Simon's Graceland

[johncorrigan]

On 'Today' on R4 this morning a rather terse interview with Paul Simon where the interviewer was trying to get him to admit he was wrong in going to South Africa to make 'Graceland'.......and all because it's about 25 years since its release.....can't believe it. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01hw7yw
I remember telling one of my pals he needed to listen to it, and only after some persuasion he played it and said, 'I never thought I'd ever listen to a Paul Simon record, never mind think it's great!' Still sounds incredibly fresh now.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

hear hear it is a great album ... and what is missed in the R4 type snide commentary are the views of the South African musicians involved ...



how stale and tiresome of R4

[Lateralthinking1]

Well, the 25th anniversary was back in August 2011. The project was supported by the United Nations Anti-Apartheid Committee if not by the ANC. It wasn't exactly playing Sun City was it? In many respects it was the opposite, being a collaborative affair.

What a lame interview. If Radio 4 really had to focus on past politics - the only exception being that very stale question about ever performing again with Art Garfunkel - they could at least have provided balance by adding commentary on the album's immense legacy. Perhaps the interviewer was completely out of her depth. It sounded like that to me.

As for McLaren - who they didn't pick up on when PS mentioned him - I very much liked him as a maverick but not wholly for his amorality. He was a magpie. Many consider that the sampling of the Mahotella Queens was theft. There was no theft with Graceland. That is an important distinction even if in the former case people were perhaps a bit too po-faced about the sampling.

Plus, much as AG is to be applauded - a terrific voice in his prime - it really is an insult to Paul Simon to ignore his extensive solo catalogue. Now 70 he has never failed to deliver. Maybe it was expecting too much to want "Still Crazy....." etc to be mentioned.

However, both "So Beautiful and So What" and "Surprise" were very strong albums, commercially successful and critically acclaimed. They were released just one year ago and six years ago respectively.

[johncorrigan]

Well, the 25th anniversary was back in August 2011. The project was supported by the United Nations Anti-Apartheid Committee if not by the ANC. It wasn't exactly playing Sun City was it? In many respects it was the opposite, being a collaborative affair.

What a lame interview. If Radio 4 really had to focus on past politics - the only exception being that very stale question about ever performing again with Art Garfunkel - they could at least have provided balance by adding commentary on the album's legacy. Perhaps the interviewer was completely out of her depth. It sounded like that to me.

And much as AG is to be applauded - a terrific voice in his prime - it really is an insult to Paul Simon who at 70 has never failed to deliver. Both "So Beautiful and So What" and "Surprise" were very strong albums, commercially successful, critically acclaimed and released in the last six years.

You mean it's even older than 25, Lat.

I agree completely - PS still keeps moving on - I liked that thing he said - he doesn't mind doing a re-visit, but really he's more interested in making new stuff, and it would seem AG isn't part of that - much as I loved a lot of the duo's output, I think Paul Simon has done more of interest since they split than they did as a duo.

[Lateralthinking1]

I agree completely - PS still keeps moving on - I liked that thing he said - he doesn't mind doing a re-visit, but really he's more interested in making new stuff, and it would seem AG isn't part of that - much as I loved a lot of the duo's output, I think Paul Simon has done more of interest since they split than they did as a duo.

Yes, Simon and Garfunkel get an A double plus from me and Paul Simon as a solo performer gets an A double plus.
I think he deserves far more credit than he generally gets. There's surely at least five more fantastic albums to come.

Absolutely love "Wartime Prayers":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uzvj8C4nbo

[Flosshilde]

What a lame interview. If Radio 4 really had to focus on past politics - the only exception being that very stale question about ever performing again with Art Garfunkel - they could at least have provided balance by adding commentary on the album's immense legacy.

It was somewhat controversial at the time, taking place during the cultural boycott of South Africa. Simon's response - along the lines that he didn't go into the politics too deeply as he wanted to do it anyway - suggests that he wasn't too bothered about breaking the boycott.

What was/is its 'legacy'? Anything like the Olymic Games 'legacy'?

[Globaltruth]

Anything like the Olymic Games 'legacy'?

that & The Jungle Line track from Joni Mitchell's album the Hissing of Summer Lawns are considered by some to have been the first time that so-called 'World Music' (WM) was bought to the attention of 'mainstream' listeners & made it easier to get WM listened to. Possibly.

But instead of descending into a pointless discussion of terms, motive or opinion, let's just enjoy Mr Leonard Cohen & Mr Herbie Hancock doing a cracking version of that very tune:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VYexsuysTQ

It certainly has some energy, possibly even atomic...

[Flosshilde]

that & The Jungle Line track from Joni Mitchell's album the Hissing of Summer Lawns are considered by some to have been the first time that so-called 'World Music' (WM) was bought to the attention of 'mainstream' listeners & made it easier to get WM listened to. Possibly.

As I thought - just like the Olympic Games 'legacy'.

But instead of descending into a pointless discussion of terms, motive or opinion

In other words, just ignore the politics, like Paul Simon did.

[Oddball]

I'm sure that I have heard in the preceding week or so - may be on a Late Junction programme? - another item on Paul Simon and Gracelands, but approaching it more from the musical angle, and the incorporation of African music into Pauls Simon's compositions - unfortunately half asleep at the time. But as I'm sure is realised, there is a film on release:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/rev...aceland-283939

[jayne lee wilson]

The Call Me Al video with Chevy Chase is pure joy!