Reviews (page 14 of 14)
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.
Interesting, but not for me. Don't really like it.
pretentious poo. It would probably have sounded better if Paul Simon took his head out of his arse when he was singing.
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.
dnf
Hated it
This is #day486 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… how do you tell the difference between terrible and mediocre? Well, you listen to your second Paul Simon album because it walks a fine line. And then, you realize there's the third one that you'd have to hear eventually. I've read that around this period he was going through some personal and creative decline… and honestly, I think he should've stuck to the decline. As if three Simon & Garfunkel records aren't enough to hear before you die. Fortunately, there are no Garfunkel solo albums on this list. This is a 1 out of 5. Looking forward to day #487.
Naja…
Semihirveetä kamaa. Tämmöstä jotenkin teennäistä hyvepaskaa. En kestänyt kuunnella edes koko levyä läpi. Ahdisti.
I so want to give this 1 star...Paul Simon sucks so bad and I've had to listen to 3 of his boring albums now, with more to come. Music for elevators. EDIT - I'm going too easy on albums that piss me off. This album pisses me off. 1 star.
misericórdia, espero nunca mais ter que ouvir isso na vida
This list doesn't need the entire catalogue of the combined Garfunkel and/or Simon. Christ.
bleh
I really didn't like this. Simon and Garfunkel have their moment in time. They have a nice folk sound (well, as nice as I'll enjoy), they have a few catchy songs. This stinks. It really does. His soft folky voice just grates on me. I really don't like it. I also hate the drum sound. I don't really care for much of it. There were some pretty poor placed lyric lines. I didn't find many redeeming features. My wife even told me to turn it off. "We don't want to suffer with you." she said. Probably a little unfair, but 1 star. Patch things up with Garfunkel, it will make you suck less! 1 Star.
holy balls this was so buns literally listened to it and did not find a single bit interesting
Nope. Hate it.
Kan inte förstå valet av gitarr sound och bassound. Det är kränkande dåligt och förstör den mediokra musiken. Låter som musik till disneyfilmer eller något liknande. Inte min grej
I know what i know is probably one of the most annoying songs ive heard in recent memory
not my cuppa
Best Song: You Can Call Me Al Worst Song: Diamond on the Soles of Her Shoes Added: 2/11
Lo tuve que sacar, malardo
Eeeeeee no me gustó. Quisiera saber que consumió antes de componerlo nomás
Recording this album got Paul Simon put straight on the top of AZAPO’s assassination list. Not worth it I reckon.
Always feel bored listening to this guy, I don't care how much raving goes on for him. I used to say the same about Dylan too, but now I love him. Maybe one day this'll click.
Oh dear... This is truly horrible album. I tried to listen to this unprejudiced. I guess I was in my first year of gymnasium when this album came out and I really hated the singles of it. No I listened to the entirety of it and I really hated it. I do really appreciate the singer-songwriter Paul Simon. Just look at my appreciation of 'Bookends'. Bur this is... let's say: appalling. It's an attempt to blend African music with modern popmusic, but it doesn't work. They remain two world apart and the results are ridiculous. I mea, just listen to 'I know what I know'. This can't be serious? 'That was your mother' is not much better, with a totally fucked up accordeon and the ugliest sax solo ever. What on earth were they thinking? Yes, I know it's not really fair to listen to mid eighties music and its horrible production with nowadays ears but this is not just production. This is pop music at its worst.
Nothing cool about Paul Simon
Least favorite style of music along with 70s hair band
Awful derivative, white man trying to add African shit to his album so bad
This shit is just not my thing
tacky
Utterly soulless. So devoid of soul that listening evokes a mild terror, even
Paul ran out of English folk music to hack and had to move continents I guess. Bassist is cool, but that's about it. 0/10
Total cack
Disgraceland more like This annoyed me more than I would have liked it Maybe it's the voice? Maybe it's the lyrics? Just annoying
I skipped forward more songs on this album than I think any I've listened to so far. I really don't like Paul Simon's voice and nothing in any of these tracks makes up for that
This is the 64th album I’m rating. I’ve great things about the album but I know nothing about him except for That 70’s Show. Adding to my Playlist - Nothing. Not Adding to my Playlist - The Boy in the Bubble, Graceland, I Know What I Know, Gumboots, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, You Can Call Me Al, Under African Skies, Homeless, Crazy Love, Vol. II, That Was Your Mother, and All Around the World or the Myth of Fingerprints. All in all I liked 0/11 songs. This is boring and not that good. Why did Paul Simon do this? I need to listen to some Fiona Apple.
This was a VERY hard listen. Not my style AT ALL
Really not my type of thing, I don't care for the voice nor anything that is going on, it doesn't reek of the 80's but frankly its rubbish. 'I Know What I Know' I found particularly annoying and could well have been heard playing at the New Inn, 'You Can Call Me Al' was recognisable and okay but I'm hesitant to add it to the top tracks as it's not saying much considering I didn't like a single other track. Folk music is uninspiring to me so I was unlikely to ever like this but I'm unsure how Mr Young, deep within the 1980s, makes music which sounds all the same. How 'The Queen is Dead' and this {Graceland} were made in the same year is beyond me, the backdrop of Apartheid is certainly interesting but in no way makes this album listenable to me. In no way will I ever listen to this again. 1/10 flat and dull. Top Tracks -> You Can Call Me Al
Yeah…not a big Paul Simon fan it turns out.
Generic sounds from the early 90s. Story telling, not singing. Kinda racist in some parts. I sometimes feel like on a folks festival. City Pop / Rock ?
1/5 its not that itd put me to sleep but like if i was sleeping and someone played this id wake up fr. its bad. i dont like the lyrics. its giving stuck on a roadtrip with your uncle who hates you. and his friends too.
Probably the perfect example of what the '80s had the worst to offer. Production is horrible; I only hope they were experimenting with digital, which might be the only acceptable excuse for this completely flat sound. For the rest, blatant cultural appropriation by a middle-aged folk singer who doesn't know if he should try to put an effort into singing some tunes or just do some white man slam. Lyrics are dull as hell, nothing to save here, just move along, folks.
fucking hell nicholas adams is here, bog off
God this is terrible. I wonder if people listen to similar solo artists defected from their bands and say, "ugh this sounds like a Paul Simon album"
1/5 veldig irriterende
I was really excited for Graceland, obviously it’s an iconic album but I’ve never heard it. It is easily the biggest disappointment in my project so far out of almost 400 albums. I guess in 1986 no one in a North America had ever heard anything from Africa. But just throwing in African sounds hasn’t aged well, it’s borderline offensive. 3.7/10
You can call me Al and some other songs...
Boring
I made it through three and a half songs before sending it back. Off to a terrible start with some sort of accordion static noise, it never got better. It made me think that Vampire Weekend listened to Graceland and thought 'we could do this so much better'.
huh
Bland
No. I don't like most Simon and Garfunkel stuff. Them separately are way worse. Stop.
Boring
Liked Song You Can Call Me Al
I don't get it, but then again, I don't get Simon and Garfunkel either. This is the sort of record that makes me want to scream at baby boomers like "THIS is what you think is an alltime record?" while throwing an endless stream of vinyl copies across the room. Chevy Chase was the best part of "You Can Call me Al" and given how he has become known as one of the biggest tools in show business, even that carries very little water.
first listen. i tried really hard but i didnt like this album at all. it just went from boring to annoying. i prefer Simon and Garfunkel together
Sounds like shit dumbass
Didnt know rock could be gentrified but yeah, here it is. I try really hard to not be a music snob but I draw the line at Paul Simon. This guy saw 80s folk rock and decided to strip it of all its meaning and essence to market it to a bigger audience with a horrible "world music" vibe. Usually when that happens I try to focus less on the message and more on just the music itself but even them idk what happens but it sounds like shit. The recording sucks, the instruments sucks, his voice sucks, the whole thing mashed together sucks. fuck off
If this was a piece of tragic performance art illustrating the mundane and tedious reflections of a middle aged white man’s descent into mediocrity and irrelevance it would be a masterpiece. However, this meandering pap seems to be a serious effort and it seems to have been well received at the time by other, presumably, quite boring people. As I listened to Graceland disjointedly jangling along I longed for yesterday’s funner offering (Sister Sledge). Soon Graceland faded meaninglessly into the background as it is simply too dull to cut above other noises and I started thinking about today’s polarised world that seems fuelled by perpetually outraged old people. A thought then occurred to me; Boomers were young once - they listened to Sister Sledge and Sunday’s far more progressive musical offering from the Rolling Stones. Then they listened to Graceland and I wonder if it was then that they began their own descent into middle aged dissatisfaction, vindictive entitlement and a comfort zone of victimhood. I think what I’m trying to say is that Graceland is to music what Boris Johnson is to politics; an offensive but inexplicably popular mediocrity.
Not for me.
Not for me. A bit too ‘country’ but I tried
One of the worst. Not sure how anyone likes this or thinks it is influential. Painful.
when it's not boring it's annoying. no thanks
music for vampires. hated. (⌐■_■)
Solo Paul Simon is not my jam. Its a weird mix of older folk-rock sounds with very produced 60s synth sounds. Not my favorite combo. Simon and Garfunkel is my preference
Not really a fan of Paul Simon, so this will be an interesting listen. After listening, my feelings about him haven’t changed. Not a fan.
fuck off
Not my cup of tea. Boring
I really tried to like it, but just couldn't get into it at all. Sorry Paul, but seems like a world/folk music ain't my jam
1-2
Totally not my music. (But bonus point for "You Can Call Me Al".
I did not like it.
I guess it’s trying to be worldly, but it just sounds 80s blah.
à chier
You’re a chode Paul!
Nah. No. I don’t think this needs to be heard by anyone. The word that comes to mind is Fartknocker. It’s fartknocker music. Sorry Paul Simon.
Should I mark this as “did not listen”? I made it through the first 10-15 seconds of each song. Not for me.
Annoying. Every song feels forced and each sound is disjointed and random. Concept "world" album with no thought to song writing. Just a bunch of world "musicians" jamming in a studio. Can't finish this.
sadly not my favorite. just so not my style.
It must be seen as a "classic" but I didn't feel that vibe.
I don't think this aged GRACEfully. It sounds like a commercial for an organic breakfast cereal targeted at kids.
Three songs in and this is an incredibly irritating sounding album. Oh God please end. Like fingernails down a blackboard. Yawn. Thank God its finished. I hated it and will never listen to it again.
The same thing over and over and over. Got boring real fast. 2/10 1/5
Душная хуита!
Dai, alla fine ci siamo divertiti!
Penso che l'unico modo per definire questo album è: una baracconata. Simon ha fatto praticamente "La mia africa" di Boris, ha preso vari musicisti africani e non, tutti generalmente talentuosi, e gli ha fatto fare un album al posto suo senza probabilmente andare oltre una comprensione superficiale. In certi casi è veramente troppo palese, tipo "Homeless", dove Simon esce dal bagno durante gli ultimi 20 secondi di registrazione per dire le sue due cosette in modo da firmare il pezzo. E comunque è meglio così, perché quando Simon è più presente nei pezzi il risultato è a dir poco discutibile e più di una volta m'ha strappato una risata che non credo fosse l'effetto sperato da Simon. Un'altra nota che non possono non fare: ma che c'entra la copertina? Comunque per me sto album è tipo un 2, e volevo dare 2, però poi me so reso conto che c'è il suo nome sulla copertina e sto votando la parte sua dell'album e quindi è 1.
Me rehuso a escuchar este disco. Perdón. Le doy una estrella.
Sé que Paul Simon es así como una leyenda de la música, pero simplemente este tipo de música no es mi tipo. Me pareció extremadamente aburrido... -_-zZzZz