Paul Simon

Paul Simon will be forever loved for his time with Art and their incredible catalogue of songs with too many classics to mention here, but his solo career has evolved in a wonderful fashion from the earlier magic of ‘One Trick Pony' with a good little movie to boot, the deep melodious and fulfilling ‘Hearts and Bones', the extraordinary ‘Graceland' all the way through to his last album in year 2000, the moving ‘You're The One'.
All this with an increasing value for the written word such that opening this CD reminded me of days of yore with album covers and sleeves where more care and attention seemed to be placed in their creation, they being an extension of the record. Here, along with some stupendous photographs, time out is taken to sit down and let these intelligent, challenging and reflective lyrics accompany the listening experience. Like it or not, that much, in this world of music, Paul Simon deserves.
‘Surprise' is the name of the new album and the first one is his collaboration with Brian Eno who overlooks production and indeed co-writes on 3 songs and plays on most tracks. Steve Gadd his faithful partner of many a year supplies drums and veteran bass player Pino Palladino make up the eclectic yet solid rhythm section.
As on his last album, it's a musical feel to engulf and develop his lyrics that guides him and not clever little melodies that make up the songs. Indeed Brian Eno is credited as providing a ‘sonic landscape'.
The result is a rather downbeat, difficult unsettling body of songs where each limb twists and turns leaving you unsure which way it's pointing.
Opening track ‘How Can You Live In The Northeast' is emblematic of the sound and feel of the album, both minimalist yet majestic as he asks “ How can you be a Christian? How can you be a Jew? How can you be a Muslim, a Buddhist, a Hindu?
“Weak as winter sun, we enter life on earth. Names and Religion come just after date of birth. Then everybody gets a tongue to speak, and everyone hears an inner voice. “
As I said it's a convoluted piece of work under many guises.
Many interesting moments, ‘Everything About It Is A Love Song' with Bill Frisell on guitar, ‘Outrageous' and ‘Beautiful' are delightful.
‘Wartime Prayers' with Herbie Hancock on piano is challenging. With lyrics like “Prayers offered in times of peace are silent conversations. Appeals for love, or love's release. In private invocations. But all that is changed now. Gone like a memory from the day before the fires. People hungry for the voice of God hear lunatics and liars. Wartime prayers.”
It's compelling stuff but it demands attention and time.
Like it or not, that much, in this world of music, Paul Simon deserves.