Paul Simon [Album Details]

Paul Simon
Allmusic Biography : Paul Simon is one of the most successful and respected songwriters of the rock era. Rising to fame in the mid-60s, Simons songs were mature and literate, but also melodically engaging, and spoke to the concerns and uncertainties of a generation. As the 1960s gave way to the 70s and 80s, Simons work tended to focus on the personal rather than the larger world, but he also expanded his musical palette, and helped introduce many rock and pop fans to world music. Paul Frederic Simon was born in Newark, New Jersey on October 13, 1941. His father, Louis Simon, was an educator who also led a small jazz combo, while his mother, Belle Simon, taught English; when Paul was a few months old, they moved from Newark to Queens, New York. Paul grew up with a passion for baseball and music, particularly jazz and folk, and as he entered his teens, he developed a taste for the doo wop and R&B; sounds that were a staple of Alan Freeds radio broadcasts, as well as first-generation rockabillies such as Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins. When Simon was 11 years old, he met Art Garfunkel, and the two became fast friends who discovered they shared an interest in music. Paul and Art formed a harmony duo in the style of their heroes the Everly Brothers, and made their stage debut at a junior-high talent show. By the time they were enrolled at Forest Hills High School, the two were calling themselves Tom & Jerry (Art was Tom Graph, Paul was Jerry Landis), and they filled their spare time playing teen dances and parties. In 1955, the two wrote a song together, "The Girl for Me," which Simon registered for copyright with the Library of Congress. In 1957, Tom & Jerry were cutting a demo acetate of Simons song "Hey Schoolgirl" when the president of a small record company (ironically named Big Records) happened by the studio. The label head liked what he heard, and "Hey Schoolgirl" b/w "Dancin Wild" was released in the fall of 1957. The record rose to number 52 on the Billboard pop singles charts, and scored Tom & Jerry an appearance on American Bandstand, but while they would cut a number of follow-up releases, "Hey Schoolgirl" was destined to be Tom & Jerrys only hit. By March 1958, Simon was already looking toward a solo career, cutting a single, "True or False" b/w "Teen Age Fool," under the name True Taylor. Jerry Landis also landed his own record deal, releasing his debut single, "Anna Belle" b/w "Loneliness," in 1959, while Simon also worked with a studio group called the Cosines, who specialized in cutting demos for songwriters. (Another member of the combo was Carole Klein, who would soon enjoy a successful career of her own as Carole King.) By the end of the decade, Paul and Art were both enrolled in college, and Tom & Jerry took a back seat to academics, though Simon would record occasional sessions and wrote songs for others. In 1961, Simon teamed up with a handful of vocalists to form a group called Tico & the Triumphs; the group cut a single, "Motorcycle" b/w "I Dont Believe Them," which barely broke into the Billboard singles charts, making number 99 for one week, but received extensive airplay in Baltimore and became a local hit in the Charm City. "Motorcycle" was released by Amy Records, which soon turned to Simon to write and produce material for several of their artists, including Ritchie Cordell, the Fashions, Dottie Daniels, and Jay Walker & the Pedestrians. Simon also found time to cut another Jerry Landis single, and "The Lone Teen Ranger" spent three weeks on the Billboard charts in early 1963, peaking at number 97. In the early 60s, the folk revival swept New York City, and a new breed of singers and songwriters introduced a new approach to the craft of creating tunes. Simon, who had been studying English literature, was influenced and encouraged by the new breed of folkies, and in 1963 he re-teamed with Art Garfunkel, this time using their real names and performing the more topical songs Simon was writing. Simon & Garfunkel started playing Greenwich Village folk clubs, and they scored a deal with Columbia Records, releasing their first album, Wednesday Morning, 3 AM, in the fall of 1964. The album was initially a flop, and Simon headed to England, where he made the rounds of folk clubs, recorded some BBC sessions, and even cut a solo album, The Paul Simon Songbook, which was released only in the U.K. Simon also co-wrote a few pop tunes with Bruce Woodley of the Seekers, one of which, "Red Rubber Ball," would become a big hit for the Cyrkle. In late 1965, Tom Wilson, who produced the Wednesday Morning, 3 AM album, learned that one of the songs from the LP, "The Sound of Silence," was getting scattered radio airplay, and he struck upon the idea of dubbing a rock & roll rhythm section over the acoustic track and issuing it as a single. The strategy worked: the new version of "The Sound of Silence" was a big hit, and Simon & Garfunkel quickly re-formed, cutting the album Sounds of Silence, which was released in 1966 and spawned the singles "I Am a Rock" and "Kathys Song." Simon & Garfunkel would enjoy impressive success over the next several years, and were one of the few acts from the early-60s folk revival that would enjoy success with acoustic-based music during the psychedelic era, thanks in large part to Simons songwriting. But while 1970s Bridge Over Troubled Water was a massive commercial and critical success (and a superb reflection of the end-of-the-decade Zeitgeist of the day), long-simmering creative differences between Simon and Garfunkel came to a head while making the album, and a hiatus from collaborating became a proper breakup when Simon released his self-titled solo album in 1972. Paul Simon featured two hit singles, "Mother and Child Reunion" and "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard," and found Simon experimenting with reggae and Latin music, as well as polished soft rock. Released in 1973, There Goes Rhymin Simon was a more ambitious follow-up, sounding largely optimistic and dipping its toes into gospel and New Orleans jazz as well as R&B-based; rock and pop. In 1975, Simon released Still Crazy After All These Years, an album informed by his divorce from his first wife, Peggy Harper. Still Crazy included the song "My Little Town," which reunited Simon with Art Garfunkel for the first time since Bridge Over Troubled Water. Simons next project proved to have a long gestation period; he wrote a screenplay about a musician struggling to save his marriage and his career, and penned a set of songs to accompany it. Simon also starred in the subsequent film, and while One Trick Pony wasnt his first bit of film acting (he played a small but memorable role in Woody Allens Annie Hall), he didnt fare well alongside a cast of seasoned professionals when the movie debuted in 1980. One Trick Ponys soundtrack album (his first album for Warner Bros. after a long working relationship with Columbia) spawned the hit single "Late in the Evening," but otherwise proved to be a disappointment in terms of sales. In September 1981, Simon & Garfunkel played a massive reunion concert in New Yorks Central Park, which led to a brief reunion tour. The Central Park show was released as a live album that was a major commercial success, and the duo made plans to record a new album. But Simon and Garfunkel found themselves at odds in the studio, and Simons next album, 1983s Hearts and Bones, featured no contributions from Garfunkel. The album sold poorly, and by Simons own admission he was running short on inspiration when he heard an album of "township jive" by the South African group the Boyoyo Boys. Fascinated by the eclectic blend of creative elements, Simon began creating an album inspired by South African pop, recorded primarily in Johannesburg with a band of South African musicians. The result was 1986s Graceland, which became an unexpected smash hit, spawning several hit singles, introducing an international audience to South African rhythms, and prompting a renewed dialogue about the nations repressive apartheid regime. (The album also generated a certain amount of controversy, as some believed the recording sessions violated a United Nations-led cultural boycott against South Africa; also, several members of the group Los Lobos, who appeared on the album, claimed Simon lifted their melody for the tune "All Around the World, or the Myth of Fingerprints" without giving them songwriting credit.) Simon turned to Brazilian music for inspiration on his next album, 1990s The Rhythm of the Saints, which also incorporated a number of the South African players who contributed to Graceland. If not as successful as Graceland, The Rhythm of the Saints still fared quite well with fans and critics, and the two albums reestablished Simon as a vital contemporary artist. After releasing a live album from the tour in support of The Rhythm of the Saints, Simon retreated to work on another unusual project, a Broadway musical called The Capeman, which was based on the true story of Salvador Agron, a Latino gang member and convicted murderer turned poet and activist. Simon wrote the book for The Capeman in collaboration with Derek Walcott, and composed a set of new songs for the show. However, the production proved difficult and the play, which opened in 1998, received poor reviews and closed after just 68 performances due to slow ticket sales. (A revised version of the show was staged in 2010, and received significantly better notices.) An album of Simons interpretations of the shows songs was issued, but was only a modest success; the original cast recording received a belated digital release in 2006. Stung by the disappointing response to The Capeman, Simon returned to the studio in 2000 to record Youre the One, an album that suggested a compromise between the African and Latin sounds hed embraced and the more intimate approach of his early work. Two years later, Simon once again reunited with Art Garfunkel for a concert tour, and a live album, Old Friends: Live on Stage, was released in 2004. Simon returned in 2006 with Surprise, which found him working with an unlikely producer, Brian Eno. Released in 2011, So Beautiful or So What captured Simon returning to a more organic songwriting style than hed employed since Graceland, though the tenor of the lyrics confirmed he was still keenly aware of the sounds and ideas of the present day. The album was also his first release for Hear Music; the same label released 2012s Live in New York City, taken from a special intimate hometown concert from the tour in support of So Beautiful. Simon returned in the summer of 2016 with Stranger to Stranger, an album co-produced by his longtime collaborator Roy Halee and released on Concord Records. Simon embarked on a farewell tour in 2018, toward the end of which he released In the Blue Light, a collection of reinterpretations of songs he felt were overlooked when hed written them.
	Album: 1 of 38 Title: The Paul Simon Song Book Released: 1965 Tracks: 14 Duration: 37:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover	1 I Am a Rock (02:41) 2 Leaves That Are Green (02:30) 3 A Church Is Burning (03:24) 4 April Come She Will (01:48) 5 The Sound of Silence (03:06) 6 A Most Peculiar Man (02:23) 7 He Was My Brother (02:46) 8 Kathys Song (03:29) 9 The Side of a Hill (02:17) 10 A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamarad Into Submission) (02:18) 11 Flowers Never Bend With the Rainfall (02:17) 12 Patterns (03:03) 13 I Am a Rock (alternate version) (02:44) 14 A Church Is Burning (alternate version) (03:10)
	Album: 2 of 38 Title: The Paul Simon Songbook Released: 1965 Tracks: 14 Duration: 37:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover	1 I Am a Rock (02:41) 2 Leaves That Are Green (02:30) 3 A Church Is Burning (03:23) 4 April Come She Will (01:47) 5 The Sound of Silence (03:06) 6 A Most Peculiar Man (02:23) 7 He Was My Brother (02:46) 8 Kathys Song (03:28) 9 The Side of a Hill (02:17) 10 A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamarad Into Submission) (02:17) 11 Flowers Never Bend With the Rainfall (02:17) 12 Patterns (03:03) 13 I Am a Rock (alternate version) (02:44) 14 A Church Is Burning (alternate version) (03:10)
The Paul Simon Songbook : Allmusic album Review : The first album to use this title is one of the most mysterious in Paul Simons output and almost belongs more with Simon & Garfunkels discography, given its 1965 recording date. Following the failure of Simon & Garfunkels first, all-acoustic folk revival-style album, Wednesday Morning, 3 AM, Simon headed off to England to see about pursuing music over there. While he was in London, he found himself in demand as a visiting American "folksinger" (though Simons credentials in this area were rather limited), began building up a following in the coffeehouses, and was eventually pegged for a performing spot on the BBC. Suddenly, there were requests for Paul Simon recordings, of which there were none -- as a result of his being signed to Columbia Records in America, however, he was brought into the London studios of British CBS and recorded this album with only his acoustic guitar for backup. The resulting album is spare, almost minimalist, as Simon runs through raw and unaffected versions of songs that he was known for in London, including "The Sounds of Silence," "The Sun Is Burning," "I Am a Rock," "A Simple Desultory Philippic" (in its earliest form, and far nastier than the version later done by Simon & Garfunkel), and "Kathys Song." The notes are very, very strange, but a bigger problem is the production by Reginald Warburton and Stanley West, which isnt terribly sympathetic; the sound isnt very natural, being very close and booming, but the album is a fascinating artifact of Simons work during the interregnum in Simon & Garfunkels career. And there is one fascinating number here, "The Side of a Hill," which eventually resurfaced as the countermelody song in the Simon & Garfunkel version of "Scarborough Fair" (a song curious by its absence here, considering that Simon was doing it in his coffeehouse appearances) two years later.
	Album: 3 of 38 Title: Paul Simon Released: 1972-03 Tracks: 11 Duration: 34:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover	1 Mother and Child Reunion (03:06) 2 Duncan (04:43) 3 Everything Put Together Falls Apart (02:01) 4 Run That Body Down (03:54) 5 Armistice Day (03:57) 6 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (02:43) 7 Peace Like a River (03:23) 8 Papa Hobo (02:35) 9 Hobo’s Blues (01:20) 10 Paranoia Blues (02:58) 11 Congratulations (03:43)
Paul Simon : Allmusic album Review : If any musical justification were needed for the breakup of Simon & Garfunkel, it could be found on this striking collection, Paul Simons post-split debut. From the opening cut, "Mother and Child Reunion" (a Top Ten hit), Simon, who had snuck several subtle musical explorations into the generally conservative S&G sound, broke free, heralding the rise of reggae with an exuberant track recorded in Jamaica for a song about death. From there, it was off to Paris for a track in South American style and a rambling story of a fishermans son, "Duncan" (which made the singles chart). But most of the album had a low-key feel, with Simon on acoustic guitar backed by only a few trusted associates (among them Joe Osborn, Larry Knechtel, David Spinozza, Mike Manieri, Ron Carter, and Hal Blaine, along with such guests as Stefan Grossman, Airto Moreira, and Stephane Grappelli), singing a group of informal, intimate, funny, and closely observed songs (among them the lively Top 40 hit "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard"). It was miles removed from the big, stately ballad style of Bridge Over Troubled Water and signaled that Simon was a versatile songwriter as well as an expressive singer with a much broader range of musical interests than he had previously demonstrated. You didnt miss Art Garfunkel on Paul Simon, not only because Simon didnt write Garfunkel-like showcases for himself, but because the songs he did write showed off his own, more varied musical strengths.
	Album: 4 of 38 Title: There Goes Rhymin’ Simon Released: 1973-05 Tracks: 14 Duration: 49:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover	1 Kodachrome (03:33) 2 Tenderness (02:55) 3 Take Me to the Mardi Gras (03:30) 4 Something So Right (04:32) 5 One Man’s Ceiling Is Another Man’s Floor (03:48) 6 American Tune (03:46) 7 Was a Sunny Day (03:44) 8 Learn How to Fall (02:47) 9 St. Judy’s Comet (03:19) 10 Loves Me Like a Rock (03:40) 11 Let Me Live in Your City (work-in-progress) (04:21) 12 Take Me to the Mardi Gras (acoustic demo) (02:31) 13 American Tune (unfinished demo) (04:03) 14 Loves Me Like a Rock (acoustic demo) (03:24)
There Goes Rhymin’ Simon : Allmusic album Review : Retaining the buoyant musical feel of Paul Simon, but employing a more produced sound, There Goes Rhymin Simon found Paul Simon writing and performing with assurance and venturing into soulful and R&B-oriented music. Simon returned to the kind of vocal pyrotechnics heard on the Simon & Garfunkel records by using gospel singers. On "Love Me Like a Rock" and "Tenderness" (which sounded as though it could have been written to Art Garfunkel), the Dixie Hummingbirds sang prominent backup vocals, and on "Take Me to the Mardi Gras," Reverend Claude Jeter contributed a falsetto part that Garfunkel could have handled, though not as warmly. For several tracks, Simon traveled to the Muscle Shoals Sound Studios to play with its house band, getting a variety of styles, from the gospel of "Love Me Like a Rock" to the Dixieland of "Mardi Gras." Simon was so confident that he even included a major ballad statement of the kind he used to give Garfunkel to sing: "American Tune" was his musical State of the Union, circa 1973, but this time Simon was up to making his big statements in his own voice. Though that song spoke of "the ages most uncertain hour," otherwise Rhymin Simon was a collection of largely positive, optimistic songs of faith, romance, and commitment, concluding, appropriately, with a lullaby ("St. Judys Comet") and a declaration of maternal love ("Loves Me Like a Rock") -- in other words, another mother-and-child reunion that made Paul Simon and There Goes Rhymin Simon bookend masterpieces Simon would not improve upon (despite some valiant attempts) until Graceland in 1986.
	Album: 5 of 38 Title: Paul Simon in Concert: Live Rhymin Released: 1974-03 Tracks: 12 Duration: 51:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover	1 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (02:53) 2 Homeward Bound (02:35) 3 American Tune (04:06) 4 El Cóndor Pasa (If I Could) (04:06) 5 Duncan (05:09) 6 The Boxer (06:08) 7 Mother and Child Reunion (04:11) 8 The Sound of Silence (04:16) 9 Jesus Is the Answer (03:31) 10 Bridge Over Troubled Water (07:10) 11 Loves Me Like a Rock (03:16) 12 America (04:34)
Paul Simon in Concert: Live Rhymin' : Allmusic album Review : One thing Simon & Garfunkel never did much of was tour, so a Paul Simon solo tour, following two commercially successful solo albums, was one more way for Simon to distance himself from the duo and, simultaneously, by performing songs like "The Boxer" and "Homeward Bound," to reclaim his songwriting catalog. Reflecting the musical explorations he had pursued since S & G, Simon brought along Brazilian group Urubamba and gospel group the Jessy Dixon Singers. The result wasnt perfect: nobody needed to hear "Jesus Is the Answer" (a Dixons spotlight number) on a Paul Simon album, and if it was inevitable that he would try his own version of "Bridge Over Troubled Water," it was also predestined that he wouldnt come near to matching Garfunkels original. Though the album was, like most live albums, artistically redundant (there was nothing new, and none of the live versions improved upon the studio ones), it served as a career statement and it had a marketing function, buying the relatively slow-working Simon time between new studio releases.
	Album: 6 of 38 Title: Still Crazy After All These Years Released: 1975-10 Tracks: 12 Duration: 45:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover	1 Still Crazy After All These Years (03:26) 2 My Little Town (03:51) 3 I Do It for Your Love (03:35) 4 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (03:37) 5 Night Game (02:57) 6 Gone at Last (03:40) 7 Some Folks’ Lives Roll Easy (03:14) 8 Have a Good Time (03:26) 9 You’re Kind (03:20) 10 Silent Eyes (04:05) 11 Slip Slidin’ Away (demo) (05:30) 12 Gone at Last (demo) (04:37)
Still Crazy After All These Years : Allmusic album Review : The third new studio album of Paul Simons post-Simon & Garfunkel career was a musical and lyrical change of pace from his first two, Paul Simon and There Goes Rhymin Simon. Where Simon had taken an eclectic approach before, delving into a variety of musical styles and recording all over the world, Still Crazy found him working for the most part with a group of jazz-pop New York session players, though he did do a couple of tracks ("My Little Town" and "Still Crazy After All These Years") with the Muscle Shoals rhythm section that had appeared on Rhymin Simon and another ("Gone at Last") returned to the gospel style of earlier songs like "Loves Me Like a Rock." Of course, "My Little Town" also marked a return to working with Art Garfunkel, and another Top Ten entry for S&G. But the overall feel of Still Crazy was of a jazzy style subtly augmented with strings and horns. Perhaps more striking, however, was Simons lyrical approach. Where Rhymin Simon was the work of a confident family man, Still Crazy came off as a post-divorce album, its songs reeking of smug self-satisfaction and romantic disillusionment. At their best, such sentiments were undercut by humor and made palatable by musical hooks, as on "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," which became the biggest solo hit of Simons career. But elsewhere, as on "Have a Good Time," the singers cynicism seemed unearned. Still, as out of sorts as Simon may have been, he was never more in tune with his audience: Still Crazy topped the charts, spawned four Top 40 hits, and won Grammys for Song of the Year and Best Vocal Performance.
	Album: 7 of 38 Title: Greatest Hits, Etc. Released: 1977-11 Tracks: 14 Duration: 51:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover	1 Slip Slidin’ Away (04:43) 2 Stranded in a Limousine (03:10) 3 Still Crazy After All These Years (03:26) 4 Have a Good Time (03:25) 5 Duncan (05:07) 6 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (02:43) 7 Something So Right (04:32) 8 Kodachrome (03:33) 9 I Do It for Your Love (03:35) 10 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (03:31) 11 American Tune (04:05) 12 Mother and Child Reunion (02:51) 13 Loves Me Like a Rock (03:32) 14 Take Me to the Mardi Gras (03:30)
Greatest Hits, Etc. : Allmusic album Review : Six of Paul Simons ten chart singles between 1972 and 1976 are found on this 14-track compilation, which is filled out by a handful of album tracks, live performances and two new songs, the Top Ten hit "Slip Slidin Away" and "Stranded in a Limousine." That makes for a well-stuffed LP, and several of the tracks have had a few seconds shaved off to cut down the running time. All of which is to say that Greatest Hits, Etc. is not a by-the-book best-of. But then, the three albums from which most of the tracks here come are essential documents of 1970s American pop music as well as big sellers, so maybe it was necessary to do some creative meddling to keep from assembling a collection that would be redundant to fans. Over the longer term, however, the album proved to be a less-than-ideal career sampler (not to mention obselete), and when Simons catalog moved over to Warner Brothers Records in 1988, he put together a new compilation, Negotiations And Love Songs 1971-1986.
	Album: 8 of 38 Title: Collected Works Released: 1981 Tracks: 55 Duration: 2:52:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover	1 I Am a Rock (02:40) 2 Leaves That Are Green (02:29) 3 A Church Is Burning (03:23) 4 April Come She Will (01:47) 5 The Sound of Silence (03:05) 6 A Most Peculiar Man (02:24) 7 He Was My Brother (?) 8 Kathy’s Song (?) 9 The Side of a Hill (?) 10 A Simple Desultory Philippic (?) 11 Flowers Never Bend With the Rainfall (?) 12 Patterns (?) 1 Mother and Child Reunion (03:06) 2 Duncan (04:43) 3 Everything Put Together Falls Apart (02:01) 4 Run That Body Down (03:54) 5 Armistice Day (03:57) 6 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (02:43) 7 Peace Like a River (03:23) 8 Papa Hobo (02:35) 9 Hobo’s Blues (01:20) 10 Paranoia Blues (02:58) 11 Congratulations (03:43) 1 Kodachrome (03:33) 2 Tenderness (02:55) 3 Take Me to the Mardi Gras (03:30) 4 Something So Right (04:33) 5 One Man’s Ceiling Is Another Man’s Floor (03:48) 6 American Tune (03:47) 7 Was a Sunny Day (03:44) 8 Learn How to Fall (02:47) 9 St. Judy’s Comet (03:21) 10 Loves Me Like a Rock (03:32) 1 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (02:53) 2 Homeward Bound (02:35) 3 American Tune (04:06) 4 El Cóndor Pasa (If I Could) (04:06) 5 Duncan (05:09) 6 The Boxer (06:08) 7 Mother and Child Reunion (04:11) 8 The Sound of Silence (04:16) 9 Jesus Is the Answer (03:31) 10 Bridge Over Troubled Water (07:10) 11 Loves Me Like a Rock (03:16) 12 America (04:34) 1 Still Crazy After All These Years (03:26) 2 My Little Town (03:51) 3 I Do It for Your Love (03:35) 4 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (03:37) 5 Night Game (02:57) 6 Gone at Last (03:40) 7 Some Folks’ Lives Roll Easy (03:14) 8 Have a Good Time (03:26) 9 You’re Kind (03:20) 10 Silent Eyes (04:05)
	Album: 9 of 38 Title: Hearts and Bones Released: 1983-11 Tracks: 10 Duration: 40:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover	1 Allergies (04:39) 2 Hearts and Bones (05:38) 3 When Numbers Get Serious (03:26) 4 Think Too Much (b) (02:45) 5 Song About the Moon (04:11) 6 Think Too Much (a) (03:05) 7 Train in the Distance (05:12) 8 Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War (03:43) 9 Cars Are Cars (03:15) 10 The Late Great Johnny Ace (04:47)
Hearts and Bones : Allmusic album Review : Hearts and Bones was a commercial disaster, the lowest-charting new studio album of Paul Simons career. It is also his most personal collection of songs, one of his most ambitious, and one of his best. It retains a personal vision, one largely devoted to the challenges of middle-aged life, among them a renewed commitment to love; the title song was a notable testament to new romance, while "Train in the Distance" reflected on romantic discord. Elsewhere, "The Late Great Johnny Ace" was his meditation on John Lennons murder and how it related to the mythology of pop music. Musically, Simon moved forward and backward simultaneously, taking off from the jazz fusion style of his last two albums into his old loves of doo wop and rock & roll while also incorporating current sounds with such new collaborators as dance music producer Nile Rodgers and minimalist composer Philip Glass. The result was Simons most impressive collection in a decade and the most underrated album in his catalog.
	Album: 10 of 38 Title: Graceland Released: 1986-08-29 Tracks: 11 Duration: 43:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover	1 The Boy in the Bubble (03:59) 2 Graceland (04:51) 3 I Know What I Know (03:13) 4 Gumboots (02:44) 5 Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (05:48) 6 You Can Call Me Al (04:40) 7 Under African Skies (03:37) 8 Homeless (03:48) 9 Crazy Love, Vol. II (04:19) 10 That Was Your Mother (02:52) 11 All Around the World or The Myth of Fingerprints (03:16)
Graceland : Allmusic album Review : With Graceland, Paul Simon hit on the idea of combining his always perceptive songwriting with the little-heard mbaqanga music of South Africa, creating a fascinating hybrid that re-enchanted his old audience and earned him a new one. It is true that the South African angle (including its controversial aspect during the apartheid days) was a powerful marketing tool and that the catchy music succeeded in presenting listeners with that magical combination: something theyd never heard before that nevertheless sounded familiar. As eclectic as any record Simon had made, it also delved into zydeco and conjunto-flavored rock & roll while marking a surprising new lyrical approach (presaged on some songs on Hearts and Bones); for the most part, Simon abandoned a linear, narrative approach to his words, instead drawing highly poetic ("Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes"), abstract ("The Boy in the Bubble"), and satiric ("I Know What I Know") portraits of modern life, often charged by striking images and turns of phrase torn from the headlines or overheard in contemporary speech. An enormously successful record, Graceland became the standard against which subsequent musical experiments by major artists were measured.
	Album: 11 of 38 Title: Negotiations and Love Songs: 1971–1986 Released: 1988-10-18 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:03:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover	1 Mother and Child Reunion (02:49) 2 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (02:43) 3 Something So Right (04:32) 4 St. Judy’s Comet (03:19) 5 Loves Me Like a Rock (03:18) 6 Kodachrome (03:33) 7 Have a Good Time (03:22) 8 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (03:31) 9 Still Crazy After All These Years (03:22) 10 Late in the Evening (03:54) 11 Slip Slidin’ Away (04:43) 12 Hearts and Bones (05:38) 13 Train in the Distance (04:22) 14 Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War (03:43) 15 Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (05:48) 16 You Can Call Me Al (04:40)
Negotiations and Love Songs: 1971–1986 : Allmusic album Review : Paul Simon replaced his earlier compilation, Greatest Hits, Etc. (1977), with this one, allowing Hits to go out of print. Fans may well wish that he had simply put together a Greatest Hits, Etc., Vol. 2 instead, however, since this is a case of a 16-track album covering 15 years replacing a 14-track album covering five years while containing nine of the same songs. All the major hits have been retained (though "Mother and Child Reunion" and "Loves Me Like a Rock" each have been shortened by 15 seconds), along with some of Simons odd album track choices, such as "Have a Good Time." From the post-1977 period, you have the 1980 Top Ten hit "Late in the Evening," three selections from the underrated Hearts and Bones, and two from Graceland. (The original double-LP version of Negotiations and Love Songs contained a third, the Grammy Record of the Year-winning title song, but the in-print CD and cassette versions do not.) The result is more sampler than compilation. An artist of Simons caliber is difficult to condense, and most of the tracks here are worthy, but as a single-album career retrospective, this could have been better.
	Album: 12 of 38 Title: Paul Simon Plus Released: 1990 Tracks: 10 Duration: 22:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover	1 Play Me a Sad Song (02:13) 2 It Means a Lot (02:13) 3 Flame (02:23) 4 While I Dream (02:20) 5 Ring a Rock (02:18) 6 Ding Dong (01:53) 7 You’re the One (02:28) 8 A Hole in the Ground (02:12) 9 Comme si Bella (02:41) 10 This Is Real (01:56)
	Album: 13 of 38 Title: The Rhythm of the Saints Released: 1990-10-15 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:01:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover	1 The Obvious Child (04:10) 2 Can’t Run But (03:36) 3 The Coast (05:03) 4 Proof (04:39) 5 Further to Fly (05:36) 6 She Moves On (05:03) 7 Born at the Right Time (03:48) 8 The Cool, Cool River (04:32) 9 Spirit Voices (03:56) 10 The Rhythm of the Saints (04:20) 11 Born at the Right Time (original acoustic demo) (03:50) 12 Thelma (outtake) (04:14) 13 The Coast (work-in-progress) (05:13) 14 Spirit Voices (work-in-progress) (03:48)
The Rhythm of the Saints : Allmusic album Review : Though he recorded the albums prominent percussion tracks in Brazil, Paul Simon fashioned The Rhythm of the Saints as a deliberate follow-up to the artistic breakthrough and commercial comeback that was the South Africa-tinged Graceland. Several of the musicians who had appeared previously were back, along with some of the New York session players who had worked with Simon in the 1970s, and the overall sound was familiar to fans of Graceland. Further, Simons nonlinear lyrical approach was carried over: he continued to ruminate about love, aging, and the onslaught of modern life in disconnected phrases and images that created impressions rather than telling straightforward stories. But where Graceland had seamlessly merged its styles into an exuberant whole, The Rhythm of the Saints was less well digested. Those drum tracks never seemed integrated effectively into what had been dubbed over them; at the same time, they tended to lock the songs into musical patterns that reined them in from the kind of excitement the South African music on Graceland generated, making the melodies harder to grasp. At the same time, Simon sang his lyrics in a less involved way, which sometimes made them seem like collections of random lines rather than the series of striking observations Graceland seemed to contain. No Paul Simon album could be lacking in craft or quality, and The Rhythm of the Saints was a typically tasteful effort. But this time around, Simon hadnt quite succeeded in bringing the wide-ranging elements together; the album sold about half as many copies as Graceland (that is to say, a none-too-shabby two million), and thats about right -- where Graceland was an exotic adventure, The Rhythm of the Saints was more of an anthropology lesson.
	Album: 14 of 38 Title: Born at the Right Time: The Best of Paul Simon Released: 1991 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:10:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover	1 Mother and Child Reunion (02:45) 2 Duncan (04:26) 3 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (02:42) 4 Take Me to the Mardi Gras (03:23) 5 Kodachrome (03:33) 6 American Tune (03:47) 7 Gone at Last (03:36) 8 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (03:31) 9 Still Crazy After All These Years (03:24) 10 Slip Slidin’ Away (04:43) 11 Late in the Evening (03:54) 12 Jonah (03:25) 13 Hearts and Bones (05:40) 14 The Boy in the Bubble (03:59) 15 Graceland (04:51) 16 You Can Call Me Al (04:40) 17 The Obvious Child (04:09) 18 Born at the Right Time (03:43)
	Album: 15 of 38 Title: Concert in the Park Released: 1991-10-31 Tracks: 23 Duration: 1:57:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover	1 The Obvious Child (04:38) 2 The Boy in the Bubble (05:59) 3 She Moves On (06:26) 4 Kodachrome (04:13) 5 Born at the Right Time (05:12) 6 Train in the Distance (04:45) 7 Me and Julio Down by the School Yard (03:13) 8 I Know What I Know (04:44) 9 The Cool, Cool River (05:40) 10 Bridge Over Troubled Water (05:16) 11 Proof (05:39) 1 The Coast (07:06) 2 Graceland (05:30) 3 You Can Call Me Al (05:10) 4 Still Crazy After All These Years (03:42) 5 Loves Me Like a Rock (02:53) 6 Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (09:30) 7 Hearts and Bones (06:17) 8 Late in the Evening (04:44) 9 America (03:22) 10 The Boxer (04:18) 11 Cecilia (03:24) 12 The Sound of Silence (05:45)
Concert in the Park : Allmusic album Review : Ten years after playing a free concert in New Yorks Central Park with Art Garfunkel, Paul Simon returned, backed by the New York session musicians and the native musicians from South Africa and Brazil who had enlivened his solo work. The show was filmed and recorded, and the audio release was a 23-track double-disc set running nearly two hours. Half the selections came from his Graceland and The Rhythm of the Saints albums, but unlike the Graceland Tour of 1987, the Born at the Right Time Tour of 1991 made room for Simons earlier solo work as well as a few Simon & Garfunkel songs. Simon made such stylistically various material work together by front-loading the set with the newer stuff and rearranging some of the older solo stuff, so that "Kodachrome," for example, was refitted with a guitar line courtesy of Graceland player Ray Phiri. (Wisely, except for a becalmed Africanization of "Cecilia," Simon didnt monkey with the S&G songs, most of which came at the end of the set.) But Simon also toned down the Brazilian percussion that had dominated the Saints material and sang it more convincingly, so that "Born at the Right Time," for example, was far more effective than it had been in its studio version. On the whole, then, Concert in the Park managed to be an enjoyable and surprisingly cohesive career summary.
	Album: 16 of 38 Title: The Paul Simon Anthology Released: 1993 Tracks: 36 Duration: 2:28:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover	1 The Sound of Silence (03:06) 2 Cecilia (02:54) 3 El cóndor pasa (If I Could) (03:08) 4 The Boxer (05:10) 5 Mrs. Robinson (03:55) 6 Bridge Over Troubled Water (04:52) 7 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (02:43) 8 Peace Like a River (03:16) 9 Mother and Child Reunion (02:59) 10 American Tune (03:46) 11 Loves Me Like a Rock (03:18) 12 Kodachrome (03:33) 13 Gone at Last (03:28) 14 Still Crazy After All These Years (03:50) 15 Something So Right (04:32) 16 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (03:08) 17 Slip Slidin’ Away (04:43) 18 Late in the Evening (03:54) 19 Hearts and Bones (05:38) 20 Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War (03:43) 1 The Boy in the Bubble (04:01) 2 Graceland (04:51) 3 Under African Skies (03:37) 4 That Was Your Mother (02:52) 5 Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (05:48) 6 You Can Call Me Al (04:40) 7 Homeless (03:48) 8 Spirit Voices (03:56) 9 The Obvious Child (04:10) 10 Can’t Run But (03:36) 11 Thelma (04:16) 12 Further to Fly (05:36) 13 She Moves On (04:57) 14 Born at the Right Time (05:08) 15 The Cool, Cool River (05:44) 16 The Sound of Silence (05:41)
The Paul Simon Anthology : Allmusic album Review : The international release The Paul Simon Anthology was a two-CD abridged version of the three-CD box set Paul Simon 1964-1993. For this version, the first two discs of the box set were condensed into a single CD, while the third disc, left untouched, was now the second disc. This accentuated one of the weaknesses of the box set, weighting the selections even more heavily toward Simons later work. Here, his recordings originally released between 1965 and 1983 (including six Simon and Garfunkel tracks) made up the first disc, and the second disc covered only the period 1986-1993, and really 1986-90, since the only recordings released after 1990 were "Thelma," an outtake from the 1990 album The Rhythm of the Saints and three performances from the 1991 live album Paul Simons Concert in the Park. While the abridgment seemed to have been made with an eye on the British charts, for the most part eliminating only songs that had not been hits in the U.K. (the exceptions being "America" and "Take Me to the Mardi Gras"), the album still didnt function as a full-fledged greatest hits album, lacking such British chart singles as "Homeward Bound" and "I Am a Rock" (neither of which were on Paul Simon 1964-1993, either). In its choices of material, particularly in the disproportionate number of songs from Graceland and The Rhythm of the Saints, the album reflected the current taste of its subject rather than the expectations of fans, who might have hoped for more hits and more rarities. In an odd way, however, Simon did gratify the latter hope, if only by tinkering, as he had on previous compilations, with the editing and mixing of his familiar recordings. In several cases, the tracks were noticeably remixed, and the lengths of songs changed -- "Loves Me Like a Rock" and "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" both got shorter, while "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" got longer.
	Album: 17 of 38 Title: Paul Simon: 1964-1993 Released: 1993-09-28 Tracks: 52 Duration: 3:21:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover	1 Leaves That Are Green (02:31) 2 The Sound of Silence (03:06) 3 Kathy’s Song (03:23) 4 America (03:35) 5 Cecilia (02:54) 6 El cóndor pasa (If I Could) (03:08) 7 The Boxer (05:10) 8 Mrs. Robinson (03:55) 9 Bridge Over Troubled Water (demo) (02:34) 10 Bridge Over Troubled Water (04:52) 11 The Breakup (02:18) 12 Hey, Schoolgirl (02:15) 13 My Little Town (03:51) 14 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (02:43) 15 Peace Like a River (03:16) 16 Mother and Child Reunion (02:59) 17 Congratulations (03:43) 18 Duncan (05:01) 19 American Tune (03:46) 1 Loves Me Like a Rock (03:18) 2 Tenderness (02:55) 3 Kodachrome (03:33) 4 Gone at Last (03:28) 5 Take Me to the Mardi Gras (03:30) 6 St. Judy’s Comet (03:19) 7 Something So Right (04:32) 8 Still Crazy After All These Years (03:50) 9 Have a Good Time (03:26) 10 Jonah (03:19) 11 How the Heart Approaches What It Yearns (02:49) 12 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (03:08) 13 Slip Slidin’ Away (04:43) 14 Late in the Evening (03:54) 15 Hearts and Bones (05:38) 16 Rene and Georgette Magritte (03:43) 17 The Late Johnny Ace (04:47) 1 The Boy in the Bubble (03:59) 2 Graceland (04:51) 3 Under African Skies (03:37) 4 That Was Your Mother (02:52) 5 Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (05:48) 6 You Can Call Me Al (04:40) 7 Homeless (03:48) 8 Spirit Voices (03:56) 9 The Obvious Child (04:10) 10 Can’t Run But (03:36) 11 Thelma (04:16) 12 Further to Fly (05:36) 13 She Moves On (04:57) 14 Born at the Right Time (05:08) 15 The Cool, Cool River (05:44) 16 The Sound of Silence (05:41)
Paul Simon: 1964-1993 : Allmusic album Review : Artist-designed box set retrospectives tend to be idiosyncratic, and this one is no exception. Take the title, which describes a 52-track, 200-plus-minute, three-disc set, the earliest recording from which actually was released in 1957 (thats Tom & Jerrys chart single, "Hey, Schoolgirl") and which contains no recordings from 1964 or from later than 1991. While Simon has included all of his biggest solo hits and most of those by Simon & Garfunkel (excepting "Homeward Bound" and "I Am a Rock"), and has grouped the songs into three roughly chronological sections (1957-1973, 1973-1983, and 1986-1991), he has made song choices and sequencing decisions within each section more reflective of his own taste than any historical or audience-based consideration. The music is so good it almost doesnt matter, but with only one previously unreleased song (a 1991 outtake from The Rhythm of the Saints), Paul Simon 1964/1993 is basically an abridged reshuffling of Simons existing catalog. [Note also that Simons tendency to edit his songs for use on compilations continues: "Loves Me Like a Rock" is 13 seconds shorter than the version on There Goes Rhymin Simon, while "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" has lost 29 seconds from the Still Crazy After All These Years version.]
	Album: 18 of 38 Title: Peacelands Released: 1994 Tracks: 12 Duration: 27:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover	1 Play Me a Sad Song (02:13) 2 It Means a Lot (02:13) 3 Flame (02:25) 4 While I Dream (02:20) 5 Ring a Rock (02:20) 6 Ding Dong (01:53) 7 You’re the One (02:28) 8 A Hole in the Ground (02:13) 9 This Is Real (01:56) 10 Comme si’ bella (02:42) 11 Please Me Forever (02:39) 12 It’s All in the Game (02:30)
	Album: 19 of 38 Title: His Greatest Hits - Live in Concert Released: 1994 Tracks: 10 Duration: 45:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover	1 Born at the Right Time (06:16) 2 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (03:52) 3 Graceland (05:23) 4 Still Crazy After All These Years (03:34) 5 Mrs. Robinson (03:26) 6 Bridge Over Troubled Water (04:56) 7 Something So Right (03:54) 8 Boy in the Bubble (05:59) 9 Late in the Evening (05:43) 10 Homeward Bound (02:49)
	Album: 20 of 38 Title: Songs From the Capeman Released: 1997-11-18 Tracks: 13 Duration: 55:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover	1 Adiós hermanos (04:42) 2 Born in Puerto Rico (05:03) 3 Satin Summer Nights (05:45) 4 Bernadette (03:33) 5 The Vampires (05:14) 6 Quality (04:18) 7 Can I Forgive Him (06:02) 8 Sunday Afternoon (03:25) 9 Killer Wants to Go to College (01:51) 10 Time Is an Ocean (05:23) 11 Virgil (02:49) 12 Killer Wants to Go to College II (02:09) 13 Trailways Bus (05:14)
Songs From the Capeman : Allmusic album Review : During the production of The Rhythm of the Saints, Paul Simon latched upon the idea of turning the story of Salvador Agron -- a 50s Puerto Rican hoodlum nicknamed the Capeman -- into a musical. (Agron was convicted of stabbing two kids to death during a New York street fight; during his prison term, he educated himself and turned into a poet and activist.) Collaborating with poet Derek Walcott on the lyrics and book, Simon worked on the musical for seven years, writing a set of songs that evoked doo wop, 50s rock & roll, and Puerto Rican music. A few months before the Broadway premiere of The Capeman, Simon -- who was not performing in the musical -- released Songs from The Capeman, an album that functioned as a calling card for the play. The record suggests what a complex and ambitious musical The Capeman may be, but it doesnt succeed on its own terms. Simons songs have the narrative drive of a stage musical, but are littered with idiosyncratic, conversational flourishes, profanities, and self-consciously literate wordplay that keep them insular and nearly impenetrable. Similarly, the music is forced and labored -- it often sounds like he has to push the melodies into unnatural paths -- and it never has the graceful, joyously organic spirit of doo wop and Puerto Rican music, which is what he needed to capture in order for The Capeman to succeed. Instead, the project is a cerebral exercise, not only in writing but also in white liberal guilt, and its an exhausting one at that.
	Album: 21 of 38 Title: Greatest Hits: Shining Like a National Guitar Released: 2000-05-01 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:17:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover	1 Graceland (04:51) 2 You Can Call Me Al (04:40) 3 Mother and Child Reunion (02:59) 4 The Cool, Cool River (04:32) 5 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (03:31) 6 The Obvious Child (04:10) 7 The Boy in the Bubble (03:59) 8 Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War (03:43) 9 Late in the Evening (03:54) 10 Bernadette (03:27) 11 Slip Slidin’ Away (04:43) 12 Take Me to the Mardi Gras (03:30) 13 Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (05:48) 14 Still Crazy After All These Years (03:22) 15 Kodachrome (03:33) 16 Loves Me Like a Rock (03:14) 17 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (02:43) 18 Hearts and Bones (05:38) 19 Trailways Bus (05:14)
Greatest Hits: Shining Like a National Guitar : Allmusic album Review : The various compilations of Paul Simons work that have been released with his input over the years have been an unsatisfying bunch, leaving out key tracks in favor of the artists own favorites, so that none of them could be recommended unreservedly. The international release Greatest Hits: Shining Like a National Guitar is by far the best such collection ever released, selecting 19 songs from Simons studio recordings originally released over a 25-year period between 1972 and 1997. All ten of Simons British chart singles are included, though American fans picking up import copies will note the omission of a number of U.S. singles, notably the Top 40 hits "American Tune" (which, confusingly, is discussed in Peter Doggetts liner notes as if it were present), "Gone at Last," and "One-Trick Pony." That leaves room for plenty of album tracks, and Simon shows consistency in his choices, again picking, for example, "Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog After the War" and "Hearts and Bones" from Hearts and Bones, just as he did for 1993s The Paul Simon Anthology, rather than, say, "Train in the Distance" (which Doggett talks up) or the exquisite "Song About the Moon." But thats just a way of saying that Simon has too many great songs to fit onto a single disc, and, of course, it is the fate of underrated albums like Hearts and Bones and Songs from "The Capeman" to be underrepresented on greatest hits albums. The real strength of this one lies in its sequencing. Simon has experimented with many different styles of writing and music, which would seem to make it difficult to fit the light jazz of "Still Crazy After All These Years" with the South African and Brazilian music he employed later on. But this compilation reveals the similarities between, for example, "You Can Call Me Al" from 1986s Graceland and "Mother and Child Reunion" from 1972s Paul Simon, which follows it, just as the distinctive march-drum pattern of "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" segues well into the massive drums of "The Obvious Child." Its impossible to listen to this album and not marvel at Simons accomplishment as a musician over a quarter century, and thats as strong a recommendation for a compilation as anybody should need. Unfortunately, though it was a chart success across Europe, Greatest Hits: Shining Like a National Guitar was not issued in the U.S., remaining a pricey import, and with the release only a few months later of a new Simon album, Youre the One, it seemed unlikely it would get stateside release. (Note that, as is typical on Simon compilations, several tracks have been trimmed slightly to fit so many songs on one CD.)
	Album: 22 of 38 Title: You’re the One Released: 2000-10-02 Tracks: 11 Duration: 44:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover	1 Thats Where I Belong (03:12) 2 Darling Lorraine (06:38) 3 Old (02:19) 4 You’re the One (04:27) 5 The Teacher (03:36) 6 Look at That (03:54) 7 Señorita With a Necklace of Tears (03:41) 8 Love (03:50) 9 Pigs, Sheep and Wolves (03:58) 10 Hurricane Eye (04:12) 11 Quiet (04:17)
You’re the One : Allmusic album Review : The disaster of Songs from the Capeman hit Paul Simon particularly hard, so he decided to quickly record a new album, his first proper collection of songs since 1990s The Rhythm of the Saints -- his first album in ten years, really. Nevertheless, if this album has a relative, its 1982s Hearts and Bones, since its a deliberately low-key, insular record, especially when compared to the sweeping worldbeat explorations of Graceland and Rhythm. But where Hearts and Bones was a singer/songwriter album, no two ways about it, Youre the One illustrates the influence of its predecessors, but its not showy about it. The African and South American rhythms are as much a foundation of Simons music as folk is, and his compositions reflect it, boasting surprisingly tricky rhythms that carry through to his melodies themselves. That, combined with Simons determination to meet aging head-on, makes Youre the One a bit of an acquired taste, especially since its compositions are never overtly accessible and melodic -- theyre all tone poems, driven as much by tone and lyric as song itself. This all results in a record that may be a little too deliberately low-key and elliptical for most tastes, especially since it demands full concentration even from serious fans. But this does reward close listening, and even if it doesnt shine as brilliantly as Hearts and Bones (his most underappreciated record), it does share some similarities in that its an unassumingly intellectual record that feels like it was made without an audience in mind. Which means its more interesting than successful, but interesting can have its own rewards.
	Album: 23 of 38 Title: The Paul Simon Collection: On My Way, Dont Know Where Im Goin Released: 2002-11-05 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:18:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover	1 Mother and Child Reunion (02:59) 2 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (02:43) 3 Kodachrome (03:33) 4 Something So Right (04:32) 5 Loves Me Like a Rock (03:14) 6 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (03:08) 7 Still Crazy After All These Years (03:22) 8 Late in the Evening (04:02) 9 Slip Slidin’ Away (04:43) 10 Hearts and Bones (05:40) 11 Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (05:49) 12 The Boy in the Bubble (03:59) 13 Graceland (04:51) 14 You Can Call Me Al (04:40) 15 Spirit Voices (03:56) 16 The Cool, Cool River (04:32) 17 Adiós hermanos (04:42) 18 Love (03:50) 19 Hurricane Eye (04:12)
The Paul Simon Collection: On My Way, Don't Know Where I'm Goin' : Allmusic album Review : Sometimes, hits compilations are hurt by the desire of the artist or the label to cover all aspects of an artists career. The 2002 compilation The Paul Simon Collection: On My Way, Dont Know Where Im Goin is a perfect example of this trait, particularly since so much of it is so good. Sure, "Stranded in a Limousine" -- one of two new songs on the long-ago collection Greatest Hits, Etc. -- remains stranded, but most of the great songs and singles of the 70s and 80s are here, keeping this collection humming through its first 14 songs. Where it stumbles is in the 90s, where Simon didnt really have hits, but had a very good album in The Rhythm of the Saints, a flop in The Capeman, and another very good, albeit misunderstood, comeback in Youre the One, none of which are accurately represented here. Of the three, only Saints has a correct song in "The Cool, Cool River," but the single "Obvious Child" is missing (the Milton Nascimento collaboration "Spirit Voices" is in its place), which is something that can be said for the other two albums, where idiosyncratic choices take precedent, to the detriment of the overall effect of the album. This results in merely a bad finish to a collection that is, overall, on the money, but it could have been better, fuller overview with just a little more thought, and the collection suffers because of these few poor choices.
	Album: 24 of 38 Title: Surprise Released: 2006-05-09 Tracks: 11 Duration: 45:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover	1 How Can You Live in the Northeast? (03:42) 2 Everything About It Is a Love Song (03:57) 3 Outrageous (03:24) 4 Sure Don’t Feel Like Love (03:57) 5 Wartime Prayers (04:49) 6 Beautiful (03:07) 7 I Don’t Believe (04:09) 8 Another Galaxy (05:22) 9 Once Upon a Time There Was an Ocean (03:55) 10 That’s Me (04:43) 11 Father and Daughter (04:11)
Surprise : Allmusic album Review : The obvious surprise of Surprise, Paul Simons tenth solo album and his first since 2000s underrated Youre the One, is that the singer/songwriter has enlisted Brian Eno as his collaborator. At first glance the pairing seems odd, even awkward, since they seem to come from opposing backgrounds: Simon the folk-rock troubadour and Eno the avant-garde art rock adventurist. Dig a little deeper, and the similarities do surface. For one, there is the mutual shared interest in world music -- most evident in Enos productions/collaborations with Talking Heads at the turn of the 70s and on Simons 1986 Graceland and its 1990 follow-up, The Rhythm of the Saints, but there are undercurrents running as far back as Simon & Garfunkels "Cecilia." But more than any other singer/songwriter of his generation, Paul Simon has demonstrated a keen interest in having his albums sound unique and distinct from each other, using each album as an opportunity to explore a different sonic characteristic, so working with a sonic landscaper (as his back-cover credit on Surprise calls him) is not out of character. Similarly, Eno has not been entirely adverse to pop, either, as his ongoing collaboration with U2 proves, not to mention his productions for James or even the flamboyant pop of such early Roxy Music singles as "Virginia Plain." So, their collaboration here is unexpected, but not unnatural -- in fact, its anything but unnatural, since Surprise is as seamless and graceful as Graceland, which it resembles greatly in how it blends a new sound with Simons songs. But where Graceland found Simon writing around existing rhythm tracks, the opposite is true here: Eno fills in the space behind songs, creating an evocative, dream-like bed for Simons words, which, more than ever, scan equally well as poetry as they do song lyrics. Simon was shifting toward this direction on Youre the One, but he pushes even harder here, largely abandoning familiar song structures -- only two cuts here have something resembling a conventional chorus, and one of those is "Father and Daughter," originally released on the Wild Thornberrys soundtrack and the only track not treated by Eno -- for elliptical, winding songs that demand attention. These are songs that cry out for the kind of cinematic sounds Eno brings to them, since he helps give them structure, momentum, and emotional weight, and his "sonic landscapes" do this precisely, following the contours of Simons words and enhancing his meaning. And while Surprise glides along easily, thanks both to Enos seamless work and the warmth of Simons voice, its an album meant to be listened to closely, and it pays back that effort handsomely. With repeated plays, Simons songs dont seem as open-ended, and theres more to discover within Enos production, particularly in how it plays off Simons recurring themes of faith, aging, fatherhood, and getting by in George W. Bushs U.S.A. But this is not by any stretch a protest record; "How Can You Live in the Northeast?" and "Wartime Prayers" are about the uneasiness of living in the post-9/11 America, yet theyre not statements of outrage, theyre about the emotional toil of the time, and they have counterparts in the wearied narrators of "Once Upon a Time There Was an Ocean" and "Outrageous." It adds up to a bittersweet undercurrent that runs through Surprise, not unlike the melancholy threaded throughout Hearts and Bones, which this also resembles in its overall introspective tone and arty bent, but this is hardly a one-dimensional record; there is gentle hope and wry humor as well, giving this music a rich elegance that makes it stand among Simons best work. Unlike such deservedly praised comeback albums from some of his peers -- such as Dylans Love and Theft, the Rolling Stones A Bigger Bang, Paul McCartneys Chaos and Creation in the Backyard -- Simon doesnt achieve his comeback by reconnecting with the sound and spirit of his classic work; he has achieved it by being as restless and ambitious as he was at his popular and creative peak, which makes Surprise all the more remarkable.
	Album: 25 of 38 Title: The Essential Paul Simon Released: 2007-08-17 Tracks: 36 Duration: 2:28:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover	1 Mother and Child Reunion (03:06) 2 Loves Me Like a Rock (03:32) 3 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (02:43) 4 Duncan (04:29) 5 Kodachrome (03:33) 6 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (03:31) 7 Slip Slidin’ Away (04:43) 8 Gone at Last (03:40) 9 Something So Right (04:32) 10 Late in the Evening (04:02) 11 Hearts and Bones (05:38) 12 Take Me to the Mardi Gras (03:30) 13 That Was Your Mother (02:52) 14 American Tune (03:46) 15 Peace Like a River (03:18) 16 Stranded in a Limousine (03:07) 17 Train in the Distance (04:22) 18 The Late Great Johnny Ace (04:47) 19 Still Crazy After All These Years (03:26) 1 Graceland (04:46) 2 Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (05:38) 3 The Boy in the Bubble (03:59) 4 You Can Call Me Al (04:36) 5 Under African Skies (03:37) 6 The Obvious Child (04:10) 7 Born at the Right Time (03:48) 8 The Cool, Cool River (04:32) 9 Spirit Voices (03:56) 10 Adiós hermanos (04:42) 11 Born in Puerto Rico (04:55) 12 Quality (04:12) 13 Darling Lorraine (06:38) 14 Hurricane Eye (04:12) 15 Father and Daughter (04:11) 16 Outrageous (03:24) 17 Wartime Prayers (04:49)
The Essential Paul Simon : Allmusic album Review : Released five years after Warners last Paul Simon comp, the single-disc The Paul Simon Collection: On My Way, Dont Know Where Im Goin, the double-disc The Essential Paul Simon is a full 17 tracks heftier than its predecessor and contains all but one of its 19 songs (MIA is the latter-day "Love," which only hardcore fans will recognize as from Youre the One, and theyre not quite the market for this set anyway). Its also slimmer than the 1993 box Paul Simon 1964/1993, which spanned three discs but also encompassed his 60s recordings with Art Garfunkel, plus a single the duo recorded as Tom & Jerry, along with selections from his solo debut, The Paul Simon Songbook -- it was ambitious, where this compilation is efficient, picking up after the parting of ways with Garfunkel and running straight through until 2006s Surprise. The sequencing isnt strictly chronological -- some songs are shuffled around for effect, with "Still Crazy After All These Years" closing the first, while "Take Me to the Mardi Gras" is cleverly followed by the zydeco stomp "That Was Your Mother" -- but it roughly divides into having the first disc devoted to the 70s and early 80s, the second devoted to Graceland and beyond. Some might argue that theres too heavy of a Graceland presence here -- a whopping six tracks, over half the album -- but it is his biggest album and functions as a nice transition between his better-known 70s hits and the more esoteric but frequently compelling work that hes done since. And, unlike The Paul Simon Collection, The Essential Paul Simon is designed to introduce fellow travelers to the interesting work hes done since Graceland, as the second disc emphasizes that quite greatly, and it does a good job of it, while also providing a good summary of his best-known (and much of his best) solo work.
	Album: 26 of 38 Title: This Better Be Good Released: 2009-06-01 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:02:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover	1 Kodachrome (03:33) 2 Peace Like a River (03:20) 3 Loves Me Like a Rock (03:32) 4 Late in the Evening (04:03) 5 Slip Slidin’ Away (04:43) 6 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (02:43) 7 Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (05:38) 8 Mother and Child Reunion (03:06) 9 American Tune (03:47) 10 Under African Skies (03:37) 11 Señorita With a Necklace of Tears (03:41) 12 Bernadette (03:33) 13 Train in the Distance (04:22) 14 The Obvious Child (04:11) 15 Father and Daughter (04:12) 16 Sure Don’t Feel Like Love (03:57)
	Album: 27 of 38 Title: So Beautiful or So What Released: 2011-04-11 Tracks: 10 Duration: 38:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover	1 Getting Ready for Christmas Day (04:07) 2 The Afterlife (03:40) 3 Dazzling Blue (04:32) 4 Rewrite (03:50) 5 Love and Hard Times (04:09) 6 Love Is Eternal Sacred Light (04:02) 7 Amulet (01:37) 8 Questions for the Angels (03:50) 9 Love & Blessings (04:18) 10 So Beautiful or So What (04:09)
So Beautiful or So What : Allmusic album Review : Touted as Paul Simon’s return to traditional songwriting -- Simon writing alone with a guitar and a pen instead of constructing songs around rhythmic loops the way he’s done since Graceland -- So Beautiful or So What doesn’t feel like a return to the ‘70s. From the moment the record kicks in with the heavy blues stomp and samples of “Getting Ready for Christmas Day,” it’s evident that while Simon may have changed his style of composing, he’s not abandoning his method of record-making, which is distinctly engaged with the present. When Bob Dylan sings about Alicia Keys he does so with an old-fashioned swing, but when Simon writes a verse about Jay-Z he does it within the context of an album anchored in polyrhythms, chattering guitars, and digital loops, where the handful of delicate acoustic numbers function as a counterpoint to the clean bustle of the rest of the record. Certainly, So Beautiful or So What isn’t as reliant on soundscapes as its Brian Eno-produced predecessor, but it is no rejection of texture, just as it is in no way a repudiation of the musical sensibility of Graceland, whose rhythms are as firmly felt here as on any record he’s made since. Rather, So Beautiful elegantly touches upon each of Simon’s solo signatures within a compact 38 minutes, its brevity indicating the precision of Simon’s focus. There are no wasted sounds or words here, and if he offers some of his simplest, prettiest tunes in years (“Love & Hard Times,” “Amulet”) and spends a considerable chunk of the record dwelling on spiritual matters, the album is neither steeped in nostalgia nor haunted by death. Paul Simon is remarkably clear-eyed in assessing the modern world and his place in it, not shying away from contemporary sounds -- if anything, the production is occasionally a tad too brittle, like so many digital-age recordings -- but not chasing after youth either. He’s merely living in his time and reporting, returning with an album that’s vivid, vibrant, and current in a way none of his peers have managed to achieve.
	Album: 28 of 38 Title: Songwriter Released: 2011-10-24 Tracks: 32 Duration: 2:19:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover	1 The Sound of Silence (live at Webster Hall 2011) (04:25) 2 The Boxer (live Central Park) (04:17) 3 Bridge Over Troubled Water (05:29) 4 Mother and Child Reunion (03:06) 5 Tenderness (02:55) 6 Peace Like a River (03:14) 7 American Tune (03:46) 8 Kodachrome (03:33) 9 Something So Right (04:32) 10 Late in the Evening (03:59) 11 Train in the Distance (05:12) 12 Hearts and Bones (05:39) 13 Still Crazy After All These Years (03:23) 14 Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War (03:43) 15 Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (05:46) 16 The Boy in the Bubble (03:58) 17 Graceland (04:50) 1 Obvious Child (04:08) 2 Further to Fly (05:31) 3 The Cool, Cool River (04:30) 4 Spirit Voices (03:55) 5 Born in Puerto Rico (04:55) 6 Quality (04:12) 7 Darling Lorraine (06:35) 8 Look at That (03:51) 9 Senorita With a Necklace of Tears (03:37) 10 Thats Me (04:34) 11 Another Galaxy (05:19) 12 Father and Daughter (04:07) 13 Rewrite (03:49) 14 Love and Hard Times (04:05) 15 So Beautiful or So What (04:06)
Songwriter : Allmusic album Review : The title makes plain the intention of Paul Simon on this 2011 double-disc set: the focus is not on the hits but the songs, to the extent that his most famous song is not performed either by him solo or with Art Garfunkel, it is sung by Aretha Franklin, a selection that suggests this compilation will be more idiosyncratic than it is. Many of the songs that are Simon’s solo staples -- “Mother and Child Reunion,” “Kodachrome,” “American Tune,” “Late in the Evening,” “Still Crazy After All These Years,” “Graceland,” “The Boy in the Bubble” -- are here, enough to almost camouflage the big songs that are missing in action, including “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” “Duncan,” “Slip Slidin’ Away,” and “You Can Call Me Al.” All these are casualties of a concept that allows for Simon to spend the entirety of the second disc on albums released since 1990, a move that fits the aesthetic -- there’s no dip in quality -- but is sure to disgruntle listeners who only want the songs they know by heart. But there are plenty of compilations for those kind of fans; for listeners who want to get a strong overview of Simon the writer, containing many but not all of his best songs, Songwriter is a solid choice.
	Album: 29 of 38 Title: Live In New York City Released: 2012-09-18 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:33:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover	1 The Obvious Child (04:21) 2 Dazzling Blue (04:54) 3 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (04:11) 4 So Beautiful or So What (05:12) 5 Mother and Chile Reunion (03:35) 6 That Was Your Mother (04:03) 7 Hearts and Bones (06:00) 8 Crazy Love, Volume II (05:56) 9 Slip Slidin Away (05:22) 10 Rewrite (04:36) 1 The Boy in the Bubble (05:00) 2 The Only Living Boy in New York (04:03) 3 The Afterlife (04:26) 4 Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (07:25) 5 Gumboots (04:22) 6 The Sound of Silence (04:34) 7 Kodachrome (03:06) 8 Gone at Last (03:37) 9 Late in the Evening (04:31) 10 Still Crazy After All These Years (04:03)
Live In New York City : Allmusic album Review : When it came time to cut a live album documenting his supporting tour for his excellent 2011 album So Beautiful or So What, Paul Simon did what he always does: he set up shop in his hometown of New York City. Previously, he -- either with or without Art Garfunkel -- released albums recorded at massive venues like Madison Square Garden or Central Park, but Hear Musics 2012 Live in New York City -- available either as a two-CD/one-DVD set or simply as a double CD or single DVD -- was recorded at the comparatively intimate Webster Hall and, appropriately enough, the performance feels comparatively cozy, Simon striking just the right blend of playing for himself and playing for the audience. He showcases a nice chunk of So Beautiful or So What -- "Dazzling Blue," "So Beautiful or So What," "Rewrite," "The Afterlife," roughly half of the album -- and about half of Graceland, often opting for album tracks over hits (no "You Can Call Me Al" or "Graceland," but "That Was Your Mother" and "Gumboots" both make the cut), and when he does dip into such standards as "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," "Mother and Child Reunion," "Slip Slidin Away," and "Still Crazy," he finds subtle little ways to inject a bit of groove into their well-worn contours. Simon is pleasing the crowd without pandering, and he winds up with a live album thats lively, slightly surprising, warm, and undeniably fun.
	Album: 30 of 38 Title: Over the Bridge of Time: A Paul Simon Retrospective (1964-2011) Released: 2013 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:19:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover	1 The Sound of Silence (03:06) 2 America (03:30) 3 The Boxer (05:10) 4 Cecilia (02:52) 5 The Only Living Boy in New York (04:00) 6 Bridge Over Troubled Water (04:52) 7 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (02:41) 8 Mother and Child Reunion (03:06) 9 American Tune (03:46) 10 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (03:34) 11 Still Crazy After All These Years (03:24) 12 Slip Slidin Away (04:45) 13 Late in the Evening (03:57) 14 Hearts and Bones (05:40) 15 Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (05:45) 16 You Can Call Me Al (04:36) 17 Spirit Voices (03:52) 18 Thats Where I Belong (03:10) 19 Everything About It Is a Love Song (03:56) 20 Love and Hard Times (04:07)
Over the Bridge of Time: A Paul Simon Retrospective (1964-2011) : Allmusic album Review : Released as a companion to Legacys Complete Album Collection, Over the Bridge of Time: A Paul Simon Retrospective (1964-2011) condenses a five-decade career into 20 tracks. Thats hardly enough to contain all the hits, so the compilers have opted for a mini-biography, tracing Simons evolution from Simon & Garfunkel to the restless bard of the new millennium. Corners are cut, hits are forgotten -- and not small ones, either; "Mrs. Robinson," "Kodachrome," "Loves Me Like a Rock," "The Obvious Child" are all missing in action -- but Over the Bridge doesnt quite feel as if anything is missing because it does paint a nice overall picture of Simons career and does have many major songs, including "The Sound of Silence," "The Boxer," "The Only Living Boy in New York," "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard," "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," "Still Crazy After All These Years," "Slip Slidin Away," "Late in the Evening," and "You Can Call Me Al." Other compilations dig deeper and individual albums are necessary, but as a full-career overview, this does its job.
	Album: 31 of 38 Title: The Complete Albums Collection Released: 2013-10-11 Tracks: 201 Duration: 13:14:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover	1 I Am a Rock (02:41) 2 Leaves That Are Green (02:30) 3 A Church Is Burning (03:23) 4 April Come She Will (01:47) 5 The Sound of Silence (03:06) 6 A Most Peculiar Man (02:23) 7 He Was My Brother (02:46) 8 Kathys Song (03:28) 9 The Side of a Hill (02:17) 10 A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamarad Into Submission) (02:17) 11 Flowers Never Bend With the Rainfall (02:17) 12 Patterns (03:03) 13 I Am a Rock (alternate version) (02:44) 14 A Church Is Burning (alternate version) (03:10) 1 Mother and Child Reunion (03:06) 2 Duncan (04:43) 3 Everything Put Together Falls Apart (02:01) 4 Run That Body Down (03:54) 5 Armistice Day (03:57) 6 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (02:43) 7 Peace Like a River (03:23) 8 Papa Hobo (02:35) 9 Hobo’s Blues (01:20) 10 Paranoia Blues (02:58) 11 Congratulations (03:51) 12 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (demo) (02:29) 13 Duncan (demo) (02:48) 14 Paranoia Blues (03:14) 1 Kodachrome (03:33) 2 Tenderness (02:55) 3 Take Me to the Mardi Gras (03:30) 4 Something So Right (04:32) 5 One Man’s Ceiling Is Another Man’s Floor (03:48) 6 American Tune (03:46) 7 Was a Sunny Day (03:44) 8 Learn How to Fall (02:47) 9 St. Judy’s Comet (03:19) 10 Loves Me Like a Rock (03:40) 11 Let Me Live in Your City (work-in-progress) (04:21) 12 Take Me to the Mardi Gras (acoustic demo) (02:31) 13 American Tune (unfinished demo) (04:03) 14 Loves Me Like a Rock (acoustic demo) (03:24) 1 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (02:53) 2 Homeward Bound (02:35) 3 American Tune (04:06) 4 El Cóndor Pasa (If I Could) (04:06) 5 Duncan (05:09) 6 The Boxer (06:08) 7 Mother and Child Reunion (04:11) 8 The Sound of Silence (04:16) 9 Jesus Is the Answer (03:31) 10 Bridge Over Troubled Water (07:10) 11 Loves Me Like a Rock (03:16) 12 America (04:34) 13 Kodachrome (02:55) 14 Something So Right (04:35) 1 Still Crazy After All These Years (03:26) 2 My Little Town (03:51) 3 I Do It for Your Love (03:35) 4 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (03:37) 5 Night Game (02:57) 6 Gone at Last (03:40) 7 Some Folks’ Lives Roll Easy (03:14) 8 Have a Good Time (03:26) 9 You’re Kind (03:20) 10 Silent Eyes (04:05) 11 Slip Slidin’ Away (demo) (05:30) 12 Gone at Last (demo) (04:37) 1 Late in the Evening (04:02) 2 Thats Why God Made Movies (03:37) 3 One Trick Pony (03:53) 4 How the Heart Approaches What It Yearns (02:49) 5 Oh, Marion (04:00) 6 Ace in the Hole (05:43) 7 Nobody (03:32) 8 Jonah (03:30) 9 God Bless the Absentee (03:17) 10 Long, Long Day (03:57) 11 Soft Parachutes (01:53) 12 All Because of You (outtake) (04:06) 13 Spiral Highway (02:56) 14 Stranded in a Limousine (03:10) 1 Allergies (04:39) 2 Hearts and Bones (05:38) 3 When Numbers Get Serious (03:26) 4 Think Too Much (b) (02:45) 5 Song About the Moon (04:11) 6 Think Too Much (a) (03:05) 7 Train in the Distance (05:12) 8 Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War (03:43) 9 Cars Are Cars (03:15) 10 The Late Great Johnny Ace (04:53) 11 Shelter of Your Arms (unreleased work-in-progress) (03:11) 12 Train in the Distance (original acoustic demo) (03:13) 13 Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War (original acoustic demo) (03:47) 14 The Late Great Johnny Ace (original acoustic demo) (03:22) 1 The Boy in the Bubble (03:59) 2 Graceland (04:51) 3 I Know What I Know (03:13) 4 Gumboots (02:44) 5 Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (05:48) 6 You Can Call Me Al (04:40) 7 Under African Skies (03:37) 8 Homeless (03:48) 9 Crazy Love, Vol. II (04:19) 10 That Was Your Mother (02:52) 11 All Around the World or The Myth of Fingerprints (03:16) 12 Homeless (demo) (02:30) 13 Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (alternate version) (04:41) 14 All Around the World or The Myth of Fingerprints (early version) (03:17) 15 You Can Call Me Al (demo) (02:04) 16 Crazy Love (demo) (02:32) 17 The Story of “Graceland” (as told by Paul Simon) (09:37) 1 The Obvious Child (04:10) 2 Can’t Run But (03:36) 3 The Coast (05:03) 4 Proof (04:39) 5 Further to Fly (05:36) 6 She Moves On (05:03) 7 Born at the Right Time (03:48) 8 The Cool, Cool River (04:32) 9 Spirit Voices (03:56) 10 The Rhythm of the Saints (04:20) 11 Born at the Right Time (original acoustic demo) (03:50) 12 Thelma (outtake) (04:14) 13 The Coast (work-in-progress) (05:13) 14 Spirit Voices (work-in-progress) (03:48) 1 The Obvious Child (04:38) 2 The Boy in the Bubble (05:59) 3 She Moves On (06:26) 4 Kodachrome (04:13) 5 Born at the Right Time (05:12) 6 Train in the Distance (04:45) 7 Me and Julio Down by the School Yard (03:13) 8 I Know What I Know (04:44) 9 The Cool, Cool River (05:40) 10 Bridge Over Troubled Water (05:16) 11 Proof (05:39) 1 The Coast (07:06) 2 Graceland (05:30) 3 You Can Call Me Al (05:10) 4 Still Crazy After All These Years (03:42) 5 Loves Me Like a Rock (02:53) 6 Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (09:30) 7 Hearts and Bones (06:17) 8 Late in the Evening (04:44) 9 America (03:22) 10 The Boxer (04:18) 11 Cecilia (03:24) 12 The Sound of Silence (05:45) 1 Adiós hermanos (04:42) 2 Born in Puerto Rico (05:03) 3 Satin Summer Nights (05:45) 4 Bernadette (03:33) 5 The Vampires (05:14) 6 Quality (04:18) 7 Can I Forgive Him (06:02) 8 Sunday Afternoon (03:25) 9 Killer Wants to Go to College (01:51) 10 Time Is an Ocean (05:23) 11 Virgil (02:49) 12 Killer Wants to Go to College II (02:09) 13 Trailways Bus (05:22) 14 Shoplifting Clothes (unreleased) (03:38) 15 Born in Puerto Rico (demo) (05:02) 16 Can I Forgive Him (original demo) (01:56) 1 Thats Where I Belong (03:12) 2 Darling Lorraine (06:38) 3 Old (02:19) 4 You’re the One (04:27) 5 The Teacher (03:36) 6 Look at That (03:54) 7 Señorita With a Necklace of Tears (03:41) 8 Love (03:50) 9 Pigs, Sheep and Wolves (03:58) 10 Hurricane Eye (04:12) 11 Quiet (04:25) 12 Thats Where I Belong (live) (03:42) 13 Old (live) (02:40) 14 Hurricane Eye (live) (06:00) 1 How Can You Live in the Northeast? (03:42) 2 Everything About It Is a Love Song (03:57) 3 Outrageous (03:24) 4 Sure Don’t Feel Like Love (03:57) 5 Wartime Prayers (04:49) 6 Beautiful (03:07) 7 I Don’t Believe (04:09) 8 Another Galaxy (05:22) 9 Once Upon a Time There Was an Ocean (03:55) 10 That’s Me (04:43) 11 Father and Daughter (04:11) 1 Getting Ready for Christmas Day (04:06) 2 The Afterlife (03:40) 3 Dazzling Blue (04:32) 4 Rewrite (03:49) 5 Love and Hard Times (04:09) 6 Love is Eternal Sacred Light (04:02) 7 Amulet (01:36) 8 Questions for the Angels (03:49) 9 Love & Blessings (04:18) 10 So Beautiful or So What (04:08)
	Album: 32 of 38 Title: Original Album Classics Released: 2015 Tracks: 72 Duration: 4:30:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover	1 Mother and Child Reunion (03:06) 2 Duncan (04:43) 3 Everything Put Together Falls Apart (02:01) 4 Run That Body Down (03:54) 5 Armistice Day (03:57) 6 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (02:43) 7 Peace Like a River (03:23) 8 Papa Hobo (02:35) 9 Hobo’s Blues (01:20) 10 Paranoia Blues (02:58) 11 Congratulations (03:51) 12 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (demo) (02:29) 13 Duncan (Demo-San Francisco 2/71) (02:48) 14 Paranoia Blues (Unreleased Version) (03:14) 1 Kodachrome (03:33) 2 Tenderness (02:55) 3 Take Me to the Mardi Gras (03:30) 4 Something So Right (04:33) 5 One Man’s Ceiling Is Another Man’s Floor (03:48) 6 American Tune (03:47) 7 Was a Sunny Day (03:44) 8 Learn How to Fall (02:47) 9 St. Judy’s Comet (03:21) 10 Loves Me Like a Rock (03:32) 11 Let Me Live in Your City (work-in-progress) (04:21) 12 Take Me To The Mardi Gras (Acoustic Demo) (02:31) 13 American Tune (unfinished demo) (04:03) 14 Loves Me Like a Rock (acoustic demo) (03:24) 1 Allergies (04:39) 2 Hearts and Bones (05:38) 3 When Numbers Get Serious (03:26) 4 Think Too Much (b) (02:45) 5 Song About the Moon (04:11) 6 Think Too Much (a) (03:05) 7 Train in the Distance (05:12) 8 Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War (03:43) 9 Cars Are Cars (03:15) 10 The Late Great Johnny Ace (04:53) 11 Shelter of Your Arms (unreleased work-in-progress) (03:11) 12 Train in the Distance (original acoustic demo) (03:13) 13 Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War (original acoustic demo) (03:47) 14 The Late Great Johnny Ace (original acoustic demo) (03:22) 1 Adiós hermanos (04:42) 2 Born in Puerto Rico (05:03) 3 Satin Summer Nights (05:45) 4 Bernadette (03:33) 5 The Vampires (05:14) 6 Quality (04:18) 7 Can I Forgive Him (06:02) 8 Sunday Afternoon (03:25) 9 Killer Wants to Go to College (01:51) 10 Time Is an Ocean (05:23) 11 Virgil (02:49) 12 Killer Wants to Go to College II (02:09) 13 Trailways Bus (05:22) 14 Shoplifting Clothes (unreleased) (03:38) 15 Born in Puerto Rico (demo) (05:02) 16 Can I Forgive Him (original demo) (01:56) 1 Thats Where I Belong (03:12) 2 Darling Lorraine (06:38) 3 Old (02:19) 4 You’re the One (04:27) 5 The Teacher (03:36) 6 Look at That (03:54) 7 Señorita With a Necklace of Tears (03:41) 8 Love (03:50) 9 Pigs, Sheep and Wolves (03:58) 10 Hurricane Eye (04:12) 11 Quiet (04:25) 12 Thats Where I Belong (live) (03:42) 13 Old (live) (02:40) 14 Hurricane Eye (live) (06:00)
	Album: 33 of 38 Title: The Ultimate Collection Released: 2015-04-10 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:17:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover	1 You Can Call Me Al (04:41) 2 Graceland (04:50) 3 Mrs. Robinson (03:55) 4 The Boxer (05:10) 5 Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (05:49) 6 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (03:38) 7 Cecilia (02:56) 8 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (02:44) 9 The Boy in the Bubble (04:01) 10 The Only Living Boy in New York (04:00) 11 Mother and Child Reunion (03:06) 12 Late in the Evening (04:03) 13 Father and Daughter (04:12) 14 The Obvious Child (04:11) 15 Slip Slidin Away (04:46) 16 America (03:35) 17 The Sound of Silence (03:06) 18 Still Crazy After All These Years (03:26) 19 Bridge Over Troubled Water (04:52)
The Ultimate Collection : Allmusic album Review : Though billed as a Paul Simon anthology, Sonys 19-song Ultimate Collection features nearly as much Simon & Garfunkel material as it does his solo work. Ranging from the duos early-60s breakthrough folk hit "The Sound of Silence" to Simons 1990 percussive, Latin-flavored single "The Obvious Child," this set is focused largely on the more titanic tracks of his career. Displaying his range equally as a singer ("Still Crazy After All These Years") and a songwriter (the Art Garfunkel-led masterpiece "Bridge Over Troubled Water"), its difficult to choose highlights, as almost all of these songs are career highlights and many are widely recognized as iconic classics of pop music. While it would be nice to see some representation of Simons excellent solo releases of the late 90s and early 21st century, its tough to argue with the selections offered here.
	Album: 34 of 38 Title: Stranger to Stranger Released: 2016-06-03 Tracks: 16 Duration: 53:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover	1 The Werewolf (03:25) 2 Wristband (03:17) 3 The Clock (01:02) 4 Street Angel (02:11) 5 Stranger to Stranger (04:35) 6 In a Parade (02:21) 7 Proof of Love (05:44) 8 In the Garden of Edie (01:48) 9 The Riverbank (04:11) 10 Cool Papa Bell (04:02) 11 Insomniac’s Lullaby (04:33) 12 Horace and Pete (02:30) 13 Duncan (04:43) 14 Wristband (03:28) 15 Guitar Piece 3 (01:10) 16 New York Is My Home (04:30)
Stranger to Stranger : Allmusic album Review : "The Werewolf" opens Stranger to Stranger, Paul Simons thirteenth solo studio album, with a heavy rhythmic thud -- bass, drums, and maracas lumbering along in a modified Bo Diddley beat not a far cry from the Whos "Slip Kid." Simon isnt looking to the past, though: hes writing toward an inevitable sunset, mindful of mortality -- just like he was on 2011s So Beautiful or So What -- but hes firmly grounded in a tumultuous present, embracing all the cut-and-paste contradictions endemic to the digital age. With the exception of a pair of hushed acoustic numbers and the expansive title track, all positioned to provide necessary pressure relief from the density of the rest of the record, Stranger to Stranger feels built from the rhythm up, a tactic familiar to Simon since 1986s Graceland. Unlike the easy gait of Graceland, the words here are clipped and rushed, sliding in with the bustle of the rhythm. Its not that the songs arent melodic -- hooks arrive in snatches, sometimes forming through the rhythms themselves -- but the tracks are cloistered and colorful, accentuated by traces of gospel and doo wop; theres even an apparent "Love Is Strange" sample. Echoes of tradition existing within this modern framework are telling, underscoring how Simon is making music where the past is ever-present but not consuming: hes shifted his aesthetic to mirror his times, a tactic common in his solo career. In many ways, Stranger to Stranger is as bracing and ambitious as Surprise, his 2006 collaboration with producer Brian Eno -- this is especially true of its opening triptych, all created with Italian dance musician Clap! Clap! -- but the tenor of this album is different. Where the specter of 9/11 hung heavily over Surprise, Simon seems at peace on Stranger to Stranger, acknowledging the twilight yet not running toward it because theres so much to experience in the moment. Hes choosing to push forward, not look back, and the results are invigorating.
	Album: 35 of 38 Title: Live at Kaufman Astoria Studios, New York 1992 Released: 2016-12-27 Tracks: 23 Duration: 1:54:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover	1 Born at the Right Time (07:21) 2 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (03:30) 3 The Boy in the Bubble (06:47) 4 The Coast (Breakdown) (03:28) 5 The Coast (06:00) 6 Mrs. Robinson (03:26) 7 Bridge over Troubled Water (05:40) 8 Graceland (07:06) 9 Jonah (04:45) 10 She Moves On (06:25) 11 Still Crazy After All These Years (05:21) 12 Cecilia (03:04) 13 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (04:46) 14 Something so Right (04:07) 15 The Boxer (05:59) 16 Homeward Bound (04:29) 17 Scarborough Fair (05:25) 18 Born at the Right Time (Take 2) (05:51) 19 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (Take 2) (04:30) 20 The Coast (False Start) (00:09) 21 The Coast (Encore) (06:04) 22 Jamming (04:47) 23 Late in the Evening (05:04)
	Album: 36 of 38 Title: The Concert in Hyde Park Released: 2017-06-09 Tracks: 27 Duration: 1:58:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover	1 Kodachrome (03:20) 2 Gone at Last (03:37) 3 Dazzling Blue (04:55) 4 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (04:31) 5 Vietnam (03:47) 6 Mother and Child Reunion (03:43) 7 That Was Your Mother (03:57) 8 Hearts and Bones / Mystery Train / Wheels (10:02) 9 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (02:48) 10 Slip Slidin’ Away (05:28) 11 The Obvious Child (04:33) 1 Introduction (00:47) 2 Homeless (04:15) 3 Paul Introduces Graceland Band (01:32) 4 Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (06:29) 5 I Know What I Know (04:32) 6 The Boy in the Bubble (04:52) 7 Crazy Love, Vol. II (06:11) 8 Gumboots (03:58) 9 Under African Skies (04:55) 10 Graceland (05:31) 11 You Can Call Me Al (04:55) 12 The Sound of Silence (04:24) 13 The Boxer (06:11) 14 Late in the Evening (04:27) 15 Paul Introduces Band & Thank You (00:55) 16 Still Crazy After All These Years (04:11)
The Concert in Hyde Park : Allmusic album Review : Legacys 2017 double-CD/single-DVD/single-Blu-ray set The Concert in Hyde Park captures a celebratory concert Paul Simon gave in Londons Hyde Park on July 15, 2012. For that show, he reconvened many of the musicians who played on 1986s Graceland, including Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Hugh Masekela, and invited Jimmy Cliff to play an extended mini-set early in the show, while bringing Jerry Douglas on-stage to play on "The Boxer" near the close. Simon runs through almost all of Graceland but not in order ("All Around the World or the Myth of Fingerprints" is MIA). He punctuates the album with lively versions of his classic hits -- mainly from his solo career, although "The Sound of Silence" is here -- but the focus remains on the elasticity of Graceland, since this band plays lively, somewhat unpredictable arrangements of these familiar numbers. More than the Graceland material itself, these versions show how the album continues to inspire Simon, pushing him to try new things even on old tunes.
	Album: 37 of 38 Title: Graceland: The Remixes Released: 2018-06-01 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:09:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover	1 Homeless (Joris Voorn remix) (06:01) 2 Gumboots (Joyce Muniz remix) (06:48) 3 I Know What I Know (Sharam’s Motherland mix) (07:28) 4 Crazy Love, Vol. II (Paul Oakenfold extended remix) (03:55) 5 The Boy in the Bubble (Richy Ahmed remix) (08:34) 6 You Can Call Me Al (Groove Armada dub Redemption) (07:24) 7 Under African Skies (Rich Pinder/Djoko vocal mix) (06:36) 8 Graceland (MK’s KC Lights remix) (04:46) 9 That Was Your Mother (Gui Boratto remix) (06:18) 10 Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (Thievery Corporation remix) (06:01) 11 All Around the World or the Myth of Fingerprints (Photek remix) (04:34) 12 Homeless (Joris Voorn Kitchen Table mix / The Duke of New York’s edit) (01:13)
Graceland: The Remixes : Allmusic album Review : Released while Paul Simon was in the thick of his Homeward Bound farewell tour of North America, Graceland: The Remixes pushes his monumental 1986 album into the realm of modern electronic music. Considering how Simon wrote nearly all of the albums songs to rhythmic tracks, its a curious choice and the execution is even curiouser, as the assorted DJs -- including Paul Oakenfold, Groove Armada, Thievery Corporation, and Photek -- essentially keep large portions of the vocal tracks in place and ditch everything surrounding them, including the elastic bass and winding guitars. This is a relatively standard move for remixers, so it isnt unexpected, but it dramatically alters the feel of the Graceland material, turning something fluid into something flat. Matters are complicated by how the vocal tracks are the only elements that survive, a decision that keeps the tracks recognizable as melodies but not songs. Every cut feels diminished without the original backing musicians, and while there are some nice chillout grooves scattered through this remix album, its not enough to sustain interest.
	Album: 38 of 38 Title: In the Blue Light Released: 2018-09-07 Tracks: 10 Duration: 43:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover	1 One Man’s Ceiling Is Another Man’s Floor (04:00) 2 Love (04:10) 3 Can’t Run But (03:29) 4 How the Heart Approaches What It Yearns (04:30) 5 Pigs, Sheep and Wolves (04:00) 6 René and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War (04:43) 7 The Teacher (03:44) 8 Darling Lorraine (07:13) 9 Some Folks’ Lives Roll Easy (03:59) 10 Questions for the Angels (04:01)