Graceland [Extra tracks, Original recording remastered]

Paul Simon | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 27, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Label: Rhino Records
• ASIN: B0002EQ7E2
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (397 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #81,228 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

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

12. Homeless (Demo)

13. Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes

14. All Around The World Or The Myth Of Fingerprints

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The melding of South African styles and Simon's trademark sensibility made for one of the most intriguing albums--not to mention commercial hits--of the '80s. At once lively, thoughtful, gorgeous, and tough, Graceland acknowledges splits both in South Africa's social fabric and in Simon's personal life (the title track is a clear descendant of the earlier "Hearts and Bones," a song about the singer-songwriter's brief marriage to Carrie Fisher). Humor is hardly absent from the mix, though; witness the addled "I Know What I Know" and the fable-like "You Can Call Me Al." --Rickey Wright

Product Description

In a remarkable career spanning six decades, singer-songwriter Paul Simon has amassed 9 Grammy awards & has been inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice. The first occasion recognized has brilliant work as one half of Simon & Garfunkel. Simon's second induction, in 2001, heralded his equally massive contributions as a solo artist & composer. The songwriter's solo catalog is one of the most diverse, literate, adventurous, & musically rich in all of popular music. Today regarded as one of the greatest composers of the rock n' roll era, Simon is an American treasure, now celebrated by these five expanded & remastered classic albums.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

218 of 230 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Chalk it up to corporate greed June 14, 2012

By Giacomo Holdini

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. Now, in 2012, Sony has come out with this latest, 25th Anniversary version. (Why the 25th Anniversary edition should come out 26 years after the album's release, I have no idea, but that really is the least of this version's problems.)

So, how did Sony screw this up? In a word: loudness. Amazingly, it's even louder and more compressed than the 2004 remaster, and that's saying something. Consider these stats, which show the peak level and average volume of "You Can Call Me Al," from the 1986, 2004 and 2012 CD masterings, respectively (units are the percentage of a CD's maximum gain):

1986: peak = 98.38; average = 39.63

2004: peak = 98.85; average = 74.22

2012: peak = 96.69; average = 80.65

Even with a lower overall peak volume, the 2012 remaster still has a significantly higher average volume than even the 2004 remaster, and it is actually more than twice as loud, on average, as the original 1986 master. Although the tracks do not appear to be clipped, peaks are still maxed out, with no breathing room for transients. The compressed dynamics really rob the music of a certain amount of punch - something African rhythms should have in spades. Everything sounds the same, and nothing pops or jumps out as it should.

What's really too bad is that the EQ on this release is actually very nice. It strikes a good balance between the neutrality of the 1986 release and the over-emphasized highs and lows of the 2004 remaster, adding a bit more character to the 1986 sound, without going over the top. Had Sony coupled this sound signature with the dynamics of the original mastering, I think this could have been a very good release. However, as it stands, I cannot give this a positive recommendation. If you're not a critical listener, it will probably sound OK to you, because the EQ is pleasing enough; I wouldn't go so far as to call this "unlistenable." However, the bottom line is that this not an improvement over what has come before; rather, it is yet another step backwards. If you already have the original CD, you've got the best version available, at least on CD; this remaster does not warrant a re-purchase. And that's really where this version ends up failing. If Sony expects us to pony up the cash for a triple dip, it should give us something worthy of the expenditure.

58 of 62 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite! January 9, 2005

By Pieter Uys HALL OF FAMETOP 1000 REVIEWER

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.

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Dynamic range squashed by over-compression June 12, 2012

By Michael K

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.