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Track Listings
| Disc: 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. The Sound Of Silence (Live at Webster Hall 2011) | |||
| 2. The Boxer - Paul Simon - Live Central Park | |||
| 3. Bridge Over Troubled Water - Aretha Franklin - studio version | |||
| 4. Mother And Child Reunion | |||
| 5. Tenderness | |||
| 6. Peace Like A River | |||
| 7. American Tune | |||
| 8. Kodachrome | |||
| 9. Something So Right | |||
| 10. Late In The Evening | |||
See all 17 tracks on this disc
| |||
| Disc: 2 | |||
| 1. Obvious Child | |||
| 2. Further To Fly | |||
| 3. The Cool, Cool River | |||
| 4. Spirit Voices | |||
| 5. Born In Puerto Rico | |||
| 6. Quality | |||
| 7. Darling Lorraine | |||
| 8. Look At That | |||
| 9. Senorita With A Necklace Of Tears | |||
| 10. That's Me | |||
|
See all 15 tracks on this disc
| |||
Editorial Reviews
"I think of myself as a songwriter first. The recording artist and performer in me follow in the writer's footsteps." -- Paul Simon
Paul Simon's Songwriter is a selection of songs, chosen by the composer, as the best of his decades-long creative output. Some of these are well-known hits and others less frequently heard, but all bear the distinct lyrical, melodic and rhythmic signature of Paul Simon, one of the great composers of popular song in the last 50 years.
Paul Simon's Songwriter is a selection of songs, chosen by the composer, as the best of his decades-long creative output. Some of these are well-known hits and others less frequently heard, but all bear the distinct lyrical, melodic and rhythmic signature of Paul Simon, one of the great composers of popular song in the last 50 years.
Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
53 of 58 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Dear Music Appreciators,
It seems like Paul Simon releases yet another compilation every time he releases a new studio album. While this is a great way to continually try and convert casual fans and draw in newbies, it can prove a bit frustrating for the long-time dedicated fans who want to own everything Simon releases but also want everything they purchase to be well worth their money and attention.
This latest album's title, SONGWRITER, suggests an attempt to cloak a compilation in a theme and give it a different angle than is found on the average career-spanning collection. The problem with this particular theme is that it doesn't effectively narrow down the number of songs that should belong on the album. If the idea is to narrow down song choices by collecting songs that are particularly noteworthy for the quality of their songwriting, or to have a theme that is friendlier to the less-familiar high-quality songs, then that includes a huge percentage of Paul Simon's catalog and the net need be cast just as wide as with a standard compilation.
With Captain Simon choosing teams for this round of song kickball, something like "My Personal Favorites" might have been a more accurate title.
Despite the fact that this compilation's implied concept dooms its ability to get even close to comprehensive, the album does accomplish its purpose - to collect two discs worth of fine songwriting. There may not be anything new here for faithful fans, but casuals and newbies will love this for what it is and shouldn't get too hung up on what it isn't.
A few statistics on the content of SONGWRITER:
- number of Simon & Garfunkel songs = 3
- number of live versions substituted for the more familiar studio versions that an average listener might rather hear = 2
- number of songs sung by someone other than Paul Simon = 1 ("Bridge over Troubled Water" is performed by Aretha Franklin)
- number of songs from PAUL SIMON = 2
- number of songs from THERE GOES RHYMIN' SIMON = 4
- number of songs from STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS = 1
- number of songs from ONE TRICK PONY = 1
- number of songs from HEARTS AND BONES = 3
- number of songs from GRACELAND = 3
- number of songs from THE RHYTHM OF THE SAINTS = 4
- number of songs from PAUL SIMON'S CONCERT IN THE PARK = 1
- number of songs from SONGS FROM THE CAPEMAN = 2
- number of songs from YOU'RE THE ONE = 3
- number of songs from SURPRISE = 3
- number of songs from SO BEAUTIFUL OR SO WHAT = 3
- number of songs previously unreleased = 1 (a live, latter-day version of "The Sound of Silence")
- number of songs from ARETHA LIVE AT FILLMORE WEST = 1
- number of great songs missing from this collection = many
Sincerely,
Constant Listener
It seems like Paul Simon releases yet another compilation every time he releases a new studio album. While this is a great way to continually try and convert casual fans and draw in newbies, it can prove a bit frustrating for the long-time dedicated fans who want to own everything Simon releases but also want everything they purchase to be well worth their money and attention.
This latest album's title, SONGWRITER, suggests an attempt to cloak a compilation in a theme and give it a different angle than is found on the average career-spanning collection. The problem with this particular theme is that it doesn't effectively narrow down the number of songs that should belong on the album. If the idea is to narrow down song choices by collecting songs that are particularly noteworthy for the quality of their songwriting, or to have a theme that is friendlier to the less-familiar high-quality songs, then that includes a huge percentage of Paul Simon's catalog and the net need be cast just as wide as with a standard compilation.
With Captain Simon choosing teams for this round of song kickball, something like "My Personal Favorites" might have been a more accurate title.
Despite the fact that this compilation's implied concept dooms its ability to get even close to comprehensive, the album does accomplish its purpose - to collect two discs worth of fine songwriting. There may not be anything new here for faithful fans, but casuals and newbies will love this for what it is and shouldn't get too hung up on what it isn't.
A few statistics on the content of SONGWRITER:
- number of Simon & Garfunkel songs = 3
- number of live versions substituted for the more familiar studio versions that an average listener might rather hear = 2
- number of songs sung by someone other than Paul Simon = 1 ("Bridge over Troubled Water" is performed by Aretha Franklin)
- number of songs from PAUL SIMON = 2
- number of songs from THERE GOES RHYMIN' SIMON = 4
- number of songs from STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS = 1
- number of songs from ONE TRICK PONY = 1
- number of songs from HEARTS AND BONES = 3
- number of songs from GRACELAND = 3
- number of songs from THE RHYTHM OF THE SAINTS = 4
- number of songs from PAUL SIMON'S CONCERT IN THE PARK = 1
- number of songs from SONGS FROM THE CAPEMAN = 2
- number of songs from YOU'RE THE ONE = 3
- number of songs from SURPRISE = 3
- number of songs from SO BEAUTIFUL OR SO WHAT = 3
- number of songs previously unreleased = 1 (a live, latter-day version of "The Sound of Silence")
- number of songs from ARETHA LIVE AT FILLMORE WEST = 1
- number of great songs missing from this collection = many
Sincerely,
Constant Listener
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
By hyperbolium
Format:Audio CD
This two-disc, thirty-two track collection (with a generous running time of 139 minutes) highlights the legendary songwriting of Paul Simon. The composer himself selected the tracks, touching on both hits and the lesser-known compositions of which he's most proud. The result is an idiosyncratic tour of Simon's catalog that will remind you of his broad commercial power, but key you into the depth of his craft as a writer. The selections focus almost entirely on Simon's post Simon & Garfunkel career, with only a solo live take of "The Sound of Silence" (the set's only previously unreleased track), Simon's 1991 Concert in the Park recording of "The Boxer," and Aretha Franklin's 1970 cover of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" reaching back to his duo work.
The bulk of the collection cherry-picks from Simon's solo albums, stretching from 1972's Paul Simon through this year's So Beautiful or So What. Selections from Simon's well-loved albums of the 1970s and his commercial renaissance sparked by Graceland will be familiar, but deep album cuts, picks from Hearts and Bones and Songs from the Capeman (including the excellent 50s-pastiche "Quality"), and his contribution to the soundtrack of The Wild Thornberrys Movie will be fresh to many listener's ears. The breadth of Simon's writing mirrors both his own maturation as a person and the evolution of the society in which he wrote. The reactionary outbursts of his early songs were stoked by youth and the turbulent times in which he was living; his early post-S&G years found him developing a solo personality and indulging his musical interests in reggae, doo-wop, and South American folk.
Simon's music has been as revelatory and memorable as his words, speedily evolving from the acoustic arrangements of the folk scene to sophisticated tapestries of instruments and genres. Decades before Graceland introduced African music to the American audience, Simon augmented his palette with American gospel, Peruvian folk and Jamaican reggae. He explored sounds from South Africa, Brazil and the American South, all the while embroidering his autobiographical, observational and imaginative lyrics with ideas drawn from his musical interests. His relationships seeded numerous songs, including ones of developing love ("Hearts and Bones"), family ("Father and Daughter" and "So Beautiful Or So What"), marital turbulence ("Darling Lorraine") and dissolution ("Tenderness"). His evolving view of society provided bookends to the American unrest with the angry "The Sound of Silence" and the haggard "American Tune."
Over the years, Simon's craft sharpened, his characters multiplied, his philosophical and emotional insights deepened, and his favorite lyrics became more impressionistic and poetic. But winningly, his music remained accessible as he teased apart new layers in existing forms and interwove the fresh threads if his ever-broadening musical grasp. Simon sees himself first as a songwriter, secondarily as a performer and recording artist, but as these recordings attest, his words, melodies, arrangements and estimable guitar playing are all deeply intertwined. Simon always surrounded himself with carefully picked players who add original colors to his songs with their instruments and voices. Listening to a set of his recordings, it's easy to appreciate the songwriter, but difficult to untangle that appreciation from the carefully crafted performances.
The set's booklet includes full lyrics, but no song notes by the author. Simon, most likely, sees the lyrics as the best possible explanation of the songs. Still, the stories behind the songs would have been an interesting extra. The absence of Simon & Garfunkel recordings leaves the listener to remember how Simon's first blaze of glory sounded; the words are here in three early songs, but as noted, Simon's lyrics are deeply wedded to his expression, which originally included Art Garfunkel. The set's forward is written by painter (and apparent Paul Simon superfan) Chuck Close, and the liner notes are by Tom Moon. Full musician, production and release credits are also included. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]
The bulk of the collection cherry-picks from Simon's solo albums, stretching from 1972's Paul Simon through this year's So Beautiful or So What. Selections from Simon's well-loved albums of the 1970s and his commercial renaissance sparked by Graceland will be familiar, but deep album cuts, picks from Hearts and Bones and Songs from the Capeman (including the excellent 50s-pastiche "Quality"), and his contribution to the soundtrack of The Wild Thornberrys Movie will be fresh to many listener's ears. The breadth of Simon's writing mirrors both his own maturation as a person and the evolution of the society in which he wrote. The reactionary outbursts of his early songs were stoked by youth and the turbulent times in which he was living; his early post-S&G years found him developing a solo personality and indulging his musical interests in reggae, doo-wop, and South American folk.
Simon's music has been as revelatory and memorable as his words, speedily evolving from the acoustic arrangements of the folk scene to sophisticated tapestries of instruments and genres. Decades before Graceland introduced African music to the American audience, Simon augmented his palette with American gospel, Peruvian folk and Jamaican reggae. He explored sounds from South Africa, Brazil and the American South, all the while embroidering his autobiographical, observational and imaginative lyrics with ideas drawn from his musical interests. His relationships seeded numerous songs, including ones of developing love ("Hearts and Bones"), family ("Father and Daughter" and "So Beautiful Or So What"), marital turbulence ("Darling Lorraine") and dissolution ("Tenderness"). His evolving view of society provided bookends to the American unrest with the angry "The Sound of Silence" and the haggard "American Tune."
Over the years, Simon's craft sharpened, his characters multiplied, his philosophical and emotional insights deepened, and his favorite lyrics became more impressionistic and poetic. But winningly, his music remained accessible as he teased apart new layers in existing forms and interwove the fresh threads if his ever-broadening musical grasp. Simon sees himself first as a songwriter, secondarily as a performer and recording artist, but as these recordings attest, his words, melodies, arrangements and estimable guitar playing are all deeply intertwined. Simon always surrounded himself with carefully picked players who add original colors to his songs with their instruments and voices. Listening to a set of his recordings, it's easy to appreciate the songwriter, but difficult to untangle that appreciation from the carefully crafted performances.
The set's booklet includes full lyrics, but no song notes by the author. Simon, most likely, sees the lyrics as the best possible explanation of the songs. Still, the stories behind the songs would have been an interesting extra. The absence of Simon & Garfunkel recordings leaves the listener to remember how Simon's first blaze of glory sounded; the words are here in three early songs, but as noted, Simon's lyrics are deeply wedded to his expression, which originally included Art Garfunkel. The set's forward is written by painter (and apparent Paul Simon superfan) Chuck Close, and the liner notes are by Tom Moon. Full musician, production and release credits are also included. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]
31 of 37 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is a poem by a recent Poet Laureate --- out of respect for the position, I won't identify the poet:
All night each reedy whinny
from a bird no bigger than a heart
flies out of a tall black pine
and, in a breath, is taken away
by the stars. Yet, with small hope
from the center of darkness,
it calls out again and again.
Delights & Shadows.
And this is a stanza of a Paul Simon song:
There is a girl in New York City
Who calls herself the human trampoline
And sometimes when I'm falling, flying
Or tumbling in turmoil I say
Oh, so this is what she means
She means we're bouncing into Graceland
And I see losing love
Is like a window in your heart
Everybody sees you're blown apart
Everybody feels the wind blow...
Now I ask you: Who is the real Poet Laureate?
And not just for a year --- for every year since he wrote "Sounds of Silence," all 50 of them.
You object. And I know where you're going: Bob Dylan.
It is true, for a six-year period, Dylan was galactic in output and quality. But no one knows better than Dylan how the angel of poetry sits on your shoulder --- and then doesn't. As he told Steve Jobs:
He said, "They [those songs from the `60s] just came through me, it wasn't like I was having to compose them. That doesn't happen anymore, I just can't write them that way anymore." Then he paused and said to me with his raspy voice and little smile, "But I still can sing them."
Well, at 68, Simon can still write them. From "So Beautiful, Or So What":
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
As for singing, just revisit his performance of "Sounds of Silence" at the 9/11 memorial service. (You know Springsteen had to wonder why he hadn't been asked to sing "The Rising.") Is that not the very definition of mastery?
And now we have "Paul Simon: Songwriter" --- two discs, 32 songs, 140 minutes of music. You know most of them. But there are alternate versions, and choices you might not have made, and, mostly, there's a chronological sequence that starts with the teenage triumph of "Sounds of Silence" --- recorded live this year --- to "So Beautiful," recorded in the studio this year.
Simon's view is that he's a writer first, a performer second. And despite the luscious musicality of his songs, I'm inclined to agree. Name a song, up pops a memory: "The Boxer," "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Kodachrome," "Still Crazy After All These Years," and all of "Graceland," his favorite song, his favorite album, his masterpiece.
The popular idea is that those songs stay with us because they're short stories and character sketches. Fine. I see them as screenplays. "The Mississippi Delta was shining/ Like a National guitar" --- I see that. Add the music, get a movie. Because the best writing is, it says here, visual writing.
I could go on. But why? The proof is right in the open, for all who have ears --- Paul Simon, Poet Laureate.
All night each reedy whinny
from a bird no bigger than a heart
flies out of a tall black pine
and, in a breath, is taken away
by the stars. Yet, with small hope
from the center of darkness,
it calls out again and again.
Delights & Shadows.
And this is a stanza of a Paul Simon song:
There is a girl in New York City
Who calls herself the human trampoline
And sometimes when I'm falling, flying
Or tumbling in turmoil I say
Oh, so this is what she means
She means we're bouncing into Graceland
And I see losing love
Is like a window in your heart
Everybody sees you're blown apart
Everybody feels the wind blow...
Now I ask you: Who is the real Poet Laureate?
And not just for a year --- for every year since he wrote "Sounds of Silence," all 50 of them.
You object. And I know where you're going: Bob Dylan.
It is true, for a six-year period, Dylan was galactic in output and quality. But no one knows better than Dylan how the angel of poetry sits on your shoulder --- and then doesn't. As he told Steve Jobs:
He said, "They [those songs from the `60s] just came through me, it wasn't like I was having to compose them. That doesn't happen anymore, I just can't write them that way anymore." Then he paused and said to me with his raspy voice and little smile, "But I still can sing them."
Well, at 68, Simon can still write them. From "So Beautiful, Or So What":
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
As for singing, just revisit his performance of "Sounds of Silence" at the 9/11 memorial service. (You know Springsteen had to wonder why he hadn't been asked to sing "The Rising.") Is that not the very definition of mastery?
And now we have "Paul Simon: Songwriter" --- two discs, 32 songs, 140 minutes of music. You know most of them. But there are alternate versions, and choices you might not have made, and, mostly, there's a chronological sequence that starts with the teenage triumph of "Sounds of Silence" --- recorded live this year --- to "So Beautiful," recorded in the studio this year.
Simon's view is that he's a writer first, a performer second. And despite the luscious musicality of his songs, I'm inclined to agree. Name a song, up pops a memory: "The Boxer," "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Kodachrome," "Still Crazy After All These Years," and all of "Graceland," his favorite song, his favorite album, his masterpiece.
The popular idea is that those songs stay with us because they're short stories and character sketches. Fine. I see them as screenplays. "The Mississippi Delta was shining/ Like a National guitar" --- I see that. Add the music, get a movie. Because the best writing is, it says here, visual writing.
I could go on. But why? The proof is right in the open, for all who have ears --- Paul Simon, Poet Laureate.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Paul Simon
Long time lover of Paul Simon's music and lyrics, love this would have liked a little more with Garfunkel also.
Published 2 months ago by Teresa M. Campbell
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is His Best!
This CD is of excellent quality and the selection of songs was superb! This CD exceeds any "the bset of" products. A great buy!
Published 16 months ago by Michael V. Rivas
5.0 out of 5 stars
Songwriter
Great album, came in about 2-3 days,. very efficient. Good to see that Paul still has so much energy and dedication, his new stuff easily keeps up with his classics.
Published 17 months ago by William W. Woolcock
5.0 out of 5 stars
SONGWRITER
EXCELLENT CD PURCHASE FOR THOSE WHO ENJOY PAUL SIMON'S MUSIC.I ENJOY LISTENING TO THIS CD WHICH HAS SOME OLD, AND SOME SONGS I HAVE NEVER HEARD PAUL SIMON SING BEFORE. Read more
Published 17 months ago by MICHAEL J PUZIO
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love Paul Simon
Paul Simon is a great songwriter. I loved Simon and Garfunkle and continue to love Paul Simon. Him singing on the 9-11 Memorial Ceremony was so moving!
Published 18 months ago by Connie R. Almueti
5.0 out of 5 stars
Paul Simon Songwriter CD
An excellent collection of some of the best of Paul Simon. Really great renditions of the "Sounds of Silence" and the "boxer".
Published 18 months ago by Danno
4.0 out of 5 stars
Disc One Is My Favorite (The Old Stuff)
There's something in this album for everyone. Disc One is primarily the old Simon & Garfunkel songs (which is a great blast from the past). Read more
Published 18 months ago by Randi442
4.0 out of 5 stars
I Guess its a Matter of One's Perspective
I've read some of the reviews here, positive and negative. I personally liked this collection for all the reasons some dislike it. I'm not a Paul Simon fanatic. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Atreides
4.0 out of 5 stars
Rhymin' Simon
Great collection of one of our best songwriters. Love the new stuff and of course, the old. Kudos for letting Aretha do her cover of "Bridge". Love it.
Published 18 months ago by ric
1.0 out of 5 stars
Really? Go get the So Beautiful album instead
The greatness of the Paul Simon catalog does not need to be rearranged. We can do that ourselves, thank you. Read more
Published 18 months ago by sftony
