Hurricane
Apr-01-2011, 09:29 GMT
United Kingdom
 | Like so many, I guess, I came alive to the music of Paul Simon in my early teens with the release of the Graceland album. I was already heavily into music and a bit of a musician. Graceland really excited me. Lyrics and music combining into a glorious whole. Of course, I´d heard Simon & Garfunkel´s back catalogue before this, but I´d never really ´heard´ it.
From then on, I´ve been fascinated with the great man´s music. I wrote about his use of rhythm in my ´A´ Levels when the question was asking about a recurring ´theme´ or device in a composer´s work - expecting a response from the classical genre I suppose...
From then on, we Paul Simon fans have had it tough, haven´t we? Years roll by between albums or new music when the likes of James Taylor has been churning out disc after disc (for example - and not that I´m berating JT - I Love his work...)
So what is it about Paul Simon that keeps us coming back for more? ´So Beautiful Or So What´ sums it up - diversity, interesting themes, deep lyrics, catchy tunes, something always to keep the listener engaged.
Take a track from SBOSW - take any track - there are more musical ideas and techniques in any 8 bars of music than are often contained in an entire album of almost anybody else´s work. And this is what we appreciate. Wow!!! How does he do it?
This time round, there´s something else to hear in the work. And I think I know what it is.
It´s joy.
I can hear joyfulness throughout the album and it pleases me.
Nearly 70 years Old and more vibrant and relevant than any other popular musician and lyricist and, what is more, enjoying the process again. As a fan, of course, desperate for more, I hope he can harness this obvious enthusiasm and give us more, more, more - but I won´t expect anything.
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Phil
Apr-02-2011, 13:31 GMT
USA - United Staates America
 | agreed. very nicely said. there has always been the theme of redemption in his work. You are correct in pointing out the joy of SBOSW. |
