Paul Simon (and Garfunkel)

[IdleRich]

For whatever reason I've been listening to some Paul Simon lately and it struck me that - as far as I know - we have no thread about these guys even thought they are probably much much bigger than your favourite band unless your favourite band is the Beach Boys and Led Zeppelin combined or something.

So let's talk about why we ignore them.... maybe cos of that film



One of the famous funny moments in music history when Annie Nightingale (was it?) asks Paul Simon how it is to write songs on his own without Garunkel.

And his later stuff was it brilliant or racist or maybe both



But let's be honest the best ones are The Boxer and The Boy In The Bubble and the Everly Brothers cover... and Cecilia also teeters on that edge of being brilliant and terrible. Like that Woody Allen film where he gives the man some coke and he sneezes and blows it all away.









And where does You Can Call Me Al fit into this?

Just realised I talked about Paul Simon for three minutes and forgot to mention 50 ways to Leave Your Lover

 

[IdleRich]

the bestworst lyrics ever



all that hop on the bus gus stuff.

 

[IdleRich]

I dunno if you know this but Paul Simon is Jewish and I guess Chevvy Chase is too and also one of them is tall and one short and that makes for the most perfect contrast ever

 

[luka]

 

[luka]

 

[luka]

 

[luka]

he writes in a grown up way, urbane like a new yorker story. leonard cohrn and dylan write like teenagers,

 

[luka]

I said, “Aren’t you the woman
Who was recently given a Fulbright?”
She said, “Don’t I know you
From the cinematographer’s party?”

 

[IdleRich]

I said, “Aren’t you the woman
Who was recently given a Fulbright?”
She said, “Don’t I know you
From the cinematographer’s party?”

When I was about nine yaars old I loved those lyrics despite only knowing the meaning of about half the words in the whole thing.

 

[luka]

everyone white human of our age had a dad that played that album incessantly

 

[luka]

its the only album of his i like. the rest of it is abhorrent to me. like van morrison and astral weeks.

 

[luka]

but that album is the best album ever. i do love she moves on too obviously. that's a stunning song. very wise and deep.

 

[IdleRich]

But basically if you were roughly our generation then your parents had some Simon and Garfunkel albums. Bridge Over Troubled Water sold more than virtually anything right, probably more than Rumours which is the other one our parents had (actually not mine but whatever)

 

[luka]

yeah my dad didnt have simon and garfunkel or fleetwood mac. only graceland.

 

[IdleRich]

everyone white human of our age had a dad that played that album incessantly

that's what I'm saying... that and/or BOTW which is ridiculous.

 

[IdleRich]

yeah my dad didnt have simon and garfunkel or fleetwood mac. only graceland.

Mine had BOTW and Gracleand.

 

[luka]

k-punk famously said graceland is the best ever african album. or maybe the only good album of african music. something along those lines. i can't disagree either tbh

 

[IdleRich]

its the only album of his i like. the rest of it is abhorrent to me. like van morrison and astral weeks.

I get this. For me i'ts Neil Young - parents had After The Gold Rush and I grew up on it and love it but pretty much hate everything eles he did

 

[IdleRich]

I'm the same age as you but I guess my parents were older and less... hip

 

[sus]

This was always my favorite S&G, tho it's adapted from an old Weather Report track