Paul Simon - Graceland
2025-06-04
I have heard this album a number of times before, but it is only recently I actually listened to it and sort of understood why it is so revered. Sure, everyone and their grandmother have grooved to You Can Call Me Al, and it is a thoroughly great song, but the album that it is part of is so much more than just that. It is an amazing musical journey from the depth of South Africa to the southern US that has to be experienced intently and deliberately in order to fully appreciate this ridiculously ambitious project (and when that is done, it is also perfectly fine as background music.) The sheer number of guest performances that come together to form this album is pretty impressive in itself, but bringing it all together to form a coherent sound and story through the music is where Paul Simon really shows his strength as producer. From the jarring accordion intro on The Boy In The Bubble to the beautiful acapella Homeless and through pop tour de forces such as You Can Call Me All, Paul Simon manages to make everything make sense throughout.
Listen
- I Know What I Know: https://youtu.be/2hanjM_IenU
- Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes: https://youtu.be/-I_T3XvzPaM