Today on the 1001 albums list we listened to Paul Simon's self titled album "Paul Simon."
This was a good Paul Simon album. It has no bad songs and contains a couple fun gems. "Mother And Child Reunion" is a great reggae number and I think sits fine along with songs coming from Bob Marley or Jimmy Cliff or some of the other reggae icons of the time. "Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard" is a big favorite for me that has been a favorite since I was a kid and I'd hear it on the radio. It got a lot of airplay in the late 80s because he released a video for the track.
I love how the album touches on a variety of genres and sounds. You have the reggae opener. "Run That Body Down" which is a quiet little pop song has an almost psychedelic guitar solo on the bridge. "Me And Julio" is an up tempo almost rocker/rave up. It also has a cool instrument in the percussion. I don't know the name of it, but I believe it is a South American instrument. I think it is the same iconic instrument you hear in Quincey Jones' "Soul Bossa Nova", but I could be wrong. Whatever it is, it gives the song a nice offbeat flavor. There are songs that are more folky. "Hobo Blues" is a jazzy and bluesy number. "Paranoia Blues" is even more bluesy with the steel guitar giving it a delta blues or maybe even a Chicago blues accent. I mention the variety mostly to compare it to yesterday's album which sounded pretty much the same the whole way through. I think it just shows how Paul Simon was more than just a lyricist or simple song writer. From the jump he was exploring different genres and sounds for his songs.
This is something I saw today.
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