Graceland [ECD] - Paul Simon > Reviews > All Around The World Or The Myth Of Paul Simon...

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	The Western world's introduction to African music on a commerical scale
Disadvantages:	Probably not generally recieved at the time for what it was really worth .  .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Paul Simon's 1986 album, 'Graceland,' released on the 13th September, marked a tuning point in music history. It was the moment that signified a shift in the way we listen to music, or at least, it changed our listening limitations. We opened our ears up to world music and for the first time, we heard African musicians like the South African vocal group, Ladysmith Black Mombazo. Paul Simon's ear for collaborating South African sounds gave us arrangements within tracks that were never before heard in our singles or album charts.

Up until then, viewers of Western music had been blinkered from the rest of the world. Steeped in swarms of new romantics, there seemed little escape from frilly shirts and lip gloss. Music, as we knew it in the mid eighties was on the brink of a new genre. However it was grunge and techno that was on the way to save us. But before the onslaught of greasy hair and attitude problems we were led down a unfamiliar but yet, pleasing path by the very short, bespectacled Paul Simon. What he did was give us a hint of a light interlude from the noise that was about to descend down upon us like a dark rain cloud. So, like Christmas come early, he gave us 'Graceland,' and 'You Can Call Me Al.' Albeit on the same day, it is very few artists that bold enough to release an album and a single in one hit without the fear of one of them failing.

So what do we initially think of the man, Paul Simon? I guess we immediately think of that geeky, ginger fuzzed, tall guy he used to hang around with, wearing diamond cut tank tops and suede loafers who went by the name of Art Garfunkel. Locked together in the all that was folkness, they gazed away towards the audience (because most of the time, they actually weren't talking to each other) and harmonize in sweet, sober voices until we pushed a heavy booted foot into the TV set. A following that seemed to be limited to University students in long multi coloured scarves, they appeared to the rest of us normal folk as very unfashionable, so when after a few failed, mediocre singles and albums from Simon, we were stunned beyond belief at this 1986 presence.

With that in mind, I therefore pose the question., then, in what case did Paul Simon become incredibly trendy? Suddenly with the release of 'Graceland,' the album was an over night fashion accessory. We immediately put on our loafers, with penguin novel under an arm and talked about saving the planet and how we were all so 'jolly over the moon that African people could make such jolly nice music!' Hypercritical I hear you say? I call it guilt. All the time we were resisting the urge to give the world, or at least, South Africa a giant hug, Simon was coming across some very harsh criticism for his work. Despite his hard efforts to fuse two divided cultures, he found himself in political hot water when the United Nations (a contradiction in terms) and the African National Congress black listed him in their argument that all he was going to attempt to do with this album was cause conflict amongst the people (namely the white) of South Africa. Simon stood his ground for all that it was worth an continued to take his tour promoting the album to the very place that he had been banned from. By doing so, he can face to face with pickets of anti apartheid protesters outside the crowd. Again he defended himself in regards that his motives for recording this album and promoting it was merely to gather these conflictions together and unit them in music and that under no circumstances was he making a political statement. Strong and determined in the face of adversaries, he pleaded with the UN and eventually the ban was lifted in 1987. Since then, this period of disharmony in his life promoted him to work in humanitarist sectors including the homelessness in his native New York, supporting South African children and fundraising for the Amazonian rain forests.

To Simon, this album was a simple fusion of different types of world music and it was a personal goal that he fulfilled which resulted in a serious political argument that could have ended his career before it had begun, but what for the rest of the shallow thinking world who bought the album not knowing the story behind the producing of it? How do we now react to it or do we just see it as a harmonized piece of musical invention that for a brief moment, highlighted the human race in its silent and unstirred ability to unite ? Are we beyond our own personal ethics where some sort owning a copy as making a statement? Does it mean we are heavily passionate about world peace, harmony and buying more clothes from Benetton? Or do we need to be more introverted about our own lives? Constantly worrying, analysing and concerned with our loves lives we could become neurotic. Does it mean we have to join the crowd of Billy Crystal fans and cue around the block for Woody Allen films?

Which ever way we view this album, it is for our personal use. Whether we want to just appreciate the fusion of styles thousands of miles away from each other or whether we do see it as a strong political moment in time, the fact remains that 'Graceland' was a wake up call. It denoted a moment when everything was fine. We didn't need Michael Jackson telling us about the earth is dying and news reports about the gathering troubles in the Middle East, we had been given our own Graceland within this album…

Like Little Red Hiding Hood, collecting a bunch of wild flowers for her grandmother, Simon gathered in his arms all the music genres he had been touched by through his life to that point. He affectionately collected rock and roll, do wop, reggae, salsa , jazz and gospel blues, put them in a large black hat and tossed them across the studio floor. Each track on this album is a unique piece of art work in itself. We find mastery and perfection in each lyric and careful arranging of each song. His diversity and courage through making such an album was never really, sadly realised by the people who listened to it. However I shall endeavour to do it justice for now…

With its strong accordion introduction, our opening track is 'The Boy In The Bubble,' In this track we hear an arrangement concocted together by Paul Simon and a group from Lesotho called Tao Ea Matsekha. This style is called 'Sotho traditional' as described in a brief introduction by Paul Simon on the inside cover of the front sleeve. This track starts off with thumping tribal drums which then generates into a steady churning sensation where the sound is continuous like a washing machine in mid cycle. The tune is down to Simon vocally while this D wash programme trots skilfully in the back ground. I sound as though its not a productive track for an opening but it sets the pace off in the right original mode. The listener will have no difficulty in shaping the album in one's head. Released in December 1986, it reached a poor number 26. It features four South African musicians playing lead instruments. The noted feature in this track is the gentle tinkling of percussion to give the track a lighter feel to it otherwise it could be disregarded as flat and boring. A few listens to this track are essential for picking out the intricate arrangement of the instruments used. A track I feel holds a factual statement of the world's failing society. Through the lyrics we can pick up on Simon's disillusionment of the world '…and I believe these are the days of lasers in the jungle, lasers in the jungle somewhere. Staccato signals of constant information, a loose affiliation of millionaires and billionaires…' A song, that yes, in some strange vein could have been picked up as something of a political nature…

The second track is the album titled, 'Graceland,' Composed by Simon, it is a gentle drift back to Mid America hosting The Everley Brothers on vocals as a special American theme. It is mix of loosely played instruments by African musicians and almost their version of Western country music. The bass player flaps around the tune like a scrappy blackbird after a worm in the ground. Baghiti Khumalo added his own personal touched to this track giving it a jammed feel rather than a precise recorded session song. It is a relaxed melody that rolls around and its peaceful on the ears. Simon was never focused on being a hell raiser (not surprising hanging out with Art Garfunkel) so we are guaranteed that we are not going to be offended by his melodies. This is a folk song like a well travelled Willie Nelson tune, which will wear well with age. There are some dreamy backing vocals recorded by himself personally which I always find a little bizarre, singing to yourself (!) and some well observed lyrics which have been thought about and have been written simply allowing no further course in understanding..'she comes back to tell me she's gone…' a line that sounds exactly the very thing we do when we leave a relationship, but also looking for a reaction for the other person. He continues,.'… as if I didn't know that, as if I didn't know my own bed, as if I never noticed, the way she brushed her hair from her forehead..' Again, especially noted here is the percussion that allows the track to twinkle and glisten in our ears.

'I Know What I Know,' is a casual step back to the strong themes of South Africa. This time, we experience some wonderfully produced backing vocals by The Gaza Sisters who were also gathered up in the arms of our host. They sing in a very untreated flat note, but not too harsh that it blocks out the lead vocal from Simon. it's a chant of sorts that features a lot of African words and sounds but not so that we, as the listeners are lost and feel like we're tourists. The basis of this track comes from a South African song from the Northern part of the country by a Shangaan group. These are people who have moved to the south bringing their music with them but on tribes moving to our parts of the country, their cultures mingle with newer customs and their music changes and what we hear on this track is a watered down version of something of the very original. Simon had been given a large collection of South African artists around two years before he recorded the album. Giving himself time to become accustom to these different artists, he picked out the groups and musicians from these records that he wanted to work with. This particular song he favoured and decided to record his own version of it fusing with it some English lyrics but still, at the same time, respecting the original vocals. The lyrics, we find are purely coincidental and really don't mean anything in particular, for the record, they sound rather silly. Recorded in Johannesburg, it features Simon playing something called a Synclavier, what ever the devil that is….

'Gumboots', is fundamentally a style of music that Simon mentions in his opening written piece as 'township jive.' From what I can figure is that this arrangement is a loosely based version of this jive theme. A similar arrangement to the original South African song, To us, it sounds very Cajun in its fast, agitated manner, recorded with The Boyoyo Boys, a South African band who Simon had heard of a couple of years before wanting to record 'Graceland.' In the lyrical style of a casual conversation, the theme is a little disjointed and the subject matter doesn't flow but I believe that's meant to be the point. The saxophone break is interesting as it features two sax, one alto and the other soprano, according the Simon's written piece. The effect is almost 3-D and the noise of this fairly ordinarily flat instrument, sounds whole and warm. This break also lightens the tune, giving the listener something to smile about. it's a happy tune, very full of joyful sounds and will readily need a lot of foot tapping.

This next track has to be the very pinnacle of which this album rotates. 'Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes' appears to be two songs melted into one. The opening piece features Ladysmith Black Mombazo chanting a traditional song in their native tongue. Simon suggested adding English vocals to this piece to give it a simple, Western Acapella feel to it. (For an example, I suggest The Swingle Singers…try tracking down an album by them!) Including a South African rhythm section for the basis of this track and a hint of Western civilisation over the top, what we find is achieved here is a calypso track of all that is very hot sunshine and lapping waters….Tainted with colourful lyrics such as ,'..she was physically forgotten then she slipped into my pocket with my car keys..' they dip into our minds with the air of creating all sorts of strange imagery. An inspiring piece of light and tranquillity, it is soothing like syrup in our mouths. With swooping backing vocals, it will make you think of lazy summer afternoons sipping mint dulips.

Probably the best known track of the album is the titled, 'You Can Call Me Al,' with its comical and very plain set accompanying video featuring Chevy Chase miming the vocals whilst Paul Simon sat along side, quite stone faced, playing the guitar, and a cheerful pennywhistle solo by a white South African named Morris Goldberg from New York, all held together by an infectious heavy bass line. The story goes that Chase was asked to appear in the video by Simon and having not known the lyrics, Chase learnt the lines on the way to the film studio in the back of the car, remembering them perfectly when he got there. Released on the same day a the album, it reached an impressive number 4 in September 1986, pushing Paul Simon into the pop star category for the first time in over ten years. Surprisingly based again on a South African traditional style, it came across as just another standard eighties pop based record. With the usual sax, trumpet and percussion accompliment, it seemed a great deal away from its fellow tracks from the album. Lyrically founded on the struggles of human existence, it failed to enlighten the struggles of anything other than a Western man trying to find his way around a foreign country. Each verse seems to start off as an everyday occurrence'…a man walks down the street…' Each verse continues the story from the last. A cheeky song with high spirits due to its amusing video, it was a catchy tune which had the population chanting its chorus for months afterwards…

The sombre, 'Under African Skies,' depicts a mood of the very epitome of the album. Backings that include gentle percussion bells and xylophone, it features a repetitive grouping of guitar notes throughout. The vocals are sweet and mellow by Simon and surprising, Linda Ronstadt. Her voice, softer than we remember her, compliments his deeper vocal on a higher key. The chorus takes on a stronger feel retuning to the verses on a reflective note. A 'still' record and quite entrancing in places.

Again, we are introduced to Ladysmith Black Mombazo in a track that was written by Simon and the lead singer of the African group named Joseph Shabalala. Lyrically composed in both English and Zulu, the effect is somewhat romantic and harmonious in the extreme. I won't try to write these beautiful lyrics down otherwise, I would be here all night arguing with Spell Check, but it is probably the nearest that many of us will ever get to hear interrupted South African music. These incredible singers moving in and out of each others voices like silk entwining is an electric sound of what the human voice can achieve when in great numbers. Paul Simon's English words do not cloud this African chant, in any case, his words capture the spirit of the song intensely than if not there at all. Recorded in the most famous, Abbey Road studios, we almost are disappointed at learning this, perhaps wanting it to have been recorded out in the dusty plains at sunset surrounded by elephants and resting prides of lions. If we could 'hear' the sound of countries, then this is what South Africa sounds like…

'Crazy Love Vol.II' is a reflection back to the gentleness of 'Under African Skies,' as its theme is meandering and thoughtful. The lyrics it would seem are quite coincidental in these songs and really, once read, don't seem to make any sense at all. With a stronger chorus as featured in previous tracks, it appears on the surface as a very Western song with just a glimmer of something African. Using a handful of musicians from an African band called Stimela, Simon based a lot of his work on records he had collected through the previous two years in the running up to recording 'Graceland.' This track enchants us with its delicate features of pennywhistle, flute and gentle guitar synthesiser. The drums are very African orientated but when gathered together by Simon's very all American vocals, it gives an overall feeling of actually not being from anywhere at all, but a collaboration of every type of traditional music from any country. That calypso effect surrounds us once again, but yet its is so fitting to the swaying ness of this song, The entire album is not to offend by to enlighten and fill the heart with beautiful rhythms and unfamiliar sounds. This track in particular will have to jumping on the next plane, despite the thirteen jabs you will need to visit South Africa in the first place.

Heavy on the Cajun and the baskets of fried chicken, we are thrown back into the countrified, high on speed record. It will make you yelp and don a gingham shirt and really not give a second though to the African element of this album. A 'party' record, (although I really can't stand that term used on even the slightly dodgy compositions of Black Lace.) A very all American record featuring lyrics that denote places and bars in America. 'That Was Your Mother,' is a sweet, touching song from a father to a child on the meeting between the child's parents. A jittery saxophone solo picks up the dancing theme even more. The energy of this song is incredible and will leave the listener out of breath after just listening to it. Love it or loathe it, it is a clever piece of Cajun working and fit's the album like a bauble on a Christmas tree.

The highlight of the album is best left until last they would say, and this last track has a wonderful swing effect to this foot tapping rock and roll theme.. In that case, it would not be surprising to learn that the band involved in the recording of this number is the very swinging Los Lobos who was responsible for their up to date reworking of the Ritchie Valance's 'La Bamba.' The verse feature some African percussion with a hint of gentle acoustic guitar, then the beat picks up for more of the swing at the breaks. It is the icing on the African cake at the end of this album and it trails off into the golden sunset for a taste of wanting it all again, and the listener will probably hit that needle pack for one more play. Recorded in (don't laugh) Amigo studios in L.A, it will put you in mind of Steve Martin in a sombrero and spangly outfits. Again the lyrics are amusing, '..down in the valley, lives a former talk show host, far and wide, his name was known…' and we frown at their meaning, but they are incidental as the music of this glistening dance theme flows over us like cool water on a steaming hot day… 'All Around The World Or The Myth Of Fingerprints,' has, just simply, taken us all around the vast, creative world of Paul Simon…

This album won a Grammy for Album Of The Year in 1986, at long last in the career of Paul Simon, after many years and 7 studio albums. He present a new way of appreciating music, albeit for a short period. Sadly, it wasn't long before the thrill of this album died out and we were back subjecting ourselves to the limitations of Western noises. How fickle the music industry was and still is. I wonder how many out there remember this album.

Continuing to campaigning and quietly fund raise for charities close to his heart, he appears occasionally to do benefit gigs and meet up with old stiff pal, Art Garfunkel when he absolutely has to, but the legend of Paul Simon will probably not be fully recognised until the day he is no longer with us. I guess he is happy somewhere, with second wife, Edie Brickell (minus her New Bohemians), at least he put money back into the pockets of his fellow African musicians, especially Ladysmith Black Mombazo.

To the little geeky guy in a Beatle haircut and round spectacles, thank you for taking us around the world. Your world.

Bought 1986, but still available for around the five pound mark in good CD shops.
Produced by Paul Simon.
Warner Bros. Records Inc.
©sam1942 2006

First published on dooyoo 2006