Hearts And Bones

Not Paula’s best record, but just the title track and Train in the Distance make it worth the ride. The 80s production combined with a few songs not up to his usual standards are the weak points.

Pretty damn good. 4/5

it was very hit or miss for me, but the good ones hit hard

I liked this one less than Graceland. Still got some bangers but felt more monotonous

A Paul Simon album with no hits, where most songs are named after things he sees or his allergies... not great.

It’s fine, I’ll take it

That cars are cars song is kinda dumb but the album is pretty good.

Pretty laid back, decent stuff

Started to grow on me about a third of the way through. Feels familiar and comfy in a way. Real rating would probably be 3.5

The album before Graceland and which suggests his musical approach needed a shake up. Some dry and witty tracks and some engaging but a treading water feel.

I hate this song Allergies, I think it's ridiculous. The 80s synth instrumentation kills me. I'm reminded of what I don't like about Paul Simon, the lyrics that go nowhere (in my opinion) except to a rhyme or pun. I don't feel a deep meaning, despite the songs hinting to it. No, Paul, in this case, you did not think too much.

Ci sta, non mi ha entusiasmato personalmente ma è abbastanza ben fatto

This is my first Paul Simon record that I have listened to front to back and I was very pleased. Musically this album is great! The choices that he has made, the instruments, the effects, it's all great. I know Paul Simon has a great voice from other songs that I've heard... But damn, his voice is perfect on this record. His phrasing and his melodies come seemless to him. Something I envy. The first song starts off and it's talking about Allergies. And I'm sitting here just groovin' to it. I really appreciate his story telling. I still wish this was more prominent in popular music these days. Even modern country has lost that part of the art. Country used to be all about story telling... Now it's just twangy dance songs... But back to Paul Simon.. I don't have too much to say about this album... Other than it is a great record. It isn't perfect. It isn't something I'd just throw on, but I enjoyed the journey as I listened. Can't wait to hear more of him, as I know he must have more than 1 record on this list.

Melancholy and smooth. A little on the nose in spots, but enjoyable.

C'est bien mais les sujets sont chiants (voitures, allergies, notamment)

Very Sweet

Zacalo to extremne pofiderne, no niektore boli nakoniec velmi pekne (aj) balady

noniin ja brittiputki katki.. amerikkalainem näyttää miksi piti herran vuonna 1776 tehdä päätös... (biston tea party look it up). chilliä musiikkia, silkkinen laulu ja lämmittävä lyrisointi, tekee tästä miellekkään kokemuksen.. makeata..Doesn't take itself to seriously(mitä tuo tarkoittaa) cars are cars huono biisi..(en ymmärryt ymmärtänyt biisin ideaa heh, joo autot samoja ympäri maaiomaa tästä kerroin...en ihmisyydestä...human...) train in the distance

An album that doesn't take itself too seriously. I can admire that. The tracks are generally light-hearted and full of life. The instrumentation is fantastic and Paul's vocal is, of course, strong. The lyrics sometimes leave a lot to be desired (Allergies, When Numbers Get Serious) but I can't get too annoyed at that given the circumstances. The problem is, the album never really wows me. Like, at all. It plays it incredibly safe, especially for Paul Simon. Also, the song Cars Are Cars exists when it has no right to do so. For these reasons, I cannot in good conscience give it more (or less) than 3 stars.

It’s very much what you’d expect from Paul Simon in the 80s. If you like his stuff you’ll probably really enjoy this; otherwise it’s just ok.

While I like most of the songs here, they don’t really do much. They are one note and don’t have much to offer. Goodness, Cars are Cars is annoying and is probably the worst example of this. This isn’t to say the album is bad. It’s ok. Probably my least favorite outing with Paul Simon this far.

although bright i find the lyrics on this paul simon album to be kinda silly. the album is good overall, but i dont know how its influential, since it sticks right before one of his more revolutionary albums.

It was nice, enjoyable.. kind of sounded like elevator music, reminiscent of sitting in the dentist’s office as a kid or something. Not my personal taste, but it also didn’t make me want to pull my hair out.

It's alright, has some catchy tunes, Train in the Distance was lovely, but if I never hear Cars are Cars again it will be too soon. Write what you like to write I guess :p

Kannte die Platte noch nicht, gefällt mir!

Hit a diamond in the rough with this one. Fantastic album front to back.

This isn't my usual preference, but I really enjoyed it.

It ain’t Graceland, but anything from Simon is going to be solid listening.

Strong 3

Always struck by how different Paul Simon's albums sound from one another yet maintain a very distinct Paul Simon-ness. Cars ARE cars!

Damn boring… again

Goofy album, hoge hoogtepunten, laaaaage dieptepunten (cars are cars all over the world engine in the front Jack in the back)

I definitely think too much about these ratings.

it's good. I preferred these tracks on the Live Concert in the Park album more.

A nice album but not what I was looking for.

2/5. While the album isn’t terrible, I think Paul is trying to do too much. He continues his usual soft tone, but many of the songs have no depth nor make total sense. I did however like the song “The Late Great Johnny Ace.”

Good song writer, not a solid singer...

Very nice and comfortable album. Favorite(s): Allergies, Hearts and Bones, Song About the Moon, Train in the Distance, Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog After the War

You can hear some of Simon's warm melodies in there, but they're mostly buried under a frankly outdated production and an overall linear presentation. He did much better than this.

This one really isn't necessary on this list.

This Paul Simon cover looks like a screenshot of a camera that caught him stealing in a convenience store. Maybe he was trying to steal a good song idea? And it obviously didn't work.

A regular, feel-good album from Paul Simon. The guy comes out of the gate showing his humour in a topical song. Up tempo and fun. Low 3

Feels inconsistent but holds some very strong and smartly written music. And while some of the arrangements feel busy, Hearts And Bones remains a fairly relaxed listen.

such a fun album

“Hearts and Bones” was pretty catchy. I feel like I could hear some of these songs being played poolside at a beach resort. The intro to “Think Too Much” —— don’t get it confused with “Think Too Much (a)”——reminded me of the main song in the Little Mermaid. “Cars Are Cars”.. just because you can make song about anything, doesn’t mean you should. I think my favorite song was “The Late Great Johnny Ace” even though I have no idea who that is. It had a sad tone. Was an okay album 4/10.

Very flaccid music. He sings about odd subjects and stories. Cars, trains, the brain, random thoughts he’s having I guess? Are we sure he isn’t a School House Rock singer? “Cars are Cars” could have easily been a hit. Unfortunately, that was the only song I liked. You can’t take this guy seriously, that’s the trick. I was happy when the album was over. 4/10

Meh. These lyrics are so bad throughout the entire listen, music is fine and his voice is nice but there really isn't a single song I would want to put onto a Playlist. 3/10

Leave it to Paul Simon to make a song about allergies that makes you feel good, the opposite of what allergies actually do. The titular song of the album is just delightful. A wide range of sounds on this album all complemented by Simon’s pleasing vocals. I really enjoyed the first three songs then didn’t really enjoy the remaining songs. Cars are cars is one of the dumbest songs I have ever heard. Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. 5/10

This is just bland and a bit twee at times. Disappointing

Eh

Hearts and Bones is the sixth solo album by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. This pop rock album somewhat focuses on Simon's breakup with actress Carrie Fisher. Originally, this album was going to be produced by both Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, but dealing with the breakup Simon thought this should be a solo album. In the end, this conflict ensured there would never be another Simon & Garfunkel album (two breakups in one album). It performed well commercially and critically, but was not one of Simon's best solo albums. This was an interesting album of pop rock music with personal lyrics from Paul Simon. Definitely a breakup album as Simon had to work through some stuff. I didn't care much for the sappier songs, but overall the album is decent, although it's not my type of music and I prefer the duo Simon & Garfunkel over their solo work.

Good, Graceland is better

Kinda boring, isn't it?

Very Chill

This was not my favorite Paul Simon stuff but it was still okay.

Kind of reminds me of some of the music we listen to at Glenna's yard rock, folk rock. A couple songs are catchy on this album, but not preferably my cup of tea.

Bounced hard off this, many songs sound like something you come up with in the shower.

I've always liked his sound. Never heard this album. Enjoyable but no classic, memorable moments.

Bit 80s in it's production

This album was a bit underwhelming. I don't think I ever gave Paul Simon a chance past some singles here and there. I was expecting more, but I'm not sure why. This type of singer/songwriter acoustic music doesn't really do it for me, but I could see how others enjoy it. It just injects images of dinner parties in the 80's, throwing on some nice music to eat dinner to.

Paul Simon is one of the premier songwriters of the 20th century. More McCartney than Dylan, he is a very gifted and unique writer. This album is done at somewhat of a low point for him with no really strong songs except maybe the title track and Rene and georgette magritte with their dog after the war. Having said that, any of them written by anyone else would see that person building a career from them. He is that good. It’s a 3 star album at best. Probably a 2.5 but I’ll round it up. He had done better. And he was to do better.

Only gave this a quick skim, but I’m really not sure why this is on the list. It seems to sit awkwardly in between his early work and the outstanding album Graceland.

I don’t think Paul Simon’s ever made a bad album. So while this album didn’t originally jump off the turntable at me, it eventually became a favourite, revealing some hidden gems. I feel like Allergies & Think Too Much were written with me in mind. The title track was certainly written about his marriage to Carrie Fisher. And it is definitely the highlight. Thank god her father Eddie was Jewish, so that we get the wonderful opening line : One and a half wandering Jews. The other highlight for me is the song about the Magrittes. Only a great, great songwriter can come up with stuff like this. Might not be his best, but it’s still quality.

Dimery loves Paul Simon. Six albums on the list, between Simon & Garfunkel and his solo albums. I can't work out why _this_ record is on the list. It has a critical reputation as being his most personal album, but I find the production anodyne, the lyrics less evocative than usual and the tunes more forgettable than much of his other work. Cars Are Cars is, frankly, embarrassing. No bangers on the record. There is an all-star cast of musicians and producers contributing, but it still doesn't have much musical flavour (with the exception of Philip Glass' contribution the final 60 seconds of the Late Great Johnny Ace). Critics seem to love this record, but I think the buying public knew a turkey when they heard it. While normally I don't equate sales figures with quality or influence, when a Paul Simon album peaks at only 35 on the charts, you have to think there is something amiss. The punters know what the critics don't understand. This isn't some sort of magnificent failure or a wild experiment gone wrong; it's an attempt at an accessible album that just fell flat.

paul simon albums are better than simon and garfunkel because he just sings about fucking whatever here. also more energy

None of the songs drew me in but I suspect this is an album that would benefit from multiple listens.

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Allergies, Think too much (a,b)

A pretty meh album, but not as bad as I think it could've been. But Paul Simon's brand of music isn't really in my wheelhouse, but it is totally inoffensive, even if it sounds like it caused the break up of Simon & Garfunkel. Best: Hearts and Bones Wost: Cars are Cars Note: Spotify had the Reissued CD version of the album with bonus tracks. I listened to the original 10 tracks.

started strong, moved to introspective and a bit whiny. I enjoyed it, but wouldn't listen to it again.

Good Paul Simon album. Everything you’d expect. Nothing particularly special but catchy!

People should be beating off to Paul Simon the way they do to Bob Dylan. What a talent. Really pleasant album and better than Dylan in so many more ways. 8/10.

Mellow, literate and quirky music from a true poet.

not horrible but not entirely great either. i enjoyed his work with simon and garfunkel more than his solo career.

Yeah I can dig.

I love Paul Simon, but I have not gotten to my heavy listening period with him yet. Probably will come in my 30s.

It’s not the worst thing ever but did we really need this on the list, like the three simon and garfunkel albums, graceland and his self titled aren’t enough. Like I love all of those albums but this isn’t nearly as good 3/5

Pretty album.

So, Paul Simon is a genius. His best ranks with Dylan, Cohen, whoever in the songwriting pantheon you want to name. This is pretty lightweight stuff. He still hits some gold just because, but this doesn’t come close to his heights.

what the heck are these wacko lyrics

It's just unfair the amount of talent this man has. This is just another example of the skill he has with his craft. Given his extensive body of work, though, you'd put this album on the list?

They are all kind of interesting singer-songwriter pieces that represent the Paul Simon sound. The lyrics are intentional and very introspective. It is polished and well produced. But this set really lacks hooks. I like Hearts and Bones and Songs About the Moon the most, the rest of solid but not exceptional.

Meh

meh

where the hell did the solo on allergies come from? Love it. Cars Are Cars...what the hell is going on there? Is it a joke? Confusing. Not sure its must listen as its not wildly different from what he generally does but generally really enjoyed this.

Not bad but didn’t do much for me. The song writing is good but his soft voice gets tiresome. Kind of felt like he was phoning it in with the song about cars.

Outside of The Late Great Johnny Ace, nothing on this album stands out to me. It’s certainly fine, but not at the level of Paul Simon’s best songwriting.

This album shows why Paul Simon is one of the greatest songwriters of the modern era. Even on a lesser known mown album, there are wonderful songs with rich stories and cool sounds. The demos at the end show how good these songs are with just him but the arrangements took them to another place. The guitar on here was awesome (coming in hot w/ Allegries and the “think too much” part was super funky). Clunkers like “when numbers get serious” keep this from being a 5 for me.

When the list contains a Paul Simon record of which I've never heard, it gives pause to wonder - so I dived right in and from the first track got a sense of the vanishing act that was Hearts and Bones. The voice is compelling, and there's the usual glib Paul Simon effortlessness to the lyrics. But to me it doesn't click. I prefer the extended album's acoustic version of the title track, as it highlights the simple beauty of the chords and the lightness of the songwriting. It would be a highlight of many writers' catalog, but feels meandering and weak among Paul Simon songs. Many of the tracks seem like sketches, or just iffy ideas that no-one in the studio had the nerve to question (Allergies, Cars). Knowing it was a pivot from the aborted S+G reunion, it strikes me that the pressure to just release something overwhelmed the urge to release something great. Underwhelming and uncompelling - with at least 4 other more deserving Paul Simon albums on this list I fail to understand what Hearts and Bones is doing among them . . .

Why is the songwriting on this so stupid? Seriously, ‘Allergies’? ‘When Numbers Get Serious’? ‘Cars Are Cars’???????? The worst part is that not all of these lyrics are bad, which clearly means he could have done better on this album. Instead we have this. And the music? The music’s fine. But. Why would you not pick an album with good songwriting and the same caliber of music instead of this. Why would you choose this in general? The man is sitting comfortably with three albums with Garfunkel and two on his own already, so why do we have this? On its own merits, this is a 3, but since it’s Paul Simon we’re talking about, I’m giving it a 2.

Not my fav from Simon

Paul Simon is amazing. At least half the songs started out a little odd to me and by the end I was fully into it. He also seems to understand how sounds layer really well and he was willing to use different methods to make the exact right sound. A song writing genius, as ever.

Not my favorite by him but it is Paul Simon. Hard to go wrong

snooze fest

this album feels different from paul simon's other solo or simon & garfunkel albums. at his core, simon is a storyteller and that hasn't changed with this album. "the late great johnny ace" and "rené and georgette magritte with their dog after the war" are songs referencing real people and events; the former connects several assassinations to one another. simon's genres aren't any different from his other albums, though he isn't as heavy into folk here. his tone is the same; he's as paced and even as ever. the beat seems stronger as a whole. "when numbers get serious" is a playful song, reminiscent of simon's earlier work. i'm reminded of the songs used on simon's episode of the muppet show! "think too much (b)" uses a marimba, which definitely foreshadows simon's next album. i'm not sure of the inclusion of "cars are cars", but there seems to always be a weird song on any paul simon album. what stands out on this album is the personal aspect. simon is a storyteller, but i've come to expect that his songwriting typically doesn't cover himself. the title track references his relationship with carrie fisher. "allergies" and "train in the distance" seem to reference other love relationships. the lyrics simon wrote are simplistic yet provides an inside look into his life. i enjoyed hearts and bones more than other paul simon albums, to be honest. i found graceland to be lackluster outside of its hits, but this album had more of a consistent quality.

What stood out the most to me about this album is the fairly unique instrumentation. I couldn't help but listen in for all the musical tidbits that are in this album, leaving me thinking "huh, what an interesting sound!". You can tell where this album would be the predecessor both chronologically and spiritually to Graceland; the music is slightly out of the norm, a little bit experimental, and probably fairly risky for pop music at this time. The instrumentation is definitely what keeps this album from flatlining, but even then, the album really struggles to find any soaring moments. It's not bad by any means, but it's also not outstanding. Probably almost a 3, so I guess I'll round up.

nice enough , doesn't thrill me 2.9

Very average sounding late 70s / early 80s music, but gets bumped up to a 3 because it’s Paul Simon

Liked this

3/5

Belle découverte. J'aime le mood et le style. Curieux de savoir si je vais préférer Simon and Garfunkel à cela.

An album for people with ADHD

https://youtu.be/v0sMJEk95gE?si=bnB7kN4WkZP7oWLz

not bad

Solid, relaxing listen that teleports you to a different time

There are some tracks that are fine, but for most of tracks it's like "cars are cars?!" What the fuck is this bullshit

I thought it was pretty great. Understated.

I liked this a lot more than I thought when the record began. It opens inoffensively and then some of the tracks on here are the kind that actually end up stopping you in your tracks. I was delighted.

Pretty inoffensive, but also pretty much not my type of music. It's a stepping stone to Graceland. What's lacking is the energy and optimism for what was to come from Simon. This has soul, but little rhythm.

I know 'Heart & Bones' is a big track but not for me and the rest of the album is a bit boring.

Una muy buena voz con un estilo tranquilo y sosegado. Sin virtuosismos de instrumentos ni grandes alardes.

A friend of mine saw Paul Simon in concert a number of years ago. When I asked him how it was, he said it was a great show. But there was one part in particular that had a profound impact on him. When Paul Simon played “Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog after the War” a song my friend had admittedly never heard before, he said he cried. He said he had an incredible personal revelation about life, love, and humanity after hearing it. Having never heard that song before myself, I was curious and gave it a listen. And while I didn’t have the benefit of hearing Paul Simon perform it live, I did marvel at his poetry and the beauty of the song. No similarly affecting personal revelations or tears for me upon listening. But I love that story, and I love my friend. And this is why songwriters like Paul Simon exist, to inspire and inflame passions with their craft.

Boring and easy forgettable.

It's pleasant enough- I like Paul Simon but there better albums by him.

Had some weird ass songs mixed with some really good ones. Hearts & Bones was a great track.

Enjoyable yet nothing really stood out to me as great.

I find Paul Simon's voice to be kind of strange, but I can't put a finger on why. Allergies is a strange one -- kind of dubby and spacious with plenty of markers of the time period. The guitar work here is surprisingly slick -- unexpected jam. Rest of the album has gone in and out of my focus. Most of this really isn't my speed, but some moments are better than others. Cars Are Cars had me laughing. Maybe this is some extended metaphor, but the chorus is silly and he really leaned into it. His ballads are probably the strongest parts of this album (The Late Great Johnny Ace, being my favorite with the way it shifted around). This is a spotty 3 / 5 for me. Not something I would pull out for myself, but the songs at the bookends were fantastic so I'm skewed.

I don't get this pick at all.. Bland and boring.

This record actually did nothing for me. No song really made an impression. Train in the Distance and Rene and Georgette… were the closest to being memorable, but we’ll see if I even think of them by the time I post this. Cars are Cars was a bit of fun.

I really wanted to like this album. For as much as I've listened to and like Paul Simon, this album was really a dud. Completely forgettable.

This isn't as strong as his other albums on this list, but even while not being as strong, it still has a few songs on it that are really good. I won't have any problem putting this album in on an easy listening playlist.

first time listening not my cup of tea

Paul Simon has done better and the juxtaposition between this album and his greater work is noticeable. The writing is down considerably. Cars Are Cars? Still not a bad album, enjoyed most songs, just not his best. 3/5

I like PS. His voice is soothing and the music is not bland. His lyrics are always a bit quirky though the "Cars" song is a bit of a stinker.

Before this, I only knew a song or two of Paul Simon's solo work and primarily from his famous duo partner, Garfunkel. This is the second or third album of his that I have gotten, and I have really come to respect him as a singer/songwriter. Very cool album.

This was a tough listen for me, I found this record to be insanely boring. I've never been the biggest fan of Paul Simon, so having to hear an album from arguably the low point in his career, wasn't very fun. The album either meandered in its ambience and was a snore, or was horribly dated sounding as a result of the blown out drums and gross 80s production that aged like milk. Im gonna have to give this a 2/5, it had some redeemable qualities and the title tracks great, but fuck me I was so bored 😴

The album is just there. It does not have really any high or low points. The lyrics are not that great especially with songs such as Allergies and Cars are Cars. It is better than a two not really a three. I will round up.

He writesa lot if gild but has some duds.

Nah

Didn't know this album, not his best.

Very just OK album.

I want you to eat me, bones and all. Singer songwriter is a rough genre for me. I kind of couldn't stand this to be honest. The music itself sounds nice and it's very well produced but this dude never shuts the hell up about the most mundane shit possible. It has it's cool moments but please never again. Score: 30 Art: 40

Did you know cars are cars? Thanks to this album, I now realize this. The album is consistently good all the way through. I enjoyed the storytelling with some unique melodies and pleasant vocals.

I don’t know man, this was weird… was it supposed to be funny? I don’t think I really get it, I didn’t hate it, I actually liked some of it but I’m not gonna try again. I don’t know man… 3 stars

Some people contend that there are no bad Paul Simon albums. That may be true in a strict sense, but this is a tedious Paul Simon album.

I got the Second Paul Simon solo album on the 1001 list, and I enjoyed "Graceland" much more, but this is not a bad album for my taste—a solid three stars, even if not the exact music style I usually enjoy.

Not a singer-songwriter guy. The first few songs are nice but I didn't really like the rest. I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to the whole album again. Highlights: Allergies, Hearts and Bones, When Numbers get Serious

I've never got Simon & Garfunkel, turns out I also don't get it when it's just Simon. How was everyone not bored listening to this back in the day? Surely no one's putting on this LP, lining the needle up just right, thinking "I can't wait until 'when numbers get serious' and 'cars are cars' comes on". Dull as dishwasher.

El disc previ a la transformació de Paul Simon en defensor de la world music al revolucionari 'Graceland'. Aquí no hi ha traça del que hauria de venir 4 anys després. Més aviat és una continuació del cançoner històric de l'artista. Cançons agradables d'escoltar, amb el savoir faire habitual de Simon, però res especial. Curiós que s'hagi fet lloc a la llista

Considered a commercial flop, but as true fans of Simon know, this is among his best work. Personal and from the heart, exploring feelings we all have. Some great songs on here and his vocals are perfect. This album makes me feel something his biggest releases don’t even.

Again great music by Paul Simon but here it was just missing that additional touch of memorable or stand out songs and thus fails to score 5 stars

Thought I’d hate it but it was actually great

Pretty enjoyable

Pleasant

Not his best work

Didn't pay as much attention as I would have liked. Lot of songs having the same vibe, bittersweet and laid back. No You Can Call Me Al Though! + Hearts And Bones

ну это приятненько начало было очень плотное, особенно понравилась гитарка в Hearts and Bones но в остальном просто хорошо, без фанатизма

миленько в целом

Сначала было ощущение, что будет какой-то ненавязчивый джаз. Но всё быстро ушло в сторону бардовской песни. Очень приятные композиции, легко слушаются, прекрасные тексты. Интересный ход с двумя частями Think Too Much: непонятно только, почему часть B идёт раньше части А. Скорее всего, когда я почитаю Википедию или погуглю — станет понятно. В любом случае, можно услышать две интерпретации одной и той же музыкальной темы — круто! Не было какого-то прям вау-эффекта, но это точно лучше среднего.

Ну кста не супер скучно даже получилось. Вряд ли это хоть куда-то в моей памяти отложится, так что нейтральное 3. Могу на записи отойти поссать, ничего не изменится, ибо мнения ровно 0

I don’t know what I was expecting but that was nice. Just so, so, so tired and this felt like the baby’s lullaby I needed

At first it was nice but I slowly started to feel like I was listening to the music from the full house theme song paired with annoyingly cute and overly poetic lyrics and I just didn’t like it 1.5/5

This kinda just washed over me. No strong feelings

It was a good day for some Paul Simon.

I got 2 songs in and was just.... I'm not gonna waste my time. I know what I'm in for.

A good album with lots of interesting tunes and songs. Paul Simon's voice is so appealing, it is very pleasant to listen to. This album is easy listening but still interesting and more complex musically. It was a good listen overall.

I found this to be quite a nice singer-songwriter album with some occasional uplifting beats that drove the record for the most part however that’s about it I didn’t think so much of it in general, it was decent but might take a bit longer for me to properly digest it if I I’m going to see it in a more positive light.

Great songwriter. Unique storyteller lyrics and melodies that are unexpected. Hearts and Bones, Rene and Georgette, and the Late Great Johnny Ace are standouts. I love mellow Paul Simon arrangements.

Lyrics tell interesting stories. Music is definitely "of the era". Not really for me.

Ingen store ups eller downs

Meh

Solid & soothing!

I love Paul Simon...but this was not, in my opinion, his best work.

Wow. This is possibly the most vanilla album on the list. Paul Simon is a talented and successful artist, but this - this is just bleh.

A profound voice singing interesting songs.

Okay, doesn’t take off compared to his other incredible stuff

Didn't pay much attention to this one mainly because it didn't stick out, but its not bad. Some of the songs, like Cars Are Cars were pretty questionable, though. Fave track(s): When Numbers Get Serious

I love Paul Simon and think he has a really unique voice. This album has a banger or two but wasn’t enough for 4 stars. Paul will always have a nostalgic place in my heart babyy

Shitty albums are shitty albums all over the world. That's when you know numbers get serious. Some songs are ok on this album but I can't listen to the whole thing through again.

Paul Simon fucking rocks. We've got nice, folky guitar riffs followed by some funky bass and a legendary voice. Not as good as Graceland, but these are all really good songs. I think if everyone listened to Paul Simon, we would eliminate world anger.

I hate Paul simon. The only reason why this isn’t a 1 is because this was the album that broke up Simon and Garfunkel so that’s always a plus

Out of all of the albums I have listened to that was definitely one of them. Nice to listen to but nothing special. Simon needs Garfunkel Think too much (a) is a jam

Paul Simon has such a calm and soothing voice on this record. Which is a good and bad thing to me. The songs feel super personal which I like. I really like Train in the distance. Wonder if he was doing copious amounts of blow with Carrie Fisher during this. A bit too normie for me. Cars are Cars kinda pisses me off for some reason.

Dude can songwrite and sing.

Not Paul's best, a bit too much sax, but a few very good songs, including his semi- Lennon tribute.

highs and lows throughout even in the same song looking at Cars are Cars 3.5

Sounded familiar even though I had never heard any of the songs before. Think too much (b) and The late great Johnny Ace were my favourite songs 3 ⭐

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

It was all right, but didn't blow me away

I liked this the first time around, and I liked it even more the second. Very calming.

A strange one for me - I didn't mind, though I am not a Paul Simon fan generally

Saving the 5 for Graceland

Genres: Pop, Rock Formed: New York in 1970 Run time: 14 songs, 54 min 13 sec The album is elegant in its simplicity, and it is unmistakably Paul Simon from start to finish. Great story telling throughout. I enjoyed the album, but I probably would not listen again. He have created some fantastic songs over the years, but not on this album. My Rating: ***

This album is a bunch of b-sides that someone decided was worth listening to. It's not. I mean, it's okay once, but nothing in here is worth a relisten.

I love me some Paul Simon. Found some new songs to add to my playlist.

Ehh, it’s fine. He’s fine. Can’t say I’ll be revisiting this often, but there were enjoyable bits.

There's definitely some Simon & Garfunkel vibes on this album compared to Paul Simon's more famous hits which is more in the pop genre. Hearts And Bones however is not something I would go back to. If I'm going to listen to Paul Simon it better be Simon & Garfunkel. Their solo careers aren't that captivating.

Toffe muziekjes, maar geen blijvers

The highs are high and the lows are low.

When compared to Graceland, Rhythm or There Goes Rhymin Simon, I'm not sure why this album is here? It's good, but not up there with his greats. I kind of love that it was meant to be a Simon and Garfunkel album bit then he cut all the Garfunkel out, the meanie!

I liked this!

It was OK but nowhere near Simon's best

Not a terrible album, but most of it had little to no impact on me. Actually, "When Numbers Get Serious" and "Cars Are Cars" are pretty terrible. A little too wacky in places for me as well.

Paul simon se encamina a Graceland en algunos de los tracks, los juegos rítmicos y de guitarras dan esas sensaciones. A pesar de tener indicios de la excelencia de Graceland, ni se asoma a ese trabajo, los altos son muy altos y los bajos son muy bajos. La voz de paul encuentra un lugar, mientras que las melodías juegan de manera libre en las instrumentales. Infelizmente, hay algunos fragmentos escasos en los que las letras y la experiencia roza lo inescuchable, como lo es en la primera canción y alguna de las del cuerpo. La energía y lo romanticón cumplen y es por eso que Paul es Paul. Un disco que no se hace pasar por algo que no es, que muestra indicios que se sacian y cumplen con lo que prometen en Graceland, por eso digo que no es tan loco ni un clasico, un sólido y disfrutable 6,50/10.

Ook erg nice, Paul Simon heeft peer goede hits gemaakt

Lekker albumpie van Paul. Kende eigenlijk geen een nummer, maar klonk wel lekker, maar wat ik van hem kende vind ik wel beter dus vandaar drie sterren

Eigenlijk een 2,5 maar ik geef ‘m het voordeel van de twijfel!! Prima om naar te luisteren maar dat nummer cars are cars was een dieptepunt

Rustig simpel albumpje, luisterde lekker weg.

7/10

Not my jam. Simmen og Garfunky har aldri egentlig vært det. Utenom det ene albumet til Paul med capsen

It’s paul

Not his best album

Pleasant but disappointing. Didn't really go anywhere. I do like Paul Simon, but this fell flat.

I mean, it’s not bad at all. I would even give it a 3 but no one song caught me right. It was just a really good listen. I will use this opportunity to ask why in my 1st 125 albums is this my third Paul Simon album, but there is no chance of me seeing a Rammstein album to pop up!? There are many blind spots the further you go on this journey. Sorry this was the album I had to take this stand. I would not have the gull to write a book telling people these are the albums to listen to before you die, and sometimes I feel my diversity of appreciation is deeper than the author… No playlist adds.

Boring

Nice bunch of songs. Couldn’t really get into Paul Simons ‘vibe’ enough to say I loved it but it’s fun.

There's a lot of Paul Simon on this list. I like Paul Simon. Happy to hail him as a genius, even. Maybe there's something wholly fresh about this album vs all the others that means I need to hear this one too. Or maybe, just maybe, some other artists could have made it onto the list instead?

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.

Not heard this before some great songs. Some that are so so but enjoyed it very much

Felt everything was boring and uninteresting. The vocals were fairly soulless pop and the instrumentals were also nothing special

I grow to enjoy P. Simon a little more every year

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 the best Paul Simon imo, comes off a little cornier. Still fine.

Never been a huge Paul Simon fan. Always found his music a tad boring. This album landed the same way for me. I really like his voice, but overall not an album I’d be excited to listen to again.

While I've never really dived into the solo career of either Simon or Garfunkel, I do have some songs from both of their times apart from each other, mostly Simon, so I was cautiously optimistic of this album, and while this does indeed sound like Paul Simon, I don't fully understand what makes this more notable than any of his other work. Perhaps because it sounds more folky than most stuff releasing in '83? I just didn't see too much from this to be more than a three star.

Pop acústico agradável.

Un poco rollo.

ok

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.

Deep cut pick: Song About the Moon

Paul Simon is a great songwriter but here not at his best

Minor album in his career, you can hear some snippets of what he would become Graceland but otherwise AM radio fodder (after FM became the dominant medium) and Sesame Street-sounding tunes.

Paul Simon is a genuis songwriter, this was a fantastic and Nice sounding album

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.

1.5 probably. Dull.

So bad it hurt my soul

Yep

Not good.

I'm a casual fan but this is really good. Very beautiful and upbeat but still with some melancholy to it.

Something about this felt... off. Like, Paul just was not singing from his heart here. The songs were fine, the arrangement and production was nice if a little dated, but on most of the songs here he just felt dead inside. Like damn bro you okay?

A fairly lackluster work from Paul, it really feels like he phoned this work in.

Fuck everything about this album. Jesus titty fucking Christ

Pretty mid

Pretty good. Not life changing but found myself humming along to some tracks.

4.5

Paul Simon is just not really for me, I know this

a few great tracks - the late great johnny ace is a standout - but lots of filler and it's not helped by the early-80s production

Paul Simon, the wonder child of folkpop. Always smart and gentle. However, on this album sometimes the water is too shallow.

Pretty much the same review as for the other Paul Simon album we had. Simon by himself is nowhere near his collaborative work with Art Garfunkel. An OK but completely unremarkable album - 3.5 rounded down.

Though a tad dated instrumentally, this LP has enough strong songwriting and melodic variation to keep things interesting until the end. 'Cars are Cars' is an absolute bop and you cannot convince me otherwise.

2.5, nothing too special.

I don't really know what to do with this. It's not rock, it's not folk, it's not pop. I guess it's adult contemporary? It's like... The soft, Fisher-Price version of music. There are no sharp edges, no challenging moments, no interesting... Anything. Super boring.

lol. allergies. cars are cars. get outta here you silly boy!

Song “Hearts and Bones” is very peaceful, acoustics are great. Reminds me of Jim Croce. Some songs have reggae influences which is interesting with the acoustics. Album is very peaceful and lyrics are light and insightful. Did not finish

3.75

On the surface marred by the 80s production, very evident in the first few tracks. But Johnny Ace is a great track, the others are solid, and props to persuading Philip Glass to do a little orchestration for your album closer.

I generally like Paul Simon's work, sometimes really love it, but this album, which I had not heard before, just didn't really grab me. Maybe I'll give it another listen some time, but this time around I simply found it a bit bland and dull.

Nile Rodgers hört man überall raus, bemerkenswert. Was man über den Rest der Platte nicht wirklich sagen kann. Viele Songs sind einfach nicht gut (Cars are Cars ist der größte Schwachsinn, den ich seit langem gehört habe). Gute zwei Sterne.

Soft. Singer songwriter

3.5 HL: The Late Great Johnny Ace, Think Too Much B/A, Rene & Georgette…

Not for me. Some of it has aged very badly

never liked Simon and Garfunkel and now ik Simon is the reason

Not Simons best work but an admirable singer-songwriter blend. 80s Simon is always divisive. I think this album furthers that divide.

Ok album, some nice storytelling, but that’s about it

Boring and in places comically bad

Paul Simon is always a good listen. I didn’t get a chance to rate this before ragbrai but I enjoyed listening to it on the way to sergeant bluff

Pretty chill easy listening record. Nothing really standouts to me however. I made it through and didn't have to stop. 2/5

Crazy that “Sound of Silence” and “Cars are cars all over the world” were written by the same person

There's so much good 80s music and yet this has so much of what was bad in the 80s, including some terrible songs about allergies and cars (being cars all over the world....

The number of fucks Paul Simon gives can be estimated by the fact that this album begins with a song about skin rashes.

Pleasant. Probably won't revisit

Paul Simon est, vous le savez, l'un de mes chouchous dans le générateur. Malheureusement, la fin de cet album est pour moi extrêmement floue puisque il me semble m'être endormi dans l'herbe pendant l'une des dernières pistes. Je me réveillai en panique, pensant que Robert allait invalider mon écoute avant de recevoir un appel de celui-ci m'expliquant que tout était bon pour lui et que je n'avais aucun soucis à me faire. Quel soulagement...

Paul Simon ne s'est pas foutu de notre gueule et ça, ça me fait plaisir.

I enjoy me some Paul Simon and had never heard this album before. It was... interesting? Knowing that Graceland comes next, which is such a great record, you can feel this is the step towards that at times. At other times it just is very 80s schlock... I mean he writes a song about allergies.

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.

There are some songs that have decent melodies but it's hard to say if any of the songs would be much to write home about if they weren't souped up by the very talented musicians he has playing with him. He became quite accomplished at hiring session musicians who could make the melodies for him and not take songwriting credits. This strategy reached its peak on his next album, Graceland.

Could Paul Simon be the most over-rated artist of all-time? Why not send us a collection of John Denver Ballads? I'm baffled how this LP, which was a commercial and critical failure, could be picked over many exceptional and influential LPs that did not make the 1001 list. I was willing to suffer through the whole thing, but my co-judge told me to take this "middle-of-the-road garbage" off after three songs.

I'm not a fan of Paul Simon, but this was better than expected. I'm pretty impressed with the crack musicians that he was able to recruit for this album: its like a who's who... Nile Rodgers, Al Dimeola, Eric Gale, Airto Moriera, Steve Gadd, Marcus Miller, so he gets an extra point for that.

Meh. Shit Sliding Away

Absolutely shite.

Some decent songs and some utter nonsense

Farts & moans

Standout Tracks: Allergies, Hearts And Bones, Think Too Much (a), René and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog after the War

Pretty unremarkable, especially considering Graceland exists. Cars are Cars is probably one of the dorkiest songs to ever be made

Nice but not that essential

Wtf is this? Lyrics are awful, musically meandering...ugh

Inte lika bra som Graceland men ändå fint. Men också, vi fattar, du har haft flickvänner Paul.

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.

Good stuff

Bro who did this de va sådär… gafflar! Du äter me dem, de finns överallt å e gjorda av metall… gafflar!! De e hu de här albumet lät Idk ja gilla int de så mycke de va quirked up men de funka int rikit imo

Keep it up Paul

Meh!

Nearly gave this a 4/5 but it’s not quite there. Stand out track - Think to much (b)

Cars are cars, thanks rhymin Simon

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 🌟

Again, some album that no one has ever heard. Are they picking the most obscure albums from some of the biggest names just to make sure you listen to them? To be fair, early 80s Paul Simon sucks anyway. Muzak with falsetto vocals.

He kind of needs Garfunkel for me to really dig it. It's not bad by any means though.

Eh, it's ok. I guess it's on here because Garfunkel was deleted. Fave: The Late Great Johnny Ace

As I listened a lot of the songs were familiar, I don't know where I heard this before but I feel like it must have been one that my dad played in the car.

Feels like a children's school album. Would much prefer listening to Simon and Garfunkel. This has all my least favorite of the 80s elements in the album.

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.

Eh, his self titled album is already on the list, and presumably "Graceland" is too, so this feels a bit superfluous. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The vaguely ska song was pretty cringe, as was "Cars Are Cars" - what was that, an attempt to be a bit Talking Heads? ಠ_ಠ Fave track - the title track I guess. "The Late Great Johnny Ace" had its moments, but also a lot of cringe...

7/10. I like Paul Simon plenty, but this album felt a little underwhelming.

There’s something odd about the mixing of Paul Simon’s solo stuff. This was alright. 7/10

There are some fun songs here interspersed with some weird songwriting.

This was a tough one to rate. On the one hand, it's a Paul Simon album, and the man knows music and has a beautiful and distinctive voice. On the other hand, none of these songs are particularly memorable. They're just good because they're Paul Simon songs. However, none of these songs are in the top 20 Paul Simon songs in my opinion. The issue, then, is whether I judge this album as it sounds or within the context of Paul Simon's career. If this was a band that I'd never heard of, I would certainly rank it as 4/5 stars. Within the context of his career, I'd consider this mediocre, 3/5 stars. Ultimately, I choose the later. I try not to bring prejudice into my reviews, but I also just don't get why this album is on here. I'm sure there are plenty of other Simon records on this list, so it's tough to see why this album deserves any special merit 3/5

Tosi miellyttävää, mellow meikinki

A bit confused at the inclusion of this album into the 1001 albums list, as overall this is a slight, blasé album that provides little besides some decent lyrics and pedestrian music clichés of the 1980's packaged into one convenient album. Most interesting ideas are cut short but some are left to flourish like on the excellent Late Great Johnny Ace and Train in the Distance. Overall it's hard to dislike this album, but I'd argue even harder to love, a skip if there ever was one

Groovy pretty album

pffffffffffffffffffffffffffbgbghhf

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