americana roots. With a back catalog as rich as Simon’s it’s impossible to include even some of his biggest hits. Still, the omission of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” is noteworthy in its absence and “The Cool Cool River” would have been a logical choice to perform on this night. But that’s splitting hairs on what is by any standard a rousing two and a half hour tour de force. Why it has taken five years to appear is unclear, but now that it’s here, it is the new standard for Simon shows. This is the single most economical way to show youngsters who may not be aware of Paul Simon’s genius, both the breadth of his catalog and his ability to mesmerize a massive audience through sheer talent, understated showmanship and great songwriting.   (in americansongwriter)

"Under African Skies"

PAUL SIMON: The Historic "Graceland"

Original released on LP Warner Bros 9.25447-1

(US 1986, August 25)

In the early 1980s, Paul Simon's solo career had hit a low point. Following a very successful but fraught reunion with former partner Art Garfunkel, Simon's marriage (with actress Carrie Fisher) fell apart and his previous record, "Hearts and Bones" (1983), was a significant commercial disappointment. In 1984, after a period of depression, Simon became fascinated with a bootleg cassette of South African township music. He planned a trip to Johannesburg in the new year with Roy Halee, where he spent two weeks recording with South African musicians. Simon returned home and "Graceland" was recorded throughout much of 1985–86, in several cities and locations, including New York, Los Angeles, London, and Louisiana. The tracks features an eclectic mixture of musical styles, including pop, rock, a cappella, zydeco, isicathamiya, and mbaqanga. Simon created new compositions inspired by the recordings made in Johannesburg, collaborating with both African and American artists. Executives at Warner Bros were unconcerned with Simon's material, viewing him as a "bad investment" due to the failure of his previous two solo albums. This worked in Simon's favor, he later argued, as they offered no input on his content. According to Halee, he believed executives at the label viewed the duo as "crazy".

Following the album's success, Simon faced accusations by organizations such as Artists United Against Apartheid, antiapartheid musicians including Billy Bragg, Paul Weller, and Jerry Dammers, that he had broken the cultural boycott imposed by the rest of the world against the apartheid regime in South Africa. Preceding his trip to South Africa, Simon sought advice from Harry Belafonte, with whom he had recently collaborated on "We Are the World". Belafonte had mixed feelings on Simon's idea, and advised him to discuss the matter with the African National Congress (ANC). At an album launch party, Simon bluntly clarified his opinions on the controversy: «I'm with the artists. I didn't ask the permission of the ANC. I didn't ask permission of Buthelezi, or Desmond Tutu, or the Pretoria government. And to tell you the truth, I have a feeling that when there are radical transfers of power on either the left or the right, the artists always get screwed.»

Despite the controversy, "Graceland" was a major commercial hit, becoming Simon's most successful studio album. His highest-charting effort in over a decade, Simon's return to the forefront of popular music was considered a remarkable comeback. It was lauded by music critics, won the 1987 Grammy Award for Album of the Year, and is estimated to have sold up to 16 million copies worldwide. "Graceland" has frequently been called one of the best albums of the 1980s, and is present on lists of greatest albums created by numerous publications. It was added to the National Recording Registry in 2007, having been judged to meet the registry's admission criterion of being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically important". Alongside albums such as Peter Gabriel's "So" and Talking Heads' "Remain in Light", writer Jon Pareles of The New York Times singled "Graceland" out as an album that popularized African rock in the western world. A 2012 documentary film, "Under African Skies", directed by Joe Berlinger celebrates the 25th anniversary of the album's release, and includes archival footage, interviews, discussion of the controversy associated with the original release, and coverage of an anniversary reunion concert. «"Graceland" transcended racial and cultural barriers. The album was never just a collection of songs, after all; it was a bridge between cultures, genres and continents, not to mention a global launching pad for the musicians whose popularity been suppressed under South Africa's white-run apartheid rule,» said Andrew Leahey of American Songwriter.

The Original Album:

A1. The Boy in the Bubble (Forere Motloheloa/P. Simon)

A2. Graceland (P. Simon)

A3. I Know What I Know (General MD Shirinda/P. Simon)

A4. Gumboots (Lulu Masilela/Jonhjon Mikhalali/P. Simon)

A5. Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (Joseph Shabalala/P.Simon)

B1. You Can Call Me Al (P. Simon)

B2. Under African Skies (P. Simon)

B3. Homeless (Joseph Shabalala/P. Simon)

B4. Crazy Love, Vol. II (P. Simon)

B5. That Was Your Mother (P. Simon)

B6. All Around the World of the Myth of Fingerprints (P. Simon)

Bonus Tracks:

C1. Homeless (demo)

C2. Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (alternate version)

C3. All Around the World of the Myth of Fingerprints (early version)

C4. You Can Call Me Al (demo)

C5. Crazy Love, Vol. II (demo)

C6. The Story of "Graceland" (as told by Paul Simon)