Hearts And Bones

ok bon j'ai l'impression que chaque album que j'ecoute a la maison est un hit. Je pense que le bureau fait de moi une mauvaise personne.apres certaines chansons étaient pas folle Ba j'aime enormement. C'est doux, melodieux, touchant. Je savais pas que c'est lui Mr robinson. Cool d'avoir ecouter un autre album. Aussi son nom est simple a retenir

Recherche bibliographique: Il devait sortir l'album avec Garfunkel mais ils se sont tellement embrouillé pendant l'enregistrement que Simon a décidé de le sortir tout seul. Pas cool. C'est peut-être la meilleure folk qu'on a écouté pour le moment, même si ça a un petit gout de "j'ai écouté la même chanson 10 fois". Spotify nous a refait le coup de mettre des records à la c** ç la fin de l'album. Il se serait mouché pendant les sessions que les producteurs l'auraient rajouté dans la "deluxe remastered exclusive version". Laissez-moi tranquille.

A mild and inoffensive Paul Simon album. His whispery singing and quirky story songs do have their charm, though they can also be very boring if you’re not invested.

3 descent tracks, but one of Simon's weakest albums IMO

Lyrics were uninspiring, sounds were dull

Allergies had a cool guitar riff so I was expecting more of that. Also didn’t resonate with the lyrics for the songs

simon from simon and garfunkel Notable tracks: train in the distance

I really like Paul Simon but found this album a bit lacking. The typical Simon songwriting is in there though this record isn't nearly as great as some of his others. Perhaps it was some of the leftover Garfunkel connection that left this album being less than what it could have been. The title track is a very cool song, though the rest of it is pretty average.

Really hot and cold

Overall, this album is a little vanilla. It's a fine listen, but not much stands out beyond the well-crafted lyrics, like those on “Cars Are Cars.” It's a fine enough listen, but nothing here will bring me back to this album.

Would never have believed I would actively dislike a Paul Simon album, but here we are. That Cars song is among the worst I’ve heard in this whole project - thankfully, the rest of the album is just regular bad.

3 songs in and I’m underwhelmed. I love Paul Simon’s body of work, and he’s had a couple of great solo records, but this one is subpar to start. His voice is wonderful as always, but the music is uninteresting and a little dull. Too much of an easy listening vibe. Songwriting is not up to par by Paul Simon standards. Curious choice for the list. Wanna give it a 2, maybe it’s a 3, but I just don’t think it’s all that good.

Some great tracks and some slight clangers

A silky, subdued set of songs that feature quiet vocals and which mostly work. Simon rarely raises his voice here, almost whispering the lyrics, but it gives a lot of weight to the songs and leaves you paying close attention. Musically you can hear the seeds of Graceland here, though without the international influences and with a little more sleekness. Most of the songs are just OK, not really wowing you or dragging, but "Train in the Distance" and "Rene and Georgette" are both great and very emotional. They lead into "Cars Are Cars" though, which is a weak spot, especially lyrically; the lyrics are just alright throughout this. Neither a forgettable album nor an unforgettable one, but definitely less memorable than a lot of 80s albums.

shoutout to my cat who is also named paul simon :)

Surprisingly good

Good

Having Graceland as benchmark, this is a good effort.

A much more varied sounding album than previous efforts. It is hard to see how Garfunkel may have contributed seeing as he was also working on the album before this was decided to be a solo effort. The album has more of a groove to it than the earlier solo efforts and I can feel the lead up to Graceland in that regard.

Your run-of-the-mill guitar led record. Liked it, nothing special. 3/5 ⭐️ 287/1081

Hmm Allergies sounds pretty cool off to a good start Very poetic lyrics along with the interesting instrumentals is keeping my attention I actually really enjoyed this & wasn’t expecting to a little confused by the low rating & negative reviews but I don’t really listen to Paul Simon so maybe that's why

Paul Simon does not write confessionally, or histonically, or with huge swinging emotions. His writing is considered, cultivated and crafted with precision and care. Songwriting as bonsai.

Some really solid ones on here, but not Paul Simon's best. But also, mediocre Paul Simon is still really pretty good.

Pop / Rock / Verbindung zu Serie und Film "Hearts and Bones": #1 Hearts and Bones #2 Train in the Distance (Original Acoustic) #3 The Late Great Johnny Ace (Original Acoustic)

Meh. Maybe 2.5

Paul Simon is a great storytelling songwriter and that is no more apparent than on ‘Train in the Distance’ and ‘Rene and Geogette Margritte with their dog after the war’. But the rest of the album just feels safe and cosy. Dont get me wrong this was a pleasant accompaniment to an early autumn Sunday morning dog walk, but classic I’m afraid not. The fact that Pail Simon not only wrote ‘Cars are Cars’ let alone actually decide to include it on an album is frankly astonishing, it sounds like something improvised by a toddler

This was a perfectly acceptable album to listen to on a quiet Sunday afternoon, but it did little to spark any real reaction from me. The most my ears pricked up was at the unmistakeable rhythm section of Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards on “Think Too Much (A)”. Obviously clearly accomplished (with a who’s who of every great 80s session musician on it), but it was largely just background music.

Cars Are Cars was jaw dropping. And not in a good way. I thought this was somewhere in between 'a bit crap' and 'just about ok' pretty much constantly. Not even it going a bit ska during When Numbers Get Serious, something that would generally make me happy, saves it. I'm not sure what it was, as I've loved previous Paul Simon records, but I did not get on with this album. Still like his voice, and there are clearly talented artists playing on this, but it's definitely not for me. Should be a 1.5 but it's going to scrape a 2/5

Pretty non descript Paul Simon record. Not sure why it's included here 2.5 stars

Paul Simon is a very good songwriter. Some of his talent can be found here, but in very short supply. The more playful songs, such as "When Numbers Get Serious" and "Cars Are Cars," just leave a bad taste. It was an underwhelming and dull experience overall, and the good moments were disappointingly rare. It's almost as if he knew that himself, that he was capable of so much more - as he showed just a couple of years later. So in a way, this is a lackluster but necessary step to achieve what is, in my opinion, one of the best albums of the 80s.

This is a fun full circle moment. The last full album with Paul Simon I have listened to was my very first album of this project, Parley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyma by Simon and Garfunkel, which by now is awfully distant in the rearview. But back to the present, Hearts And Bones seems like a generally well loved Paul Simon album and I can largely see why. He is on a pretty moody wavelength here, And it complements his writing very well. By the way, I've not done the deep dive into Paul Simon yet, but of his writing that I have heard, it is pretty brilliant. I love the way he tells stories and brings in such a particular brand of surreal, kind of disembodied images that are very distinct from those spun by similar American singer songwriters. But the production on any given track is really what makes or breaks it here. I *really* like the more organic stuff here like the title track, Think Too Much (b), René and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War, and the particularly shadowy The Late Great Johnny Ace. It took me a minute to click, but the title track (Hearts And Bones) is probably my favorite song here bar none. The percussion almost starts veering towards Graceland stuff, and the momentum makes it feel like a particularly chill early morning drive through the middle of nowhere. The lyrics are also gorgeous. The other songs are a bit of a mixed bag for me though, especially when he gets really 80s with it (by which I largely mean new wave inspired). Allergies is one of the ones that more or less works for me, but even it's production is a little much. Although the guitar soli *rips*. I also like Think Too Much (a)'s embrace of some funk stuff. It does work in the new wave-y context. But When Numbers Get Serious, Train In The Distance, and Song About The Moon don't do a ton for me, regardless of their production. Cars Are Cars does not fit neatly into songs I do, or do not like on the other hand. It almost feels like a pastiche of Talking Heads, in that it's a funky, percussive new wave song with kind of a quirky feel, and lyrics about a mundane, industry dominated aspect of life, which are all very Talking Heads things to do. But even on songs I'm not into, I can kind of respect Simon's artistry, but it does drag the score down a little. Ultimately this is very good though, and it has a select few absolutely killer songs.

He's a master all the way around.

A solid album, though not quite on the level of Graceland.

Not bad (except the cars song)

I don't trust Paul Simon. I think there's something about his writing that does not match the tender and melancholic singing I hear, but my dislike of his music goes deeper than that in a way I have so far failed to articulate. I'm chalking it up to a gut thing. My gut hates Paul Simon.

Wow, this album is mastered like shit! For an album that really relies on Paul Simon's lyricism to carry it, it is so hard to hear what he's saying. This is probably the least musically interesting album of his that most people have actually heard, so if you don't buy him as a writer this is probably not going anywhere for you. Certainly not bad but he has at least three albums I like more than this one.

4/5

Good

I had never (properly) listened to Paul Simon and I found this very good and interesting. I really liked most of the lyrics. When it comes to the music, I'm not a big fan of the tracks with the 80's synth sound ("Allergies", "Cars are Cars", "When Numbers Get Serious"...). However, I really liked most of the other songs ("Hearts And Bones", "Song About The Moon", "Train In The Distance"), or may two favourite tracks: "René And Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War" and "The Late Great Johnny Ace". This is, at least, 4 stars for me. It would actually be 5 stars if not for those heavily synth-driven songs.

Album #299 Paul Simon: Hearts and Bones Who would have thought that ‘Mr. Jamba’ by Kyle Gordon wouldn’t be the most on-the-nose Paul Simon parody I heard this week! Hearts and Bones is what you would get if you told ChatGPT to make a Paul Simon album: nonsensical, childlike song names, softly spoken words with lots of worldly references, and a general glaze of self-indulgence. Now he still is Paul Simon, and to me that means something, so there are a handful of tracks here that actually were pretty great. But man, if halfway through “Cars Are Cars” I didn’t want to reach into my headphones and strangle Paul, I mean, for fuck sakes, we know that cars are cars everywhere it wasn’t deep the first time, it meant nothing the hundredth time. The title track and Train in the Distance are enough to convince me that it really was Paul Simon making this album, and the closer is Simon’s take on American Pie but about the death of John Lennon, and it is pretty well executed. So overall, a solid album if you’re into Paul Simon, but if not, I can’t see why you would ever put this on over Graceland. Best Songs: Hearts and Bones, Train in the Distance, The Late Great Johnny Ace Worst Song: Cars Are Cars Score out of 10: 6.5

What a garbage album.

Paul Simon – Hearts and Bones (1983) On Day 283, this record felt caught in an awkward tug-of-war between soothing, intimate folk and attempts at commercial 80s pop that never fully clicked. When the arrangements tried too hard to chase upbeat radio trends, the momentum felt slightly out of place. However, the sheer quality of Paul Simon’s songwriting remains undeniable. Highlights like the gorgeous title track, the reflective craft of "Song About the Moon," the infectious Nile Rodgers bounce on "Think Too Much (b)," and the understated groove of "Train in the Distance" provided great individual moments. It lands as a noticeably weaker, less cohesive effort than his classic 1972 self-titled debut, but the strong lyrical foundation keeps it afloat. A respectable 3/5.

Of all the Paul Simon albums?

I wonder if when this album came out people thought Simon did need Garfunkel.

I mean…it was OK…fine, not bad…but uninspired. It’s no Graceland.

Really wanted to like this one, but it’s some of the okayest Paul Simon music that I’ve heard. He really was so big in the 80’s that he could ramble on about anything he wanted in these songs, and their memorability suffers for it. Not bad, just okay.

This one was good for it, felt derivative at the end. Got bored but the first half is solid.

Decent album nothing memorable nothing really sticks out, but it’s listenable at least

Decent album. Kicking Art off the album just because he had a love song was a dick move though.

the wildly varying song styles made this album feel not as cohesive as it should be. Lyrics were still good though

Didn’t finish, it was fine.

J'en ai rien retenu j'avoue.

This was such a vibey album and I really enjoyed it. Paul Simon's music really gives me a sense of comfort and happiness. Good album.

As a Paul Simon fan... I can admit this album is not nearly as good as Graceland, but holy, is it still a nice, vibey album. The only song that was a little silly was Cars Are Cars, and I feel like the delivery on that one fell a little flat. But it was otherwise a very nice album that bridges the gap between Simon & Garfunkel and Paul Simon's solo career.

I just love Paul Simon, but this is a really odd release. To me it plays as a document of personal indecision. The ultimate transition album. Is it going to be S&G or is it a personal diary? "Think Too Much" was definitely the more apt title for the album. Musically it shows Paul in a place of flux. He holds on to the electric pianos that so colored the mood of his brilliant first trilogy of solo albums, but it also gives hints toward the musical wanderlust that would be so richly rewarded a couple years later in his finest ever work, Graceland. Again, I love Paul Simon, but #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie, did he really need six albums? Does anyone really NEED to hear this one before they die? So many wonderful artists who don't appear on the list at all. 3 stars.

Nice, rounded up to 4

Listened before?: nope. this will be the 2nd Paul Simon album i've heard from this list so far, as I listened to his self-titled album a while back Allergies - 2/5 Hearts and Bones - 5/5 When Numbers Get Serious - 3/5 Think Too Much (b) - 3/5 Song About the Moon - 4/5 Think Too Much (a) - 2/5 Train in the Distance - 4/5 Rene and Georgette... - 3/5 Cars Are Cars - 1/5 The Late Great Johnny Ace - 3/5 Average score: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐ i hate to say it cuz i love Simon & Garfunkel, but i'm really not feeling Paul Simon's solo work as much others seem to be. Hearts and Bones is a great track, but most of the album sounded a little odd to me. maybe it's the 80s production he was exploring around this time or something. i just didn't enjoy this compared to the more acoustic style of his 60s/70s work he's a really talented singer and songwriter, and i really hope i come across something in his solo discography that i enjoy more than this. i've heard a lot of good things about Graceland (which he released after this album i believe), so maybe he grew into whatever sound he was going for by then. i guess i won't know til the time comes to rate it

loved the song-writing of this album - really easy to follow and accessible while still being poetic

3.2

Typical Paul Simon

Mid-stage Paul Simon

eh

Paul Simon wrote & recorded Cars Are Cars & put it on an album?! Why!? Very uneven & a lot of the songs have little to no point. He's just throwing shit on the walls to see what sticks. The result is a mixed. He seems like he has a type of writers block that makes his music less than stellar. He has a song about Numbers & the moon. He mentions the moon an awful lot, too. 2.5

This was hit or miss for me. Felt a bit all over the place. It has its moments for sure, but Cars are Cars just felt so silly to me

Weird choice for this list because it's pretty weak and disjointed. This was the album that caused Paul Simon to go to South Africa to find good musicians, because he had run out of ideas by this point. While Graceland ended up being a masterpiece, this is a Paul Simon who's completely out of ideas. Cars Are Cars, what was he thinking with that one?!?

Not essential Paul Simon listening

Uneven Paul Simon is still pretty damn great.

Great songwriting by Paul Simon, though the African percussion touches make it sound undoubtedly like him but also of the era it was made. The one great thing is it didn’t feel as “80s” in production like so many others, covered in reverb and chorus etc. it still had a more mild sound out of the 70s which I liked. Overall though, I didn’t connect particularly with the album.

Hearts and Bones is an odd entry in Simon's catalogue. While it undeniably has some of his most beautiful work (Hearts and Bones, Train in the Distance), it also has some rough songs where you can see Simon struggling with the direction he wants to go in the 80s (Allergies, Cars are Cars). He was still an amazing songwriter but was also clearly caught between the style he'd gotten used to in the 70s and the newer, more conventional 80s sound that he didn't really seem to gel with. I think the album still has a lot to offer but it's also not surprised Simon's next move was complete reinvention with the incredible Graceland.

mmm nah. Flojo. Aburrido. Soso. 3/10

I really liked this. It's chill but fun album which works really well when walking through the city at night, which is exactly what I happened to be doing when I listened to it. It's musically quite diverse without sounding all over the place. I think we can all unanimously agree that 'Cars are Cars' is a dud though. 8/10

Great musician, not my vibe.

A bit bland for me.

pass

Great songwriting and singing by a classic. However, I don't think it was one of his best, compared to Graceland for example.

Am I rating this a 1 because I’m having a bad day and this isn’t helping or because it’s god awful? Hard to say. The best thing I can say is that I can tell how he got from here to Graceland but my god at what cost

3.5 it’s Simon

Pleasant

Very good

I’ve always loved Paul Simon—he’s one of my favorite songwriters. But man, if there’s a reason for Heart and Bones to be on the list, it’s to show how desperately he needed the inspiration he eventually found for Graceland. Well recorded, decent writing, solid playing, but despite its deep listenability, it’s also deeply uninteresting. There’s a reason none of these songs get much radio play. It feels sacrilegious to award it only 2 stars, but it’s only eking out a 3. Probably because of my own personal biases toward Paul Simon.

3.0

Really wanted some new to me Paul Simon in my life, unfortunately nothing outstanding here

Every aspect of this album is brilliant. But, it earns a 5 just for the inclusion of Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War and The Late Great Johnny Ace.

Not the best lyrics I've ever heard kinda weird some of them but I'm not a big lyric guy so didn't matter to me that much the music is solid and good production plenty of space for the instrumentatation to shine nothing ground breaking but it's not a bad album and quite enjoyable

Not Paul’s best work, not his worst either

I imagine this was a bit of a precursor of ideas to Graceland, but I'm not really sure the themes are particularly related, but the very clean sound certainly is. A couple of pretty good tunes, albeit missing that Paul Simon top 40 hit-making style. Not his finest work by any stretch, nor particularly remarkable. Just kind of even all the way around.

Angenehme Sammlung von Folk-Songs. Richtig herausstechen tut aber nur wenig, vieles ist auch ein wenig fad.

#12 Paul Simon - Hearts and Bones Fascinating album. Not to say I like it much, but def worth the journey. Reading the background, it was apperently an attempt for Paul to communicate through music how challenging it is to balance your heart and brain when working on something you’re passionate about. That is exactly what is going on here, the songs are intricate, time signatures moving all over the place, then a bunch of new instruments and effects come in and once your intrigue peeks, it jumps right back into a pretty basic and not interesting pop song. It typically doesn’t land for me, but I can’t stop thinking of how cool a redo of this album could be by a Brian Eno or some colab with my morning jacket and tame impala….ive gone to far.

No va

so demure, so chill, very slay 8/10

Pleasant but inessential, especially coming directly before Graceland

paul on his paul game

The skinny tie always turned me away from this record, but it's surprisingly good (except Allergies, thats dumb). 3.75/5.

Difficile. Ci sono brani molto belli e altri che passano un po' inosservati. Nel complesso è un buon mix fra il Paul Simon acustico e le sonorità anni '80. Alcuni pezzi hanno parti strumentali veramente interessanti, come Allergies. Darei 3.5 ma non si può.

I’ve previously had Graceland from this list, so I was curious to see what this creative malaise he apparently had in the run up to that album sounded like. Now I kinda get it. It’s by no means bad, but I don’t think this would trouble the list if it was made by a lesser known artist. The production is a quite generic ‘80s, and while you can do worse for albums of the period Simon can certainly do better.

A maybe slightly hot take: I like this almost as much as ‘Graceland’; it’s only the more interesting instrumentation that takes that album above this one for me. But the songwriting here is just as strong, with some of Paul Simon’s most personal songs. Highlights include the title track, ‘Song About the Moon’, ‘Train in the Distance’, ‘Rene and Georgette Magritte…’ and ‘The Late Great Johnny Ace’. The only slight dud is ‘Cars Are Cars’. As mentioned, the production is more stereotypically 80s than ‘Graceland’ (gated reverb drums, synths, rather slick and polished-sounding), but it works well. Strong 4 stars.

Yet another great artist that would benefit from curation. Just pick the big ole hits. Graceland! You don't need 3 Paul Simon albums and 3 Simon and Garfunkel.

masterful

Quiet, relaxing, enjoyable.

Pretty boring