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![So Beautiful Or So What [CD/DVD] [Collector's Edition]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/6148lmOZJyL._SL75_.jpg)
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Track Listings
| Disc: 1 |
|---|
| 1. Getting Ready for Christmas Day |
| 2. The Afterlife |
| 3. Dazzling Blue |
| 4. Rewrite |
| 5. Love and Hard Times |
| 6. Love Is Eternal Sacred Light |
| 7. Amulet |
| 8. Questions for the Angels |
| 9. Love & Blessings |
| 10. So Beautiful Or So What |
| Disc: 2 |
| 1. "Making of So Beautiful or So What" video |
| 2. "Getting Ready for Christmas Day" video |
| 3. "So Beautiful or So What" live audio track |
Editorial Reviews
Deluxe CD/DVD edition includes bonus DVD. 2011 album from the Grammy-winning, multi-million selling veteran singer/songwriter. Produced by Phil Ramone and Paul Simon, with liner notes written by Elvis Costello, So Beautiful or So What is one of the most highly anticipated albums of the year. Rolling Stone magazine recently declared it, "His best since Graceland," and National Public Radio affirmed, "...his new music balances great poetry and pop. Paul Simon is a national treasure." In their current issue, Filter Magazine calls the new album, "...a new masterpiece from the Picasso of music."
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
128 of 142 people found the following review helpful
By Polar Bear
Format:Audio CD
So Beautiful So What is Paul Simon's 12th solo album and his first release in 5 years. And it was well worth the wait! This is, in my opinion, his best album since Graceland. As you would expect with any of his work, his melodies are amazing, his lyrics poetic, and the feel and sound stand out in its uniqueness. "Rewrite" creates some incredible textures through the use of a West African stringed kora, a djembe drum, and even the faint grunt of wildebeests on certain guitar notes. "Dazzling Blue" has a folksy feel with some amazing fingerpicking on the acoustic guitar. "Getting Ready for Christmas Day" uses parts of a 1941 sermon by Reverend J.M. Gates and adds richness to the story. "The Afterlife" shows Simon's lyrical genius as it explores the process of entering heaven: filling out forms and waiting in line. There really isn't any filler as each song is a joy that takes the listener on a musical journey. This is an amazing album and if you're a fan of Paul Simon you'll love it!
36 of 37 people found the following review helpful
By JOHNEC
Format:MP3 Music
I have listend to this recording several times since I received it yesterday. (a good sign) I have found Mr Simon's work consistently interesting since Graceland. I think it is the production even more than the strong songs. At this point in his long life he is looking at some very serious issues--he is a serious man. What amazes me is how consistently he continues to sound new. I think for an artist that may be the best compliment I could bestow. At his age he is doing what most "artists" cannot--create a sound that is his--not the hot producer of the day's sound but his sound. (Maybe only a few have the skills as a musician and producer to do this.) Anyway.. it is unusual and valued by this listener. Please give this a listen--it is a sound that you will not hear anywhere else. How cool is that?
269 of 320 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Some years ago, I was invited to be on the membership committee of PEN, the distinguished international literary organization. That was not someone's best idea --- because there's almost no reason to reject any working writer, meetings tended to be boring --- so I thought of a way to liven them up.
The problem with PEN, I said, is that it has a very narrow, 19th century sense of what constitutes a "writer." But, I continued, that definition exploded in 1962 or 1963, when Bob Dylan started hitting his stride. Now we've had four or five decades of songs that wouldn't be out of place in poetry magazines --- we ought to let a few of these kids into PEN. Dylan first, of course, then the usual suspects: Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Carole King, Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Cash, John Prine. And Paul Simon.
Talk about a non-start. I'm not sure the higher-ups at PEN ever really heard the idea of welcoming singer-songwriters. Or maybe they did --- not much later, the membership committee was disbanded.
And now it's a decade later, and I'm listening to "So Beautiful or So What," Paul Simon's 12th solo release and his first in 5 years. Music is not a competitive sport --- unless you happen to be a musician --- but I'd put this up there with recent Dylan and a few lengths ahead of the recent Springsteen releases.
This will not be a majority view. If you love Dylan --- and I do, just not blindly --- he will always stand alone, like Shakespeare. And no one works harder in live performance than Springsteen; he's a monument to the dignity and decency of blue-collar America. Simon? In the poet laureate of rock race, he'll always be third, simply because he never seems to break a sweat. He's the king of sprezzatura, defined as "a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does or says appear to be without effort and almost without any thought about it."
Gee, it must be a tough to be that talented.
Listening to this CD, I think just the opposite: It don't come easy, this thing Simon does here. I know him slightly, and while I would not describe him as unhappy or neurotic, neither would I describe him as a jolly fellow. He's interior, quiet, with a sharp eye and a sharper tongue. The years when he was the crown prince of irony are long gone; for a while, he's been one of music's most serious thinkers. And now he's thought --- and felt --- his way to happy. That is, if these songs are to be believed, to peace in his personal life and a cheerful acceptance of the universe. When you're 69, that's pretty great.
Some critics and friends are calling this Simon's best CD since "Graceland." I can understand why. The music is international. The playing is loose, relaxed --- indeed, it sometimes sounds as if you're listening to a rehearsal.
But it's not "Graceland," not in any way I care about. Not musically, first of all --- you can appreciate this music, can even love it, but you're not going to walk down the street humming these songs. And it's not just that the melodies won't support that pleasure. It's that, this time, you really have to pay attention to the words. Because if you start connecting the dots, you get a picture of Simon's long and successful marriage to singer-songwriter Edie Brickell, and, even more, to what might be a roadmap to happiness of your own. Like this:
Sweet July, and we drove the Montauk Highway
And walked along the cliffs above the sea
And we wondered why, and imagined it was someday
And that is how the future came to be
Dazzling blue, roses red, fine white linen
To make a marriage bed
And we'll build a wall that nothing can break through
And dream our dreams of dazzling blue
My Lord, that is lovely. And lovelier, still, for the knowledge that it has a sell-by date. From another song:
Something called me from my sleep
Love and blessings
Simple kindness
Ours to hold but not to keep
Paul Simon, a romantic? How else do you explain this:
Who believes in angels?
I do
Fools and pilgrims all over the world.
I take "So Beautiful" as testimony: A man fights his way through all the exterior garbage and the even messier inner garbage, and emerges with a statement that makes it seem easy. Indeed, a throwaway: so beautiful or so what.
I'm just a raindrop in a bucket
A coin dropped in a slot
I am an empty house on Weed Street
Across the road from the vacant lot
You know life is what you make of it
So beautiful or so what...
Ours to choose. But from my seat, this music makes me want what Simon describes as "eternal sacred light/ Free from the shackles of time." In a dark time, I'll hold this CD close.
The problem with PEN, I said, is that it has a very narrow, 19th century sense of what constitutes a "writer." But, I continued, that definition exploded in 1962 or 1963, when Bob Dylan started hitting his stride. Now we've had four or five decades of songs that wouldn't be out of place in poetry magazines --- we ought to let a few of these kids into PEN. Dylan first, of course, then the usual suspects: Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Carole King, Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Cash, John Prine. And Paul Simon.
Talk about a non-start. I'm not sure the higher-ups at PEN ever really heard the idea of welcoming singer-songwriters. Or maybe they did --- not much later, the membership committee was disbanded.
And now it's a decade later, and I'm listening to "So Beautiful or So What," Paul Simon's 12th solo release and his first in 5 years. Music is not a competitive sport --- unless you happen to be a musician --- but I'd put this up there with recent Dylan and a few lengths ahead of the recent Springsteen releases.
This will not be a majority view. If you love Dylan --- and I do, just not blindly --- he will always stand alone, like Shakespeare. And no one works harder in live performance than Springsteen; he's a monument to the dignity and decency of blue-collar America. Simon? In the poet laureate of rock race, he'll always be third, simply because he never seems to break a sweat. He's the king of sprezzatura, defined as "a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does or says appear to be without effort and almost without any thought about it."
Gee, it must be a tough to be that talented.
Listening to this CD, I think just the opposite: It don't come easy, this thing Simon does here. I know him slightly, and while I would not describe him as unhappy or neurotic, neither would I describe him as a jolly fellow. He's interior, quiet, with a sharp eye and a sharper tongue. The years when he was the crown prince of irony are long gone; for a while, he's been one of music's most serious thinkers. And now he's thought --- and felt --- his way to happy. That is, if these songs are to be believed, to peace in his personal life and a cheerful acceptance of the universe. When you're 69, that's pretty great.
Some critics and friends are calling this Simon's best CD since "Graceland." I can understand why. The music is international. The playing is loose, relaxed --- indeed, it sometimes sounds as if you're listening to a rehearsal.
But it's not "Graceland," not in any way I care about. Not musically, first of all --- you can appreciate this music, can even love it, but you're not going to walk down the street humming these songs. And it's not just that the melodies won't support that pleasure. It's that, this time, you really have to pay attention to the words. Because if you start connecting the dots, you get a picture of Simon's long and successful marriage to singer-songwriter Edie Brickell, and, even more, to what might be a roadmap to happiness of your own. Like this:
Sweet July, and we drove the Montauk Highway
And walked along the cliffs above the sea
And we wondered why, and imagined it was someday
And that is how the future came to be
Dazzling blue, roses red, fine white linen
To make a marriage bed
And we'll build a wall that nothing can break through
And dream our dreams of dazzling blue
My Lord, that is lovely. And lovelier, still, for the knowledge that it has a sell-by date. From another song:
Something called me from my sleep
Love and blessings
Simple kindness
Ours to hold but not to keep
Paul Simon, a romantic? How else do you explain this:
Who believes in angels?
I do
Fools and pilgrims all over the world.
I take "So Beautiful" as testimony: A man fights his way through all the exterior garbage and the even messier inner garbage, and emerges with a statement that makes it seem easy. Indeed, a throwaway: so beautiful or so what.
I'm just a raindrop in a bucket
A coin dropped in a slot
I am an empty house on Weed Street
Across the road from the vacant lot
You know life is what you make of it
So beautiful or so what...
Ours to choose. But from my seat, this music makes me want what Simon describes as "eternal sacred light/ Free from the shackles of time." In a dark time, I'll hold this CD close.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Purchased this due to a review in Harpers magazine
The review stated that it was the best CD since Graceland (which is saying a lot as Graceland is a classic). I liked the songs okay but it seemed short/incomplete. Read more
Published 7 days ago by Jeffrey Wong
4.0 out of 5 stars
Paul Simon's new & lovely album
From our finest songwriter and musician, as a forever fan I think this is a good CD, but not the best of his work.
Published 23 days ago by Brooke Heather
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great CD
Shipped in a timely manner. One of Paul Simon's best works and I'm glad I ordered the CD. You don't want to miss the lyrics or the liner notes!
Published 1 month ago by LiAnne
5.0 out of 5 stars
great tunes
A new Paul Simon...what more can I say! This is just what I expected from this great artist...he doesn't disappoint, if you are a fan.
Published 1 month ago by P. Lymburner
5.0 out of 5 stars
Paul Simon - Still creative after all these years
Paul Simon is that rare musician who keeps trying new styles, new combinations of players. He reaches out to the best, most interesting folks he can to make the most interesting... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Ronald B. Ein
5.0 out of 5 stars
Paul Simon, Music Icon
Paul Simon speaks cultural truth in a poetic musical format. His music is universal and brings us together as one regardless of where we call home. Read more
Published 2 months ago by ellen roby
4.0 out of 5 stars
would recommend to friends
Paul Simon is in fine voice on this CD, and his lyrics show signs of increasing maturity. It won't supplant "Graceland" as my favorite Paul Simon CD, but it's a good... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Andrea Frankel
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another great album
This is a wonderful & thoughtful album from Paul Simon. It has been compared to his earlier album Graceland. I concur with that. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Kay Mitchell
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you love Paul
There is nothing more to say than this is some of his best and most artistic work to date. Thanks!
Published 4 months ago by Evelyn McHugh
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Album by Paul Simon
I really like this album of Paul Simon's. His music is always so fresh with new things. The great thing is that even with many listens, I still find something new with each one. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Jay Kay
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