Reviews (page 13 of 14)
This was somewhat tolerable. I don’t understand why I had to listen to it though.
While I have immense respect for Paul Simon as an artist, the songs on this album (for the most part) don't really move the needle for me. Favorite track: Call Me Al
hora da neneca
There are so many strange production choices going on here I have to assume it is some sort of deliberate thing. I can't imagine mixing down those weak tinkly guitar or bass tracks and thinking "yep this is the one going on that people are going to hear". Another thing that I couldn't get past when listening is how many of they lyrics are stating who said something. "He said" "I said" "You said" "She said" I know it's just a personal issue of mine that I can't stand song lyrics with "You said".
Somewhat charming - feels very 80s and even though I wasn't alive for much of the 80s, it is a little nostalgic. I don't like the farty bass tone that appears on some of the songs. It's funny that they come right out the gate with "The Boy in the Bubble" with the bass at its fartiest. Sounds like something from a cartoon. I don't think I'm likely to revisit this one, but it's not terrible.
I've never liked Paul Simon and this listen did not change my mind. Maybe it was overexposure to Call Me Al in my formative years. Just got so tired of that song and his voice.
Aside from "You Can Call Me Al," I knew this album mostly by reputation, because it was so huge, and then, later, the blowback Simon got for it. I'm not sure what it says about him that the best parts are the ones with South African musicians. Otherwise I think this is kind of repetitive, though the bass work is top-notch.
Not even gonna touch the whole "cultural appropriation/apartheid boycott" stuff. But I'm also not gonna lie - I always found myself really vibing with the songs until paul shows up with his annoying little voice and stupid little lyrics. Like I LOVE certain specific elements, the sax in Gumboots, the tin whistle solo and the bass!! in You Can Call Me Al, the accordion in the first and last track? Not to mention the backing vocals from Ladysmith Black Mambazo?? But the rest of it is so blah- I don't see myself revisiting these songs anytime soon. I can't really reconcile my irrational dislike for Paul Simon with my appreciation of literally everything else, so I'm just gonna put this at a solid 2. Favs: None really :(. Maybe Homeless?
not terrible
The earlier work of Simon and Garfunkel is much better than solo Paul Simon. This album has a couple of good songs, but is mostly forgettable.
Was not in the mood for whatever the hell this was today.
I know this is a revered album, but I was never able to connect with it. Was it the "world music" infusion that makes people so into it? I always thought Western musicians toying with "world music" only presents it as inferior to American / British.
Didn't like it, but I think it's just personal taste
Didn’t love this. It’s a weird album to my ears. The mix of world music and carnivalesque rock just didn’t do it for me. I’m sure there’s a point to it, but I didn’t enjoy it enough to go back and dig into it. I do like one or two of the songs on their own.
Yllättävästi oli paljon afrikkalaissaundeja. Mikäs siinä.
Overrated
Всякий разный фолк, околофолк, кантри и прочее. Как-то не заинтересовал.
I liked it a lot years ago, but time has not be favorable to it in my opinion. Has this sound simply become less and less unique? I feel like Graceland's massive legacy will heavily decline in the next few years.
Rolig, litt for kjedelig for min smak
I do not love this album nearly as much as most others do. I find the production horrendously dated and most of the tracks cheesy as hell. 2/5
Cultural appropriation 💀 .... but yeah it just didnt sound good to me 🤷♀️
averaged
a worse "remain in light".
Was excited to listen to but was underwhelmed. Probably 2.5
Love the bass playing but not a folk music fan
Are we sure that Garfunkel did not write the early Simon & Garfunkel songs…?
It was ok - nothing special.
Apparently Garfunkel was load-bearing. 2.5
Meh, me gustó hallelujah porque me recordó a Shrek pero no más, no me cierra el estilo del tipo la verdad.
No me gustó mucho, taba raro
In spite of doing some heavy lifting, not even the highlight that is You Can Call Me Al can really help me move past how indifferent I felt to a majority of this album. I’m not a prude when it comes to the appropriation aspects of this album but to me it did feel hollow and like Simon was a bit vain to take this angle for the purposes of his own reinvention. Whether his intentions of popularizing African music in states/the west as a whole were genuine or not, it did not matter when I just feel bored by most of this.
Han er kedelig
Folksy music. It was ok.
Не так плохо, как многие пишут, но и восхищаться нечем.
Great South African Rhythms, great songs with 4 world wide no1 hit singles. A gateway to African music for those who didn’t already know. Something of a reinvention for Paul Simon.
I liked it until I didn’t. It was around the song homeless that I stopped enjoying it and wished the album to be over, and seeing how many songs were left, I didn’t take it as a good sign. Overall, it started fun but if an album makes me want it to be over, it’s not getting rated well.
I am so sorry but it was a disappointement.
𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 is often held up as a groundbreaking album, but to me, it mostly sounds like a smooth, safe ’80s pop record with occasional touches of South African rhythm and harmony. The much-praised “world music” elements are there, but they rarely lead — Paul Simon stays firmly in the spotlight, and the album never feels like a true musical exchange. Still, I do get the sense that Simon wanted to shine a light on the South African musicians he worked with. Groups like Ladysmith Black Mambazo clearly gained more visibility through this project, and that matters — even if the way it’s done feels more like cultural framing than collaboration. The music itself feels tame, a bit lifeless at times, and nowhere near as bold as its reputation suggests. For an album so often described as revolutionary, it left me surprisingly unmoved.
Not really my kind of music.
Nothing about this album particularly stands out to me. The African elements are interesting in theory but Paul Simon doesn’t really do anything with them.
It's not as good as Simon's work with Garfunkel by far. This week has been a stinker by comparison to the last one. The worst song on "Graceland" is "I Know What I Know". Its vocals drive me up the wall. The lovely a cappella song "Homeless" features Ladysmith Black Mambazo, whose album I quite liked. 2 stars for "Graceland".
I went on vacation and I brought you back this appropriated genre. (35 known/78 new)
I didn't like this when it came out in the 80's, when I was a teenager, and I still don't like it now. It's listenable at best. The most alarming aspect is it feels like he has just absolutely rinsed a long list of artists and passed it off as his own work. And people go crazy for it, like it helped end apartheid. Fuck off with that shit.
Not my vibe honestly
3,5 Já tinha ouvido sobre esse álbum antes e a grande maioria me disse que era uma obra prima... e deve ser para alguns gostos. Não gosto muito das musicas de Simon & Garfunkel e confesso que não tinha escuta os projetos solo de nenhum dos dois até então, nem tinha muito interesse também. Então, sei lá, eu estou aqui colocando na categoria das experiências interessantes, mas nem de longe na categoria das experiências arrebatadoras
He loves to rhyme. Doesn't really do much for me though
Not really my vibe 2/5
White people love this shit. Especially barefoot white people. Don’t like the spoken rhythm lyrics.
I applaud Paul. It’s not often you listen to an album with only one good song (you can call me Al). None of this comes together in a satisfying way. Would also like to add that Simon’s take on zydeco is embarrassing.
Not Paul Simon's best work. Much like Bob Dylan, he has a habit of talk-singing through these rambling stories with uninteresting instrumentation. It wasn't all uninteresting in the case of Graceland; sometimes it was actively annoying, like when it crossed over into polka territory with tracks like "Gumboots" and "That Was Your Mother". There were a couple decent songs--"You Can Call Me Al" is a classic and "Crazy Love, Vol. II" was pretty okay. As a result of those two songs, I can't give this a 1 star rating, but only barely.
Inoffensive but boring IMO, nothing special. Not as good as the Simon and Garfunkle records I had before (gave those a 3). Basically what an entire album of songs that sound exactly like Rusted Roots' Send Me On My Way would sound like (so listening to this album, it's obvious what RRs influence was). Fine song, but I don't need an entire album of Send Me On My Way.
- Huge respect to the African artists Simon worked with. And "You Can Call Me Al" is fun to dance to. But god...Simon just seems like an insufferable twat. - Apparently there were concerns of cultural appropriation and musical imperialism...how could there not be? It is hard to listen to some of these when you recognize that there is a white American at the center directing everyone else.
milquetoast world music
The Boy in the Bubble and Graceland was good. I really like Simon & Garfunkle but this solo album didn't move me other than the first two songs. I won't probably listen to again though I can see how the album could be enjoyable to those that like Americana more.
The world music style gets exhausting after a while. Hits are still classics
enjoyable and chill but probs wouldn’t listen again
Jag gav den nästan en etta men det var bara för att jag försökte lyssna på det när jag pluggade och blev irriterad. Not for me.
His 7th album. African inspired sounds. African backing vocals and choirs. Homeless has good lyrics and a good sounding choir. You Can Call Me Al is the signature track and a great single. Overall, disappointed. Heard so much about this album but I wasn't into it at all apart from one good song.
Meh
Poor
A fairly okay album. It was nice to hear You Can Call Me Al, a song I've heard plenty as a kid but never knew the name of. The African inspirations can be heard in the background vocals and percussion, and unfortunately that is the most entertaining part. The vocals were drab and did not fit the tone of the music, especially Gumboots. I was bored while listening to the album, little hooked me, nothing was added to my "Liked Songs."
The most beige music I’ve ever heard. All the most boring middle aged people you know hear “you can call me Al” and all collectively say “ooh I love Paul Simon”. Leave it out, he’s absolutely dreary.
Clean, sometimes interesting, the album feels wrong.
daora mas n e minha pira
Like kje You Can Call Me Al
Quirky, goofy, upbeat. I know Paul Simon has his following, but it's not necessarily for me. A lot of it sounds cheesy, but it's not unbearable to listen to. Just something about the acoustics that doesn't align with me, but it's okay I guess.
4/10
You Can Call Me Al is a classic, but the rest of the album was very hit or miss for me. I also don’t like that he was involved with South Africa during apartheid or that Chevy Chase was part of a music video, but that doesn’t affect the music, just my opinion of Paul Simon.
Eh, I generally enjoy one or two songs but I just feel iffy about the whole composition of the album considering where Simon got his inspiration from and the political climate at the time. Not awful but not memorable. The two stars is more for the talent of the featured South African artists.
I did not like it
Meh. Ehmm... Some of it is ok. Pleasant enough, not particularly diverting. I guess because I've listened to more of the real thing since rather than a watered down version for western audiences. The guitar work, the bass work, the vocal harmonies are all great. The main problem with this record is Paul Simon and the lack of tunes. Also, um why randomly including Los Lobos? So basically, Duck Rock but not very good.
Before listening, nostalgia was telling me 4 or 5 star album. With fresh ears I struggled to get through it in one sitting. Some good songs, not a strong album. Hasn’t aged well.
Not for me
Shouldn’t have broken the boycott, bitch!
When you're having a mid-off and your opponent is this album
The African-inspired production was refreshing. However, nothing caught my attention. 2 out of 5.
Eh
Dwie Grace pod rząd? Co to, pokuta po spowiedzi? "You can call me Al" to banger ze świetnym hookiem. 2
2 Paul Simon albums in 4 days seems like a crazy coincidence. This one feels very different to his self titled album which was basically default soft rock. My main critique was that it felt like it was missing something. Well apparently by 14 years later he had found some direction. Unfortunately, I'm not sure I like the direction it takes. It feels like music for Christians on mission trip to Africa. Like there's cultural appropriation going on but it's still very much music for white people.
Meandering lyrics combine with instrumental tracks tuned too loud to make an album I don't really like. I do understand why someone would like this album though. Favorite track: Graceland Least favorite track: Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes
mixed feelings; some songs are fun, many songs overstay their welcome (which, despite being only a 43 minute long album, is more common than you’d think) but i think in the correct setting i could fuck with it. i just don’t dig the lyricism here at all, which usually doesn’t impact my listening experience, but i don’t resonate with any of it… i do the opposite of resonate actually lmao. i was going to rate it 3 early on but realistically it’s now a 2.5, and i will subtract that .5 since i reached a point where i wanted it to just end.
You can call me unimpressed
This was admittedly disappointing for me. It could have been the fact that I don't identify with this era of pop rock music at all, but I did not find much compelling about this music at all in a lasting way nor a political way, which I sorta hoped for given the origin of its guest stars. Make no mistake, the performances are tight overall (except for that fretless bass on the first track for some reason) and the production is solid, but it's so... bog standard sounding for me, I just don't get much from it. It's pleasant, inoffensive, but ultimately milquetoast music. Also Paul Simon's delivery annoys me quite a lot admittedly. Favorite tracks: Graceland, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, You Can Call Me Al, African Skies maybe 4/10
This did not sway my opinion on paul simon. infact it made it worse.
5/10 I wanna completely put aside the messy background of this record and talk about the actual outcome of the music. Using other people’s culture in your art is not explicitly black or white, while some instances can be exploitative cultural appropriation, others can be really beautiful, inspired, and respectful. Paul Simon’s collaborations with African (mainly South African) artists and their music certainly feels respectful, their contributions to the sound of this album are excellent, and I don’t really think I can say this isn’t the way to go when working with other cultures to create your art. My main issue is with Paul himself, where in the beautiful blend of influences from South African music, we have at its core, a pretty weak American Pop Rock album. Paul’s writing on this LP doesn’t feel like it really goes far enough to warrant an album of this nature, while there’s no songs that really come off as offensive, I can’t say I would go out of my way to listen to this album if it was stripped of any of its influences and it was a plain American Pop Rock album. It ends up feeling inconsequential, like the people on this album were just a means to an end, and while I don’t expect Paul or any artist to change the world with their lyrics, it did feel kinda weird to completely avoid any mention of what his collaborators were going through in their country. I can’t help but pin this against an album like Remain in Light by the Talking Heads where the African influences feel fundamental to the album, not only musically with their blends of Post-Punk and Afrobeat and Afro-Funk, but lyrically by those genres as well. Brian Eno and David Byrne were inspired enough to push themselves out of a deep respect for these cultures, going out of their way to urge their audiences to look into the cultures and writings from the countries they were influenced by. Paul just doesn’t seem to want to go far enough, and it kinda shows in his attitudes regarding the criticism thrown at him by anti-apartheid movements at the time. It’s nice while it’s on but there’s very few songs that really wanna bring me back to it. No “Go white boy go” for you Paul.
Fucking awful 4 tracks in and it’s just so boring. Every song sounds the same it’s so bland and boring i honestly feel like shooting myself, 2 stars just because it’s not the worst thing i’ve ever heard just painfully boring
Ok
Dude definitely needs Garfunkel
I was meh about this
1001 Albums #15 I don't know why but something about the production on this or his voice ticks me off Can't place it I can see why it would appeal to people but found it kind of boring and not very memorable?
honestly not much of a fan. just not my type of music but i can see why some people like it. 2/5
2.5
The music was fine. His voice and lyrics less so. Less Paul Simon the better.
Yuppies…. 🙄🤢🙄🤢🙄🤢 Paul Simon sure does talk a lot just to say absolutely nothing.
Did not enjoy, felt like all of the worst things about 80s pop music rolled into one album
2.5 dnf
i can't even spell out what i didn't like about this album. it's sounds well crafted. it doesn't get through to me...
5/10 The vocals are surprisingly poor. Highlight: You can call me Al
So this album is sonically and historically interesting and I'm glad Paul Simon did the bare minimum for these musicians (as well as rightfully taking a stand against apartheid) but this really is the kind of album that for me and my own taste in rock it's just so not it for me. Trying to put all these cool and interesting African music aspects into an 80s pop rock shaped whole whose production could make a lot of these sound flatter than they otherwise should is a shame because in concept I like the idea of this and in the songs like "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" really does come together but in others like the title track it really doesn't come together because they feel uneven in the inclusion of country pop melodies which never click with me and feel like they take away from the rest of the sounds in the album. There's also that some songs try to play more to Simon's musical wheelhouse while the others give more center stage to the African musicians, it's an uneven feel and generally I wound up wanting more from the African music side than I did anywhere near Paul Simon's brand of pop rock. So yeah, interesting album but not the kind I enjoy or would play again in full beyond like three songs
if you, like me, enjoyed the contributions of the South African artists on this album but hated whenever Paul Simon opened his mouth, i would recommend "The Indestructible Beat of Soweto," a compilation record from the same year that gives you a taste of what the township jive scene sounded like without the tedious poetic musings of some guy from New Jersey.
Good album, just not my thing.
I think I was expecting more from this but I just felt like it didn’t quite deliver. I’d probably listen to a couple of songs again but I think it wouldn’t bother me if I didn’t listen to most of the songs on this album again.
I had to listen to this one a few too many times to feel comfortable enough to rate it, which is usually a bad sign. Overall pretty forgettable. Sounds like they put a fart filter over the Bass guitar. Favorites were I Know What I Know and Homeless
Not entirely sure how I feel about this folk-pop. It could be a 2 or a 3. Too folky for me. This seems an unserious record.
Man. This ain’t it.
Putting the dubious nature of this album's creation aside, the best tracks on this are some of the better 80s worldbeat (not even close to Talking Heads tho.) Ultimately, I like the stuff that this album influenced more than this album itself (Vampire Weekend.)
Pleasant
hmmmm no
You can call me Al is good. The rest is just meh
The music itself is creative for its time. I don’t care for Paul Simon’s voice. You can call me Al is ok tho
Decent album but nothing necessarily playlist worthy
#352. Like all of Paul Simon's work, this is just bland. 2/5: meh
You all know the rants against it. But two points for Al.
Even if I could get past the culture vulture nonsense at the heart of this album, there's something just utterly milquetoast about this - like the people who enjoy this also enjoy the Beach Boys 'Kokomo.'
Very messy tracks call me al best song by a mile. But he tried something with all the African inspiration.
The African guest artists are interesting to me, Paul Simon absolutely is not. This album also sounds very dated for 1986.
I often fall short of loving Paul Simon's work, but I do enjoy about half of S&G's albums, as well as his first few solo records. Other white musicians have been inspired by African music. This isn't a bad thing. Talking Heads took inspiration from afrobeat and turned it into post-punk masterpieces that have aged like fine wine. This, however, feels different but bad. The shitty synth sounds, the muddled layering of indigenous-sounding choral tracks underneath obnoxiously cluttered lyrics, the poor-man's-Jaco bass tone, the schlocky/smarmy/saccharine lyrical content... it's all so try-hard. And I probably wouldn't even like Call Me Al if the music video didn't make me like it in the 90s.
Бесхребетная музыка
1. bubble - 1 2. graceland - 1 3. knouu - 0 4. gumbootz - 1 5. diamondz - 1.5 6. call me- 1.5 7. african zkiez - 1 8. homelezz - 1.5 9. crazy love - 1.5 10. mother - 1 11. uuorld - 1
Det er godt nok et mærkelig sammensat album. Det stikker i alle mulige retninger. Og ikke på den gode måde. Hittet er egentlig et ret sjovt nummer, desværre formår resten af albummet ikke at ramme det samme.
Not a bad album, but not one that I was interested in. Some African stuff in there which sounded cool. Not keen to why this is historical. I liked the one song I knew, which was You Can Call Me Al. Can’t put a pin in why this didn’t mesh with me. Standouts: Gumboots and You Can Call Me Al.
MORE paul simon whatevvvveerrrrr just f off im over it theres so much other music i would rather listen to
You Can Call Me Al generated
if I was a bookworm whimsical woman living on my own in a bustling city that never sleeps, I mightve given this a 4
What was this Didn't like it - instruments going wild, screeching backing vocals, some sort of talking over the songs? Bad It got an extra star purely because of You Can Call Me Al and the nostalgia it brought me 2 ⭐️
Man you can tell he went on vacation for this one with the African paul simon shit haha
This album is super weak. Every time I hear Paul Simon's solo stuff I always think how much better he was with Garfunkel. He was a great songwriter for the most part but whatever Garfunkel contributed to the music really made it stand out for me. I'm kind of surprised that this is the second of his solo albums I've had so far on this list and I'm not even 20% of the way in. Surely we could have just had one or two S&G records and called this box checked. I saw another review that called this album something like 'sanitized world music for white people' and I think that's really the best description. I won't be coming back to this one. 2/5
My parents listened to this album a lot when I was a kid and I hated it. Come to find out it’s considered one of the greatest albums of all time, critically acclaimed, blah blah blah. So I was excited to come back to it as an adult with new perspective. Sadly, still no dice for me. The biggest thing I can’t get over on this album is that I know Paul Simon can sing (see bridge over troubled water) but for some reason this whole album is mostly weird half singing/talking randomness. Even though I typically love a good brass section, it just really doesn’t do it for me here either. You can call me, unsatisfied.
When it's nice it's nice, however for all the talk of world influences present on the album, none of them really amount to anything beyond occasional bleached backdrop for this signature white people music.
Eh sounds like an 80s soundtrack
I had a coworker put me onto this album before, but it didn't really sink in then. I appreciated how different it was from his other work with Garf.
Zydeco? At least it had call me Al
Een klassieker in één van de meest cringy muziekgenres: Worldbeat. Wereldmuziek in het algemeen kent een dubieuze titel, die de verhoudingen tussen het Westen en 'de rest' op scherp zet. Maar dat is een ander verhaal, eentje voor tijdens een hoorcollege Sociale Geografie. Op dit album pakt het wel goed uit, en lijkt Paul Simon de lingua franca der muziek wel te verstaan. Het oliet op de meeste nummers erg goed met de uiteenlopende sessiemuzikanten, vooral afkomstig uit Afrikaanse uithoeken. Maar - net als bij het meeste solowerk van de man - zie ik er niet veel meer in dan gewoon goede popmuziek. Het album begint voortvarend met een drietal puike songs, dat aan het einde van de rit nog steeds bestempeld kunnen worden als hoogtepunt. Het middenstuk met vintage 80s 'You Can Call Me Al' is ook wel behapbaar, maar daarna keldert het album de afgrond in. Het wordt daarna wel heel plat en carnaval-esque, wat de toch al problematisch genretitel niet ten goede komt. Een beetje een vervelende nasmaak geeft het wel. Desalniettemin, 'gewoon goede popmuziek'. 6,5/10 Highlights: The Boy in the Bubble Graceland I Know What I Know
Meh. It’s alright, quite like how it’s different to a lot of other pop records of the time. Call me Al obviously a total classic (imagine how buzzing you’d be if you were dicking about on a keyboard and come up with that tune?!), quite liked Under African Skies too. Most songs here are decent and forgettable. Painfully beige at times.
Didn't realise Paul Simon was the Simon in Simon and Garfunkel..... Didn't particularly like this, it's very twee and found it pretty irritating in parts. This weird faux conversations he describes in some tracks. Diamonds in the soles of her shoes for example. Call me Al is obviously pretty iconic, although I'm not sure how much I actually like that song. Probably the best thing here though 2
Not feeling this one. I just don't like his voice. A lot of the songs also sound dated and cheesy in a bad way. I would give this a 3 but I'm subtracting a star for the apartheid stuff.
White guy"discovers"African music. Paul Simon is the least interesting musician on this album
Interesting inclusion as I thought the consensus was this this is where Simon had started to lose his way. Listening to it suggests the consensus was right. Utterly confused by this - is it meant to be delta blues inspired by Elvis? If so what’s with all the township singing? Baffled.
Pauls gone to a bit too far with this. If it was purely the Chevy Chase collaboration " You can call me al " it would be 5 but the rest is worse than Sting.
не могу особенно ничего сказать. под данные работы меня качало. было весело, но не более. под конец композиции наскучили
La única pieza que me gustó fue Homeless, que presenta voces a capella que armonizan en estilo africano, lo cual se explica por el hecho de que buena parte de este álbum fue grabado en Sudáfrica. El resto de los temas son planos, carentes de dinámica, y Simon falla en transmitir emoción alguna en su voz. Supongo que ese es su estilo, pero a mi no me gusta. You Can Call Me Al se rescata simplemente por los recuerdos que evoca de mi infancia.
Pretty meh.
Da hat also Paul Simon seine kreative Krise mit Hilfe afrikanischer Musik und Musiker:(innen?) überwunden. Der Erfolg sei ihm gegönnt. Ich kann mich noch gut an die damaligen Lobeshymnen der Kritiker erinnern, dazu kam eine hohe Radiopräsenz. Nur leider kann ich damit so gar nichts anfangen.
Heard it before. No need to listen again.
Sounds good, but not really my style. Sometimes it sounds like Christian rock
30 odd years on this album feels like a white guy stole a bunch of African music and tried to pass it off as his own. If you’re a Paul Simon fan it has everything that makes him a unique artist - I just feel like age has not been kind to it.
- Hmm - Ich finde diesen weltmusikalischen Einschlag dieses Album eigentlich total cool, aber am Ende gings mir dann doch leider etwas auf die Nerven. Wenns mir nicht auf die Nerven ging, wars mir dann etwas zu langweilig. - Selbst der absolute megahit You Can Call Me Al lässt mich leider kalt - Insgesamt leider eine Enttäuschung, auch dadurch, dass ich irgendwie davon ausgegangen bin, dass ich dieses Album gut finde. 2/5
- ganz entspannt - driftet aber auch in Langeweile ab zwischendurch
"Dated" is a good word for the sound of this LP. Not in its politics - though it sounds as though Simon did act rather callously by some of his fellow musicians and advice-givers - but in its slappy, caged drums, "bwah" bass, prose-like lyrics. Some tracks are stronger than others, like the hymnal sounds of "Homeless" but overall, this is super 80s. Let the South Africans send a message instead of singing crappy poetry over them.
I can appreciate what he was trying to do given the state of pop music in 1986. But personally I would go straight to Ladysmith Black Mambazo for this style. Make a new plan, Stan...
I'm not really into world music
As i listen I’m feeling quite under the weather so may be feeling less charitable than usual. I did not enjoy this album at all.
This my dads music. I can’t stand the instrumentation for large portions of this album, but I do enjoy all of the vocals
Meh
An ok album
не моё
It's not bad, but I feel like I have to live in the south and be married to my cousin to truly understand the essence of Paul Simon. 2/5
This album just makes me miss Simon and Garfunkel. This genre/style isn't doing Paul Simon's voice any favors. You Can Call Me Al definitely exists and Graceland is good, but this album is mostly a miss for me.
Aside from “You Can Call Me Al” being about five minutes longer than mostly anyone remembers (except me, since C and her dad danced to that at our wedding), I’m afraid I don’t see the hype. Nor do I hear it. Maybe I’m just a little too young? I feel bad. I just don’t like it.
I really struggled with this one. On the one hand, I think Paul Simon absolutely has a time and place (and deserves a spot on this list of course), but at the same time this feels like so much a product of the time and absent Garfunkel, Simon's penchant for frankly weird lyrics isn't tempered. It's very good on tracks like You Can Call Me Al, but it just doesn't hit for me most of the time.
Most of it was kinda boring. Homeless was good though
Wow some of that was truly terrible.
I never liked his music without Garfunkel's voice.
Good world-genre production. I've never been a fan of Paul Simon's singing though.
Simon and Garfunkel were a staple soundtrack to car journeys when I was a kid. So their voices have a special place in my head. This album? It’s quite apt that it accompanied me on a long train journey. It’s nice enough. Quite sweet, really. But I don’t think it will be on a regular rotation.
The song "Homeless" is a masterfully made piece of shit
I like Paul Simon's folk stuff. The 80's pop aspects really weaken this one for me, and while I think the varied influences being brought in are interesting I'm not sure all of it is really executed in a way that adds to the music for me. In the end, for all the different things it is doing it had a big time generic 80's pop feel. Cultural Appropriation and other issues aside, this is musically inoffensive to me but also doesn't stand out really. It just..is.
Enjoyed listening to this again. There are other Paul Simon albums I like more though.
okayyyy
Don't give cocaine to bards. Honk!
2/5. Not a bad album from Paul Simon. I liked the title track, but the rest failed to connect with me.
Undeniably interesting and eclectic, however, Simon's unambitious, meandering vocals are outshined by all the other musicians around him. It captures an early 80's vibe that's similar to, and yet "safer" and more boring than, The Police's work of the same era (albeit better produced).
It was ok, but not a great album for me
It was chill and happy, but not my cot
I didn't like it very much, except for 1 or 2 songs.
I'm not a big fan of it, honestly. it's well made but not something i'd listen to if it weren't on this list
Mäßig bis auf einzelne bekannte Lieder. Teils langweilig.
In recent months I’ve really tried to give fresh chances to artists I’ve had it out for, Paul Simon included. There are times on this record where guest musicians are really getting into it, going somewhere, and then Paul Simon starts singing again and I snap back to reality. These are still Paul Simon songs. It’s not gonna happen for me.
Not a fan of this one. Paul Simon seems to like to write songs about conversations he's had with various people and the lyrics read like a bad story. "I said to her/him" and "he/she said to me" all over the place. I do appreciate the use of of the accordion on the album as you don't often hear an instrument like that but all in all this is a 2 out of 5.
I astounded by all the 5 stars on this album. Bass playing is good but the tone is outrageously bad. I’ve never heard LBM but I’m certain they are so much better when Paul Simon isn’t involved. 2.18 average per track.
Bad and probably racist
Not exactly my Genre. A bit too mellow and unexciting for me.
Thoughts: Starting with accordion is a brave choice... particularly given the history of this album coming after such a commercial "failure" This is inoffensive but I'm not particularly connecting with anything here. It's fine This continues to be my impression. Nothing that I would say I hate, but nothing above 3 stars personally. I'm still not a fan of the prevalence of the accordion in this album.
пол симон пол симон
Defo not my type of music but its very well written for sure.
It was ok but both ng I will come back too
Nonce
Did not care for this. I didn’t really understand what he was going on about and I really don’t like the musical arrangements overall, it just annoyed me in general. Not for me at all 2 stars
Lummó og gamaldags. World music vibe sem ég er ekki að fíla. Graceland stendur upp úr, kannski bara af því að ég hef heyrt það áður.
No es mi album favorito, en especial porque no soy fan del genero folk, pero puedo apreciar los sonidos y ritmos exóticos. Aparte, es algo definitivamente diferente así que como mínimo eso me mantiene expectativo de las canciones. me gustan los ritmos bailables, hacen la escucha más amena
I did not like it despite the fact that the album was: *Winner of the Grammy for Best Album. * Voted the best album of the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll. * In 1998, Q magazine readers voted it the 56th greatest album of all time. * It was also ranked #84 in a 2005 survey held by British television's Channel 4 to determine the 100 greatest albums of all time. * In 1989, it was rated #5 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Albums of the '80s. * It is #81 on the list of Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. * The song "Graceland" was voted #485 in the list of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. * According to AcclaimedMusic.net, a site which combines hundreds of best-of lists from critics and musicians from around the world, Graceland is ranked at #66 on the greatest albums of all time. It is also ranked #13 for albums released in the 1980s, and it is the second-highest ranking album of 1986, behind The Smiths' The Queen Is Dead). * In 2002, Pitchfork Media named it the 85th best album of the 1980s. * In 2006, Time named it one of the All-Time 100 Greatest Albums.
Not my cup of tea, nothing I specifically took issue with it just really isn’t a style I enjoy.
I appreciate that this album was out there but eh not my thing
Not really my style, it’s all very much the same. Still I did save two songs into my playlist.
Please don't call me Al. It's just as cringy and unnoteworthy as the rest of this album.
C The Boy In the Bubble 3 Graceland 2 I Know What I Know 3 Gumboots 2 Diamonds On the Soles of Her Shoes 3 You Can Call Me Al 3 Under African Skies 2 Homeless 3 Crazy Love, Vol. II 2 That Was Your Mother 2 All Around the World or the Myth of Fingerprints 3 Paul Simon, I never liked your f***in voice you twat. My middle school music teacher was obsessed with you and forced us to sing Diamonds On the Soles of Her Shoes and You Can Call Me Al at our concerts. I despised both songs, but I despised pretty much every song we had to sing in chorus. It took me a decade to begin liking Come Together thanks to you, MR. STACK. MR. COLIN STACK.
Niet goed / niet slecht. Ik werd er niet lastig van. Soms zelfs leuk.
Nice mix of different kind of music styles. But not for my ears.
I should like this but find it grates a bit, always has. Love African music but this is too diluted / polluted. Sounds dated now, I won’t listen again
Nah, for political and musical reasons. There was a cultural boycott of SA at the time.
Eh. Whatever.
Okay. A little too slow for me
👍🏻 6.5/10
Nah
To be honest, I heard this album decades ago when it came out. Although it is well-regarded by many, I see it as derivative and almost a plagiarized sound that is more a copy than an original work. I won't bother to listen again. Two stars for the historic value, but that's it.
Damn dit laat me koud… leuk om te weten dat You can call me Al hiervan is, maar de rest van zijn nummers zijn gewoon niet zo heel erg spannend. Ben dan ook blij dat het album over is…
growing up, i distinctly remember gimmicky songs from the era: “got my mind set on you” by george harrison; “don’t worry, be happy” by bobby mcferrin; and “you can call me al” by paul simon… and i thought they all sucked. having said that, in my opinion the album graceland exemplifies much of that same hokey essence. tis odd and quirky and annoyingly so. it contains four(!) songs that inexplicably have an accordion? and i realize that mr. simon has a huge fan base as he has been in the music business for decades, but i just don’t get this album. there is something about his voice that i can’t stand.
I love Diamond on the souls of her shoes and you can call me Al. Everything else is just meh.
Still sounds exactly like what it is: a Lizzy Mercier des loud rip-off
Somewhere someone is saying that Paul Simon is a great lyricist but it seems like incoherent ramblings to me. Also dude would get slammed for some heavy cultural appropriation nowadays. Too much accordion but Call Me Al is a banger.
I was 14 when this came out and listen to mostly metal at the time, so obviously didn't like it then. Over the years I would put this on numerous times and honestly I still don't like it much even though I like Paul Simon's 60/70s work. Normally when I don't like an album I disagree that it should not be on the list but in this case I do agree it should be on.
It has that song, and it's mindless. But I just really don't like Paul Simon.
I honestly don't know what this is, or what it's trying to be... The only song I know/liked really was 'You Can Call Me Al'. Beside this it's just not my type of music at all.
Like kje You Can Call Me Al
A soft 2 from me. Didn't enjoy the overall themes of this album as a whole. Just not my thing I think. The first half was a lot better than the second for me. Won't be listening to again
It's like they know I hate Paul Simon and did this on purpose. What a trite lil load of shit. Recognised one song. 2/5.
Less african-sounding than was led to believe based on reading the wiki. Has a classic 80s cheese present throughout. * Homeless
mid
Mish mosh
Cool to try and incorporate a lot of different sounds/instruments, but Paul sounds so bored the whole time I just start to tune out. Every song goes on a bit longer than I'd want it to, so even the fun ones ("Call Me Al") outstay their welcome. Truly an achievement to make me dislike a random accordion backup.
I was bored af, maybe i will try it again but when im older. Some songs seemed enjoyable
Definitely wouldn't listen to this on my own but it is good background music while working. I do appreciate the basslines, though. Overall alright but I wouldn't go back. Really nice album cover. Fave track: Crazy Love, Vol. II
Well, I quickly discovered that there is a limit to how much of Paul Simon I can bear, solo or with Garfunkel, no difference. This is now third album with him on this list, after his self-titled debut and "The Spices" album with Art. And I know this is entirely unfair, but I feel like every song is exactly the same - quirky melody, interesting and evocative lyrics, and soft voice by Simon, with his talking/singing style, very similar on each track on this album. Even his greatest hit, "You Can Call Me Al" seems like came out of the same mould, just coincidentally they added here a very catchy melody and chorus, which made the song stand out. This is sixth album in Paul Simon's career, but I don't really see too much progress between this and his debut, which in turn makes me very hesitant to listen to the four records in-between. To sum it up, in vacuum this album is pretty good, entertaining and thoughtful. But looking at it from my perspective, with what I've heard so far, it is just another identical piece of puzzle in collection.
I know this is a well regarded album but for me it just feels so ordinary
https://open.spotify.com/album/1DIr8JMRBnm1cZMYIGKb8t This is the link to the compilation album that inspired Paul Simon to make Graceland. Give it a listen, it's quite good. As for Graceland, there are some very strong arrangements, but Simon's wishy-washy vocals and 'poetry' don't add much, and in most cases detract from the music. 2 metaphorical blood diamonds plucked from the shoes of a South African musician. 💎💎
I appreciate what he is trying to do here but it is just not for me
Graceland is the last place I think this album should be compared to. It felt medieval at times and also tribal at others. I'm not sure what Paul was trying to go for but if I was his agent, I would have told him to retire. Though, the opening drums of the first song were really cool. I also wonder if this was one of those instances where the industry should have been elevating other cultures voices instead of letting this white guy just attempt to do African music.
I avoided this at the time of its release, as it seemed to be everywhere, but actually enjoyed this more than I expected, but another one that I got a bit sidetracked with by about halfway through. It starts off well with Boy In The Bubble, but I couldn’t really tell you what happened by the end. Pleasant enough, but I felt the more personal lyrics didn’t speak to me so much.
It’s good. But got my full dose when it first came out.
The complications of this involving going to Sth Africa during Apartheid and appropriating music of an at that time very oppressed people just makes this stick in my throat. That said musically it's inspired, but I can't give this anymore than a 2.
It's objectively decent but none of it resonates with me or have any personal historical connection really. Same for all Simon and Garfunkel stuff.
I don't get it. You Can Call Me Al is a banger though
World music for white bourgeoisie
I miss Garfunkel.
J’aurais probablement abandonné avant la fin si ce n’était pas Paul Simon. Ça vieilli très mal. Je pense que ce n’est pas inintéressant par contre, une fois qu’on arrive à faire abstraction de l’instrumentation.
Not so good album, linear and without great songs
probably wont revisit
It seems harsh giving this renowned classic two stars but I honestly recoil when I listen to it. Diamonds and Al are good songs though.
Uh
Pop rock tepidness
Some fun tracks, nothing to write home about. S/o to Vampire Weekend for making a whole career out of ripping off this record.
2/5 pretty forgetable.
One for the yuppies and highly problematic at the time. A couple of stand out tracks - but even they are limpid and uninteresting. Overall it's over-filled with instrumentation and rhythms.
The amalgamation of different sounds and styles, which I thought I wouldn’t like, works well, though I’m still not a fan of his voice or lyrics. They sound contrived. For example, I can’t picture him saying “hey senorita” to anyone – Bob Dylan or Neil Young or Tom Waits could pull it off, but not Paul Simon, who seems more upper east side. Overall, he’s too soft and radio-friendly for me.
I managed to listen to the entire album and I confirmed that I'm just not a fan of Paul Simon's brand of folk/pop/rock. Something about his voice and his style just doesn't work for me.
Eh, I’ve tried to get into him. This wasn’t it
Post colonial appropriation at its best. Paul Simon takes fine musicians and mumbles some bullshit over them. An incoherent and messy album with no real ideas beyond hey I really like 'their' stuff. The best song being homeless untill Paul jumps in at the end and screws it up.
While familiar with Simon & Garfunkel as a group, I have never listened to Paul's solo stuff. I wasn't quite sure what to expect after reading a little bit about the making of this record, but it did make me a bit more curious about it. I found myself wanting to like this album more than I actually did. It's a bit cheesy at times, like Disney soundtrack cheesy. Even though I appreciate this album, it irritates the shit out of me for being so damn happy.
Lame
Not really a big fan of this although it was pretty diverse musically. 1.5/5
I do not like Simon's voice or the style in which he sings. Some cool instrumentals, but this isn't for me.
Meh. Decent enough background music.
Was okay
America, 80s, Folk rock/pop + Warm = Male, - Folk, Alike, Boring, Oldish, NFM {0/12} [2/5]
Questo disco ha dei problemi, non si capisce bene quale fosse l’idea di Paul Simon, molti pezzi richiamano sonorità africane mentre verso la fine del disco si va verso una sonorità country vecchio stile mentre il primo pezzo è una specie di folk ritmato. La copertina invece ha un cavaliere in una raffigurazione medievale non si capisce bene il perché. Non credo ci sia un problema nel tentare di contaminare la propria musica ma come viene fatto in questo disco non mi convince affatto. Sembra come se Simon abbia preso delle cose che non gli appartengono culturalmente senza capirle realmente e si ha l’idea che i musicisti, che sembrano di qualità, vengano danneggiati da questa mancanza di scambio. Musicalmente penso che uno dei problemi maggiori sia sulla ritmica perché i pezzi sono scritti imponendo una visione occidentale di essa e questo finisce per appiattire molte delle performance degli ospiti.
I've heard this album before. I'm familiar with a few of the songs but didn't really enjoy it.
Would have given it a 1 but you can call me al makes up for it. Rest of the songs are brutal
I sensed a connection to Jah Wobble, went back, and realized that my reaction to this type of impresario project is largely the same. Except with less affection in this case. Slight, uneven melding of musical material (feels like halves). Doesn't have a standout track. Not offensively bad.
increasingly got more “ok I really don’t like this, why is this guitar making me so irritated”
🎵🎵🎵 Under the sea 🎵🎵🎵
What I Did on My Summer Vacation After My Divorce, by Paul Simon: "Visited Africa; took their music. Bought several accordions, too many accordions. Made even more money." I kind of feel bad for favoring the singles I've already heard on a lot of these albums so far, but You Can Call Me Al is not only a guilty pleasure bop, but also likely the best collection of Simon's thoughts on getting old as well as his deluxe cultural appropriation getaway in Apartheid-era South Africa. There are other moments where his ruminations feel inspired, but they're outnumbered by the hokey and upstaged by Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Key Tracks: You Can Call Me Al, Homeless, Crazy Love, Vol. II
I do not like Paul Simon. But there’s some good songs on here. I’m solely basing my review on the singles. Graceland. Solid. You Can Call Me Al. Chevy Chase endorsed. Really solid. The rest? Never will listen.
This album is great really only for one thing: its percussion. It was the feature I enjoyed the most in this album as all other parts were annoying. His "say-singing" is not good, and the backing music generally was just odd. It's just "world music" which wasn't that enjoyable to listen to all in all. Favorite track: The Boy in the Bubble
IF YOU BE MY BODYGUARD!!!!
I appreciate who PS is but it’s boring
Meh
I am not a Paul Simon fan. And I am not a fan of this album. This one gets 2 stars because I know it's important.
Nicht so legendär.
Just fine, nothing particularly interesting.
Terrible synth.
I skipped it after a few tracks. Not for me
Didn’t grab my attention. Expected to get more from it. South African sound was nice to hear.
Meh
Eclectic and folky. Not really my style but it gives off a certain feeling. Maybe a relisten at some time. Not bad, just not my style. Some new wave in there too. It's like a salad with a dressing I'm not a fan of.
Definitely not for me.
I'm sorry I do not get it I hate it actually - would rather listen to authentic African music than this weird shit. i fucking can't stand this at all. holy fuck.
Non me gustou.
Do you like cultural appropriation? Do you like your world music sanitised by having it's heart ripped out? Do you like the clash of farty bass, tinny synths and milquetoast vocals? Then you'll love this!
Entrando a este trabajo, ya sé que Paul Simon es una "leyenda de la música" y que se ganó en el lugar de los más grandes junto a Garfunkel. Sin embargo, no puedo evitar sentir que este trabajo se escucha demasiado como una cápsula del tiempo; los sonidos elegidos son demasiado de los '80s, en ocasiones sonando sospechosamente parecido a The Smiths (Meat is Murder), trabajo que se estrenó un año antes. Las ideas de las canciones pueden ser buenas, pero la producción es demasiado anticuada como para disfrutar el trabajo. Hay canciones que son de plano difíciles de escuchar por las razones incorrectas (como en la tercera pista del LP que pareciera que Mickey Mouse está atentando contra mis sentidos a través mi audífono derecho). Como latino, Gumboots me ofende, claramente siendo un corrido mexicano hecho lo menos interesante posible y dejando de lado toda la pasión que acompaña a la música. Ni siquiera es un homenaje respetuoso como Calexico. No sé qué opinarán las comunidades afroamericanas sobre el descarado uso de sonidos afro y afrodescendientes. Claramente este sonido se sienten como un desesperado intento de colgarse del éxito del post-punk inspirado en la composición africana de Talking heads, no logrando un resultado tan bueno como los que logran Byrne y compañía. Pistas destacadas Graceland Peores pistas I Know What I Know Gumboots
N gostei
i didnt listen to itt, but i dont like old music so 1-2
it's just not my cup of tea. I actually listen to 2 tracks and dropped it.
Found it to be really bland tbh
parecia que eu tava escutando a trilha sonora de rei leão
I don't like this era of old head artist doing new wave pop all that much.
fav songs: diamonds on the soles of her shoes you can call me al lightweight, low-stakes, pop 20/100
I was kidding about hating the eagles. I actually hate Paul Simon. Fuck, this shit sucks so bad
I've come to the conclusion I do not enjoy Paul Simon
yawn yawn yawny yawn
When I opened the website to see my listen today, My first thought was "it's probably just another white man that made music in the 20th century." And to my surprise, guess what? It's just another white man that made music in the 20th Century. I did listen to "SEVEN PSALMS" as well. I'd get that on vinyl, so I can listen to only once in a while. I must say, In My Professional Opinion, I'm no more satisfied than Paul Simon is. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I know the website pulls recommendations out of thin air with no regards for taste, but that doesn't mean I don't have taste buds.
Only a fan of Paul in 60s and 70s
Ugh... What's worse than Paul Simon? Easy, '80s Paul Simon blending African music and pop into his otherwise unremarkable sound and acting like he discovered something. The whole thing feels like smug pandering.
Paul Simon is an asshole and a plagiarist. Fuck him.
This was okay. I will not re-listen to it. Most songs blended into each other 2/10
isso aqui ter uma nota alta é um atestado de como o usuário médio desse site é um animalzinho sem gosto concordo que tá na beirada da apropriação cultural, mas porra, que trem chato, dodói, sem graça, cansativo vsf paul simon
Linda Ronstadt elevates Under African Skies; it's the first song that perked my ears up while listening to this album. Unfortunately the lyric "Joseph's face was black as night" opens the song, a lazy racial metaphor particularly egregious on an album where Simon extracts from African styles. Violating a boycott of South Africa during apartheid is a clear-as-day abhorrent maneuver. The most upvoted review on here is incredibly racist in its dismissiveness of such an objectionable choice. Fuck Paul Simon.
Não gostei muito do álbum, pois não é o meu estilo de música mas valeu apena ouvir!!🫶
the up beat notes were good, however, the album was not for me.
Sucks. White American dad folk music.
13th album with group. After a relisten, I’ve decided that I hate Paul Simon. Art Garfunkel has long been overhated. Good Songs - Nothing. Bad Songs - The Boy in the Bubble, Graceland, I Know What I Know, Gumboots, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, Under African Skies, Homeless, Crazy Love, Vol. II, That was Your Mother, and All Around the World or the Myth of Fingerprints.