This was my first real introduction to Paul Simon, which was a bit unfortunate as he never produced anything else that sounded like it. It never really produced a big Paul Simon interest, but this album (originally pirated, then LP and finally bought on CD a million years ago) still gets played reasonably often.
So why? I'm not sure. Mostly I had no idea what he was singing about, as it sounded very stream-of-consciousness, but it was a lot of fun. And I think that's why: though there are serious tracks on here, mostly it has an unrelenting energy and boisterousness. A lot of this is due to the township jive and zydeco and all that other South African stuff, which kind of sounds like rock'n'roll but just has so much more swing and gusto and vibrancy. And the complexity of the slippery lyrics. Bright sunny days and warm, dark nights concentrated in two sides of vinyl. Over to you Minty.
1 comment:
This one so very nearly already made it onto my list and might yet have done so had you not sneaked it in.
It's just superb - and I love the lyrics - the worries about getting old (quite appropriate for an album on this list!), the way the world doesn't seem to be straightforward and, well, quirky.
And the music is indeed joyous - it's got it all I'd say.
Bravo, Badger, bravo!
Post a Comment