Customer Reviews

Paul Simon: You're the One

5 star:		(107)
4 star:		(66)
3 star:		(26)
2 star:		(31)
1 star:		(30)

 

 

I was very disappointed to read some of the negative reviews about this CD - not because I disagree with them (which I do - but everyone is entitled to an opinion) but because if you only listen to this CD once or even a few times you are missing out. It seems that most of the people who don't like the CD did not persevere with it because they were not feeling it after their first listen or so. Believe me this CD grows on you. Don't give up after one listening! I too was somewhat underwhelmed when I first listened to the CD and I felt disappointed. But after playing it a number of times, I have come to absolutely love everything about it. Listening to "Quiet" just sends shivers up my spine - it is so hauntingly beautiful;"Old" is great - it reminds me of "Kodachrome" and "Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard"; "Pigs Sheep and Wolves" is so different from any other song I have ever heard... I could go on and on. In sum, I love this CD and I can't recommend it highly enough. That is not the point of this review though - a lot of the reviews already written make the same point much more eloquently - basically, I just wanted to urge people not to give up after one listening!

From beginning to end this new album from Paul Simon is truly beautiful. The songs have a style not recognised as Paul Simon (except the distinctive voice of course) but are great to listen to. The album is one of his best and may even rank up there with Graceland and Rhythm of the Saints. Paul Simon's word play and well written lyrics come through on top of some stunning if mellow tracks containing diverse instruments like - the pump reed organ and vihuela. The best song in my opinion is Darling Lorraine - a typical Paul Simon story song much in the mould of Hearts and Bones, Duncan or The Boxer. It follows a relationship through marriage and turmoil to eventual death. The variation in tempo and rhythm mean the music tells a story on its own and Paul's lyrics deal with the issue sensitively, witily and cleverly. The story is simple yet intricate and it is a classic song. Old and Hurricane Eye are both easy on the ears and pleasant to listen to and in my opinion the most worthy of a release on single. Other tracks like The Teacher, Look at That and Love are well written and thought provoking if not immediately accesible. Quiet the final track is emotionally touching and finishes the album in the same melodic way as That's where I Belong. You're the one is in my opinion one of the weakest tracks on the album even if it is the title track. Pigs Sheep and Wolves is a funny way to deal with the topic of capital punishment but is clever and amazingly well sung dramatically and I love this bizarre and very different Paul Simon song. The album is typical and sophisticated and I would advise anyone to buy it. Paul Simon is a lyrical genius and his band is outstanding. It may not be picked up on for the masterpiece it is due to the commercialised state of the music industry and prejudice of many music listeners but if you put aside the age of the artist and his public standing with many people and buy it you will not be disapointed.

'You're the One' is an album really unlike any of the other albums Paul has produced. As with quite a few of Paul's other albums it takes a little while to get used to this one. Don't let that scare you.

Full of the percussive sounds that will remind his fans of 'Rhythm of the Saints', Paul pulls out the stops once again with his wonderful lyrics and music. This album has more of Paul's great storytelling on it. The title song, 'You're the One' is an bouncy pop tune about a broken heart--this song could be a radio hit and possibly a Grammy nominee if the radio stations would play it. 'Darling Lorraine' is about a couple's marriage. Paul puts their fighting in the lyrics which is an unusual thing to do but it makes the characters seem real. 'Pigs, Sheep and Wolves' is a funny and unusual song about capital punishment. Paul has fun with this one and he sings it in a laid-back humorous way. A real departure from his usual way of singing. 'Old' puts age in its place by comparing a person's age with the age of the Earth, the Bible and the Koran. The first two verses are a small peek into his life--"First time I smoked, guess what--paranoid/First time I heard 'Satisfaction' I was young and unemployed/Down the decades every year/Summer leaves and my birthday's here/And all my friends stand up and cheer/And say Man, you're old."

Aside from unusual lyrics one other thing stood out: Paul is refecting on his life. There are quite a few mentions of spirituality in "You're the One". In 'Quiet' Paul sings of "Heading for a place of solitude/Where the sage and sweetgrass grow/By a lake of sacred water from the mountains melted snow."

This album may not be as good as 'Graceland' but it is a very fine effort by Mr. Simon. He has not lost his touch at all but as with fine wine, is getting better with age.

Paul Simon is, by his own admission, getting old, as he turns 60 sometime around here. So what do you do when you've had a lot of experience with life, love, the media, your kids, American and world culture? You write about it, and let other folks in on some of the stuff you've learned.

Consider the following lines: "To ask somebody to love you, takes a lot of nerve." "You want to be a writer, don't know where to begin? Find a quiet place, use a humble pen." "If they say that you're not good enough, the answer is, you're not. But who are they, and what is it that eats at what you've got/ with the hunger of ambition for the change inside the purse? They are handcuffs on the soul my friend, handcuffs on the soul, and worse."

More broadly speaking, he has started considering issues from many angles. At least two of his songs, Darling Lorraine, and You're the One, look at relationships from both sides. I can't imagine anybody who won't laugh with at least some rueful recognition at Frank's outraged "What? You don't like the way I chew?" in Darling Lorraine as his wife lists the reasons she's leaving him. Pigs Sheep and Wolves is a sly little song about our propensity to jump on that media bandwagon and drive right by the real killers in our zeal to "get that wolf".

Other songs on this CD just flat out give you a sense of true peace, that Simon, and maybe even you too, are in the right place finally.

And a word about his voice on this CD. I read some of these reviews before I purchased You're the One, and the conclusion I've come to is that Simon is comfortable enough now with himself, his life, his music and his audience to play a little. To let his voice wander up and down the way a sax plays around in a jazz combo, instead of being slavishly tied to the melody line. It's fun, especially in Pigs Sheep and Wolves. And to hear him take off in Quiet will raise the hairs on the back of your neck.

If you are one of those folks who just never decipher the lyrics of songs, this CD is not for you. If you were in love with the supreme danceability of Graceland and the wild percussion of Rhythm of the Saints, then this CD will disappoint you because you'll be hoping for something similar. But if you have an open mind, and an open heart, this CD will find a place there and you too will be in love with it. Happy listening.

Paul Simon amazed me again with an album that should be placed on a pedestal that reaches the heavens. In this album, Simon is more obviously the driving force behind the music, but it also keeps much of the African and South American tones of Graceland and Rhythm of the Saints. Thankfully, Victor Nguini is present on the album--he is guitar's posterboy of understated guitar work genius. Like Radiohead, Simon's last few albums are not catchy, but grow on you more and more everytime you listen to them. Even if you hate the music of this album, you should buy it just for the lyrics. Peaceful as a Hurricane Eye is one of the most amazing songs, lyrically, I've ever heard.

I'm a big Paul Simon fan. Yet, I like to feel that I retain some objectivity. Those of you giving this album five stars are either a)seeing something I have yet to see or b)are doing it out of love for Paul. If it's a), I hope to join you. If it's b), come on. It's not the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Paul's voice is the same as ever and for that alone, I would be happy if I didn't expect so much more from him. I'm happy with some tracks on the album, melodically: You're the One is actually something that grows on you, as is That's Where I Belong. Senorita with a Necklace of Tears is also a nice song. I am not sure I understand the people who "love" Pigs, Sheep and Wolves. The lyrics are good throughout the album, with one BIG exception in Old; more on that later.

The Teacher, Darling Lorraine (less so) and Look at That are draggy, emblematic of bad Capeman (and I liked parts of Capeman very much). You can't throw in some pedal steel guitar and think that I will be lulled to complacency, thinking of Rhythm of the Saints (which I love and is right up there with Graceland).

Old annoys me more every time I listen to it. The chord progression is inordinately simplistic; the lyrics are just awful. The very first listen prompted me to add to the chorus, "This *song* is old." I'll be going to his show in December and I just have a horrible premonition that he'll open with this song to show he's still "with it" even though he's pushing 60. Paul, if you're reading this, PLEASE don't. It's bad.

This album is not five stars, people. Concert in Central Park (which counts in my mind b/c of the just-Simon material), Rhythm of the Saints, Graceland -- those are five stars. This is only okay. Rhythm of the Saints and Graceland were like finding and bringing home an artifact from a trip around the world -- something that would remind you right in your own home of a faraway place that is remote, strange to you and beautiful. This CD, by comparison, is like shopping in Pottery Barn in the "exotic" section. Still pretty, but it's just not the same.

I bought this album immediately after it was released, I raced home to listen to it and when I finally heard it on I was very disappointed. Paul's music just wasn't what it used to be, his lyrics were still good, the music was good, but the two just didn't fit together. The abundant sound of the percussions didn't belong there, Paul's voice (one of the best aspects of his music) just didn't come out and overall, it was doomed to move to the back of my music collection, slowly to be forgotten...

However, the next day I felt a nagging feeling to listen to it again, and I did, and again and again. It kept becoming better and better, slowly the lyrics started having a meaning and beautiful songs emerged, Darling Lorraine, Pigs, Sheep and Wolves, The Teacher, all songs that are among the finest in Paul's repertoire. I now reckon the album among the best I have, not the best (hence no five stars, though I wanted to give 4 1/2 stars), because there are some annoying songs on the album (you're the one and quiet), but still very good. You just have to listen to it a couple of times before you can appreciate its beauty. Unfortunately most people base their opinion on just one listen.

Go buy it!!

As a life long Paul Simon fan, I was delighted to see on his website that he had a new album out in 8 days from then. It has been 10 years since the last (I dont count Capeman, rubbish). I refused to listen to the samples on the site as I would rather hear them fresh off the CD. I bought it on the day of release. The album was like other Paul Simon albums, hard to get into at first (Saints was the same and even the brillant Graceland took a while originally) but its well worth spending the time doing so. After about 7/8 listens the songs start to develop on their own right. Old is a particular favourite. Pigs, Sheep and wolves is an unusal way at looking at the world but in typical Paul Simon lyric. You're the one, Lorraine and Thats where I belong all contain great melody's that you will be singing to yourself all day when you get to know them. Love is a brillant love song showing he hasnt lost his talent. The only song I dont like is the Teacher, which seems to meander no where and then drisels out. Its not as good as Hearts and Bones or Graceland but certainly is well worth it if you are a Paul Simon fan, unfortunitley I dont think it will win over any new fans the way Graceland did.

Pro: I've listened to this three times and liked it better each time. I'm glad I bought it. It's certainly much better than most pop records produced these days.

Con: The latter remark is saying very little; most pop records produced these days are awful. This record makes clear that Paul Simon has been gradually losing his voice for some time. Here when he sings--he does quite a bit of talking instead--his voice is slightly strained and discordent, slightly out of tune. This record makes clear that Paul Simon has been gradually forgetting what music is for some time. "Graceland" and Rhythm of the Saints" were great, but making them and "Songs from the Capeman" (which was dismal) he turned himself from a composer into an amateur ethnomusicologist, and now he can't turn himself back. Here there is very little music.

On the other hand, this record is more evidence (if more evidence were needed) that Paul Simon is a talented lyricist. This is not to say that all the lyrics it comprises are up to scratch. "That's Where I Belong" is greeting-card kitsch. "Darling Lorraine" is rambling and pretentious (I like it anyway.) "Quiet" is greeting-card kitsch too, greeting-card kitsch about death, actually--with an oblique sulk about the artistic and commerical failure of "The Capeman" interpolated. (Apparently, instead of attempting another musical, Simon is content to lie down and die--and won't we be sorry then?)

In "Old" Paul Simon tells us that compared to the age of the Koran, the Bible, the earth, the universe, and God, he and the human race are not old. I suppose this is all relative: in dog years he's pretty old; fleas live briefly. In any case, Mr. Simon is certainly young and vital enough to do good work for some time if he can get his aesthetic priorities straight. I want him to think things through carefully and write another musical. In the mean time, yes, you should own "You're the One".

I must confess that I was startled by the number of reviewers who gave this latest piece of Paul Simon's work low reviews based upon a single play. You just can't do that with his work, ever, ...like many other craftsmen/women he doesnt depend exclusively on the the cheap commerical hook: his work is not intended to be mindless noise used to drive out all other sense or feeling, rather it has a subtle feel and message that needs to be absorbed slowly.

Paul has already proved how proficient he can be across a very wide variety of influences and needs to do no more for me in this vein - I am already a fan. Nevertheless, this album, while appearing to echo many previous works, ( and not just Graceland and Rythmn of the Saints) stands on its own as another refreshing original work that reflect the artist's deep confidence in his ability as well as his own comfort with who he has become. Too bad we only get 44 minutes seems so little to give after being away so long

Yes, the music grows on you, rapidly. I played it on my MD player all weekend, and took it with me to work to listen on the subway again this morning......a really great way to start the day

Definitely worth the price of admission!!!