Hearts And Bones
Paul Simon
1983
Album Summary
Hearts and Bones is the sixth solo studio album by Paul Simon. It was released in 1983. The album was originally intended to be called Think Too Much, but Mo Ostin, president of Warner Bros. Records at the time, persuaded Simon to change it to Hearts and Bones. The album was written and recorded following Simon & Garfunkel's The Concert in Central Park in 1981, and the world tour of 1982-1983. Several songs intended for Think Too Much were previewed on tour, and Art Garfunkel worked on some of the songs with Simon in the studio, with an intention that the finished product would be an all-new Simon & Garfunkel studio album. Garfunkel left the project and Simon erased all his vocals and worked the material into a solo album.
WikipediaThis is a pop record which feels primarily soothing. I'm with Christgau: It never quite takes off. The string arrangements suggest it could have, too (at least for me). The writing seems solid overall with a hint of cuteness at points.
A fun album, lots of interesting tunes and sounds. Doesn't take itself to seriously, a good listen that I have no disagreements with. Grooves and can get down too, easy listening, easy dancing. Paul Simon is a music man. True feeling: 3.8/5
In which one half of the duo that gave us The Boxer and The Only Living Boy in New York released a lead single about allergies, and it wasn't even the worst song on the album. Did you know that cars are cars all over the world? An awful album only partially redeemed by an introspective reflection on the assassination of John Lennon. Best track: The Late Great Johnny Ace
My favourite Paul Simon album, which says something given the company it has.
It's really good, I love rock and pop, this album actually combines them really good, nice
I can't believe I haven't heard of any of these songs prior to this! Paul Simon is a genius.
I haven’t listened to much Paul Simon in a long time, and was surprised there was an album from 1983 that I had never heard of nor could recall any songs from. I started off a little skeptical about a song called “Allergies” kicking things off, but I quite liked it. Nice guitar solo in the middle and I like the music and lyrics. This song was the most obviously from the 80s on this album. The 80’s elements made me like it more, overlaid as they were on what was unmistakably a Paul Simon song. Also as an allergy-sufferer I appreciated the odd subject matter. Settled in to “Hearts and Bones”, a really nice song, and knew I would be in Paul Simon’s capable hands for the rest of the listen. As the album progressed I found myself pretty much loving every song. Paul Simon has more unconventional subjects (“When Numbers Get Serious” is great, despite some questionable multiplication), all accompanied by interesting arrangements. There are two “Think Too Much” songs. Both are fantastic (although I give the edge to (A) as my favorite, but glad both are there). “Song About the Moon” is one of my favorite songs on the album. “Train in the Distance” seemed vaguely familiar to me, so I may have run across this at some point in the past. “Rene and Georgette Magritte After the War” is beautiful, Paul Simon is a wizard of taking a lyric like that and making it flow so naturally in the song. “Cars are Cars” was the first song that as it started I thought might be a miss for me… but by the end I had warmed up to it. Love the juxtaposition of styles between the chorus and the verses. “The Late Great Johnny Ace” has an unusual ending provided by none other than Philip Glass that I found was a nice ending to the album. I’m glad this album was on this list as I doubt I would ever have encountered this anywhere else. Great album I will listen to again and again!
This album is not without some 80s cheese and some of the songs seem rather pedestrian in their themes (Allergies? Cars Are Cars? Write what you know, I guess). But Paul Simon is a poet and a prophet who can write a good melody and some great lyrics. (I also forget sometimes how freaking funny he can be.) I understand why I missed this album in 1983 --- it was a little grown-up for my 15-year-old tastes. But this sure appeals to me now. The title track, Song About the Moon, Think Too Much, and Rene and Georgette Magritte... are all really nice pieces of music. Train in the Distance and The Late Great Johnny Ace gave me chills.
So, this was a surprise. If you'd asked me about Paul Simon albums, I could have told you there was "the one from 1975" with all the good songs and then "Graceland" in 1986, which I owned, and listened to over and over and over back in the day. You then might have pointed out, "Late in the Evening" came from a 1980 album, and I'd say, "Oh yeah, I love that song, too." So for our first Paul Simon album to be this one from 1983, it was a surprise. But again, such a joyful surprise! There's not a song I didn't love. I love the sound of all these songs. I love the lyrics. "Allergies" is such a fun song! "René and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog After the War" is so lovely lovely lovely! The rest of the songs are all very fun ("Cars are Cars"), or painfully lovely, or both. "The smartest people in the world/Had gathered in Los Angeles/To analyze our love affair/And possibly unscramble us." !!! "Hearts and Bones" says SO much with just the lyric "the arc of a love affair." Man. Love this one. Love Paul Simon. Glad for this one.
Standout Tracks: Allergies, Hearts And Bones, Think Too Much (a), René and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog after the War
im gonna be honest it didnt even occur to me that music like this still happened in the 80s. like this sounds way more like some 70s bullshit with a couple synths thrown in every so often, which i guess makes sense because paul simon is the guy from simon and garfunkel, and i think most artists are always kinda stuck to the time of their peak to some degree. like in ten years i dont rly expect taylor swift to be at the cutting edge of pop music yknow? i dont mean any of this as a negative to the album, it just suprised me a little and the fact that this sounds like pretty nice 70s rock, with a bit of folk and strings and whatever else thrown in sometimes + a couple synths, is all i can think of to rly say about this album. its nice, its comfy, its kinda boring sometimes. cool stuff.
Hearts And Bones tells simple yet striking little stories about being human. Although some aspects do sound a little outdated (e.g. 80's Caribbean flutes), I love the way the singing and instruments blend perfect together with emotion throughout the album. It brings together a lighthearted yet serious way of storytelling.
I love Paul Simon's style. It very recognisable but still very varied from album to album. This would have five stars but Cars Are Cars was just too much.
I love the feeling of this album and how it's so soft. Both versions of Maybe I think too much are great but I think I prefer (b). (a) sounds like vulfpeck. Love his voice too, but I think allergies is a bit much for this album.
Enjoyed this way more than I expected. Lots of weird and wonderful moments
Very good. I mostly knew Paul Simon for his time in Simon & Garfunkel and his only solo hit I knew was Al. He's a very talented songwriter.
i cant tell what paul simon album are the best. he was just born to be a songwriter, yknow?
This was going to be a Simon and Garfunkel reunion album until they fell out and Simon got rid of Garfunkel's parts and re-recorded sections. Panned at the time it is a bit of a hidden gem. BT: Hearts and Bones, Song About the Moon, Train in the Distance
Paul Simon goated! It was slow but really good. Songs were kinda random but they were fun
Pleasantly surprised by this one. I'm probably the only person that is not a fan of Graceland and the influence that World music played in Simon's future works, but this album is lovely to listen to. It will definitely work it's way into my rotation. Actual score: 3.9
Pleasant voice and good song writing. Some very good guest musicians. (7/10) Favorite Tracks: Think Too Much, The Late Great Johnny Ace
It’s the real Paul Simon sound, but not the best. The last 3 (original acoustics) are great examples how creative and unique “classic” songwriting can be.
One of my top 5 all-time favorite song writers. Not my favorite album but still great.
When I first dove into Paul Simon’s catalog a few years ago, this was one of my least favorite of his solo albums. I still think it’s pretty uneven, but the title track is one of his best songs, and “Train In The Distance,” and “Renee and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog After The War” are really great too.
I can see why this album didn't do well at the time, but these are pretty solid songs throughout. He just seems like a such mature and confident songwriter here. On the other hand, I'm also grateful that this album failed, since Graceland wouldn't have emerged otherwise. You can definitely hear him starting to flex the kind of muscles here that he explores later on in Graceland
Lovely lyrics and melody. Makes ya pause, think and feel. Loved the exploration of love, time, age, music, and identity/our never ending wants as humans. Was drawn in from the first song.
Really poetic lyrics for some of these songs. Particularly loved Train in the Distance
J’aime beaucoup paul simon et cet album est fidele a son style et a lu meme, j’ai aime mais ce n’est pas dans ces top. 4.15*
Pretty good, thoughtful, well executed. I think Graceland is the better record. Have always graded Paul Simon on anti-curve ... that is, I've been a bit of a hater for as long as I've known what an a-hole he is reputed to be (sourced by members of his band).
Paul Simon is quite the storyteller, a quality that shines through in the lyrics in this collection of songs. Musically, there is a melancholic undertone in many of the tracks, but that doesn't mean that they are not listenable - quite the contrary is true. Yes, this album may not be a timeless classic, as some of the decade's more questionable stylistic choices are quite prominent. Nevertheless, it is never boring either, and deserves further listening. 3.5/5
Very enjoyable listen. I haven't listened to a ton of Paul Simon but I've got no complaints about this album. Wouldn't mind hearing it again.
I'll admit that my rating is skewed on this one as I grew up listening to Paul Simon and consider him in my top 5 artists. Some of these songs were kinda misses for me, but even on the ones that weren't my favorites, I love his voice, his music and his storytelling in his songs. While there are much better Paul Simon albums, I enjoyed every minute of listening to this, especially the title track
There’s something odd about the mixing of Paul Simon’s solo stuff. This was alright. 7/10
7/10. I like Paul Simon plenty, but this album felt a little underwhelming.
Se 'Allergies' è effettivamente sulle allergie è molto bella, in realtà anche se non lo è. Mi piace molto la sua voce, meno le canzoni, anche se "Song about the Moon" mi convince. Bella anche 'Train in the distance'. In particolare i testi sono molto interessanti. Bello, tra il 3 e il 4.
I had never heard this album before and damn it's good. I did find the opening track and it's weird lyric snd over the top lead guitar solo. Also a bit of a dated 80s sounding production but on first listen the songs sound great. I look forward to listening more intently and paying attention to the lyrics I expect to be pleased. 4 🌟
It's a little bit samey, but it's still Paul Simon. I'm very glad it's failure helped propel him to trying out some different sounds, because Graceland is my favourite album of all time. When listening to this unfamiliar album I was inclined to mark it down, but when I listened to it objectively, I realised that it had some great moments.
This was supposed to be Simon and Garfunkel’s return after their iconic Central Park concert. Garfunkel ended up leaving the project and Simon finished it as a solo album. Maybe it’s because it was supposed to be a Simon and Garfunkel album, but much of this album (but not all) features a stripped back sound anchored by Paul Simon’s voice. The result is a startlingly raw and introspective album that hangs on Simon’s every word. Some songs, like ‘Cars are Cars’ give us a preview of Simon’s work to come on 1986’s Graceland, his next album, but I think this album shines best through its more contemplative moments. The coda from Phillip Glass on the closing track is a great touch as well.
The number of fucks Paul Simon gives can be estimated by the fact that this album begins with a song about skin rashes.
I was not expecting to like this. i really like Paul with Art best. However, this is so lovely! Gotta be his best solo album.
Paul Simon is a genuis songwriter, this was a fantastic and Nice sounding album
Paul Simon is maybe the Greatest Of All Time but he’s not on top form here. Some bumping 80s bass and the odd bit of pretty poetry but generally the metaphors seem to miss the mark. Cars, trains, numbers and allergies not all great analogies or allegories. Glad I listened though and can’t go lower than 4 with this guy.
Maybe the weakest Paul Simon effort on this list but it is still a Paul Simon effort on this list. It grows in the listening though. The back half is way better than the front (a rarity!)
Not heard this before some great songs. Some that are so so but enjoyed it very much
True story: Once (probably around 2005) I was in New York City for work, staying at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, and I saw Paul Simon in the lobby bathroom. I walked in, he was at the sink washing his hands, I glanced over just as he looked up into the mirror. Our eyes met for just a moment as I realized who he was and he realized that I recognized him. He quickly looked back down at his hands in the sink and I continued walking to the urinals. When I finished peeing he was gone and I never saw him again. Despite my obviously close relationship to Paul Simon, I wasn't previously familiar with this album. On the other hand, I'm very familiar with his follow-up album Graceland, so it's interesting to hear shades of Graceland in this album. This feels much more intimate and personal, much like our shared restroom experience, but there are many hints as to what was to come. Not a big fan of the Fender Rhodes keyboard sound he used, but less so on this album than some of his previous solo work. 4 stars.
I love me some Paul Simon. Found some new songs to add to my playlist.
Nice album even though regarded as a failed one. Simon features an all star cast of musicians here and they gel great within the songs! 8,5 out of 10
Ok, this is cooler than I expected. Some cool 80s pub rock vibes almost like aussie bands in places. There's no way Simon is playing some of these solos. there is a lot of American folky bullshit on here kinda like simon & garfunkel (expected I guess) and it's annoying, and there's a reggae tune and i HATE reggae, but I think it gets a 3/5 just for that first solo and not being anywhere near as shit as his earlier stuff.
A little less world music than Graceland, but I enjoy it slightly more. Still not a huge fan, but some great guitar work on here. Favorite tracks: "Think Too Much (a)", "Train In the Distance"
The song "Hearts and Bones" is soooo romantic. Very crunchy-granola-meets-simon&garfunkel. Some of the songs are a little gimmicky, the math one and the one abt the brain come to mind. but the love songs are SO tender and sweet. well done
I enjoy this. You can tell it was slated to be a S&G album but was transitioned after Garfunkel left the project. I miss his harmonies, but, it’s interesting to see the trace elements of S&G in there.
I can't help but compare this to the pinnacle releases of Simon and Garfunkel and for me it falls short. Very good but not the top of his solo catalog either.
I felt like this album was really catchy and all round good vibes albeit inconsistent, however that “Cars Are Cars” song made me so frustrated and angry. what the fuck
It’s not the same since Art left. This is a weird album. I legit don’t know if it’s one of the best or one of the worst albums I’ve heard so far.
I generally love Paul Simon, but found this album a bit of a downer and very soft. Would've liked more upbeat and poppy songs
Hard to say what I thought about that, I didn't super love every song but kind of wanted to. Bit disappointing
Thoroughly enjoyed Paul Simon singing about mundane things like cars and allergies.