Customer Reviews

SURPRISE [Vinyl]

5 star:		(110)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(24)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

I received this album as a birthday gift - my first Paul Simon album since Graceland. That's obviously a span of many years (almost 20) and my musical tastes have since migrated to the more "modern" sounds of Arcade Fire, Ryan Adams, Zero 7, Audioslave, The Shins, etc. Perhaps an eclectic mix of artists, but all pioneers in the modern era of rock.

I popped in Suprise and was completely blown away. The master shines on this album of incredible stories intertwined within some of the best hooks I've heard in some time. Lyrically, this album is pure poetry. Examples:

==

A mother murmurs in twilight sleep

And draws her babies closer.

With hush-a-bies for sleepy eyes,

And kisses on the shoulder.

To drive away despair

She sends a wartime prayer.

==

It's a dead end job, and you gets tired of sittin'

And it's like a nicotine habit you're always thinking about quittin'

==

I could fill this review with meaningful lyrics from each tune - there isn't a bad song on the entire album.

Regardless of your age or musical leanings, I can't recommend this album highly enough. Good for mellow tunes while in the office, but don't miss the chance to crank this in your car or iPod. The musicans Simon surrounds himself with are the best in the business. Steve Gadd on drums? Nuff said.

One of the many beauties of art is that it lasts forever. At some point in the near or hopefully distant future, Paul Simon will be gone. We will all remember him for his innovative songwriting and harmonies with Mr. Garfunkel, but a new generation will hopefully bow down to him for the genius of Surprise.

ebhp

I have bought 38 CDs in 2006 (not all from Amazon!) and this is the first that I give five stars to. I have been a Paul Simon fan for a long time and being an admirer of his halcyon days with Art Garfunkel, I was, it is safe to say, very sceptical of the music (or more importantly the sound) that would come out of the collaboration with Brian Eno. Don't get me wrong here, Eno is a legend himself. His music, either through Roxy Music, or Bowie, or U2 are at the very forefront of dynamism and creativity. But Paul Simon?? The master of melancholy? The "poet laureate of wiseass New York" (Rolling Stone 2006)? Nah...

Well...how wrong I was.

This album sounds fabulous. The soundscapes created by Eno as a backdrop to Simon's voice and guitar strumming are both inventive and graceful. It does not have the edginess of a Peter Gabriel or U2 and is seemingly just right. Simon's voice sounds marvellous and just having seen Bob Dylan in New Orleans and Neil Young on TV, I am thankful that at least one musical pioneer has survived vocally. Some of the falsettos he breaks into through the course of this album are just wonderful.

At the end of the day though, for me, Simon is defined not by the background music or the hummability of the overall album or the other peripheral characteristics but by the WORDS he writes. He is the best lyricist in modern music and while other legends such as Neil Young have gone all out on albums such as "Ohio" and "Living with War", Simon has always been more subtle. "Surprise" is NO different.

"Wartime Prayers" will be talked about for a few years to come as a truly defining song in modern music. Why? Because, unlike few other songs before it, it has combined sentiment, with fear, with anger and with sadness. "How can you live in the northeast" is also beautiful and in other ways "Another Galaxy" and "Beautiful" stand out. Overall, this album has few weaknesses.

I am a little dissapointed (being an ardent review reader) that people are comparing "Surprise" to "Graceland". Don't people. They are TOTALLY different musically and in their own way land the sucker punch that modern music misses completely.

I also acknowledge that this album will not be a commercial success. Paul Simon isn't an 'in' artist but please do buy it because if you want some direction in your life, these are the types of albums you should be listening to.

EXTRA: I must say, I am totally surprised by the scathing rhetoric from the "2 star" reviewers. I am not exactly sure what you are listening to but it isn't "Surprise"; thats for sure.

This collaboration between Simon and Eno may not be as revolutionary as, say, "Graceland," but it still ranks up there among Simon's best work in my book.

Why? Contrast. Simon is one of the most convincingly human lyricist/songwriters I can think of.

It's not that he's thinking small. Here he tackles the stark realities of living in politically polarized and youth-obsessed America, a country at war where all the good things in life seem to get blurred.

But he just has a very human touch, focusing right in on flowers sitting on a windowsill rather than going crazy thinking about being old. At one point he even sings that he's "an ordinary player in the key of C," underscoring that he's not going out for bombast here. What you hear is what you get, tuneful melodies and lucid lyrics delivered in that slightly sly Simon way.

Then contrast that with the alternation blips and drones contained within Eno's "soundscape," and the humane man comes into contrast in 3D. Suddenly there's a person singing out within a confusing electronic forest -- a ghost in the machine.

It's not as spellbinding as "Graceland" or "Rhythm of the Saints," but it is a very well-thought out and heart-warming record that's worth much more than the vast majority of sludge marketed as pop music these days.

B+

This album is Paul Simon's first in the last six years, and although it may not win him many new fans, his existing fan base will be pleased to find out that the man can still write lyrics with the best of them.

As usual, the songs can be compared to short stories, told in his unique style with minimal backing arrangements, just there to perfectly frame the storyteller's art.

"How Can You Live in the Northeast" asks simple questions about the meaning of life, while "Everything About It Is a Love Song" is an introspective on a life past. "Outrageous" is a rant about bothersome things, while "Sure Don't Feel Like Love" is more political. "Beautiful" is a track that takes you back to the old Simon & Garfunkel days, as does "Once Upon a Time There Was an Ocean", two of the better songs on the album. The excellent "Father and Daughter" brings the album to a close with a moving tribute to the love that a man reserves for that special little girl in his life.

"There could never be a father who loved his daughter more than I love you"

And so it goes, eleven tracks from the master, each longer than 3 minutes, about love, war, politics, and whatever else he chooses. A great album for any Simon fan.

Amanda Richards, May 10, 2006

Paul Simon's music continues to evolve with this latest effort- "Suprise" a collaboration with electronic soundscape artist Brian Eno. Its not just the just the great production that is so pleasing to the ear, but also the sincerity, warmth, and thought-provoking lyrics that this great song-writer brings to the fore. Lots of intellectual depth on this album and some simply gorgeous songwriting on tunes such as the reverential "War-time Prayers" and the heart-warming "Father & Daughter." One of those rare albums that stays in your heart and mind long after you've played it -

Paul Simon delivers to the audience a new surprising musical work of art. This cd will get awarded with numerous musical nominations within the upcoming year. On this release, Simon, a true musical genius, re-invents his agreeable aura to become musically relevant. However, he does maintain an honest integrity as a gifted lyricist. His group of new compositions rise to the level of future musical classics. There are no low points on this CD. On this release, Simon is in greatest artistic form. His vocals are tender yet demand attention from the audience when delivering the underlying musical messages. If you enjoy intelligent musical projects that can be heard for years to come, then I strongly urge you to purchase this product without any hesitation. The "Britney bubblegum producers" could learn a few tricks about what can make a musical recording become a "classic timeless recording" by listening carefully to the production of this release.

Since we already know Paul Simon is a fantastic singer-songwriter, what does it's co-producer the legendary Brian Eno bring to the party?

At his best, Brian Eno adds something, an extra spice or a secret ingredient to the music. At his worst all you taste in the mix is Eno and forget the song. Eno needs a great band or songwriter to make his special brand of stew work. He found that in U2, Talking Heads, David Bowie, Harold Budd, John Cale AND Paul Simon.

Pick this up. This is great music and a worthy edition to Simon's legendary catalog.

Eno gives Simon's rock solid songs a unique soundscape to make them shine WITHOUT overwhelming them. Music is all about contrasts and Eno is that electronic salt added to Simon's apple pie that pushes it over the edge into perfection.

I hope this isn't the only time they work together. Magnificent.

This CD is a delightful surprise from Paul Simon. My favorite track is Father and Daughter. This is a beautiful track about how much a father can love his daughter so much, he would do anything to protect her. How Can You Live In the Northeast is a song about living with a sense of pride and dignity no matter what your religious background is. This song makes interesting references to the threats of floods around the country too. Beautiful is another one of my favorite songs on here. This is a song about it feels to adopt a baby from a foreign country and all the happiness a child can bring to your life. Wartime Prayers is another highlight on this CD. This song is about having faith and hope in a time of war and despair. The lyrics of this song are very moving.

Another Galaxy is a lovely song about what it feels like to leave home and explore the world on your own. Outrageous is a great song about all the social injustices and blessings in the world today. Everything About It Is A Love Song is a standout track about the beauty of the things in nature like the trees, birds, and the wind. I love the beautiful imagery Paul Simon creates for the listener on this track. That's Me is a fun song about a person moving through different stages in life trying to find their own identity. I liked the beat of the track Sure Don't Feel Like Love. This is a good song about how some people are guided by their conscience when making decisions. I really enjoyed listening to Surprise. I think Paul Simon continues to write songs that people can relate to.

I can't stop listening to this!!

This such Paul Simon...the music, the politics, the spirituality. It moves me to the core. "Leaving home is the lesser crime." "Who's gonna love you when your looks are gone?" "...families scattered and broken..."

Who doesn't love "Father and Daughter," but it is the least of the songs on this CD. It is a surprise, and it reminds me to look closely at life. Oh, and it's fun -- the message gets across without bogging us down in lessons.

Paul Simon's album "Surprise" is quickly becomming one of my favorite albums. It delivers philosophy and wisdom hidden behind music that sounds odd and not fitting. I have now had this album for over a month and it continues to grow on me. I must admit that at first I really didn't like the use of so many electronics here, but that's exactly what made me keep listening. I had a similar problem with not liking how Paul Simon sang out of rhythym with the drums on "Rhythym of the Saints." Yet, with that album, I thankfully kept listening until I realized it's my favorite album of all time. I have found that with Paul Simon, the less catchy the song (in the traditional top 100 sense), the more full of wisdom it is. After you see the wisdom, you realize that the music fits perfectly with the message. Of course Paul Simon is also excellent at blending wisdom with a catchy tune, but here he uses less catch and shows more wisdom. The lyrics are superb and he is truly poetic on this album. I have found there is much poetry hidden under the use of some shallow lyrics. It has more of an impact when you finally figure out the true depth of what he is saying. As others have said, he really discusses a lot of topics here, but the main one prevalent throughtout is the meaning of life. After listening to Paul Simon for so many years, I have seen him grow and mature and become wiser over time and I have with him. It is apparent that he has learned much in this lifetime and that he carries with him the collective wisdom of all the people he has worked with over the years in many other countries (including Brasil and South Africa). His latest album calls for listeners to question the meaning of life, while also providing great comfort in knowing life is a miracle, even with its trials and tribulations. You should listen and remember that Paul Simon is at his best when he is transforming his music, himself, and his listeners. Here he has mastered all three.