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| Headline | Paul´s problem in America |
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| Author | Comment |
Proof
Jul-29-2009, 22:39 GMT
USA - United Staates America
 | He is a thinker. Americans don´t like that. They want action and emotion.
The world is a confusing place. Either you try to solve the contradictions with intellect or throw up your hands and run from intellect.
So why do Americans like S&G? Artie is very emotional and Paul´s younger work is more naive (and therefore American)
Sure Don´t Feel Like Love is exactly what people think about a record like Surprise...how wrong they are.
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massecb
Jul-29-2009, 23:08 GMT
USA - United Staates America
| Instant gratification. No one wants to look for an answer. They want the answer given to them. (Sometimes, myself included...)
Paul´s songs have hidden meanings. Most people like songs that are straight forward, with sugar coated endings. That´s not the way life works. Happy endings come from hard work, paitence, endurance... not instantly.
One reason I like his music is because it makes me think. One of my favorite songs is "You´re the One" because of his thoughts on Love and how we all have these pre-set thoughts about what it should be like, and when its not that way, we give up. Sad... but probably true. Others´ music may be the reason people have stereotypes on love.
(sorry its long - thanks for the thoughts Proof - VERY INTERESTING) |
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Jon
Jul-30-2009, 01:12 GMT
Unknown
 | I don´t think it has anything to do with that.
Old rock and roll artists´ new albums don´t sell well. It´s because, in part, there´s no platform for their music on the radio. Springsteen´s last two albums with the E Street Band (one of which was Magic in 2007 that was tremendous) did not sell well. John Fogerty´s new album which was good did not sell well.
A new Simon and Garfunkel album would be a big deal, and might get a little radio play, but only because they were a part of the sixties and haven´t released an album in over fourty years.
This is much like the Eagles new album, which got a little radio play and sold fairly well. They had not put out a new album since like 1978. |
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massecb
Jul-30-2009, 01:41 GMT
USA - United Staates America
| Jon, (I´m just trying to understand your point a bit better, I´m not arguing) You say that you believe Paul´s music is less popular because "there´s no platform". I am mostly confused as to how this is a reason. Maybe I am misunderstanding, but saying that someone´s music isn´t popular because no one wants to listen to it, is like saying someone´s music isn´t popular because it isn´t popular.
Shouldn´t there be a deeper reason why?
Maybe that people stereotype Old people as not being "cool" or something. That´s a reason.
I´m not saying that you are wrong, I just think I may not fully understand what you are saying... |
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Scaaty
Jul-30-2009, 10:20 GMT
Ireland
 | Old is not really to do with it either. Here Leonard Cohen gets massive airplay his last 2 sets of concerts were sell outs - they kept adding days. at no other venue did he play 4 in a row like Dublin. And his words take some listening too. Unlike Simon concerts when he sang a less well known song there was absolute silence in the audience. His concerts are a fabulous experiance - I wish I could say the same for Paul Simon´s - despite the music and performance being far superior.
I think basically that people who are not into PS think he is too intellectual "and don´t try to hide it". And that is what is considered uncool nowadays. |
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Ans
Jul-30-2009, 22:47 GMT
Netherlands
 | I think Paul´s latest music especially "Surprise" is too difficult for the mainstream listener. But when you make some effort to understand it you are in for a treat. I like it very much.
I think Leonard Cohen´s airplay has more to do with nostalgic, there are no new songs written. BTW in our country Leonard Cohen doesn´t get much airplay, only last year a bit more during his concerts.
Paul´s concerts last year were a fabulous experience, Paul likes it when the audience is enthusiastic and dances and singing along. At Paul´s concerts I attended last year you could feel the Love and appreciation from the audience to him.
Paul has a very satisfying career with some ups and downs like most artists have. He was and is still honored by a lot of people. He has also a very lucky life with a warm and nice family, he cares about people and children with his support for the CHF and other charities.
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Scaaty
Jul-30-2009, 23:14 GMT
Ireland
| I Love the way Paul mentions children in his songs - he captures the bubbly blobbiness of small toddlers to a tee
...Like A kid with a lollylop...
...legs like rubber bands...
..playing on the kitchen floor..
I can tell when you rub your eyes
You?re fading fast
He really seems to have empathy with them |
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massecb
Jul-31-2009, 04:04 GMT
USA - United Staates America
| Ok, I tried to post and it isnt showing up...hopefully this won´t show twice :]
I completely agree with Proof, Ans and Scaaty. I´m just not sure of what Jon is trying to say. Either way, I think that people need to "connect" with a songwriter in order for them to like their music. I think that his songs are so deep and hidden that many people have difficulty relating to them.
Scaaty - I Love the children references too. Children have a firm faith in the ways of the world, even though they don´t understand them. I think that in some ways, the world would be better if it really was the way that an ignorant child believes it to be. |
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Nikki
Aug-01-2009, 12:48 GMT
Australia
 | Interesting discussion, I think maybe Jon was trying to look more at the commercial side of things, because airtime, radio promotion all of that is crucial to the success of any new album, but of course that ultimately boils down to public sentiment (or what the radio producers perceive public sentiment to be).
With S&G vs Paul solo, I don´t think S&G is necessarily any less intellectual, the melodies are perhaps less challenging but that´s only in relation to Paul´s most recent works. I think the enduring popularity has to do with the fact that it captures the era it originated in, whereas Paul´s more recent music isn´t seen to capture contemporary popular culture, although it captures culture / society as a whole in a much more insightful and original way.
With Surprise requiring patience in appreciation, that reminds me of a wonderful review I read today (thanks Gerard!) from The Music Box in 07. It was a guy who held great expectations for Surprise, was bitterly disappointed at first listen and put the album away for months, eventually decided to give it another try and suddenly realised that to him it was actually Paul´s best album ever. He writes very perceptively about why Paul´s new music is challenging and how it adds to the quality. |
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Ian
Aug-01-2009, 16:06 GMT
USA - United Staates America
| Hi Nikki,it is an interesting discussion. For an excellent deconstruction of the ´Surprise´ album,have you read ´Cracking the Simon Code´? Just Google that title and you will find it. I´ll try to post the address later. I´m on my mobile atm,and the battery is flat. Bye. |
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massecb
Aug-02-2009, 04:32 GMT
USA - United Staates America
| ah i see. Either way, I think we can all agree that popular music is not neccessarily the BEST music out there... haha |
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Scaaty
Aug-02-2009, 11:32 GMT
Ireland
| I have made a montage of the words of Quiet placed over a photo of a lake and mountains in Kerry, and have included it in sympathy cards to friends who have lost an elderly parent. They have always found the it very comforting. |
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Scaaty
Aug-02-2009, 11:34 GMT
Ireland
| sorry I put that last one in the wrong thread - it should have been in an inconvenient question. |
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