Paul Simon - Rhythm of the Saints (1990)

Note: the CD I listened to was not the 2011 reissue.

Mark went to the store hoping for "Son of Graceland" and was ultimately disappointed. The songwriting and performances are good (not great), but many of the world music arrangements were ill-advised. Plus, this type of folk music fusion needs to be a little sloppy if it's going to be authentic and true to its roots while the production on this is too perfect and somewhat sterile - everything lines up. If I had given it more of a chance, I'd probably have liked it more. My mistake was immediately comparing this album to its predecessor and, as a result of that mistake, this the first time this CD has been played in many years.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #4

Tracks:  I'm not saying it's all bad, but it starts off good and then starts to bore me. My favorite tracks are Can't Run But, The Coast, and Spirit Voices. None of these were released as singles. The closest a single came to the Hot 100 was the abrasive lead track, The Obvious Child, which peaked at #92.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  None

Previously revisited for the blog:
So Beautiful or So What (2011)
Graceland (1986)
The Concert in Central Park (1982)