Customer Reviews

Paul Simon

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After busting up Simon & Garfunkel, but before becoming a noted ethnomusicologist, Paul Simon was the essence of thoughtful pop craft. On his first few solo albums, he hired the best musicians to back him on songs that were carefully composed, lyrically as well as musically, with a poetic acuity backed by sounds that supported the words and vocals with just enough musical intrigue to warrant repeated listenings, and sometimes Top 40 hit status.

"Paul Simon" is his first solo album, and I think there may have been three hit singles off this, including one of the first efforts by a white, U.S. musician to use reggae players, "Mother and Child Reunion," "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard," an antic look at the protest politics of the day (1970), and "Duncan" which made use of Inca pipe players. His lyrics were increasingly direct and autobiographical, seemingly influenced by the confessional school of poetry--except you always had the sense that Simon was always under control, never yielding to the call of the wild, but instead always studying and commenting ironically on his heartbreaks and confusions.

What I really like about this album is some of the musicianship. The session players Hal Blaine on drums and Larry Knechtel on electric piano shine throughout--Knechtel especially on the last song, "Congratulations." Stefan Grossman contributes wonderful slide guitar on "Paranoia Blues," and Simon's own playing on the great "Peace Like a River" is tasty. The late great Stephane Grappelli is given a chance to show off his fiddling on "Hobo's Blues," an instrumental.

The remastering cleans up what was already a very clean recording; the three extra tracks are fine, but not particularly essential.

(Here's a warning: I am a huge Paul fan and have adored him since I was 3 years old, so this isn't going to be a very objective review. If you still want to read my two cents, continue. If you want a more objective opinion, skip this.)

I have all of Paul's solo albums, and all the Simon & Garfunkel albums -- hey there's only 5 albums after all -- but anyways, this could easily be my favourite of them all. My "stranded on a desert island" kind of CD, if you will.

What I really admire about this album is that it is diverse and yet sparse and shows off a lot of Paul's songwriting and guitar-playing skills. I especially love the great mix of songs here: "Mother and Child" reunion, a great reggae track which did much to foreshadow his future World Music projects, is a great opener. "Duncan" is a fine storytelling ballad that had my attention from beginning to end, with a great instrumental bridge from the same band that helped bring us "If I Could" on S&G's Bridge Over Troubled Water album. "Everything Put Together Falls Apart" is sparse with some great singing from Paul (love his falsetto at the end!), and "Run that Body Down" is both catchy and clever.

Other highlights: "Papa Hobo" (didn't like it at first, but it grew on me and it's tons of fun to sing along to), "Congratulations" (a very fine ballad, a nice finish to the album), and "Hobo's Blues" (a great instrumental duet). I love "Peace Like a River", which could be one of Paul's finest songs ever.

The only song I usually skip on this album is "Armistice Day". The guitar is good, but I don't know what he really meant with the lyrics. It's sounds like he wanted to make a point and then got bored halfway through and gave up. It starts off promising, then just gets lost.

Overall, a fantastic tried-and-true album from a living legend.

I've always liked Paul Simon, but I just gained new respect for the compositions on this album... I'm a harmonica player, and was casually trying to play along with the songs-- but man, are these tunes complex! They sound like simple folk ditties, but there are all kinds of key modulations that sneak up on you (it's very hard to modulate with diatonic harmonicas--you need a different harp for each key). This fancy stuff is so understated that you don't even notice it though; the melodies all have an intimate, honest feeling. Amazing stuff.

Thanks to my Dad's influence, I grew up with the amazing music of Simon & Garfunkel and Paul Simon. One of my Dad's favorite songs is Duncan, and he'd complained that he hadn't been able to find the CD with this song. What a great Christmas gift it turned out to be. We love the additional demo versions of Duncan and others. It's a great glimpse into the early solo career of Simon with some classic Simon grooves and some new ideas. We couldn't be happier!

When a friend asked me if I ever listened to much Paul Simon I thought I had: I remember the album 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' and 'Graceland'. I liked some of 'Bridge' but 'Graceland' had too many elements for me to say I truly enjoyed it. I thought that was all there was to the musical career of Paul Simon...the songs from 'The Graduate', the song "A Bridge Over Troubled Water" and the album 'Graceland'.

I was wrong.

What my friend then went on to show me was this incredibly beautiful, subtle and diverse musical artist who has spent most of his life writing wonderful songs. This album will always be special to me because it is where I realized the depth to Paul Simon's songwriting and the truthfulness of him as a performer. The song "Duncan" shows Simon's graceful storytelling and "Papa Hobo" shows how he can paint landscapes and scenes with his placement of words. In the song "Everything Put Together Falls Apart," there is a little spot, approximately 1:15 into the song, when Paul comes to a break in the guitar playing and scratches his chin. You can hear this on the record (listen close)! It is that lack of pretension that makes this such a great album. That...and eleven great songs.

I was excited when I heard that Paul Simon's back catalog was going to be remastered with bonus tracks. Although Rhino has had some dodgy releases in the past as a far as sound quality for the most part they've done a good job. Prepare to be disappointed with the sound here because "Paul Simon" has been remastered with a loud and often shrill sound. The EQ favors the midrange and the vocals are more prominent here-the latter is a good thing. It isn't the worst remaster I've heard AND the bonus tracks certainly make it worthwhile for big fans of Simon but if you have the previous edition and you don't care for the bonus tracks, stick with the original Warner Brothers CD.

Every one of Simon's albums have been unique with each one having its own distinctive sound. For example, "Paul Simon" finds the artist digging into the sounds of other cultures whether it be the flutes on "Duncan" or "Mother and Child Reunion" with its Reggae influence each song here marries Simon's craft to different textures and genres. What's surprising is that he got so much praise for it with "Graceland" and many critics acted surprised when he's been doing this all along.

The production by Simon and Roy Halee sounds crisp on the original CD and is nicely detailed. The remaster although it has the crispness and detail also suffers from too much midrange AND a compressed sound that impacts the depth of the recording.

The remaster has a nice booklet with the lyrics (just as the original CD did)but doesn't have any thoughts by Simon on the making of the album. The remaster comes in a digipak cardboard holder. If you want this album with terrific sound don't buy the remaster. If you're only getting this for the bonus tracks keep your original CD or vinyl.

Paul Simon was one of the greatest songwriters of the 60's and 70's. This, His first solo album, showcases that fact. The two radio hits are catchy singalongs, but it's the rest of the album that really shines. Duncan, Peace Like A River, Run That Body Down and Hobo's Blues (with the fabulous Stephane Grappelli) are all excellently crafted and performed songs. If you loved this album back then you will still enjoy it, and if you're trying this for the first time you will not be dissapointed.

As a seasoned musician of over 40 years, there are not many "lost gems" out there. This is no doubt one of them. While always considered a pop classic, upon listening with fresh ears, I was shocked at how sophisticated and influential this album has become. Many decidedly modern artists clearly owe a debt of gratitude to this album. Beautifully recorded and produced, much of the production style portends to the now fairly common elements of production as exemplified by the Mitchell Froom/Tchad Blake style of recording. Some of the instrumental tracks in the songs are extremely atmospheric, while others are very intimate and up close. Instead of full band arrangements, the rhythmic elements are often sketched out with few parts, another stylistic strategy that is commonly employed now, but in retrospect was so ahead of its time.
The guitar playing is stunning, the arrangements are unique and have clearly influenced everyone from Richard Thompson (Run That Body Down) to Los Lobos (Peace Like a River). The rhythm section work is perfect, and the writing and variety make this a true "album" as opposed to a collection of tunes. Oh yeah, and Mr Simon's vocals are right up front and dry as a bone, with a "in your living room" feel. This album actually sounds like real musicians playing together in real time; these are performances, not assembled tracks. Without a doubt, listening to this will take you back, but it will also take you forward, with a unhurried pace and sound that many are just catching up to.
If you only know Mr. Simon for his world-influenced hits, this album is quite a departure and will open your eyes to his roots. However if your tastes run to the jazzy and modern styles of folk/pop, you will hear where many of today's artists got some of their sound, from Norah Jones to the aforementioned Thompson and Los Lobos. A timeless classic for sure, but also something for the critical listener and the sophisticated music fan who wants to be challenged in her/his listening. You will not be disappointed.

this cd has recently really grew on me. i listen to it over and over.

i have had it for awhile, but just never really listened to it, for whatever reason, and just popped it in about 2 weeks ago, and havent really taken it out.:)

i like armistice day, and peace like a river. maybe my 2 favorites...i dont know. really, i enjoy every song. one really good thing about this cd is every song sounds fairly different...which i always enjoy.:)

quickly becoming one of my favorites by paul.

Paul Simon is one of the best--if not THE best--American songwriters of the 20th Century. On this, his first post-Simon and Garfunkel album, he presents a collection of songs that don't make you miss his former partner all that much.

The album kicks of with his first solo hit, the reggae-esque "Mother and Child Reunion." The other hit was the funky "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard." [Note: I still don't know what the mama saw that "was against the law."] "Duncan," about a fisherman's son, was a third single from the album, but stalled at No. 52. [Favorite line: "Holes in my confidence/Holes in the knees of my jeans."]

There are no grandiose anthems like "Bridge Over Troubled Water," just a collection of quiet, contemplative songs. As such, this is one of Simon's best albums. This re-release includes three bonus tracks: demos of "Me and Julio" and "Duncan," along with an alternate take of "Paranoia Blues." ESSENTIAL