Customer Reviews

There Goes Rhymin Simon

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album represented Paul Simon's realization of his full abilities hinted to so well in the previous albums both with Simon and Garfunkel and then as a solo artist. This album provocatively showcases Simon's unique talents and creative interests with an eclectic, wide-ranging, and gorgeously produced solo effort. From the haunting rhythms and wry lyrics of "Kodachrome" to the tender and sensitive emotions expressed so well in "Something So Right", we sense more than a little autobiographical influence in all the songs. Simon's lyrical genius is displayed in spades here, from "American Tune" to "Learn How to Fall" to the joyous "Loves Me Like A Rock", and we can tell that this is an artist in full bloom and enjoying his singular ability to deliver a wide range of songs with a panorama of emotions and telling personal observations so artfully expressed that it is a wonder to listen to them. This is an album one must listen to appreciate, and the new directions Simon began with this album have now stretched out in a dozen or so albums and compilations. This is a terrific album for a man who had the courage and nerve to deliberately walk away from a phenomenally successful situation as half of Simon and Garfunkel to follow his own artistic heart. I highly recommend it. Enjoy!

Paul Simon has always been a thinking man's pop star. His ecletic tastes run the gamut from folk to jazz to rock. This is my favorite album of his, including everything he did with Garfunkel. His intelligence, sense of humor, production values and musicianship are of the highest order. This album features beautifully crafted songs like Something So Right, American Song, Take Me To The Mardi Gras, but really every song is great. The addition of the four-part gospel harmonies of The Dixie Hummingbirds add a poignant and almost sacred touch. Simon's acoustic guitar work is not that easy to figure out (he uses a lot of jazz-like chordings). A work of art in 1973, is still a work of art today!

What a wonderful CD. We bought the album when it first came out in the early '70s and we've never tired of the tracks. The bonuses on this release give you a nice window into Simon's creative process, as they offer some alternate lyrics, pacing, and instrumentation of several cuts earlier in the disk.

Keep in mind that Paul was quite a young man when he came up with this musical poetry. His lyrics demonstrate a depth of understanding regarding human nature far beyond his years.

This CD is a joy to listen to and, in the case of my wife, sing along with!

I took some time to re-listen to "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" and it's still a very enjoyable album. "Kodachrome," "Take Me to the Mardi Gras," "Loves Me Like a Rock," and (my all-time favorite) "American Tune" make this recording a keeper, and the other six songs are solid and enjoyable. The production throughout is excellent. I haven't grown tired about this one!

The Rhino remastering job is excellent.

You've already heard three or four of these songs on the radio, probably. For me, it is harder to describe what makes an album great than it is for me to describe the faults in an album that doesn't measure up. And I can find little to fault here. A couple of the songs on side 2 (thinking back to the vinyl LP days) are a bit less accomplished, but still highly listenable. The bonus demo tracks at the end are interesting, but not essential.

Rhymin' Paul Simon did a much more intricate production on this album than on his first solo (eponymously titled) record following the split with Garfunkel. Here he expands from that earlier folk base to add elements of gospel, jazz, lush orchestral arrangements, a bit of dixieland on the Mardi Gras tune, and all but the kitchen sink. Paul Simon's singing is unleashed on this record too, compared with the straightlaced stuff he did with Simon and Garmfunkel. It sounds very spontaneous, and yet perfectly executed at the same time. I find the variety of instrumentation, the different beats, the continuous innovation, the changing parts and rhythms within a song -- all of it is very entrancing. There's hardly a dull moment. Even St. Judy's Comet, a kind of lullaby for his son, is sincere and on target, instantly loveable.

The songs are short, so they don't wear out their welcome. The original album was less than 40 minutes. Hey, do you want quality or just quantity? I think movies and pop songs are both too self-indulgently long nowadays.

Simon was in the zone when he wrote and recorded Rhymin'. Most artists would be satisfied for one timeless classic like American Tune on a record. But Loves Me Like A Rock is just as timeless, and so is Something So Right, for my money. The other tunes are not embarrassed in the company of such greatness, either. That's saying a lot.

I couldn't help but notice that someone from Amazon had added a tag suggestion for THERE GOES RHYMIN' SIMON, calling it one of the definitive 200 albums. That sounds right to me and I'll tell you why. RHYMIN' SIMON was only Paul Simon's second solo album after breaking up with Garfunkel, and he shows such depth as a musician, as well as a songwriter. This isn't just Paul Simon banging away on the guitar in defiance, spurting sharp words about his cynicism for life. He has a full band backing him up while he is spurting sharp words about his cyncism for life (oh, and love, too). Yet, this doesn't grow derivative to my ears. Simon's at his witty, intelligent and unaffected best, here. The album kicks off on a high note with "Kodachrome." Who couldn't take notice of a song that begins with the lines, "If I thought back on all the crap I learned in high school, it's a wonder I can think at all." That hooked me back when I was in high school, and I couldn't agree more. Plus, it has a wonderful, up-tempo piano riff, menacing in the background, just in case the lyrics aren't enough to sustain your attention . RHYMIN' SIMON succeeds in presenting very diverse sounds, with a real soul (and even gospel) influence. The songs that stick out for me the most are "One Man's Ceiling is Another Man's Floor," and "Loves Me Like a Rock." The allbum presented a great group called The Roaches, and I remember distinctly the soul sound of his back-up singers carrying this album out into the southern flavored sounds from the bayous and up into new territory. It sounded beautiful, just really unexpected.

i love "graceland" for all its creativity and big-hearted soul, but "there goes rhymin' simon" is still my favorite paul simon achievement. this is a work of utter perfection from beginning to end, which could serve as a blueprint for the art of songwriting and pop music production. each song is a literate, tasteful gem of songcraft. the music is stunning in it's beauty and the overall sound is a wonder of production. the musicianship exquisite, each note seemingly placed just as is required by the songs themselves. the great gospel group "the dixie hummingbirds" appear on a couple of tunes, adding their wonderous harmony to the mix. also of note; richard davis, who plays such classic acoustic bass on van morrison's "astral weeks", appears here, playing acoustic bass on "something so right." this is a classic american album that has stood the test of time. songcraft seldom reaches this peak of excellence.

when I first herd the song American Tune I was in shock , how could someone have read my mind and put it to music . I now carry the words to this song in my wallet as a message to have it played at my funeral , not that I am planning on that to happen. Paul simon has a gift of taking our most personal thoughts and letting us know that we are not alone in those thoughts. While I bought the cd for this song only and feel the rest pale in comparason others will find a song that means as much to them as this to me. Paul Simon is a writer whos songs will play on long after he is gone because he has the ability to capture the raw human emotion and put it to music. If you listen to his songs you will never feel alone.

...then you can skip this version because it's the exact same album with the same bonus tracks only now it has the Columbia imprint (the album's original label) and it's packaged in the standard jewel case as opposed to the cardboard case on the former. As for the album itself, there's nothing to say that really hasn't been said already. The hits from this album were "Kodachrome", "Loves Me Like A Rock" and "American Tune" peaking at #2, #2 and #35 respectively. Other highlights include "St. Judy's Comet" and "Was A Sunny Day". The bonus track "Let Me Live In Your City" would later become "Something So Right", another noteworthy track. This is definitely one of his best solo works and is essential for any music fan.

Total Time- 50:08

Along with the also heartfelt Hearts and Bones, one of Paul's
slightly overlooked records that was "in the pocket". So soft
and tender it can make you cry. Rubbed off the needle on the record player as the gentle melodies whirled into memories.