Negotiations and Love Songs 1971-1986

Paul Simon

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: October 18, 1988
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B000002LFN
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #42,049 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This two-record set on one CD collects 16 Paul Simon hits from his solo career after Simon & Garfunkel without much rhyme or reason. The selections are not in chronological order and several of the cuts are oddly chosen. Those minor points aside, there are some landmark works presented on these discs. "Hearts and Bones" is a brilliant depiction of a crumbling love affair, while "Slip Slidin' Away" uncovers the hurt of divorce and middle age with a groove that's pure mid-'70s decadent. Simon's infatuation with rhythm is all over the place, from the reggae of "Mother and Child Reunion" to the South African bounce of "You Can Call Me Al." --Rob O'Connor

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good overview that is in need of revamping, October 14, 1999

By A Customer

This replaced Paul Simon's Greatest Hits, etc. Sadly that does not make for an improvement. That album covered less ground with more tracks. Hence this replacement suffers not only from omissions, but Paul's odd selections.

Where are An American Tune, Take Me To The Mardi Gras, Duncan, and Gone At Last? Second, why is Have A Good Time on this?

Lastly, the CD is an abridged version of the album, resulting in the dropping of one of Paul's biggest hits, and his favorite recording--Graceland.

When the CD first appeared, the maximum length was less than 70 minutes. Now, CDs can fit over 79 minutes of music. Why hasn't Warner Brothers remastered this and restored the song?

Finally, Paul likes to edit his works. Mother and Child Reunion and Loves Me Like A Rock lose 20 seconds each.

Warner Brothers has yet to remaster any of their artists catalogs. Make Paul Simon your first, and give this best-of a needed facelift!

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great CD the whole way through, July 22, 2000

By	"flamemastuh" (Stockton, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Paul Simon is a much revered member of the music community and has been for a long, long time. "Negotiations & Love Songs" is a great example of WHY he deserves the praise that he has showered upon him. The 16 tracks on this CD showcase not only Simon's immense talent, but also his versitility. Be it the soft beauty of "Something So Right" or the upbeat synthesizer from "You Can Call Me Al" Simon shows he knows how to write a catchy pop song. Simon's beautiful lyrics can range from moving ("Slip Slidin' Away") to hilarious and rowdy ("Late In The Evening"). I reccomend this CD to anyone who loves great pop music, and for Simon fans it is a must.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wow, I'm surprised nobody here really 'got' it, September 18, 2000

By	"bigboote66" (Cambridge, MA United States) - See all my reviews

Many people have wondered here at the strange selection of the songs on this album. I've listened to it for years and always thought the theme was obvious: Simon has put together a little biography of his life, from songs written at the time. From his childhood through his years w/Garfunkle, joys of fatherhood and the arc of his relationship/marriage/divorce with Carrie Fischer, it's all here in a tidy little package. The chronicle mostly concentrates on his Fischer years; I'm not sure why he finishes up with Diamonds & Al, other than the fact that they were hits around the time the album was released and served to give it a little momentum in the stores.

Back in those days, Simon was incapable of writing a bad song. You can't go wrong buying this one, but don't treat it as a greatest hits CD -- accept it as a little story of Simon's life, which is what his songs have always been about anyway.