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Håkan
Feb-23-2010, 08:55 GMT
USA - United Staates America

Yes, I agree in part that "You´re the One" has some decent songs (and some less interesting). "Suprise" doesn´t work for me at all.

But that´s not the point, I respect that others like the album, the point is that almost Nobody outside the hardcore fans (like us) knows that these album exist, nobody of my colleagues at work and hardly anyone of my friends. (I could of course add "Songs From The Capeman" to that list (an album that I like better + the musical in New York was fantastic)). So to the general public Paul Simon means the S&G years + the solo years up until, let´s say "Rhythm Of The Saints". He is the guy who travels abroad and records albums with different cultures. But that was 20+ years ago, "I wonder what he is doing today"?

Paul Simon has always been reluctant to lean on his Old material, UNLESS the new material doesn´t make it big. Example: "One-Trick Pony" failed commercially (both movie and album) and one year later he is back with Art G.

The reunions in this century I see more as a sign that Paul doesn´t even have some new material coming out in the near future, therefore its "safe" to do another S&G tour. Maybe he regrets them afterwards, but when the tour starts he doesn´t seem to have anything better to do...

Ans
Feb-23-2010, 10:07 GMT
Netherlands

I guess it´s for a lot of artists the same, you have a few massive hits but a lot of good work stays unknown to the big crowd, usually the attention span of people is very short. There is so many music floating around these days. This was different in the sixties, people listened to the same records over and over again. At Old videos you can see how focused the audience listens to the songs that were played, there weren´t a lot of groups around and not a lot of performances, so you didn´t want to lose one second of it. These days there are so many shows, people don´t pay a lot of attention to the artists when they perform, they wander around, drink beer etc.

Paul still has a solid fan base who show up at his solo concerts and I am glad I have a lot of good memories of the solo concerts I attended.

I am not sure that I will go to a new S&G concert if they will come to Europe again (I saw them once and it didn´t give me same pleasure and fond memories as Paul solo) maybe if Paul plays a decent solo set in the shows...

brenda
Feb-23-2010, 12:26 GMT
Australia

Hi Helen
I noticed on the Concerts list on this website, he did a promo tour for ´You´re the One´ which might explain its greater success, he didn´t promote it in Aus.
I really Love the dvd of ´Youre the One.I had to order it from overseas but I found a copy yesterday at J B Hi Fi in Sydney on special for $14.99 and I bought it for my sister´s 60th birthday. dont know if you have a copy but its really Paul at his best Recorded live in Paris.

mog
Feb-23-2010, 17:53 GMT
Argentina

Hey ! Quite interesting pieces of debate here. It is great.

It is true that I can remember things that Simon said that came untrue or incoherent. I am thinking especially as his promise to release The Capeman cast very shortly after the show´s failure. It did not happen that way, as we know.

The promotion argument was a good one for me...I mean unless he comes out with a masterpiece that would shine so much on its own, he would need indeed to do promotion for his material. And he is no longer incline to do it...

So, all in all, except 0,05% of chance, it can be a reasonable expectation that he will still release obscure stuff for his fans for his one or two remaining albums.

Question for you though: how come Simon has not acquired the mythical status that others have, that allow them to always have hype around them (Cohen, Dylan, Young, etc.) ?

Helen
Feb-23-2010, 18:50 GMT
Australia

Hi Brenda,
I´ll look out for that one. I check occasionally what they´ve got. I´m sure I saw once a CD/DVD? of last years Australian shows which I wish I picked up when I saw it, can´t find it there now.

Ans
Feb-23-2010, 19:14 GMT
Netherlands

Mog, maybe in your country Cohen and Neil Young got a more mythical status. Here Cohen was only hot news again for a short while with his comeback, and Neil Young doesn´t have a mythical status here either. Bob Dylan does. If I look at the Dutch Album Top 100 over the years Paul did it much better than Cohen and Neil Young. Paul´s album Surprise stayed in for 12 weeks and reached nr. 20. The last album of Cohen, Live at the Isle of Wight 1970 reached nr. 65 and stayed in for 2 weeks, the other one Dear heather of 2004 reached nr. 34 and stayed for 7 weeks. Live In London did all right, nr. 7 28 weeks. However Paul´s You´re The One did not much here, reached nr. 41, stayed 7 weeks. Graceland was the top of course, 22 weeks nr. 1 and stayed 120 weeks. Neither Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Cohen approached that figure by far.

Scaaty
Feb-23-2010, 19:20 GMT
Ireland

I´m constantly wondering this! Cohen got a new lease of life when Hallelujah was in Shrek, I hope that F&D might do the same for Paul Simon, but the film the wild thornberrys didn´t catch the public imagination like shrek did (I had to drag my 8 yr Old niece to it!). We have a great late night show on Irish radio and cohen dylan and God forbid Sinatra dominate it. Yet the occasional play of PS gets a good response but not good enough. I think he was mpre damaged in the public conciousness by the Graceland controversy than we realise. Younger people I know who like Dylan, Cohen etc have a perception that Simon has a bad reputation of being difficult, mean etc.

Yet all his concerts here quietly sell out within a couple of days with little or no fanfare.

Helen
Feb-23-2010, 20:09 GMT
Australia

Brenda,

I bought the Essential Paul Simon CD with DVD for $40.00 AU including shipping from amazon. On their website JB HiFi sell it on order for $58.99. JB Hifi are great for getting stuff when on sale, normal prices not so great.

Erwin
Feb-23-2010, 20:25 GMT
Netherlands

If you go to garfunkels website you can see that the concert in New Orleans will be the only 2010 U.S. appearance of S&G.
Why would they say U.S.???? They can also say that this concert will be the only appearance of the duo in 2010..........

brenda
Feb-23-2010, 21:04 GMT
Australia

Hi Helen ,I ordered essential Paul Simon from Amazon USA about ten days ago but afterward was a little concerned if the dvd would play on my dvd player as it was region 1 but if not I will play on my computer. The two cd and dvd set of the Old Friends tour I bought for around $20.00from JB but though it was released and marketed around the time of the tour here it is the one recorded in New York 2003. There was no official release of a dvd or cd of their Australian tour. There are still copies on the shelves here so if you want it they would get it in for you. There is also some very good Old footage on the extras , taken from the Song Of America special around 1969. I notice with JB they do not always display all S and G and Paul Simon stock but will get it from the backroom if you ask them. I also got the two cd set of Paul Simon ´s Concert In The Park 1991 on e bay for $5.00 and it was in perfect working order. I had been trying to get a copy for ages .
I think cd´s are cheaper in the US and the exchange rate is so good for us now. Hope you enjoyed Essential Paul Simon!

Helen
Feb-23-2010, 21:47 GMT
Australia

Hi again Brenda,
The DVD seems to play on all my DVD players and computers, I forgot to check region code. It took about 3-4 weeks to arrive from the US. I Love to play it on the portable DVD player with earphones.

I´ve only got the DVD of the Old Friends tour (didn´t realize you could get the set), but the extras are great also.

brenda
Feb-23-2010, 21:50 GMT
Australia

Mog , agree with you on new releases. i remember him saying on Iconclasts in 2006 that he does not expect to have a big commercial success, nor should he ,at this stage of his career . He is happy if his music and lyrics touch a few thousand people. As for large tours to promote new material,the fact he still has a young family ,and his age it seems reasonable to me he is not interested.
As for mythical status I do not thimk he wants hype around him. seems like a very private person to me. His music and lyrics speak for themselves. They are the greatest.

nancy
Feb-24-2010, 03:17 GMT
USA - United Staates America

I think of him as having a mythical status. I was amazed at the emotional response of the huge audience at the New Orleans Jazz Festival in 2006. People all around me were actually weeping at the chance to see in him in person.

brenda
Feb-24-2010, 03:40 GMT
Australia

And what about the reception they both had at Hall of Fame Nancy? they are legends!! would Love to see Paul live again solo as well but I do not think he will come to Australia in the near future. Last and only time I saw him was in England in the 60´s. still I have my dvd´s and videos ! can´t complain.

Mimi
Feb-24-2010, 08:33 GMT
Austria

I have the impression, that PS is one of the few artists today, who is only interested in promoting his music, but not himself. It takes a lot of work to get into the press and nowadays it is nearly impossible to get there with your music alone. A lot of musicians are in the public eye because of their scandals and if you are not in the newspapers, you are not existant for a lot of people.

That maybe a bad thing in terms of sale and public attention, but I can imagine, that it is a good thing when you want to live a "normal" live.

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