The Essential Simon & Garfunkel (2003)

A two-disc anthology released to coincide with Simon & Garfunkel’s 2003 "Old Friends" reunion tour (which didn't come within 900 miles of me, but whatever). It contains all of the duo’s 16 singles originally released between 1964 and 1975 to reach the Billboard Hot 100. The remaining 17 songs include album cuts and eight live performances from 1967 to 1969.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #27

Tracks:

Disc 1
Song	Year	Hot 100	AC
Wednesday Morning, 3 AM (Live)	1967	-	-
Bleecker Street	1964	-	-
The Sound Of Silence	1964	1	-
Leaves That Are Green (Live)	1967	-	-
A Most Peculiar Man (Live)	1968	-	-
I Am A Rock	1965	3	-
Richard Cory	1965	-	-
Kathy's Song (Live)	1969	-	-
Scarborough Fair/Canticle	1966	11	5
Homeward Bound	1965	5	-
Sparrow (Live)	1967	-	-
The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)	1966	-	-
The Dangling Conversation	1966	25	-
A Poem On The Underground Wall (Live)	1967	-	-
Hazy Shade Of Winter	1966	13	-
At The Zoo	1968	16	-

Disc 2
Song	Year	Hot 100	AC
Mrs. Robinson	1968	1	4
Fakin' It	1967	23	-
Old Friends	1968	-	-
Bookends	1968	-	-
America	1968	97	-
Overs (Live)	1968	-	-
El Condor Pasa (If I Could)	1970	18	6
Bridge Over Troubled Water	1970	1	1
Cecilia	1970	4	31
Keep The Customer Satisfied	1970	-	-
So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright	1970	-	-
The Boxer	1970	7	3
Baby Driver	1970	-	-
The Only Living Boy In New York	1970	-	-
Song For The Asking	1970	-	-
For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her (Live)	1972	53	27
My Little Town	1975	9	1

Yes, it includes 9 of the original 11 tracks from the Bridge Over Troubled Water album, what of it? That doesn't bother me, but I'm docking this set some points for the almost-but-not-quite chronological sequencing and the inclusion of too many live cuts. Speaking of live cuts, where is the live version of Wake Up, Little Susie, which hit #27 in 1982?

Here's my top five cuts from this particular compilation. Looks like I prefer Disc 2 over Disc 1.

5. My Little Town
4. Cecilia
3. Mrs. Robinson
2. 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)
1. Bridge Over Troubled Water

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Back on April 27, I was re-rewatching an episode of the wonderful TV series Mad Men, more specifically season 4, episode 7: The Suitcase. The episode ends with Bleecker Street, a deep cut from Simon & Garfunkel's 1964 debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. I immediately liked the tune, but didn't recognize it. I grabbed my phone and used an app to identify the song. Add some bourbon and a credit card to the equation and yada yada yada this two disc set arrives at my doorstep on May 1.

Folk songs always remind me of church camps. I went to my fair share of them as a teen and, at some point during almost all of the camps, one of the camp counselors would pull out an acoustic guitar and attempt to start a folksy sing-along. After a few familiar S&G and/or Dylan tunes, they'd try to get creative and shout out something along the lines of "Hey! Let's sing the words to Amazing Grace to the tune of House Of The Rising Sun!" and teenaged Mark would yearn for a Walkman with some new wave cassettes.

During my years in 5th and 6th grade, my music teacher's name was Mrs.Kincaid and her music classes mostly consisted of her playing the guitar while we sang along. We sang a lot of tunes, but I can only remember a few: Rocky Raccoon, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, and 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy). I always liked Mrs. Kincaid - she was very supportive of me and my talents; like all good teachers, she felt her job wasn't to pass along knowledge, but to build up students. I wonder what ever happened to her.

And I can't begin to tell you how many times I've sung Bridge Over Troubled Water at the top of my lungs. I don't have the range to pull it off but that doesn't keep me from trying.

Previously revisited for the blog:

Stranger To Stranger (2016)	Rhythm of the Saints (1990)
So Beautiful or So What (2011)	Graceland (1986)
Father and Daughter (2002)	The Concert in Central Park (1982)
Negotiations and Love Songs 1971-1986 (1988)	Still Crazy After All These Years (1975)

Paul Simon - Father and Daughter (2002)

Promotional CD Single

I was given this promo disc and thought I'd give it a (very) quick spin. I don't recall the song from the title, but here we go. The song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, losing to Lose Yourself by Eminem at the Oscars and The Hands That Built America by U2 at the Globes.

It's pleasant enough and has a slight hook in the chorus, but I just listened to it five times through and couldn't hum any of it if you asked. Back on the shelf.

Peak on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart: #20

Track: only 1 track, 4:10 album version.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None. Never saw the movie or even an episode of The Wild Thornberrys that I can recall. Of course, that was years ago so who knows?

Previously revisited for the blog:
Stranger To Stranger (2016)
So Beautiful or So What (2011)
Negotiations and Love Songs 1971-1986 (1988)
Rhythm of the Saints (1990)
Graceland (1986)
The Concert in Central Park (1982)
Still Crazy After All These Years (1975)

Paul Simon - Stranger To Stranger (2016)

NEW MUSIC WEEK 2016 (NOVEMBER 14-20, 2016)

"It's as inviting, immaculately produced, jokey and unsettled a record as any he has ever made."

-Rolling Stone in a ★★★★ review (June 7, 2016)

---

For a singer/songwriter, Simon uses rhythm in ways that set him apart and above. This album is full of his characteristic arrhythmic phrasing as well as world music influences (we won't get into a discussion of cultural appropriation right now, kthnx). I don't know who Clap! Clap! is, but I really dig his contributions. Speaking of not knowing, there's instruments in the credits I don't recognize: TrombaDoo, Big Boing mbira, Chromelodeon, as well as Harry Partch instruments such as Harmonic Canon and zoomoozophone. And I've just gotta get me a set of Cloud-Chamber Bowls.

Dadgummit, wife just denied my request using the "where would we put it?" excuse.

But I digress. Back to the album. People don't know what to make of it. In two neighboring reviews on Amazon, one buyer claims that this is "same old" while the very next review states this album "was nothing like he usually sings." Metacritic currently has it rated at 85, which doesn't surprise me because I bought this thing unheard based solely on good reviews and my affection for So Beautiful or So What. If you liked that 2011 album, I'll give ya good odds that you'll like this one, too. I did and I do.

Bonus points for Chuck Close album cover and the CD booklet, which includes track by track breakdown by Simon himself.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #3

Tracks: My current faves are The Werewolf, Wristband, The Riverbank, and the hilarious Cool Papa Bell. Skippable tracks include Stranger To Stranger and the interludes The Clock and In The Garden Of Edie.

Bonus tracks: 5 of 'em, including two live cuts from A Prairie Home Companion, two pieces that sound like unfinished demos, and a duet with Dion that sounds like a Springsteen b-side. If you didn't get the "Deluxe Edition" with these five tracks, don't sweat it.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, although I'll admit I haven't given this album the proper amount of attention since its purchase.

Previously revisited for the blog:
So Beautiful or So What (2011)
Negotiations and Love Songs 1971-1986 (1988)
Rhythm of the Saints (1990)
Graceland (1986)
The Concert in Central Park (1982)
Still Crazy After All These Years (1975)

Paul Simon - Still Crazy After All These Years (1975)

Note: the CD I listened to was the 2004 reissue.

A fantastic album that would have been #1 for a lot longer if Chicago hadn't released a greatest hits album around the same time. Shoulda coulda woulda. Produced by hitmaker Phil Ramone, this stellar collection of quiet soft rock tracks contains contributions from some great musicians, i.e. Michael Brecker, David Sanborn, Phil Woods, Steve Gadd, Ralph MacDonald, Tony Levin, Joe Beck, Bob James, Phoebe Snow, Toots Thielmans etc. These musicians, playing electric piano-drenched arrangements, give almost all the songs a beautiful, peaceful, jazzy vibe (the only exception is Gone At Last, which is an attempt at a gospel sound that almost works). Good songs, good production, great performances. For the prize of "Mark's favorite Paul Simon album," it's a coin flip between this album and Graceland (which has the honor of being the first CD featured on this blog all these years ago).

Press of the time:

• Billboard: "a collection of exceptionally pretty and melodic songs"
• CashBox: "You'll understand this album. What more can be said"
• Rolling Stone: "more slick professionalism than is good for his subject matter"
• Record World: "a collection of carefully crafted songs suggesting uneasiness of love and maturity"
• Stereo Review: "just terrible, a totally uninspired rehash of lyric and melody"
• Robert Christgau: B

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #1 (one week, December 6, 1975)
• CashBox: #2

Tracks: Of the original 10 tracks, don't skip any. My faves are the title track, My Little Town, 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover, and Have A Good Time. The bonus tracks are demos which add nothing to the album; no need to rip those to iTunes.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I was 9 years old when this released, so the memories from this album come from listening to the 4 singles on AM Top 40 radio.

Previously revisited for the blog:
So Beautiful or So What (2011)
Negotiations and Love Songs 1971-1986 (1988)
Rhythm of the Saints (1990)
Graceland (1986)
The Concert in Central Park (1982)

Paul Simon - Negotiations and Love Songs 1971-1986 (1988)

GREATEST HITS WEEK (JUNE 29 - JULY 5, 2015)

More like a kinda-sorta-greatest hits package, this 16 track disc does include many of Simon's biggest hits, but also some odd deep album cuts. No matter, this was Simon in his solo prime. Chronological order is always appreciated and this one doesn't quite do that, but close enough. No liner notes to speak of other than simple credits. Like many compilations issued in the late '80s, the target audience for this CD were the fans that had all of Simon's albums on vinyl but wanted to use their fancy new CD players.

That said, this is a highly enjoyable album that can be heard top-to-bottom with no skipping because Simon can write and it doesn't hurt that he utilizes great musicians in his recordings. The album cuts aren't hits, but they fit perfectly in the sequencing. I completely missed Simon's 1983 album, Heart And Bones, when it was released so it's nice to finally catch up with those cuts (the title of this compilation is taken from a line on that album). I've marked my favorites with a ✔ but you won't find any ✘ below.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #110
• Billboard Pop CD: #18

Tracks: 16 tracks, 64 minutes.

Title	Year	Pop
Mother and Child Reunion	1972	4	✔
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard	1972	22	✔
Something So Right	1973
St. Judy's Comet	1973
Loves Me Like A Rock	1973	2	✔
Kodachrome	1973	2	✔
Have A Good Time	1975
50 Ways To Leave Your Lover	1975	1	✔
Still Crazy After All These Years	1975	40	✔
Late in the Evening	1980	6	✔
Slip Slidin' Away	1977	5
Hearts And Bones	1983
Train In The Distance	1983
Rene And Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War	1983
Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes	1986		✔
You Can Call Me Al	1986	23

Missing Top 40 hits: American Tune (#35, 1974), Gone at Last (#23, 1975), (What A) Wonderful World (#17, 1978), One-Trick Pony (#40, 1980).

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None.

Previously revisited for the blog:
So Beautiful or So What (2011)
Rhythm of the Saints (1990)
Graceland (1986)
The Concert in Central Park (1982)

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)

Paul Simon - So Beautiful or So What (2011)

Simon has called this album "the best work I’ve done in 20 years.” I wouldn't know if that's true or not since I haven't heard any of his music since Graceland. There are musical influences from around the world, but it isn't a world music album. Albeit brief, this is a good, melodic pop release. Most of the tracks wouldn't be out of place on Graceland, which is fine with me. Released earlier this year, the album is now getting placed on a few "Best of 2011" lists, including (not surprisingly) Rolling Stone's list, coming in at #3. These songs about mortality from an aging musician are perfect for an aging hipster like myself.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #4 (Apr 30, 2011)

Tracks: Only 10 tracks in 38 minutes. I don't skip any tracks, but my favorites are Getting Ready For Christmas Day, The Afterlife, Rewrite, and Love And Hard Times.

Bonus DVD: The DVD contains 3 selections. The first is a 8 minute "making of" vignette, the second is the music video for Getting Ready For Christmas Day. Both of these are readily available on YouTube. The final selection is an audio-only recording of a studio rehearsal of the title track, which isn't terribly different from the CD version. I'm glad I didn't pay extra for this "Deluxe Limited Edition" or I would have been greatly disappointed.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I went into Hastings with the intent of buying the new releases from The Smithereens and The Cars, but found this disc on sale instead. It was an impulse buy that worked out for me. This CD kept me company during some travels around Texas in May of this year.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Graceland (1986)
The Concert in Central Park (1982)

Simon and Garfunkel - The Concert in Central Park (1982)

"LIVE IN CONCERT" WEEK (FEBRUARY 7-13, 2011)

Recorded in New York City, September 19, 1981.

Reunion concerts are commonplace these days because performers and promoters realize there's a lot of money to be made at such events. Back in 1981, however, this particular reunion concert was a huge event. And while I'm sure everyone made money with record, VHS and DVD sales, the concert itself was a free event on the Great Lawn of Central Park for an estimated 500,000 fans. The setlist reads like a S&G greatest hits album, plus there's also 5 of Simon's solo hits included as well. The backup band is fantastic, as you would expect, and, to me, the stars of the show aren't necessarily S&G, but the playing of Richard Tee on electric piano and Steve Gadd on drums. Those two played out of their heads that night; I'm glad those instruments aren't lost in a bad mix.

Press of the time:

• Billboard: "gloriously recaptures the past"
• CashBox: "surpasses almost every other live recording set down on wax"
• Rolling Stone (★★★★): "chemistry is recaptured"
• Robert Christgau (C+): "live doubles are live doubles, nostalgia is nostalgia, wimps are wimps, and who needs any of 'em?"
• Record World: "every cut is a timeless hit"
• Stereo Review: "The album is more documentation"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #6
• Billboard Rock: #36
• CashBox: #7

Tracks: My favorites include Mrs. Robinson, Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard, Late In The Evening, Kodachrome/Maybellene, and Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover; the latter two are far better than their respective studio recordings. The cover of Wake Up Little Susie is excellent. I usually skip America and Old Friends. The best tune (and the reason I bought this CD) is Bridge Over Troubled Water. Not only is the song a beautiful classic that I often sing in the shower or car (I sound fan-tas-tic, btw), this version has a haunting, gospel-tinged accompaniment by Richard Tee that has stuck in my head since I first heard it in the early '80s. The final track, The Sound Of Silence, isn't a bad song, but I think it's an unusual choice to end a concert or concert CD.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Thinking back, it's a miracle I graduated from high school because during that time in my life I didn't think about school, only girls and music (in that order). My sister had a cassette tape of this album at the time of its release; she may still have it. I would sometimes sneak into her room and take the tape to listen to it. In the years between 1980 and 1988 particularly, I was thirsty for new music constantly; I wanted to soak it all in: folk, jazz, classical, pop, rock, show tunes, etc. To that end, I was willing to risk life and limb by entering my sister's room to get something new to listen to.

Paul Simon - Graceland (1986)

Note: the CD I listened to was an original pressing from 1986, not the 2004 reissue that included 3 bonus tracks.

This release introduced the world to the group Ladysmith Black Mombazo. If that's all it had done, it would still be considered a great CD. But this CD is so much more than that. Recording music derived from South African, Zydeco, and Tex-Mex styles, this "world beat" release consistently appears on "Best Albums of the 80s" lists. It was very different from music I was listening to at the time. In 1986, I most likely considered Simon to be a washed-up singer/songwriter that was one-half of Simon and Garfunkel. I was wrong, of course, but this remains the only Paul Simon solo release in my collection.

Update: In its 2020 list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, Rolling Stone ranked Graceland at #46.

Press of the time:

• Billboard: "risky, quite brilliant work"
• Rolling Stone: "lovely, daring, and accomplished"
• Smash Hits (8 out of 10): "gentle, subtle melodies and anecdotal lyrics"
• Stereo Review: "audacious and irresistible"
• Robert Christgau (A): "sprightly yet spunky, fresh yet friendly, so strange, so sweet, so willful, so radically incongruous and plainly beautiful"
• High Fidelity: "the end result is brilliant"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: : #3
• Billboard Pop CD: #2
• CashBox: #3
• CashBox CD: #1
• Rolling Stone: #1

Tracks: Not a weak track in the bunch. My favorites include The Boy in the Bubble, Graceland, and Under African Skies. My least favorite track is the hit single You Can Call Me Al, but that may be because of its overexposure at the time of its release (it could also be because of the horrible video with comedian Chevy Chase).

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: When my family traveled to Memphis in March 2007, I made sure that we listened to the song Graceland as we drove into the city and again when we actually arrived at Graceland itself.