Paul Simon's 'Graceland'

it's like, why so glum, hat-guy! your wife is a total fox!

new Graceland documentary airing on A&E tonight!

This is fascinating: he's so *abstract* about his songwriting; it's about the *patterns* in the rhythms.

it makes sense to me, i've always thought of his stuff as being very driven by rhythm and meter

i've watched that "Diamonds" performance on SNL so many times and i had no idea that they'd booked that appearance before the album release was delayed, and recorded that song while in New York for the show. nobody had ever heard that song before that broadcast! i can't even imagine how exciting that would've been.

whoa that is crazy

Thanks for the tip! Enjoying this.

related: http://www.evtv1.com/player.aspx?itemnum=5609

new doc on BBC uk tomorrow http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01kkn74

i just watched the "classic albums" special on this album (on netflix streaming). cool to see how chopped up/edited the whole thing was.

Thanks for the tip, compulsory viewing by the looks.

the new doc was on Irish tv on Saturday night, it's excellent. recommended viewing even if you are already very familiar with the classic albums doc (as I was).

also, this: http://www.kleptones.com/blog/2012/06/28/hectic-city-15-paths-to-graceland/

a creative reconstruction of the mixtape that inspired Simon to go to Africa and make some music

wow that looks great, thanks!

yeah! 1 hour 15 minutes of summery African pop beats.

and "speaking the deep truths that artists speak" as paul simon opines on the bbc clip...

it would be nice if the talking heads didn't get in the way of fine music.

Only had time to check out the first minute of that tape, but I'm sold already - will listen again

finally watching the new doc from the begining--LOVE the early jam version of boy in the bubble

holy shit the part where they go out to lesotho to find the old accordion dude

A friend who's been obsessively listening to Graceland this (antipodean) summer has asked me to throw together a comp of, uh, Graceland-related stuff after I was enthusing about the Todd Terje edit of "Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes", the 12" mix of "The Boy In The Bubble" & Lizzy Mercier Descloux's self-titled album. Apart from combing through Xgau reviews of 80s afropop/digging out my Bhundu Boys and finally getting around to hearing Peter Gabriel's Passion (+ suitable Talking Heads, I guess), what else would fit? That mixtape shaane posted a link to looks fabulous.

I don't think stuff like Talking Heads or Peter Gabriel (neither of whom are as "African" as people claim) would fit at all. I guess I would seek out more specifically South African stuff, like "The Indestructible Beat of Soweto." The Kleptones mix upthread rules.

there are a lot of days where I think the title track is the greatest song ever written.

"as if I didn't know that!
as if I didn't know my own bed!"

then that brief contemplative silence after the outburst, which you can just *hear* even though Simon's voice barely changes...

"as if I'd never noticed the way she brushed her hair from her forehead,
and she said 'losing love is like a window in your heart...'"

it's a very cinematic song. I see the scene in my mind's eye every time I hear it, them driving along in the car, seeing the narrator deep in thought, as his son gazes obliviously out the window.

not many songs I can say all that about.

I always liked the distance of "my traveling companion is nine years old / he is the child of my first marriage" - ie he never says it's "my son."
I like the way it contrasts with the intimacy of the next section detailing his divorce ("As if I didn't know my own bed").

http://africasacountry.com/when-steven-van-zandt-convinced-azapo-to-take-paul-simon-off-a-hit-list-and-what-paul-simon-really-thought-of-nelson-mandela/

Miami Steve Van Zandt and Dave Marsh vs Paul Simon

one excerpt--

He knew more than me, he knew more than Mandela, he knew more than the South African people. His famous line, of course, was, “Art transcends politics.” And I said to him, “All due respect, Paulie, but not only does art not transcend politics… art is politics. And I’m telling you right now, you and Henry Kissinger, your buddy, go fuck yourselves.” Or whatever I said. But he had that attitude, and he knowingly and consciously violated the boycott to publicize his record.

Well, to make his record. That’s the violation of the boycott — to make his record.

Wow, that whole thing.

Paulie

some head-spinning stuff there. most of all Simon dismissing Mandela, then sucking up to him as soon as he's out and free.

still an ace record and I'm so glad it was made.

Paul thought Los Lobos had Russian connections too--Caesar ROJAS anyone?

Goddamn. I know I'm getting Stevie's version here, but Stevie just went up a lot in my esteem and Paul Simon just went down a lot.

"My friend Henry Kissinger told me..."

ha im sure simon is awful or w/e but lil stevies vers doesnt sounds anything like real life

not to mention all the s african musicians who recorded and toured graceland seemed cool w breaking the boycott

anyway the best part is him bargaining for simons life

Yeah, and he actually had the nerve to say, “Well, I paid everybody double-scale.”

While taking the songwriting credits to himself

I knew Dave Marsh had a long-standing feud with Bono, didn't realize he had one versus Paul Simon as well

he has long-standing feuds with Neil Young, God, everyone

Not with Bru$e.

While taking the songwriting credits to himself

erm

Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "The Boy in the Bubble" Forere Motloheloa, Paul Simon 3:59
2. "Graceland" Simon 4:48
3. "I Know What I Know" General MD Shirinda, Simon 3:13
4. "Gumboots" Lulu Masilela, Jonhjon Mkhalali, Simon 2:44
5. "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" Joseph Shabalala, Simon 5:45
Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
6. "You Can Call Me Al" Simon 4:39
7. "Under African Skies" Simon 3:37
8. "Homeless" Shabalala, Simon 3:48
9. "Crazy Love, Vol. II" Simon 4:18
10. "That Was Your Mother" Simon 2:52
11. "All Around the World or the Myth of Fingerprints" Los Lobos, Simon 3:15

I remember the uncredited zydeco musicians and I thought Steve Berlin of Los Lobos grumbling about the credits. I think they all had to push Simon to get their names there.

its true all those black south african musicians living under apartheid used all their clout and access to high powered legal representation to force paul simon to credit them

los lobos do have beef abt this, also he made them play drums?

I will dig up the quotes later

thank God there's somebody to speak up for Paul Simon

its all upthread fwiw

thank god for someone to speak up for everyone important work here all around

Thank you.

In 2009 someone wrote the following, so I am not completely wrong or senile, oh wise lagoon.
Simon’s scrupulousness for sharing credit may not have extended equally to all musicians. The final track of the album, titled “The Myth of Fingerprints”, was recorded with Los Lobos, and while the band is credited as playing on the track, Simon claims authorship of the tune. Steven Berlin of Los Lobos claims that the song was written by the band, and that Simon simply added a vocal on top and stole the song. Simon disputes this, and Los Lobos haven’t taken Simon up on the invitation they allege he made to sue him.)

i said right there lobos had beef with him about it im all over this thread talking about it I said u could find the infos upthread ffs man

I can call you betty and betty when you call me you can call me lag∞n

deal

all the s african musicians who recorded and toured graceland seemed cool w breaking the boycott

Have you read up on this or do you need me to tell you why that alone didn't make it OK?

Striking thing about Simon's statements at the time, whether or not you think he was wrong, is his arrogance and condescension. Suddenly claiming "art transcends politics" when it suits him? Gtfo.

im totally not saying paul simon is a good and righteous person you morons

i mean don't let me get in the way of you being mad at paul simon