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Graceland 25th Anniversary Edition (Vinyl)

Paul SimonVinyl
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (404 customer reviews)

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Biography

During his distinguished career Paul Simon has been the recipient of many honors and awards including 12 Grammy Awards, three of which ("Bridge Over Troubled Water", "Still Crazy After All These Years" and "Graceland") were albums of the year. In 2003 he was given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for his work as half of the duo Simon and Garfunkel. He is ... Read more in Amazon's Paul Simon Store

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Frequently Bought Together

Graceland 25th Anniversary Edition (Vinyl) + Rhythm of the Saints + Still Crazy After All These Years
Price for all three: $39.55

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Product Details

  • Vinyl (June 5, 2012)
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Sony Legacy
  • ASIN: B007P06DJ0
  • Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (404 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,856 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

1. The Boy In The Bubble
2. Graceland
3. I Know What I Know
4. Gumboots
5. Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes
6. You Can Call Me Al
7. Under African Skies
8. Homeless
9. Crazy Love, Vol II
10. That Was Your Mother
11. All Around The World Or The Myth Of Fingerprints

Editorial Reviews

In 1986, Graceland sold 14 million copies worldwide and garnered both the Album and Song of the Year Grammy in 1987. Simon and the members of Ladysmith Black Mambazo performed on Saturday Night Live and appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone. It generated three hit singles and it kept Paul Simon and the Graceland tour on the road for five years. Its music was heard across the globe. Today, its music and its reputation still reach generations of music enthusiasts yet so many are unaware of how pivotal that one album was during the 1980s, how it helped birth the idea of World Music and revived the career of one of America's most important songwriters. How it influenced the political progress of South Africa a country divided by institutionalized racism, causing and then transcending years of controversy. How in fact the album came to be in the first place.

This 180 LP comes with a digital download card of the original Graceland album, three bonus tracks, and a Graceland poster.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
221 of 235 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars Chalk it up to corporate greed June 14, 2012
Format:Audio CD
About the only good reason to remaster a classic album for CD these days is to improve upon errors made on past remasters, since most classic albums have now been released on CD multiple times already. The best a remastering can do is to faithfully reproduce the sound of the original album, as it was intended by the creative forces that produced it, and possibly improve on it with a superior higher-resolution transfer of the original tape. More often than not, however, remasters are just used as a justification by the record companies for the umpteenth dip into our wallets, doing nothing to improve the sound, and going a good distance toward making it worse. Unfortunately, that is exactly what we have with this latest version of Graceland. Rather than giving us something noticeably better than the previous 2004 remaster, Sony has just given us more of the same. Because the company has its eye on the deluxe package market, with all the bonus tracks, luxury-grade packaging, DVD concert, and an $85 price tag, the album itself has become almost an afterthought. That is unfortunate, because this classic album deserves better.

A bit of a history lesson for the unaware: Graceland was first issued in 1986, and the CD at that time presented the album very well - with an appropriate level of gain that left breathing room for the dynamics, and a very natural EQ that allowed the music to speak for itself. In 2004, Warner reissued the album with (very non-essential) bonus tracks, and a remastering that was louder, underscored by a V-shaped, in-your-face EQ that pushed both the low and high frequencies. I'll confess that at this point, I lost interest and stopped paying attention, but as near as I can tell, this same release was put out on the Sony label in 2011; it was not a new mastering.
... Read more ›
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60 of 64 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite! January 9, 2005
Format:Audio CD
This seamless blend of African pop and American folk styles is one of the most exquisite musical achievements of the 20th century. The melodies are beautiful, the voices divine, and each and every one of the tracks is a classic. This extended version contains alternate takes of three songs.

The best loved songs include The Boy In The Bubble, Graceland, Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes and Under African Skies, but the rest hold great charm too. The most rootsy African sounds surface on I Know What I Know with the soulful vocal infusions of The Gaza Sisters.

Paul Simon has always successfully integrated exotic sounds in his music to create great beauty: Andean flutes in El Condor Pasa, reggae in Me And Julio Down By The School Yard and in Mother & Child Reunion, and Latin/South American sounds in Rhythm Of The Saints, but Graceland is his towering achievement as a solo artist, a truly exceptional album with a power and beauty that transcends all musical boundaries.
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41 of 44 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Dynamic range squashed by over-compression June 12, 2012
Format:Audio CD
The 25th Anniversary remaster is a victim of the loudness war that is killing the dynamic range of modern music. The compression of the dynamic range has made this remastered CD nearly unlistenable. The title track on the original 1986 release has a dynamic range of 13, while the same track on the 25th Anniv. remaster has been squashed to 7. The openness is gone and individual instruments are all at the same level: LOUD. This might be fine for dance music, but not for Paul Simon. Remaster engineer Greg Calbi of Sterling Sound can do incredible work, but this isn't one of them. Also, I don't own the 2004 Rhino remaster, so I can't compare it. All in all, my advice is to stick to the 1986 CD release.
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46 of 52 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Graceful Album May 9, 2005
Format:Audio CD
Prior to the release of Graceland in 1986, Paul Simon was already a musical superstar. From his 60's days as one half of Simon & Garfunkel to his solo work the 70's, he created some of the most memorable songs in music. Through it all, the basis of his music was an acoustic guitar and deeply rooted in American sounds like doo wop, folk or jazz. When one heard the South African rhythms that came from Graceland, the last person you'd expect them to come from would be Mr. Simon. The lyrical content of the album is no surprise as Mr. Simon is one of the best in the business, but the musical backing is fresh, new and vibrant. "The Boy In The Plastic Bubble" just explodes out of your speakers and for some reason the song reminds me of a carnival. Ladysmith Black Mambazo adds stirring vocals to the sublime "Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes" while adding a plaintive almost mournful sound to "Homeless". Linda Ronstadt supplies a fine harmony vocal on "Under African Skies" while Los Lobos assists on the albums closer "All Around The World". "You Can Call Me Al" had a hilarious video with Chevy Chase but beside having a good video, the song is as bouncy and catchy as anything he's ever recorded. He not only uses South African beats, but he explores zydeco music on "That Was Your Mother" and stays at home on the title track. Graceland is the peak of Paul Simon's long and illustrious career. The reissue, like all the others in the Paul Simon collection, is first rate. The sound is greatly imporved and the packaging replicates the original album nicely. Also like the other reissues, the three bonus tracks of demos are okay, but not revealing or required listening.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars I bought this for my fiance who lived in South Africa for 20 years
He liked the rhythms and the combination of popular and tribal sounds. I have no more words to add to this.
Published 1 day ago by K Roberts
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic for the ages
The older Simon & Garfunkel songs were the soundtrack for my teen years. I cry listening to them now. Read more
Published 2 days ago by David L. Ashcraft
5.0 out of 5 stars Love it
It was given as a gift and the recepient was extremely pleased. I could not find it in the stores.
Published 3 days ago by Sheryl Pretlow
5.0 out of 5 stars I Luv This CD....Best Work Ever!
U can never b disappointed with Paul Simon, he is just a great singer n composer! I bought this only because i wore out my original cassette recording of this.....im aging, lol!
Published 4 days ago by Betty A Clark
5.0 out of 5 stars call me !!!
paul simon music is great !!! his the white man with the black music. for years paul has shown his true colors.
Published 4 days ago by Diane Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars Paul Simon's finest
This is great music with exciting rhythms and expressive lyrics. Simon and Garfunkel fans should beware as Paul Simon obviously moved on. This is old news. Read more
Published 4 days ago by lmelton
4.0 out of 5 stars don't know - it was a gift for my son
don't know - it was a gift for my son - but I may buy it for myself at some point
Published 17 days ago by Susan B. Kern
1.0 out of 5 stars 25th Anniversary edition VINYL review
This review is for the 25th Anniversary Edition VINYL release only. I wanted to warn others about a bad experience. I recently purchased this album and received it 5/21/13. Read more
Published 28 days ago by Timm
5.0 out of 5 stars I love this recording.
I bought this after picking up a badly recorded copy in a rummage sale. It's great to have in my car--listen to some songs over and over. Read more
Published 28 days ago by N.E. Reader
4.0 out of 5 stars Bring me back....
As a kid, I remember seeing the "guy" from the movie Vacation, and saying, "who is that little guy?" . Read more
Published 1 month ago by GEM75
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