Track Listing

1. Mother and Child Reunion
2. Duncan
3. Everything Put Together Falls Apart
4. Run That Body Down
5. Armistice Day
6. Me and Julio Down by the School Yard
7. Peace Like a River
8. Papa Hobo
9. Hobo's Blues
10. Paranoia Blues
11. Congratulations
12. Me and Julio Down by the School Yard [#][*][Demo Version]
13. Duncan [#][*][Demo Version]
14. Paranoia Blues [Unreleased Version][*]

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3814 in Music
• Brand: SIMON,PAUL
• Released on: 2004-07-13
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .15 pounds

Album Description
Limited Edition Japanese pressing of this album comes housed in a miniature LP sleeve. Rhino. 2006.

Amazon.com essential recording
How does one follow a commercial smash on the scale of Bridge over Troubled Water, one of the blockbuster pop titles of the '60s? For Paul Simon, the strategy was simple--as in "Keep it simple." His 1972 solo debut is the bantam bookend to the expansive Bridge. Where the final Simon & Garfunkel LP was grand, Paul Simon is modest. Where Bridge served up lavish emotions, on his own Simon explored a kind of hooded, pensive melancholy. "Mother & Child Reunion," the first reggae arrangements many Americans ever heard, opens the album and casts a blue hue over the collection. An eclectic crew of players (including jazzmen Stephane Grappelli, Jerry Hahn, and Ron Carter) turn up in tunes that fit together as snugly as a winter wardrobe. By the time Larry Knechtel's electric piano fades away at the end of "Congratulations," Paul Simon, solo artist, has put that Bridge behind him and set off on his solo career. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews

Subtle pleasures beyond the hits
After busting up Simon & Garfunkel, but before becoming a noted ethnomusicologist, Paul Simon was the essence of thoughtful pop craft. On his first few solo albums, he hired the best musicians to back him on songs that were carefully composed, lyrically as well as musically, with a poetic acuity backed by sounds that supported the words and vocals with just enough musical intrigue to warrant repeated listenings, and sometimes Top 40 hit status.

"Paul Simon" is his first solo album, and I think there may have been three hit singles off this, including one of the first efforts by a white, U.S. musician to use reggae players, "Mother and Child Reunion," "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard," an antic look at the protest politics of the day (1970), and "Duncan" which made use of Inca pipe players. His lyrics were increasingly direct and autobiographical, seemingly influenced by the confessional school of poetry--except you always had the sense that Simon was always under control, never yielding to the call of the wild, but instead always studying and commenting ironically on his heartbreaks and confusions.

What I really like about this album is some of the musicianship. The session players Hal Blaine on drums and Larry Knechtel on electric piano shine throughout--Knechtel especially on the last song, "Congratulations." Stefan Grossman contributes wonderful slide guitar on "Paranoia Blues," and Simon's own playing on the great "Peace Like a River" is tasty. The late great Stephane Grappelli is given a chance to show off his fiddling on "Hobo's Blues," an instrumental.

The remastering cleans up what was already a very clean recording; the three extra tracks are fine, but not particularly essential.

It Could Be My Favourite . . .
(Here's a warning: I am a huge Paul fan and have adored him since I was 3 years old, so this isn't going to be a very objective review. If you still want to read my two cents, continue. If you want a more objective opinion, skip this.)

I have all of Paul's solo albums, and all the Simon & Garfunkel albums -- hey there's only 5 albums after all -- but anyways, this could easily be my favourite of them all. My "stranded on a desert island" kind of CD, if you will.

What I really admire about this album is that it is diverse and yet sparse and shows off a lot of Paul's songwriting and guitar-playing skills. I especially love the great mix of songs here: "Mother and Child" reunion, a great reggae track which did much to foreshadow his future World Music projects, is a great opener. "Duncan" is a fine storytelling ballad that had my attention from beginning to end, with a great instrumental bridge from the same band that helped bring us "If I Could" on S&G's Bridge Over Troubled Water album. "Everything Put Together Falls Apart" is sparse with some great singing from Paul (love his falsetto at the end!), and "Run that Body Down" is both catchy and clever.

Other highlights: "Papa Hobo" (didn't like it at first, but it grew on me and it's tons of fun to sing along to), "Congratulations" (a very fine ballad, a nice finish to the album), and "Hobo's Blues" (a great instrumental duet). I love "Peace Like a River", which could be one of Paul's finest songs ever.

The only song I usually skip on this album is "Armistice Day". The guitar is good, but I don't know what he really meant with the lyrics. It's sounds like he wanted to make a point and then got bored halfway through and gave up. It starts off promising, then just gets lost.

Overall, a fantastic tried-and-true album from a living legend.

Talented Songwriter
Paul Simon was one of the greatest songwriters of the 60's and 70's. This, His first solo album, showcases that fact. The two radio hits are catchy singalongs, but it's the rest of the album that really shines. Duncan, Peace Like A River, Run That Body Down and Hobo's Blues (with the fabulous Stephane Grappelli) are all excellently crafted and performed songs. If you loved this album back then you will still enjoy it, and if you're trying this for the first time you will not be dissapointed.