I remember when Paul Simon released Graceland in 1986 and the video for “You Can Call Me Al” was in heavy rotation on MTV. There may have been a cassette tape copy of Graceland floating around our house but it wasn’t until college- when my ears were hungry for new sounds- that I began listening to the whole album and digging it. Simon had always been interested in so-called world music and while the South African and zydeco sounds on Graceland may not have surprised fans and critics, the financial success and massive popularity of the album did.
Paul Simon could have stayed in his safe, ‘70s singer-songwriter bubble and been successful- I love his ‘70s stuff- but the artist is ever-curious and by the ‘80s he was branching out and experimenting with new sounds. I heard Simon say in an interview recently that for him making an album is not like ordering a pizza- it can take him a long time to write and finish songs; and even if I don’t like every Paul Simon album (there are over a dozen) I can usually count on him to do his best and deliver quality material. And- for my money- no baby boomer does male mid-life crisis songs better than Simon.
When I was in the Peace Corps I listened to Greatest Hits: Shining Like a National Guitar often and one evening- over a game of Scrabble- my American friend admitted he doesn’t like Paul Simon’s music and I was shocked. Who doesn’t like Paul Simon? I don’t remember the reasons my friend gave but I think he found Simon to be a so-so singer and his music middle of the road. My friend is also an atheist and so I usually take his opinions about most things with a grain of salt and yet there is at least one person in this world who dislikes Paul Simon’s music. Here are some more of my favorites. Enjoy!
01. Paul Simon – “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” (1986)
02. Paul Simon – “The Boy in the Bubble” (1986)
03. Paul Simon – “Duncan” (1972)
04. Paul Simon – “Love and Hard Times” (2011)
05. Paul Simon – “Darling Lorraine” (2018)
06. Paul Simon – “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” (1975)
07. Paul Simon – “Late in the Evening” (1980)
08. Paul Simon – “You Can Call Me Al” (1986)
09. Paul Simon – “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard” (1972)
10. Paul Simon – “The Late Great Johnny Ace” (1983)
Listen to the playlist on Spotify...
... or check out the playlist on YouTube
(To open music in separate window, click title bar at top of video box)
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