Graceland

there's good and bad stuff here i guess

Cool album, very reminiscent of Bob Dylan and Tom Petty. Can picture dancing and driving to this. Type of music to be on a jukebox. 6.7

Helt ait

20 jaar na Sounds of Silence was Paul Simon, een naam die saai genoeg niet lekker te vertalen is, een veranderd man. Blijkbaar. Redelijk aan het begin zegt ome Paul dat we naar Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee gaan, maar ergens gaat er blijkbaar iets mis met onze vlucht en belanden we in het Afrika van George of the Jungle (een klassieker met de inmiddels gelauwerde Brendan Fraser), waar de enigszins stereotyperend gecaste locals gezellig samen met de witte bezoekers staan te feesten terwijl de gorillas geheel vrijwillig de djembés voor hun rekening nemen. Hier zou je als bakra anno 2024 niet meer mee wegkomen. Denk ik althans. De ongeschreven regels veranderen continu. Het is echt lelijk 80's met absoluut geen gebrek aan galm en mechanische drums, maar het is wel een grappig album. De dikke laag toegeëigende wereldmuziek maakt het zowel verschrikkelijk als fantastisch. Drie sterren zodat niemand aanstoot kan nemen aan m'n rating.

This was neat and the influences are all over, but I think this isn't exactly something I'll reach for again.

You can call me Al. 'nuff said.

Definitely a resurgence and repackaging of Paul Simon.

Pretty good, really liked “The Boy in the Bubble,” “Crazy Love, Vol II,” and “Gumboots.” Overall, a little hard to get into though because Paul spends a lot of the time singing as if he is rambling - the music itself is often more enjoyable than his vocals. That being said, it was an interesting listen. Wouldn’t hate listening to it again, but wouldn’t choose it over Simon & Garfunkel.

I gave this three listens and I really wanted to like it. It was bold and adventurous and had parts that were great! I can hear Vampire Weekend stole from this though they perfected it!

It is clear that Paul Simon retains a lot of the talent we heard in the era of Simon & Garfunkel. Hear we are missing a lot of the sweet and tight harmonies but it partially makes up for it with the impressive integration of African melodies, vocal styles and rhythms and the collaborations, like with Los Lobos. Paul doesn't have strongest voice melodically but he is a poet in his own right. Even though this album was released 20 years later than the 60s it still has a little bit of that counter cultural sound to it, maybe perhaps because his voice is immortalized in that scene. Where this album falls short is that although he is a strong poet, a lot of the themes and descriptive scenes are all things we have heard before, so even though the music is adventurous, the words are not and certainly aren't when compared to what some other artists are doing in that time lyrically (the mid 1980s). My stand out tracks are 'Graceland' and 'Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes'

Interesting album, heavy on the world music vibe. Very interesting tone/instrumentation choices. It can come off a little corny if you focus on that too much, but these are great songs that cover a lot of different ground. Not entirely my thing but can still respect it.

Good

De beste man heeft een imposante solocarrière wel. Ik vind uiteraard Graceland en You Can Call me Al heel nice maar verder pakt het me weinig. Ik merk dat ik niet zo fan ben van hem. Beetje zeurderig

3.5

I discovered that folk music is not for me either, much like psychedelic rock. However, I did enjoy the album’s second half a lot, to the point that I was sad it was over. The album makes me feel conflicted, whilst the wishy-washy, goody-two-shoes melodies and vocal delivery are too overwhelming and tiring for me, I can not help but to appreciate the rich influence of African music.

Veel verschillende invloeden. En juicy bass.

Not something I would listen to normally but interesting.

Overall decent but I’m not a fan of the bass sounds throughout the album.

I think the songwriting on this album is too smart for me. I had no clue what was going on...at any point. It was fun to listen to though, musically anyway. 3/5

game recognize game, thanks paul

I tried to listen to it twice, but both times when I realized it had finished a while ago I couldn't remember anything about it. TLDR kinda forgettable

Not a bad sound.

revisited at 15-02-2024

Из песни The Boy In the Bubble якобы родилась группа War On Drugs. Итс окэй альбом с порой интересным звуком. Лучшая песня - The Boy In the Bubble.

I really enjoyed this album. It had been awhile since I heard this. My favs on this one are That was your Mother and All around the world. Not as high on my list as the S&G albums, but very good.

Favourite song: Graceland

I can call you Dutch, and Dutch when you call me you can call me Ace

Pretty good background music while working. Some good songs sprinkled throughout that sparked my attention. Specifically crazy love volume 2

songs ranging from charming folk music to irritating folk music and acapella.

Merging of cultures is cool but only liked a few songs.

Know this one well. Some great songs. Some good songs. Some I’d skip. Struggled to rank between 3 and 4 stars but ultimately feel like there are albums in between this one and The Wall so went with 3.

Ok honestly better than I expected him to be as a solo act. It does sound a little like a guitar playing singer in some church retreat camp though. Graceland was my favorite track

I didn't mind it

I was already very familiar with this album and knew that to try and judge it objectively, I would have to set what I know about the production aside. I’m doing so, my first thought was that production wise, this album has not aged super well to me. It sounds very of its era, which means overproduced and shiny. Musically, there are a few terrific songs and a couple of throwaways. I’m not going to weigh in on where fusion ends and where appropriation begins, but once you start delving into the source material that inspires Paul Simon, it makes some of this seem less novel or interesting. Still, there is enough inspired songwriting to lift this album. It’s not bad by any means.

I never was really impressed with this when it was released or now. Fine performance.

A really nice classic with some huge hits on it.

Solid album, nice to listen to with fun and upbeat tunes

This is nice pleasant stuff but I’m honestly not sure there’s anything in it that would bring me back

Used to know this well. Pleased to find it was like revisiting an old friend. (Side note. Another New Yorker who can stray into talking instead of singing, but barely often enough to be annoying.) (Another side note. The modern lens means questioning a wealthy white man increasing his own success by working with African musicians. But it sounds like it was a joyful collaboration, and I'll have to trust that all parties were respected and remuneration was handled appropriately.) I like it, although truthfully by the last two songs I'd had enough. Good to hear it again and I was singing along. 7 out of 10.

The bass is so fretless, it’s distracting. I like how he moves between talking and singing. Overall, feels like a combo of Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen with a dash of Bela Fleck. Not crazy about it, but it’s not bad.

An odd and eccentric project from Simon inspired by African percussion. The songs are fun though I can see how it is not for everyone. Perhaps not a classic, but definitely a memorable album

I want to like it, but it's difficult

not too bad, not too good

Graceland is good, a known song but the others did pop much for me.

Deciding to rate albums on a scale of 1-5. My first album was “Graceland” by Paul Simon. I knew of one song by him called “You can call me Al” just never knew the artist. I did not listen to the deluxe edition so I listened to the original 11 songs. 43 minutes of something new on every track but it didn’t sound like it was chasing an hot sound of the times. I didn’t dislike any tracks but there were a few I wouldn’t play again on a random day. I’ll listen to this album a few more times before my next one drops. 3.7/5 and that’s me setting the bar around above average with my first playthrough.

Never been a huge fan of Simon or Garfunkel. Don’t hate their stuff, but never really got into it. This felt the same for me; nothing offensively bad, but nothing really blew me away. 5.5/10

hell nah, this blows middly, 80s and apartheid with shitty production. (You Can Call Me Al is pretty good ngl brah) 6/10

I've always loved this album but I didn't know about the history behind it and now I feel weird about it! Still thinking on it.

Think I’m good on Paul Simon for a while thank you.

Not for me but it was a god listen

I can appreciate folk rock, but maybe not so far back as the 60s folk rock. Not the worst music to listen to, but Graceland was alright. Everything else sounded like lots of Tuba and a boring voice.

Better than I would have guessed however not one that I’d add to my rotation. I like the album art.

A strong album with great melodies, backed by South African sounds

Didn’t like quite a lot of this, don’t get the hype.

A little tough to get into but overall very nice!

not my favorite but i like his voice

This is such a strange album. I know it already but it's Paul Simon getting into world music and doing his own thing with it. Musically it's clearly very skilled and it's hard to give a note but it isn't a 5/5 for me like on a lot of lists.

The mix is a little muddy /busy on some tracks. Some stand out singles like Diamonds on the soles of her shoes and You can Call me Al. I think as an album it could have cut like 3 tracks to tighten things up.

Chilled nusic

The music sounds good, but SO much baggage.

It was interesting. Not really my kind of music, but I was able to appreciate the “world music” aspect to it. Very interesting culturally

Why am I soft in the middle when life is so hard? This would be a solid 2 without call me al.

could i write poetry to this? n

Not my favorite of Paul Simon's work by a long shot.

Pretty gooooooood

Paul Simon is cool, call me Al is a bop.

Pretty good, better than I expected

Somehow never listened to this completely before. It sure is eclectic. Energetic and original production. I think it does sound pioneering in the inclusion for other musicians and other musical styles other than US staples. Title track is much sadder than I realised, I have to skip "Al" because that's one song I never need to hear another time in my life. Will probably re-listen in the future I do find Simons solo stuff patchy, probably cos it's so varied, sometimes it's hard to settle into a groove.

On the way home and while cooking

Quirked up white boy with a little bit of swag.

Great album for a long car ride or for getting out of a shitty mood, but the last 3 songs are kind of stinkers. 3.7

Loving the African vibes which actually led me down a rabbit hole of zydeco and mbaqanga playlists on Spotify. I understand there’s a bit of controversy about cultural appropriation but this helped me discover some new music genres so that’s cool. I guess like a lot of things this is quite complicated. Songs wise the majority are okay with some misses due to being cheesy 80s pop compositions.

Some parts were boring but some were cool. This is fine to be on the list. Ez 3

Pretty corny but there's some good parts, especially the bass.

Not my favorite from Paul.

I've always found him a but cute - but there is some great music on this album, and I think he does deserve credit for helping to transmit that beautiful South African music to a wider audience (though of course the original is best!)

classic paul

Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes // You Can Call Me Al

Paul Simon is an iconic artist that I just can't appreciate. The lyrics are great, and some of the tracks I really enjoy (You Can Call Me Al has a killer synth riff), but in general I just find it to be something I want to come back and listen to in the future. If I ever restart this list again, perhaps I'll find more appreciation in my 50's. For now, 3/5.

You can call me anything and I will be your bodyguaaaaaaaaaard! (Completely butchered the lyrics XD) turns out it's an an apartheid album

Mainly: boring.

Meh. Cool I guess. Men nei

Very different from anything I've ever engaged with. Really liked the world influences on multiple tracks. Not something I'd pick all the time, but definitely interesting and I wouldn't hate if somebody put it on. Fav tracks: You Can Call Me Al, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, Homeless

There’s a lot going on here. Overall, a fun album. Simon’s voice and lyrics are always so great and so on point, and this album is no exception This was a bit of a mish-mash that worked in certain occasions and, in my opinion, felt awkward in others…. kind of like a folk-Afro beats version of Ice-T’s heavy metal project, Body Count. I like both things separately more than I like their sum. It just felt a bit contrived. On top of that, the Dixie/Rockabilly tracks seemed like an afterthought. With any other artist at the helm, I would have likely rated it lower.

Middling inoffensive stuff

An eclectic collection with a folksy vibe.

Fine

Interesting album that was a good listen but not my style

It's good it's just not me.

Nice!

I really like Simon and Garfunkel but just Paul Simon was pretty boring Top Tracks: 1) All Around the World or The Myth of Fingerprints 2) Crazy Love Vol. II 3) You Can Call Me Al

I tell why this album is so well thought of, just not for me.

Very cheery-sounding, almost to the point of cheesiness (and the saxophone doesn't help that, IMO). A few songs in a minor key could have done a lot to even out the overall sound. Still, I liked the vocal harmonies and some of the baselines. Lots of familiar songs on this album since my parents listened to this one all the time when I was growing up.

Is this where I rate? I’m saying solid 6.5/10 just because it’s not super my type of music and 1001 best of ALL TIME calls for a difficult scale lol

Ok I just started listening and wow there is a lot of accordion in this first song... I thought it was alright but world music aint my favorite. Overall the politics of the album and its use of South African musical influences during a time of boycotting the apartheid state is far more interesting to me than the actual songs themselves sorry gen x! this one is just ok!

Already got a Paul Simon album recently. What a coincidence! “You Can Call me Al” was a great song. Probably 3 stars; I liked the other album better I think.

I thought I was in for a wierd ride with the opening part of the first song, but I actually really enjoyed it from then on. There was a few weird moments still, but not offputting. It wasn't mind blowingly good but it was a nice listen. I just enjoy the african imput in the songs. I don't think there were any stand out tracks, but they all had a nice groove to them.

J'ai bien aimé sur le moment, mais je constate un jour après que l'écoute ne m'a pas marqué au delà des chansons que je connaissais déjà (You can call me Al et The boy in the bubble). J'ai une certaine affection pour le chanteur et ses homonymes, mais vaut-ce une place très haute dans mon classement personnel ?

Good, but unremarkable

3.5! Lots of classics.

This album crossed about 75 genres; definitely made for a unique listen but to be honest I really have no idea what I’m listening to

Honestly was a little irated with by this album. I have no nostalgia for this and there was far too many high-pitched chimes, keys and horns. Then you get the story telling that didn't hold my interest at all. Also what is with the African and islander cultural appropriation? Standouts: The Boy In the Bubble, You Can Call Me Al, Crazy Love, Vol. II #5 of working through the 1001 Albums list

A classic.

An upbeat good album, can't see myself listening to it again but I did save a few songs for 80's playlists.

It was ok, not remarkable for me…. Graceland was my fav though

I know a bunch of the subs from this album, and I think I heard it a lot from my sister at the time. Of course I enjoyed Call Me Al and Graceland, but I have always had some negative feelings about Paul Simon plus the was so much Laby Black Mumbaso going on at the time, so couldn't appreciate this. Listening now, I can certainly appreciate the musicality. It's a pretty good album!

loved the instrumentals but can't get over the e-40 cadence

Not my type of vibe. Reminds me of Toto, whoever came first I’m not sure. Might have revealed my young age with that statement.

3.5/5. Good, average. This is a bit different from other stuff I have heard from this time.

Its alright, but aside from a couple tracks this is really not all that exciting

I actually preferred the other Paul Simon record on this list, I found this one a bit weird (although I know it’s more well-known).

Graceland and call me al, mom listened to these (86). Pretty easy listening, chill low key vibe. All the songs sound kinda similar

Спокойная музыка. Я б не сказал, что зацепила меня, но вполне неплохо. Перекликается по звучанию с "Happy Sad".

What does a newly divorced man who simultaneously has a fallout with his best friend do to cure his sadness? Go to Africa of course! Is this album culturally significant? Yes absolutely 100% no doubt about it. However in terms of pure content, this felt lackluster. I enjoyed portions but never felt impressed by the album as a whole. Truly felt bang average.

Wholesome time

Fun for the whole family

Ik herkend een paar nummers maar niet het gevoel alsof ze speciaal zijn

The politics behind this album have not aged well. Call Me Al was ubiquitous and I never need to hear it again. But there's sturdy songwriting as you would expect. A simple three stars.

I appreciate that this is a classic, but outside of a couple of songs, it's just not to my taste

The music video for You can call me Al is so great.

The website fucked up and repeated my review of TPAB for Under Construction so instead of writing out my original review again here's a shorter version: It's very much of its time but holds up surprisingly well (aside from the usual cringe lyrics on tracks like work it). I especially liked the first half of the album up to the Jay-Z feature (minus the long skits). Now onto Graceland, an album with an even shorter review. It was another 45 minutes of fun Paul Simon music that was very similar to the Juilo down by the schoolyard album.

sorta appreciate the guitars but i don't really like the songs. kind of interesting lyrics!

Soso. One really excellent single amongst other musically accomplished however dull and outdated songs

Das man die gehört haben sollte, da gehe ich mit. Hab sie lange nicht mehr gehört, You Can Call Me All fand ich immer großartig. Gute-Laune-Nummer.

Enjoyed the Paul Simon style but only his hits rang out

Love the cover art. I knew one song from before - “You Can Call Me Al”. Style of music makes me wish I was at a beach sipping on a frozen pina colada. Very upbeat tropical vibes.

It's good, just not my jam so much. I don't think I needed Paul Simon to have the whole solo career he's had, but I can't stop him.

This just doesn't move the needle for me. I know it's considered one the greatest albums of all time, but it feels very empty to me. I did find myself bobbing my head to "That Was Your Mother" Zydeco is a cheat code for my heart. Overall I didn't hate it, but if I never heard it again I wouldn't miss it.

This album was good. Can't say I'll ever revisit on purpose, but it was fine and went well as background for working. I liked the more African flavored songs quite a bit.

Okay to have on in the background. You Can Call Me Al is a good song but not too fussed on the others

2.5/5

3.5 stars

Миленько, приятно. Интересные аранжировки местами Алкоальбом: выпиваешь с батей водочку

It's been a while since I've listened to this album all the way through and I realised this time around I only enjoy a couple of songs. I get what Paul Simon was trying to do, but it does not like the lame white version of some of the music. 3.5/5

I like Paul Simon just fine, and I love West African music more than I like him. I know this album is classic, but I think some songs are better than others in a massive way. The production is lovely — the music is incredible, the lyrics are often interesting, though the collaborations aren’t as synergistic as I’d like. I think that more than anything, I feel kind of eh about this album! Would probably be fun to see live, though. Anyways, a solid 3 because I need to listen again, but I mostly feel flat about it.

Good and Great: The Boy in the Bubble, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, Homeless, Graceland, and You Can Call Me Al. Bad: That Was Your Mother. The Rest is typical middling Paul Simon despite slightly more adventurous instrumentation.

Some good tunes, need to Listen more

It was good

не самый большой фанат Саймона и Гарфанкеля, но это ещё меньше заинтересовало

I enjoyed this album.

Good album!

I always thought Paul Simon was pretty cool. This record was obviously inspired by afrobeat and other genres of African music. I think Simon is able to blend those genres with pop quite well on here. Enjoyable listen.

Bryant: Paul Simon is one of those guys who I don't like most of his stuff but occasionally he hits a really great song. You Can Call me Al is one of those. I'd never heard Under African Skies but it was pretty good too. Erica: I like 'em all. Bryant: Now I wanna meet Fat Charlie the Archangel. Crazy love is pretty good. All around the world was also pretty good. Erica: I like Paul Simon, he does a fair bit of talking through his songs but it sounds like he's feeling it and he's melodic. I like how he really champions African music with references and inclusion on this album. I like the layers of the instruments and how each song has a positive momentum. Bryant: I liked this more than I thought I would. I'd give this a 3.5 if I could.

I have a weird relationship with this album. Simon w/ & w/o Garfunkel were in heavy rotation in my mom’s record collection. And There are plenty of good things about this record, but many that have also bugged me, both at the time, & now even more so. The melodies & harmonies are good, but the production is weird and sounds very dated even when compared to other albums from the same year or the 1980s in general. Simon has always been a good songwriter, and he enlists other musicians who one wouldn’t think he’d use, like the Apartheid embargoed South African musicians, or Los Lobos. And the production & arrangements are filled with weird choices. On “Diamonds…” Simon sings a weird call-and-response w/ the SA singers, but he sings BOTH parts & his voice is louder than the responders, stepping on their harmonies. Theres obviously tons of compression on everything. Then there’s the soooo 80s gated drum production that was already going passé by 1986, especially the once ever present gated reverb. The 80s gated reverb was accidentally discovered by Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, & Gabriel’s production team while recording PG’s 3rd album. And while the Gabriel tracks that have these techniques, use of South Africans, or other arrangement decisions on tracks like “Intruder” (where gated reverb began), “Games Without Frontiers”, “Shock The Monkey” (THAT’S HOW YOU USE GR!), or “Biko” still sound innovative, Simon’s album just often sounds dated & unintentionally disjointed. And the latter PG track was actually banned in SA for taking on Apartheid by letting us in the global North & West about Steve Biko’s murder, whereas the wealthy Simon just broke the international sanctions meant to stop Apartheid because… I just feel like it? “Graceland” didn’t speed up its fall. And Gabriel & Talking Heads were using more traditional African musicians & influences w/o running the embargo. And they were six years ahead of Simon. You know who else went contrary to the embargo? Ronald Reagan. Not good company for a 60s counterculture guy like Simon. And Simon was later accused credibly by musicians of plagiarism, ie Los Lobos. But notice, Simon didn’t sue for defamation, and LL’s Steve Berlin said Simon gave him a rich guy’s fuck you à la Donald Trump “So sue me.” And though I think Chevy Chase, (who is in the “You Can Call Me Al” video) is funny he’s well known to be a prick and Bill Murray’s insult to Chase in a fist fight “Medium Talent!” Seems to fit Simon at this point in his career. So the good parts get this to a ⭐️⭐️⭐️ but the downsides make me not want to give it anything more. I don’t listen to this and I’d go back further in Simon’s catalogue to listen to him. In the end this is an talented aging boomer hippy sellout’s protest album attempting to remain relevant by screwing over some musicians while pretending to care about social issues while actively resisting measures to fix those said issues. And this was a very popular album. But in the mid-80s popularity was a sure sign you’re probably sucking the corporate cock — see Kurt Cobain’s response to popularity five years later. And did Simon actually do anything memorable after this? No.

I love a lot of what Paul Simon has done, but not this. The best parts of the album were the South African performers. And they were great! But overall…mid-1980s Paul Simon is just not for me.

According to other reviews, the South African influence is transformative in this album. I’d argue that, if present, the South African influence had been mainstreamed into classic folk rock shortly before or not long after, and I couldn’t separate it from the stories being told.

Singles are the highlights, album tracks are just okay, but the album as a whole does have a very distinct, cool sound. Cool bass tone throughout

It's a pretty solid album until the zydeco tracks. And there's not all that much zydeco... but that's still too damn much zydeco.

was fine

This is my favorite Vampire Weekend album! I enjoy this album more now than I did when I first heard it. Feels like a very adult album with adult themes and banging ass African music!

I remember my parents had this album, but I haven't really listened to it before. The way the western sensibilities merged with the African stylings really worked. I really like some of the guitar work - it was quite unique, or at least as far as I've heard. Paul Simon is really quite a gifted lyricist - there were some quite nice lines in there. The title track was my favourite. I've heard "you can call me al" to many times to enjoy that one.

Trippy sound. Highly inspire by african beats

Pretty relaxed, I guess I'd call it folk rock or folk pop. Good variety of instruments

Jumping the shark without Garfunkel. A few fun songs here, but has the 80's garbage sound.

Decent album. You can see what he was trying to do and his influences for the album

It forms the bridge between Dylan and the acoustic singer songwriter. Its nice but not really my bag

"You Can Call Me Al" is a nice earworm, but I've always thought this album is a bit overrated. I can understand the intent which made Paul Simon try to infuse "global' sounds into his songs. The problem for me is just that the end result is plagued by usual 80s mainstream production shenanigans. The latter don't even have some sort of "retro" charm today. It's just a cheesefest hiding whatever merits some of the tunes may have. When you compare *Graceland* to the sixties output of Simon with Garfunkel, the difference is telling. Simon and Garfunkel were style AND substance. To me, *Graceland* is all about style mostly (at least production-wise). I'll give it a 3/5 grade, though. Once a year or so, I try to listen to so-called "important" albums I didn't really like at first to see if my taste has evolved. *Graceland* is one of them. Peter Gabriel's *So* is another. Very rarely, I can change my mind, and honestly, I hope I can do the same for those records one day (hence my middling grade, giving them the benefit of the doubt). Interestingly, both Simon and Gabriels have used so-called "world" music to try to renew their sound. The thing is, I can't help feeling they mostly use those influences as a gimmick to cover for their meandering songwriting. There was a very opportunistic mindset in mainstream music during the eighties. To me, here's another example of it... Number of albums left to review or just listen to: less than 700, I've temporarily lost count here Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens:  approximately a half so far  Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: a quarter (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): the last quarter

Paul Simon est de passage en terre africaine pour notre plus grand plaisir. On aurait toutefois aimé qu'il s'exprime en langue locale ou même en français, mais notre ami n'en a pas eu les couilles.

Paul Simon nous propose un nouvel album chiant à mourir. Ce mec est capable de ruiner l'ambiance dans une soirée en une fraction de seconde, grâce à l'ennui profond qu'il apporte dès qu'il ouvre la bouche. Sa dernière apparition télé a d'ailleurs représenté une véritable catastrophe industrielle pour la chaîne lui en apporté sa confiance, puisque dès que le visage de Paul Simon est apparu sur les écrans, plus de 4M de téléspectateurs ont immédiatement coupé leur téléviseur. Un artiste à fuir.

Not bad. A decent melding of folk, the '80s, and International influences.

Cultural tourism that made a million.

General jolly Known song enjoyment

It's fine. Don't really get the hype. But you can caaaall meeee Hel!

T3B 1. You Can Call Me Al 2. Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes 3. Graceland A weird one for me, I was back and forth, but settling on a 3.

Not my vibe

I mean it’s fine, I own it. Pretty easy listening tho.

Some songs were great, others were just okay.

Pretty standard for Simon in my mind. Some real gems, others are just ok. I was driving when I listened so it was hard to take good notes.

Interesting sounds

Graceland is the seventh album by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. There is a mix of genres on this album, including pop, rock, folk, a cappella, and traditional music from South Africa, that creates an unique sound throughout every track. This critically acclaimed album is Simon's most successful, won the 1987 Album of the Year Grammy, and was added to the National Recording Registry in 2006. Paul Simon faced controversy for recording this album in South Africa during its period of apartheid, when people were supposed to be boycotting South Africa as a result. Some people supported him, and in the end he created a great album. Graceland can be considered the soundtrack of the world, because it combines so many genres, instruments, and cultural points together. The tracks almost tell a story while they flow into each other and above all - it was beautiful. I enjoyed this album and believe everyone should give it a chance if they haven't listened to it before.

You Can Call Me Al is killer. I'm not super into this record but I can see why others might be.

Bakithi Kumalo's agile fretless playing is an easy highlight of the album (Graceland, Diamonds). In my opinion, this addition is so important that the tracks that don't feature Kumalo seem to be lacking something both sonically and in terms of groove; something on which this album relies heavily. Simon's lyrics are natural and casual, though the laid back delivery through much of the album can, at rare times, obscure a clearer melodic statement (Gumboots) which to me is a vital part of Simon's songwriting (Call Me Al). Overall, Simon is satisfyingly exploratory in his arrangements throughout the album, smoothly incorporating a wide variety of instruments and sounds throughout though without any particularly clear statement. I quite like the incorporation of Ladysmith Black Mambazo as well; they make a strong impression on the tracks on which they appear. To me however, the cleanliness and slickness of the albums production can at times make the music feel slightly impersonal and a touch dated, something that sits at odds with the universality and human focus of Simon's lyrics. Favorite Tracks: Graceland Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes* Homeless

world up

I'm a bit torn over this one. The involvement /appropriation of S. African \"world\" music was really different at the time. Some of the tunes are really good and I like PS. I find some of it a bit twee and some of the clunky 80s production affects some tracks. Its a 3.5.

Pop com referências ampliadas. Reconheci uma música.

Ik weet en hoor dat dit een geweldig album is, maar ik krijg het altijd maar met moeite uitgezeten. Blijf moeite houden met die Afrikaanse ritmes en die lijzige stem van Simon.

I listened to it yesterday day and today I can’t recall any of it. Must be not very interesting to me.

Well if you ignore the accusations of picket line against Apartheid or cultural appropriation the album is quite solid and fun even if it sounds dated.

Good album, better then was expecting

63/100

Allt ska vara så jäkla präktigt. Albumet har dock en del sköna låtar och flera stora hits.

Had no idea "You can call me Al" was a Paul Simon song. I also didn't know that Paul Simon was half of Simon and Garfunkel. Very afro-beat inspired album and was pretty enjoyable to listen to

Country. Folk gringo. La 2da mitad >>>>> la primera mitad.

This is an old favorite. Such a fun, bright album. Mbaqanga, Mbube, Zydeco, and Soukous are the four African-based musical traditions featured here, two of them finding their origins in South Africa, whereas the other two developed more in the Americas as African immigrants and slaves brought their music with them. I’m not going to get political here, but I can’t help but wonder how much this album helped Western (white) ears tune into sounds beyond their borders. Clearly music aficionados are always listening outside their cultural experience, but this album seemed to bring African music to the forefront in the popular American consciousness. It was a big thing to do in the 80s.

Very different styles: country, african, pop, salsa … but Marco did some funny dances

Rating: 4.8 Best Track: You Can Call Me Al

The boy in the bubble Graceland Diamonds on the soles of her shoes

Maaaamaaaaaa what a groovy groove, I love the african music sonorities, really chill and packed with good vibez. 3.5 / 5

Great listen, I don't know if I would rember it and go back to listen to it but it was definitely good, nothing on the incredible side to me however 3/5

It’s fine.

Top 3 Songs: 1 - Graceland (2) 2 - That Was Your Mother (10) 3 - You Can Call Me Al (6)

I can never get into this album. I don't know what it is, but the music just doesn't speak to me. I do love his self titled and Crazy After These Years more. It's aesthetically weird. I love the tribal drums but I just don't like how he tries to mix rock folkish sound with it. Some of the songs I will get into because I love the rhythm of the percussion and sounds used but I get disinterested once Simon's voice slides through.

A pretty decent album. Favorite songs: I Know What I Know, Under African Skies. Rating: 3.5

It's Paul Simon. You either like him or you don't.

Overall good. Nothing bad.

First thing I noticed was the jazz fusion-esque bass tone. Very 80s, clean production, nice analog warmth.

it was an interesting choice to do the things he did certainly 6/10

經典的鄉村民謠風，令人感到舒適的旋律走向，但比較難讓我有記憶點，適合做背景樂

You Can Call Me Al is the best song and a classic. Overall a decent album to throw on in the background

I have a feeling that Vampire Weekend were big fans of this record.

Listening to Paul Simon is like sitting at a bar and hearing the local drunk ramble on and on but it’s enjoyable

Homeless tem uns vocais bem legais, mais afro!

Another pleasant surprise for me. I wonder if he would make the album in today's racially charged environment, due culture misappropriation, or whatever it is called (excuse my ignorance). Anyway, was very good background music to start my day. Favorites include, the boy in the bubble, Graceland, I know what I want, gumboots and diamonds on the sole. Not a fan of you can call me Al. Solid 3 for me, even 3.5

3 It’d be hard to not have heard of Paul Simon or the song You Can Call Me Al but I definitely had never heard much else by him. Since he was part of S&G I was worried we were in store for another folk-rock album but this isn’t that at all. Apparently released near the end of apartheid and motivated by that you can hear the African influences in its rhythms and themes. At times you could almost imagine them all in the studio recording the different parts. The baselines were pretty groovy too. think it’s influence has only come to harm it though. It won a Grammy at the time but now it’s nothing I haven’t heard 1000000 times before in one way or another. Something about it seems off as well. Like he’s not quite on time or the reverb is bad, which definitely took me out of the experience. Catchy but mostly forgettable 80s fare. Favorite songs: I Know What I Know, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, You Can Call Me Al, Homeless

3.5 I really enjoy Simon & Garfunkel, but I haven't listened to much of Paul Simon's solo stuff. I'm not sure how indicative Graceland is as to the sound of the rest of his solo work, but it's evidently a lightyear away from his Bridge Over Troubled Water days. He clearly leans into an African-inspired sound on this record which was fun and provided a unique-listening experience, but that's likely because I haven't exposed myself to enough music of the culture. Still, it's cool to hear an accomplished songwriter like Simon weave it into his music so seamlessly. That being said, there weren't a ton of specific standout moments to me on this album, so I don't feel like I have ton to say on this one. Good album listen, but not one I feel like I'd go back to specific songs for - had to re-listen to pick my favorites below. Favorites: The Boy in the Bubble, Graceland, Homeless

Todo un icono de la música norteamericana. Estilo folk y, en ocasiones, algo étnico. Sin ningún título destacable, pero agradable de escuchar.

This was truly an exciting album when it hit. I feel like Paul Simon's album here was the siren call to usher out the nastiest parts of the 80's-- the unfettered capitalistic republicanism that threatened to destroy America. And for a brief ebullient moment, Simon put is in touch with out hearts. This album gave love and human kindness a reason to hope. the album reminds me of my long deceased best friend from childhood and weekends at my Dad's house. Cool. That said, it is not the best Paul Simon album in my opinion. That honor goes instead to the lesser known album 'Hearts and Bones'. And if you don't know that one, please go give it a listen.

Ja borde ha givit hearts and bones en två frrrrr

Nice enough albeit underwhelming. Crossing cultures can only do so much legwork. I do particularly enjoy the title track

Inte så greppande

Legal

Part. Good but plastic.

The MIssissippi Delta, is shining like cultural appropriation

Funke fett for meg. Men ikkje heilt oppe i fire stjerner. Nesten.

Erlend prøver alltid å sette på Paul Simon men eg er ingen fan

It was an a-ok listen. This album was never my jam but I'd never actually listened to the whole thing in a go.

Don't tell Alex I didn't enjoy as much as he wanted me to. I just don't think that the slick production goes really well with the "world music" it wants to incorporate, but maybe it's just me. There are some solid compositions though, but considering its reputation, I gotta say that I was expecting more from that one.

Well produced material that has not aged well. This album is like a very pleasant and gentle little cruise, to do once in a lifetime, but without necessarily wanting to go back.

Weird

I always thought this was an album from the early 70s, not the late 80s.. damn. Kind of a weird combination of synths and African singing. I've had the "Ladysmith Black Mambazo" album on here before and I quite enjoyed that one, but I think the song with them on this album was my least favorite one. Cultural appropriation? I don't know, I haven't read enough about the production of this album to know how he treated them and hell, I'm not the one to decide if this is or isn't cultural appropriation. I'm just happy to be exposed to South African music because I would never seek music like this on my own. Overall nice to hear something different because I've been in an uninteresting meh music limbo the past two weeks. A strong 3/5 I think.

Aika kasarit soundithan tässä on! Ja kunnon hittibangerii! Melkeen enemmän itse tykkään vanhemmasta tuotannosta. Sit en oikeen osaa olla noista afrokuorohommista oikeen mitään mieltä. Hämmentävää! 3/5

I like it. Även om det är rätt jobbigt ibland

The music is ok. It is easy to listen to. Not very exciting and it doesn't invoke anything in me. I may listen to it again.

Some of the songs were familiar, Call Me Al is probably the most well known song. I have actually heard this entire album previously. I like Simon and Garfunkel and Paul Simon by himself can be good too. There is nothing wrong with the album, but I just don't see myself picking to listen to this album again.

The good: there's something irresistable about this album. The middle of it especially is very happy, and upbeat. Paul Simon's singing and songwriting in particular shines like nothing else. The bad: The heavy reverb, super 80s drums and overall MIDI sound of the opening track had me a little disheartened and it got better as the album went on, but the last couple of songs are... ugh. I can't for the life of me get over those dumb 80s heavy reverb snare hits. Combine that with hoompah drumming and it's just very off putting. The ugly: The bass lines that sound like wet farts. Paul Simon's singing is just so damn happy, though. It just about manages to balance out those negatives. Still, not something I'd listen to again, apart from some select songs. 3/5

A left turn of a Paul Simon album that eschews his usual warm, bare-bones guitar-based style for a distinctly unique take on the 80s. A wealth of genres and styles are sampled on this LP, but none clash or overwhelm in the way that most 80s records tend to do; this is still Simon's sound and songwriting, just clad in the sounds of its time.

Bien aimé mon écoute, le mix zeideco pop africain est particulier c'est certain que c'est original. La grosse bass fretless ne m'a pas gossé étrangement, les grooves sont cool, c'est rarement convenu ou inintéressant, pour un disque pop ça voyage pas mal. J'écouterais pas tout les jours mais je ne rechignerais pas d'en trouver une copie pas trop cher usagé mettons

Best Song: I Know What I Know. Nice storytelling style to communicate a very slice-of-life ordinariness, while being backed by some great South African music. Worst Song: Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes. Sometimes writers can enjoy the sound of a lyric they've a little too much, and repeat it to the point where it loses its lustre. This is one of those times. Overall: Quirky little album, with Simon telling these quaint little stories over varied African rhythms. The juxtaposition didn't really feel like it added much though, and the whole was no more than the sum of its parts. I often found myself wondering why I wouldn't just listen to the African artists themselves, without Simon overtop, as they were often the most interesting part of the music.

I don’t understand why this is rated so high. I didn’t hate it, but can’t say much stood out to me other than it being generic like world music. 3

Maybe a 3.5, I actually liked this much mroe than I thought I would. very 80's in parts though.

Call me allll

Had quite an interesting sound, seemed almost like sea shanties at points. Quite interesting, but not my favourite.

More upbeat than BOTW. Lot of familiar tunes.

Bueno

On one hand this is an album with some great songs the opened the door to people listening to more South African artists. On the other it can be seen as musical colonialism and didn't do much more for the black South Africans apart from steal their tunes. I am torn as I would like to believe Paul Simon went into this project with the best intentions and the legacy of this album is a mostly positive one.

nothing spectacular. some songs were good, others were bad. it just wasn’t intriguing.

Sooooo The very first song had me saying this sounds like "you can call me Al" . It carries on and I just keep thinking g why do all these songs sound like an extension of that son..then lo and behold! That fucking song comes on. I'm sorry, I don't get the raves about this album. Its not bad but it's also not great. A solid 3.

I see what Vampire Weekend was talking about.

Different and interesting

great basslines, some catchy tunes

Not as good as his self titled, but still good.

7/10

Pleasant listening. At the time it was released, it brought a group of talented but often overlooked musicians from Southern Africa to a huge audience, with follow on success for many. A gentle and beautiful collections of songs.

Really catchy songs with pretty hooks, wonderful lyrics giving each song an enjoyable listening experience. However the album can get pretty boring in parts. Really dislike the bass sound though, and the massive amount of reverb on each instrument. But that’s the 80s I guess! 3/5 - A fun ride.

The rave reviews make me feel like there's something I'm missing out on, or perhaps this particular brand of... 80's African-inspired folk(?) just isn't for me. It's okay.

I sort of enjoyed it.

A real mixed bag. Loved some, some was shit. His voice is a bit meh.

Ok aber bisschen nervig am Ende

Good album... Production/sound quality is lacking.

Loved it once but now realise how shitty Paul Simon was to the musicians. Plagiarism and appropriation with terrific lyrics

The beginning was great

Классная обложка

Decent classic album

Upbeat but synth-y

Meh

A few good songs, but not my favorite album from Paul

some gooders I knew like "call me al". cool to hear the south african influence, but all in all not an overly memorable album

Enjoyed it way more than I thought. Strong 3.5

Thought I would like it better but wasn’t bad

Another three attempts at the famous Graceland album… to me it’s cohesive and an easy listen. But it doesn’t reach any particular heights. Most of the instrumentals are good. I’m eagerly awaiting Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” album.

Interesting, varied production. Pretty fun pop album even if it's not the type of thing I'd normally listen to.

Sasvim dobar album

I love all of the different genres morphed into all of the songs. Diamonds on the soles of her shoes is absolutely incredible. Always liked Simon and Garfunkle, but never listened to much of the solo stuff. Will revisit Paul Simon, and this album

Pros: love their mix of country (pedal steel and chugging drums) and Africa-indebted vibes Cons: tad long Not so hot take: Vampire Weekend (especially their latest output and their jammy live shows) owe their career to this album 🌟🌟🌟

elvis died on a toilet in graceland and i bet he didnt gave a crap and neither do i about this album that much lmao

On my first listen I wasn’t too sure about this one but once I got to “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” the summer vibes were flowing and the aesthetic of this album started to click. Top tracks were “Diamonds...”, “You Can Call Me Al”, and “Crazy Love, Vol. II” which I’m pretty sure is the song that Vampire Weekend modeled their entire sound after.

It's fine

Minus 2 Sterne einfach weil mir das gewisse Garfunkel gefehlt hat

Gutes Album. Für meinen Geschmack nicht sonderlich einzigartig.

Didn’t finish but was good a little soft

Not too shabby

Særegen vokal, digger den! Sikkert "objektivt" bedre enn en 3er, men må innrømme at jeg ble ganske lei av Afrika-greiene. Fortsatt mye kule låter da! Favoritter: graceland, i know what i know, call me al (åpenbart)

Graceland is an album with great influence from African music and with the help of African musicians and Paul Simons songwriting, this album is indeed a classic and have clearly inspired many. This isn’t my favourite musically, but I'm always up for a dance to "You Can Call me Al" anytime.

Hit or miss for me.

Classic mellow album

call me al is a banger

I think I like Paul Simon, but he really layers a lot of nonsense into his music.

More nostalgia for the geezer. This album was HUGEly popular when released, and i remember most of these. Pretty good hummable adult pop. The African themed songs were viewed as pretty cutting edge, which seems surprising to me now. 3.5 stars, but rounding down because I’m feeling crabby.

It wasn't my favorite but it had some cool spots in it.

Graceland by Paul Simon - I have very mixed feelings about this album. All the songs are well put together, but the first two songs sound a lot like jokes. Even though they use atypical instruments and are played with a certain lack of precision, the songs work pretty well- not that I’m really a fan. I only ended skipping a few songs. I’m interested in why the 80’s had lots of African (maybe “Hollywood” African) influenced or incorporated music, this album has a bunch. I think that Paul Simon is the butt of jokes or is generally snubbed by people, but don’t really know why that is- did he later come out as a nazi sympathizer or something?

hmmmmmmm didn't particularly need any more paul simon... Some of it was good, he is after all a talented musician. I actually liked the alternate unreleased version of Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes but does that count if it's not really on the OG album??

O ile z solowego Simona slyszalem wczesniej albumik samonazwanczy, to z Grafunkelem troche posluchalem, ale ten albumik calkowicie odbiega od tego z czym kojarzylem tego grajka, opening na harmonii z grubej rury, bo przeciez tytul albumiku graceland, czyli hamerykanska wioska gra i huczy i taki klimat sie w dwoch pierwszych trakach, ale potem niespodziewanie klimaty murzynskie sie odpalaja, pamietam ze nawet na tym tytularnym materiale mial czesto murzynskie drumsy, ale tutaj doslownie czuc, ze ten album byl tworzony w RPA, bebnienie, trabienie, chorkowanie, teraz juz wiem skad taka popularnosc simona wsrod przedstawicieli zlotej ery rapersowania, bo ilu bialych artystow ma intra od big daddy kane i bizziego marka w swoich teledyskach, troche w tym wszystkim albumik traci na lirycznosci, bo album z zamyslu ma byc lekki i przyjemny, na plejke leci tytulowy graceland i the boy in the bubble

Discazo!! A++

Folk muy bien logrado en arreglos y coros. Si no te gusta el género es complicado pero vale la pena. No le pongo 4 porque la voz es plana. Rol: gumboots

Nice

Typ world music. Call me Al är OK - resten meh...

It was just alright! I don't know why, but I'm always surprised when I listen to Paul Simon - in a more neutral type of way than you might be thinking. It's never bad, but I'm always waiting for him to really hunker down and say something more profound than I can find. He kind of feels like a war-time photographer - but one that's more concerned about his camera settings, than what's actually happening on the battlefield. I definitely didn't dislike it, but there's something with Paul Simon's brand of art that never really connects with me. I always feel like I'm talked to, instead of hearing someone's heart beat throughout the musical background.

Un disco extremadamente variado. Valiente uso del acordeón que la verdad queda perfecto. Vibra muy alegre y bastante entretenido. No es mi tipo de música y me parece una agradable sorpresa, aunque tampoco me vuela la cabeza. Sólido 3.5 pero se queda en 3. Tracks: Diamonds on the soles of her shoes, The boy in the bubble.

Songs sound the same..... you can call me al

I had heard things about this album but had not listened to it. I actually thought it was older, like 60's. Can definitely hear the 80's in it though. It was a good listen, I liked a number of the songs. At times it felt disgustingly pleasant, a bit too much. I liked "Graceland" the most probably.

Meh, okay.

This, after "From Elvis in Memphis", it's the kind of thing that makes you question: is it truly random? Lot of coincidences in a set of only 1001. I remember when this album was absolutely everywhere. It's excellent but maybe a tad lightweight.

Nice instrumentation and fantastic vocal harmonies. The influence of African music is ever present in the album and were easily the highlight. Felt a bit repetitive in areas. Enjoyable experience but did not really grip me. In no rush to revisit

No tenía idea de que estuvo casado con Carrie Fisher ni que fuera el de Simon and Garfunkel, conocía la rola obvia y la verdad es que siempre creí que era afroamericano. Me gustó mas la version temprana de 'All around the world' que la del disco

De pronto es demasiado de ese sonido ochentero muy feliz, optimista y con mucho reverb, trompetas de sintetizador y escalas de bajo con slap. La rola de Zydeco (Gumboots) me gustó y esperaba algo más de las colaboraciones con Linda Rondstadt y Los Lobos.

More pop/folk music, its simon from garfunkel, good music for a hot summer night

interesting influences of African music. Good music but not exactly my thing

Nice enough.

Talented artist, not my cup of tea. Graceland(song) was good.

Peppy, catchy, lots of Cajun sound. I always thought "Call me Al" was pretty corny but the album is catch for sure. Would be good to listen to with the kids someday.