Paul Simon

Great songwriting and a very smooth voice. I like Paul Simon and really enjoyed this album.

Other than a couple of his singles, I haven't really listened to Paul Simon too much. Honestly the man really could write a song. The album opens with a surprisingly good reggae song. The rest of the album is a delightful mix of styles. He clearly finds amazing people to collaborate with and the result is wonderful. The flutes in Duncan are hypnotic. Armistice Day has some really satisfying acoustic guitar. Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard is not new to me and I've always found it to be a fun song. This album is just shy of a 5, only because a couple of the songs didn't really resonate with me. But I feel like on further listen, this album will easily be a 5.

I liked it! A lot of the songs sounded the same but that makes sense because it’s his solo debut and self titled so it should be cohesive. But the whole time I was either like “I miss Garfunkel” or “I wish I was listening to The Rhythm Of The Saints.” But we stan Paul so I’ll give it three

My favorite songs are: Mother and Child Reunion, Run That Body Down, and Paranoia Blues Overall the songs are really solid and really put me in a certain mood, or maybe just the overall vibe of the songs tapped into something I was already feeling. I think its a really cohesive album, and I appreciate the brevity of a lot of the songs. Nothing except maybe Armistice Day felt like it was overstaying its welcome, but even then idk if that's my final opinion on Armistice Day. Really strong album to open this with, 8/10

Love Paul Simon!! My all time favourite album though is obviously Graceland... This album has a very different feel to it. It's much slower and more raw in terms of the storytelling taking a more melancholy direction. The storytelling in these tracks is absolutely wonderful as ever and I've not come across the song Duncan before which is lovely. I'm curious where the inspiration for that song came from and who it is about. Great variety of sounds and instruments and feelings from the different tracks. But I do prefer the more upbeat and exciting Graceland still.

What a great album and I do love Paul Simon! Always feels like such pure, clean music. Weird little stories that are curious to make sense of. I listened to this on an early morning drive to my Granddad's and it was a great soudtrack

Loved it. Love Paul. Love Simon.

Love his voice and some beautiful guitar playing as well. Enjoyed every song on the record.

Solid album, but Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard is the best by far.

Very beautiful sound!

Digged this much more than I expected

\"Me and Julio\" is a delightful little nonsense song. The rest of the album is chill and pleasant to listen to.

Folky pop

Pretty solid, sorta felt like Bob Dylan? Not sure if that's totally off-base though. Definitely some catchy tunes and I liked most of the songs, but I don't really see myself listening to this one super often.

Loved it, very chill vibe, very cosy. Only song I wasn’t a fan of was Papa Hobo

love Paul's voice and his song writing

Great album

Very good, not quite for me so will fall short of a 5 but a lot of good songs. Why does he say Julio like that?

So it's a Paul Simon album, except I've never heard it and don't know any of the songs. And it's brilliant. Why do none of these songs get played? Ah, aside from Me and Julio.

Great album, Paul Simon really does some great and fantastic acoustic guitar work here and his vocals and lyrics seems to go hand and hand.

Like most of Paul Simon's work esp in this era it's very good, it's really hard to dislike some of his most popular songs. Though not every song is great, a few ho-hum songs keep this being a 5 star album.

A gifted singer / songwriter with knack for storytelling. What’s not to like?

Paul Simon was a stable of my house growing up. It's a good album and it reminds me of my dad.

I really like a lot of Paul Simon songs and some of the best are on this album. And the ones that tell a story are my favorite. Only knock this album gets is that a few of the songs are just a bit too similar to one another. So a really good album, just short of great.

It’s really good but will still be below the Simon and Garfunkel body of work.

Lyrical and musical mastermind

8/10

7/10. Great lyrics throughout, but musically I thought it was a bit dull, with the exception of Me and Julio, which is always a fun listen.

Great album, slows down a bit after Me and Julio. First half is dripping with nostalgia. 8/10

A master class in songwriting from a master song writer. 4/5.

Very good initial solo effort post-Simon & Garfunkel, with many hints of what was to come for Paul Simon. While Paul Simon has many works that belong on this list though, I'm not sure this one does. It didn't really break any new ground. It's got two or three really good songs but the rest is mostly filler. It is nice to hear Paul Simon getting back to a bit of the acoustic guitar style from the early S&G days. 4 stars.

очень даже симпатично, прям приятно и понравилось

Simon mixes in various other elements not seen in his music previously. He also writes one of his strongest, and frankly best singles. At the core though it’s still his signature folk with that positive spirit.

I totally understand why this was a hit in 1972. Folk was still an influence in popular music that was able to really be put out there. This album doesn't sound dated by any stretch of the imagination. But you can tell from the instrumentation that this is an album that wouldn't have mass appeal in 2023. I like the album, but I don't know that I would need to really listen to this regularly. It is a bit too mellow for me and I prefer Bob Dylan and Neil Young when it comes to things that have the influence of folk to them. I'll give this a solid 83.

Classic hits - easy listen

Really enjoyed the different styles of music especially enjoyed songs that tell a story.

Nice album. I liked it but not as much as Graceland. It's more minimal, and that can be nice, but I liked the instrumentation on Graceland quite a bit more. 3.75/5

Not Paul’s best stuff, he was still trying to find his ground as a solo act, but definitely has its share of classics. It’s pretty good, but his best work will always be with Art. B

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Mother and child reunion

Simon's solo work reminds me of John Lennon's in that, yes there are some gems, but there's something missing. And in both cases, it's their musical collaborator. Paul Simon needed Art Garfunkel just as much as Lennon needed McCartney. And vice versa. The two hits here classics, and overall it's one of Paul Simon's more satisfying Solo efforts. But as is always the case with his solo albums, I'm reminded that Tom and Jerry belong together.

Exquisite songwriting by Paul as usual. Could’ve used some higher energy numbers, but a very good debut effort by him!

Really good album, one of the true greats of music.

Joyita la vrd

legend

нечего сказать

Something really gentle. And sound of the voice is really amazing

Great music and storytelling and Me and Julio is a banger!

I love Paul Simon's voice and musical style. This is just an enjoyable album from start to end.

Simple sound, wonderful storytelling. Very relaxing yet fun listen!

Brilliant songwriter, loved the songs, especially the first half of this album. So catchy.

This is probably my favorite Paul Simon album. It's his second, so he had time to shake off the rest of the Garfunkel, but he hadn't yet started appropriating African culture.

Alone Paul Simon is also good.

Me gustó, bastante entretenido de fondo

The fresh start after the initial fresh start, Paul Simon shows the music world how unencumbered he has become with these observational, nostalgic songs that not only continue the skills honed prior but expands and refines it. Only onwards and upwards from here for Rhymin' Simon. Favorites: Duncan, Run That Body Down, Armistice Day, Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard, Peace Like a River, Papa Hobo, Congratulations.

Hey, a Paul Simon record I actually somewhat enjoyed. I feel like it's got enough flirtations with world music to be interesting, but not over-the-top. The production is also pretty nice, very warm. Seeing as how this is my fourth Paul Simon record on the list so far, maybe he's breaking me, or maybe this is just the only one I enjoyed. Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Duncan", "Papa Hobo"

Chill, bernie bro stuff, me and julio down by the school yard

Favs: - Duncan - Run that body down

Feels like I've heard this one before

i’ll take it

The two songs I knew on the album are always enjoyable, even though the title "Mother & Child Reunion" is a weird one, named after a chicken and egg dish. The other songs show the acoustic, songwriter side that he had so perfected with Garfunkel. And for the most part, it works. The contrast comes in with "Me & Julio" "Mother & Child" as they are both more upbeat kinds of songs. But the others do start to become a bit of downers after a while. Still, Simon always turns a good phrase and the album was enjoyable.

I'm a big Paul Simon fan, but I've never found this album all that exciting. There are some really great songs on here, like Mother and Child Reunion, Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard, and Peace Like a River, but overall the album doesn't have the pull of a lot of his other work. Nothing bad, just nothing all that exciting - most of the other tunes are nice, but they just don't stick with me. Maybe one more exception is Duncan, but it always feels like a song that has potential but doesn't really go anywhere. Overall, I'm not sure why they included this particular solo album in the 1001 albums. The 1001 also has Hearts and Bones and Graceland, which are both amazing albums start to finish. I guess this album is pretty representative of his 70s output: each album has a few amazing songs and then a bunch of decent filler. Personally, if I had to pick one of his 70s solo albums I'd go for the next one, "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" which includes great tracks like Kodachrome, American Tune (one of my favorite Paul Simon songs), and Loves Me Like a Rock. I'd also put "Still Crazy After All These Years" in the running (heck, just for drum part of 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover...such a great beat. Kudos to Steve Gadd). I'll give this album a 4 mainly because I enjoy the album (which I can say for every album he ever put out, either solo or with Garfunkel), but it's just not a 5 for me.

p275. 1972. 4 stars One of the great singer/songwriters shows to successfully transition from the 60s to the 70s in style. It's not perfect - there is quite a bit of filler - but there are enough standout tracks to make up the gap, and Simon is also an excellent and underrated guitarist.

Starts out pretty tame, sounds like a typical Simon and Garfunkel record, but really takes a turn and delves into a number of different styles and genres. Obviously the catchy riff on Me and Julio stands out, but as a lover of Gypsy Jazz, Hobo's Blues was a surprise, and a very welcome one at that. Then into some real Delta Blues with Paranoia Blues. A real hodgepodge of different songs.

One of the best singer/songwriter/musician of our time. His second solo album. I remember when Mother and Child Reunion and Julio were all over the airwaves

Drugi solowy material w dyskografii pana Simona i pierwszy po rozpadzie duetu garfunkelowego, klasyczny krazek folkowego rocka z 72, wiec osluchany juz niejednokrotnie, nagrywany z potezna iloscia muzykow sesyjnych, ktorzy maluja mocno akustyczne melodie na ktorych Paul spiewa na tematy przerozne, raczej jest to lekki odsluch, ale nie zabraknie motywow dragowych czy dorastania, rowniez tego ciezkiego, plyta slucha sie praktycznie sama, bo na 34 minutach nagrania ciezko o dwa takie same utwory, raz ze wzgledu na to jak szerokie grono muzykow zostalo zangazowane w nagrania, a drugim jest fakt czerpania z roznorakich gatunkow, co z jednej strony nadaje nagraniu nieco popowosci, bo chce byc wszystkim i niczym, ale z drugiej juz tutaj widac zainteresowanie pana Paula jesli chodzi o muzyke z roznych stron swiata, co jeszcze bardziej uwidocznione jest na jego kolejnych albumach, kawalki ktore juz mialem na plejce to jedynie me and julio down by the schoolyard, wiec dodam jeszcze drugi utwor z traklisty, czyli duncana, ktory nagrywany byl z panem Los Incas, ktory zrobil tutaj niesamowita robote zwlaszcza na flecie, ale wydaje mi sie, ze zarowno gitarki jak i perkusja rowniez przez niego byla grana, wiec przyjemne odswiezenie sobie takiego klasyka

It was nice and laid back. I didn’t listen to it super closely but i enjoyed it.

Great

Solid, absolute lad.

To be honest I’ve barely delved into Paul Simon’s solo career but I like Simon and Garfunkel so it’s probably gonna be good… The album opens with mother child reunion a track that comes as a massive surprise to someone who’s only herd Simon and Garfunkel stuff and the singles from Graceland. Mother and child reunion is full blown reggae it’s really cool to hear from him! Then you’ve got Duncan, this is the kinda thing I would expect from Paul Simon it’s a really good slow folk track. Everything put together falls apart is short but nice. I really like the rhythm to run that body down it’s quite jaunty and then there’s a muffled wah wah guitar solo which felt off but really welcome. Ending side one is armistice day it starts off sounding like the kinda thing you would expect from him but then evolves adding numerous extra layers making this really interesting, also for some reason that I don’t know why but I really like the guitar tones throughout the track. The first few seconds the guitars of me and Julio down the schoolyard reminded me of something a 2000’s “indie” band would make ( in a good way), the bulk of the song is probably one of the best so far I don’t know why but it’s a banger. Peace like a river seems to be the album’s “left turn” it’s a mix of a Paul Simon jam with rather tribal sounding drums and some of the best harmonies in his whole career! Papa hobo keeps it short and sweet it’s probably the worst so far but still really enjoyable. Then it’s hobo’s blues It’s a short sweet instrumental track nothing else though. Paranoia blues starts with a one note drum line marching straight forward throughout the song, I don’t know if the other elements work with the drums but I like them separately. Congratulations closes the album it’s a good closer very fitting to the rest of the album. Side one was flawless, side 2 was mixed as whilst I liked Julio down the school yard, peace like a river and congratulations the other songs felt quite lacklustre in comparison. 4/5

Having just listened to Graceland previously, this one seems pale by comparison. I mean, it's good, it's Paul Simon, but certainly a singer-songwriter of his time (1972). The singles are as good as ever, and really the shining spots on an otherwise ok album.

очень нравятся тексты. кажется это настоящее крутое кантри. исследую для себя гитару в музыке и как классно она может звучать. хочется добавлять некоторые песни всего из-за нескольких строчек или одной фразы. оочень нравится его фальцет. в песне «Everything put together falls apart» отворачивается от микрофона!

he's light, he's not cool, but he's a great songwriter.

Very nice. Chill, but not boring.

I guess this is the emergence of Americana! Revolutionary for its time.

Great mix of sounds. Liked it from start to finish.

Nice song writing and stories. No guitar shredding obviously but great melodies and pleasant chord progressions throughout. Always an easy listen

Paul Simon's debut as a solo artist is a statement that he no longer needed Art Garfunkel and a blueprint of the stylistic wanderings that he would explore over the next 40 plus years. The bar set by Bridge Over Troubled Water was high, but Paul Simon met the challenge not by writing epics, but by smaller, story based songs that worked in his varied musical styles.

Impressive solo debut. “Mother and Child Reunion” and “Me and Julio” are classics. The rest are all very good. Confirms that he was ready for the next step in his career.

On this album we get concise storytelling and a diverse group of sounds and influences. None of it sounds out of place however. The panpipes in "Duncan" should be a lot more jarring next to the folk strumming on "Everything Falls Apart" or the jazz basslines of "Run That Body Down" but it doesn't! The world music sound he utilize on Graceland is forsehadowed here. Also the two big hits are fantastic, I've heard them both many times before but I enjoy them each time I hear them. The sparseness of many of the arrangements is striking and there were a lot of unsettling moments of quiet, but for someone who just left one of the most successful musical duos of all time maybe that was the point.

Couple of very classic folk songs. Personally I think Still Crazy After All These Years is the better Paul Simon album

Solid album. It doesn't hit Graceland levels but Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard is an absolute smash.

Good one, why haven’t I heard of it before

Prefs: Mother and Child Reunion, Duncan, Everything Put Together Falls Apart, Armistice Day, Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard, Paranoia Blues Moins pref: Peace Like a River

This is Paul Simon’s first solo album to get a wide release. In it we can hear his embrace of world music that would come to characterize his solo career. This album is a tight collection of folk and has some of his greatest hits. Overall, it’s a fantastic album and showed that he was a capable musician and singer outside Simon and Garfunkel.

It's freaking Paul Simon... I mean, how can this not be a great album? 4/5

Great melodies and sound. Some great songs but not quite as fantastic as some of his earlier and later works

My grandparents’ music. Few artists have been as influential as Simon and Garfunkel in the 20th Century, and Paul is just as popular if not more in his solo career. I mean who hasn’t heard Me and Julio Down by The Schoolyard? I really enjoy the stripped down instrumentals and bare vocals that are bordering on ASMR, even if this isn’t my typical genre. Paul has talent and he knows it. His voice is so soothing and the nice guitar makes you feel like he’s right next to your bed, serenading you to sleep. I also feel like I can’t really place this album in a certain genre. Every song makes me want to put it in one, then the next song turns that on its head. I can also place a lot of modern bands having been influenced by this album. Listening to Papa Hobo and Armistice Day, I feel like Jack Johnson is a direct descendant of this album. It’s overall fun and soothing to listen to, but none of the songs are being added to my playlist. My favorites: Duncan, Everything Put Together Falls Apart, Armistice Day, Congratulations, Paranoia Blues (Unreleased Version)

It was nice, although I prefer Simon and Garfunkel together

Deze was een leuke listen! Mother and child reunion en me and juli waren top

I like Paul Simon, solo or duo. But this project is making me realize how much exploration I haven't done into artists I enjoy. I'm glad to have been presented this album and enjoyed it all the way through. Duncan and Paranoia Blues are new to me and great, and Me & Julio of course is a particular standout. That said I don't love the entire collection of songs as much as I do albums before (Bridge over Troubled Waters) or after (Graceland).

Another one that I will probably relisten to

Surprised I hadn't heard this one before. Good album, Paul Simon is a great story teller. Me & Julio is still my favorite, enjoyed Paranoia Blues and Run that Body Down.

Never thought I'd like this listening to the entire album experience but boy I was wrong. Loved the voice and the calm this entire album exuded 4stars

This album was very pleasant to listen to. Not much to say other than that; very good paul Simon. Me and Julio in the courtyard is great

listened to again i really like paul simon

Good stuff

Men' je ovo dosta simpatičan album. Miran i opuštajuć album uz zvukove folka.

e bão mas falto o garfunkel

Very good. Exactly what I expected from Paul Simon.

There's just something comforting about this album. Faves: Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard, Paranoia Blues

J’ai eu beaucoup de plaisir à écouter cet album. Plus que Graceland. Il a une façon très variée et créative d’écrire la partie paroles/vocale.

J'avais déjà écouté cet album avec un autre groupe. En plus d'avoir écouté Graceland il y a quelques semaines, mon écoute en était différente cette fois. J'aime de plus en plus Paul Simon. J'ai beaucoup plus aimé cet album cette fois-ci. Sa voix et sa façon de raconter des histoires en ne sacrifiant pas une bonne mélodie en fait sa force. Bien sûr Graceland vieilli un peu plus mal à cause de l'époque de son enregistrement, mais pour moi You Can Call Me All est une des meilleures pièces de Paul Simon. Par contre ce deuxième album solo s'écoute vraiment bien. Pièces préférées: Me and Julio by the school, Mother and child reunion, Duncan et Run That Body Down

Great classic blues-inspired folk!

Good stuff. Love the blues songs in there.

Very good, clearly staking Simon’s claim as a self-sufficient solo act. Some of the writing suffers his flaw of being a little too precious, particularly as it clashes with the aspirations to a darker, street-level sensibility.

this is the backing track of me romanticizing my life lol

Paul Simon is amazing

I just really love a spot of Paul Simon. Very laid back and sweet.

Easy singer/songwriter vibe. Paul Simon incorporates some world type sounds into his album, ex: "Duncan" uses what sound like pan flutes. I enjoyed it, though I'm not sure this particular sound is my fave.

Meglio di altri cantautori che mi han fatto sentire, ma secondo me è come per i poeti, o te ne innamori o non ti dicono un cazzo, sebbene qualcuno dica che siano i migliori di tutta la storia messa insieme. Però ad un secondo ascolto mi è piaciuto di più!

Not really a singer/songwriter fan (it takes me like 10 listens to most music before I start paying any attention to the lyrics), but man, Paul Simon can write a tune.

I should get this on vinyl

I have to be honest; I've never gone back prior to " Graceland" and listened specifically to any Paul Simon. His music was played enough on the radio for me. This album contains two of his most popular and best songs, "Mother and Child Reunion" and "Me and Julio Down By the School Yard" Those are almost unique songs on this album as most of the songs are more laid back and subtle: acoustic guitars, a few instruments and sparse arrangements. The songs tell stories some personal, others probably from another of view whose topics cover struggling relationships, infidelity, politics somewhat, drugs and broken dreams. "Peace Like a River " kind of reminds me of R.E.M.'s "Automatic for the People" sound. Other than the two hits, no other songs really stood apart; not to say, they are bad or this a bad album. The lyrics are great. This a personal album and easy to listen to in a singer-songwriter sort of way. You definitely don't see " Graceland" coming from this album, more, a separation from his Simon & Garfunkel days and music.

Folk-rock. Un poco lento para el vinilo. Un 4.

A great album from one of the most highly-regarded songwriters of the 20th century. I am more familiar with Paul Simon's work with Art Garfunkel than I am his solo career (although I do love 'Kodachrome' and 'Me And Julio Down By the Schoolyard', the latter of which comes from this album). Because of this, I was very interested to hear what was his first release after S&G broke up sounded like. After giving this one a go, I would say my expectations were met exactly as this was a very good effort by Simon for his first solo venture. Every song on here is solid with no real duds. The album included not only tracks that could be considered throwbacks to his former group but also songs signaling a change in direction for his own career. The record overall reminded me a lot of Paul McCartney's first solo album but WAY more polished ('Run That Body Down' and 'Congratulations' would not have felt out of character from either Paul). This was a strange connection for me to make as I've never found the two similar before. It is also weird that both albums came out within a couple of years of each other during a period of disbandment (I think McCartney released his while the Beatles were still together, but they were holding on by a thread at that point). Anyways, I still found 'Me and Julio' to be the best and most fun track on the record, and while I do think his work with Art is stronger, I really enjoyed listening to this release. I would give it another spin in the future, but it mainly makes me excited to hear some full Simon and Garfunkel albums later on in this list. 4/5.

4.25

Good album! Really like the first song, mother & child reunion. Whole album is an illustration of Paul Simon's musical ability and style

Ordagrant bara chillin

It's lit!

just some nice stuff

Not quite the heights of his work with Garfunkel, or his later solo work.

4.5

I've never really listened to any solo Paul Simon until this list. I knew a few songs here and there.

Simon's first without Garfunkel. Another classic. It has some standout tracks, but everything fit together nicely.

Faul Simon

Me and Julio, baby. Not as strong as Graceland, but what is? That jacket on the cover looks comfy.

Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard znama pesnicka a dobra

Was pleasantly surprised. I don't know Simon and Garfunkel, and I'm not a big fan of folk and singer/songwriter, but this is the best folk album that I have ever heard so far. I love the reggae, rock, and other elements blended with folk in this album. I like his voice, and that's probably one of Simon and Garfunkel's defining assets. I also enjoyed the guitars and the other instrumentals. I'm now excited to hear a Simon and Garfunkel album. I'm pretty sure that I'll enjoy it. I wonder how different the duo's sound were, and how much did Simon explore. Anyway, I just learned today that I can actually enjoy a freaking folk album. That's one of the beauties of this project.

Album good, for name +1, so in total 4*

Paul Simon's music has changed so much through his career. Listening to his discography as a whole would be rewarding, I'm sure.

That man can certainly write a song, even if he can't always keep your attention.

Joyful listening. Floating across genres with ease

While I prefer Simon's later work, this sets out his stall as an immensely talented musician, drawing on influences from many genres. Definitely worth a listen.

Not my genre but very good album

Paranoia blues: goosebumps

First Simon solo, great album.

Nice listen, love Mother and Child Reunion and Me and Julio. Duncan a nice discovery.

Ik mag dit album wel. Gisteren lekker op lp geluisterd en dat maakt het nog wat leuker

Folk. Bastante bien.

Nice folky tunes

Difficult to rate - he's a genius so I could listen to him noodling all day, but a lot of tracks lacked focus. The ones that had it were fantastic (Me and julio, mother and child...) but the rest were so-so.

This is just one of several excellent Paul Simon solo albums from the early seventies - the singles are clearly 5* songs - the other ones vary a bit. I had not listened to it for many years, and it is interesting to note its influence on artists like Iron and Wine.

Paul Simon is one of my favourite song writers of all time but I wouldn’t say this is a stand out album. A couple of brilliant songs on there and cool to hear him playing with reggae and blues influences.

Dodgy start but really settled into it.

i really like this

Jamen, jeg er en hund for Paul Simon. Rigtig godt guitarspil. Lyder skide godt

Quite pleasant to listen to

Pretty chill, not as good as some of his albums (Graceland comes to mind), but still pretty good. Favourite is Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard.

Soft and sweet acoustic

Grade school music played all the time at the local rec/Game Center

Simon is as talented alone as he was with funkel 👍🏼Great musician and writer. “Julio, Mother & Child & Papa hobo are great. One of only a few artists who went out on his own and had the talent to carry himself🤛🏼

Really, really dug this one. We all know Paul Simon, for me it's largely from his stint with Mr. Garfunkel. But his style and songwriting stands on its own here. Such a lively variety to the music. Really just an excellent singer/songwriter album. So many tracks on here I'll be returning to. Favorite tracks: Me and Julio, Duncan, Paranoia Blues, Run That Body Down, Armistice Day. Album art: Great portrait cover. The drip is immaculate. U so icy, imma glacier boy type of cover. 4.5/5

L'album commence d'une façon des plus inquiétantes avec un morceau d'inspiration reggae. Le bon goût de Paul Simon reprend ensuite la barre et navigue jusqu'à la fin dans des eaux bien plus saines et propres. D'ailleurs, en parlant d'un célèbre professeur de mathématiques, vous avez peut-être lu la critique de mon odieux complice générateurien elmanganèse. Je voulais simplement préciser que ce qu'il raconte est un tissu de mensonges et qu'il n'en est pas à son premier séjour en hôpital psychiatrique si vous voyez ce que j'insinue.

Some classic songs, may contain traces of cultural appropriation

Concise and nice to listen to. Good stuff. Will revisit.

Yeah ok, this was nice - you can hear he's starting to get a taste for incorporating world music into his sound. The "Me and Julio down by the Schoolyard" lyric "Goodbye to Rosie, the queen of Corona" hits differently in 2021. 😞 Fave track - gotta be "Paranoia Blues". Relatable!

Great one, a nice surprise. I found this one totally familiar but don’t think I’ve ever heard it in its totality before

Deep cut pick: Peace Like a River

Some fantastic lyrics and I was amazing by the blues songs

Didn't know him apart from one song, really enjoyed this

Fantastic instrumentalists - Stephane Grapelli, Steven Grossman....

Very good to great.

Great folky vibe. Me & Julio is so great.

Always love me some Paul Simon

I think I still like his later albums more but this one was solid. ‘Me and Julio...’ is one of his all-time great songs. ‘Duncan’ is a track I had never heard that I really liked.

Love me a bit of Paul Simon

Pretty good. Me and Julio is great. Paranoia blues is great.

Deece singer songwriter vibes

Good, chill, Saturday afternoon listen for hanging in the garden.

Listening to Paul Simon makes me feel like I'm 7 years old again and riding in the back of my parents' station wagon, just watching out the window. To be clear, this is a very good thing. Even though for me the highs of Simon & Garfunkel may be higher than any of their solo works, solo Simon (and especially this album) is consistently excellent; and for an album that is nearly 50 (!) years old now this still holds up so well sonically and musically; the arrangements are perfect in that each song may seem simple (accessible) but underneath lies a sneaky complexity. Some classic singles in here that most people will know and yet the deep cuts are all quality - not a bad song in the entire batch - 4 stars. (aside: I love the old-school short length of records back then - perfectly digestible lengths)

Somewhat pensive at times but nicely produced. Low key and intimate, overall a really lovely album. Reminds me of the Beatles and Crosby, Stills and Nash in parts.

Nice happy album, reminds me of the artist Beans on Toast if he was more grounded but just as fun.

Влюбился в Пола Саймона после прослушивания. Спасибо этому проекту.

Pretty good. Not as good as Graceland, but some really good songs.

Hermoso! Lo re disfruté

Good stuff.

Not gonna lie, this kinda put me to sleep the first listen, but this was phenomenal with more time and less distractions. 4 because I liked the start more than the end of the album, but still very very good. Saved: Mother and Child Reunion, Duncan, Peace Like a River

Listened to half of it sorry Paul Simon

Jokin karismaattinen magneettisuus Paulin äänessä ja biiseissä on ilman dynaamista duoakin. Olisi pitänyt edetä seuraavaan levyyn, mutta parin päivän aikana pyörittelin viitisen kertaa läpi. Hyvä levy.

Seriously impressive album that covers a lot of ground.

Leppoisaa musaa. Kuuntelin levyn parilla eri miksauksella (perinteinen ja "360 reality audio") ja varsinkin tuolla 360ra:lla kuulosti todella hyvältä. Olin jo kirjoittamassa tähän, että vähän samaa henkeä kuin Simon & Garfunkelissa, mutta sitten tajusin että niin, tää on varmaan just se Simon! :D

Enjoyable

Ohne auch nur einen Ton reingehört zu haben kann ich schonmal sagen: schönes Cover. Ich mag diese 70er-Fotografie sehr gern (die Farben, das leicht grobkörnige und braunstichige), und die Platzierung der Schrift auch. Gestern das von Yes hat mir ebenfalls gut gefallen. Angehört und erstaunt, dass Paul Simon schon 1972 den Reggae nach New York gebracht hat. Auch sonst tolles Album, absolut zeitlose Produktion. Geht immer, stört nie. 3,7 Punkte.

God I hate this man more the more I like his music. Great songwriting, asshole.

paroles et ambiance

Album qui s'écoute très bien! Pièces variées avec différentes influences. Très bons musiciens, j'ai bien aimé la guitare. Pu capable d'entendre "Me and Julio by the Schoolyard" mais ça c'est personnel (une affaire de barista). Belle ambiance de coffeeshop :)

It's good to see Paul Simon's experiments with world music began here. Paul Simon is special to me. I saw his last ever concert in Flushing a few years back. I can still remember dancing around, having spent the day touring Manhattan with my mother. This is like canned joy, like a summer day on the world's greatest city strolling through the different vibrant neighborhoods. His lilting voice and beat poetry are on full display, bright and shiny and catchy as all get out. It's an album for better days, full of hope in rough places. Perfection.

Quite a few 5 star bangers, but rating the overall album.

Me and juliooo down by the schoolyard

Opening with Caribbean sound is a nice touch. Goes into a more folk sound for other songs. Albums ends with more blues numbers. It's like Paul is flexing his musical muscles and trying out more than what he has done over the last 10 years.

Starts off so so but has a few songs I really enjoyed!

that was great - i didn't realize so many good songs were all on one album

I was a little nervous when he started up with straight up Bob Marley, but it turned around immediately and I ended up liking the album. "Paranoia Blues" stuck out. Also "Everything Put Together Falls Apart" and "Run That Body Down" on second listen. Yeah I like this.

Way to chill for most situations but it is a very good album

Great first solo album...sorry, Art

Production: 16/20 Songwriting: 17/20 Innovation: 14/20 Bangers: 5/20 Emotional response: 15/20 =67 Bloody lovely album. Who needs Art!

Surprisingly good despite the missing Garfunkel

JULIO!

More textured and bluesy than I'd expect from Paul Simon. I like the blown out guitars. Tastes like meatloaf.

A great album.

Brilliant..

Quite chill, I like how it sounds. It has the calmness of Bob Dylan but also its own air of confidence. Solid 4 stars.

Not my favorite Paul Simon album but it was a fun listen

Great happy vibes! Liked his other album better but this was enjoyable. Not as versatile as graceland

Pretty solid album, lots of good songs, but I can't give 5 cause some songs are bit pouash.

Nowhere near the absolute peak of joy that is Graceland, but it's solid enough. An otherwise 3 star album elevated to 4 stars on the strength of one song (in this case, Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard)

Good stuff. Not much to say here, some really enjoyable pop rock on this album.

Paul Simon is not generally someone I listen to on my own, but I always enjoy his albums. He does every mood well, which provides a real richness to all of his albums 4/5

4/5

This is pretty damned good. A diversity of sounds and styles. And yet it all feels so intimate, honest and bare. Feels like a Saturday afternoon in a hammock. Paul Simon is a treasure.

A pleasant experience. More interesting stories told through lyrics in Paul Simon songs. I don't recall ever hearing Duncan before, but I certainly had it on repeat today.

great Paul Simon album

2.82

It's actually pretty unique in how it uses this form of feel-good melody but with quite comical lyrics. It had some really good tracks, but all in all not my cup of tea.

I didn't know any of the songs on this album. I'm not super familiar with Paul Simon's work, but this felt to me like it was him starting to dip his toe into some of his later work that I am more familiar with. While there were still a couple of folksy songs that had more of a Simon & Garfunkel feel to them, there were also songs that explored all kinds of sounds - from reggae to jazz to blues to rock. I actually preferred those songs to the more "safe" songs that would have been more familiar to Simon & Garfunkel fans at the time. Solid record that I enjoyed listening to for the most part.

super inoffensive and bland, though in a genre i quite like so i did enjoy this. not really gonna take anything away from this, but it's an album of some nice enough folk pop tunes. high 3/5, not sure if it deserves to be here or not

Never quite reaches its awesome first two tracks, “Duncan” especially, the sequel to one of his best tracks with Art G

Interesting album, songs are all over the place. I'm guessing this album was at a time where Simon was listening to all kinds of different music and getting inspired. Favorite tracks: Me and Julio, Mother and Child Reunion

I'm normally a bigger Paul Simon fan, but this album for me was more on the bland and forgettable side of things. A soothing listen though. Standout Tracks: Run That Body Down, Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard Rating: 2.5

Pleasant. Not my favorite Paul Simon.

просто приятные песни душевные, но не цепляющие переслушивать не стану 2.9

Obviously great songs but I think it needs salt & pepper. Does that make sense?

Highlights: Mother and Child Reunion, Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard. 3.9

Had the intrusive thought that Paul Simon is just Jason Mraz for boomers and now I can’t get into this album

Nice listen but nothing special :)

"Mother and Child" and "Me and Julio" are on my big list of forever songs, but the rest of this album didn't do much for me.

It’s a great old song album. Some songs are very similar to an Elton John- Billy Joel record. Duncan is amazing. 3.5/5

not my style but i really liked the instrumental parts of the songs. the vocals are okay i guess. idk i dodint give it much thought. i’m probably not listening to it again but it’s nice discovering new music

Decent. Had some interesting tracks.

I’m not really sure how I felt about this one. I get that it’s decent, but I can’t shake this feeling of just utter twee-ness to it?

I was really looking forward to Paul Simon's album. Unfortunately, I only really liked one song. The rest kind of faded into the background. Too bad. 3/5

he’s got a fun voice

Love the songs I already knew. The newer ones to me were fine, but unmemorable

I own this on vinyl and have never listened to it so that’s a pretty good review right there. It’s definitely very good - super catchy and great lyrics. But it’s a little caught between the super pretentious Simon and Garfunkel era and the cynical Graceland era and kinda winds up feeling like weak tea. Like wow these lyrics are so descriptive and the production is so catchy but also you’re not trying to say anything and it kinda feels like it should be on in the background at a Starbucks.

Good background music. Nothing really stood out to me during my time with this album.

Run That Body Down, Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard, and the Unreleased Paranoia Blues. 5.7/10

I still can't really figure out what Me & Julio is about. I always assumed it was about pot but the way the parents react, make me suspect otherwise. I guess, pot was that bad back in the day. I also always thought it was a Simon & Garfunkel song. Overall, the album is well written & the genres he hits are all over the place. Yet, he makes them all work. 3.5

My sister was a big Paul Simon fan. I don't really recognize any of these songs. I can see why he was popular, but I'm just not into this kind of folk music.

A cool little album, good tunes, good song writer

It was a fine album, a bit slower than my taste but Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard is a classic. Although I also really liked Paranoia Blues.

Wel opvallend dat we 3 echte ‘70 platen achtereen hebben. Ook dit is wederom een echte WMvML plaat. Wel bijzonder hoe anders deze artiesten zijn en toch even iconisch. Ik vind Paul Simon altijd wat te zoetsappig… en wellicht ook wel wat te poppy… Maar het is niet dat ik dit echt slecht vind, het voelt voor mij als de autorit naar Frankrijk. Waarin je achterin zit, ruzie maakt met je broer en zus, mega autoziek wordt en alles onder kotst (in de kots emmer), vervolgens kleffe broodjes ei eet en moet luisteren naar de muziek van je ouders; The carpenters, the cats, ABBA, Paul Simon en Art Garfunkel, middel of the road etc. Toch is de titel van het tweede nummer wel echt briljant. Hierin laat Paul Simon zien dat hij zijn tijd ver vooruit was!

Zal wel als een verademing voelen na de break-up. Minder zoet en iets eigenzinniger. Het zijn goede melodie een tekstueel wel leuke observaties. Er zitten best wat verschillende muziek genres in maar hij slaagt er wel in om het eigen te maken zonder dat het een wereldmuziekplaat word oid. Toch is het voor mij te netjes. Na drie keer luisteren ben ik het ook weer drie keer vergeten. Het is een vakman die alles netjes dicht timmert. Daarmee houd hij de luisteraar ook op afstand en voel ik er niet zo veel bij.

Recognised the songs onced played on radio but not much else there to make me want to listen again

72/100

There were a few good classic songs, and some songs that were just not that good, not with a lot of depth.

I found very little striking about this record. "Me and Julio..." was the only song I found actively interesting. The rest is fine, but forgettable.

Good album but not his best.

Fine. Hints of his more adventurous later music but was expecting a bit more TBH

Good easy listening - I like his style.

Solid voice

Couple of good tracks but it seems like a transitional album between his S&G stuff and the best of his solo career

Good - idk it's a little too overproduced for me or something. Idk what it is. I like it I don't love it

I like the melodies and guitar playing, but just not a huge fan of his voice. 2.5/5

Always difficult for Paul Simon, being compared to his work with Art Garfunkel. This isn’t as good, but does contain some good tracks: Mother and Child Reunion and Me and Julio in particular.

Not a bad album, probably worth a relisten. Liked the first track especially.

I prefer the Simon and Garfunkel records over this, but still really good. Such a nuanced voice and the song writing is always interesting and not like much else I've listened to.

Transitional record for Paul Simon, bridging his traditional folk sounds with some of the more global influences he would ply to better effect later on in his career. Some good tunes here, of course Me and Julio being a huge highlight, and no real bum tracks, just some not terribly exciting. A fine record with some great lyrics.

Yeah not bad better that Transformer by Lou Reed

Not his best one but fine

I don't remember Paul Simon it was alright.

Come on Paul, two first names was a bit much but four is just greedy. Leave some for the rest of us

Just so bland

Folk rock and singer-songwriter pop built from delicate acoustic guitars, subtle Latin and folk influences, understated arrangements, and gentle vocals feels like sitting on a shaded porch during a warm afternoon while someone tells quiet stories that never ask for your full attention—relaxed, tasteful, and consistently pleasant without becoming deeply involving. Good background music unfortunately not more.

Pleasant enough. That said, I want more than "pleasant" in my music. ★★★

e uma bagunça, nao sou muito fã de folk. nao e ruiiiiim…

3.25 respect the craft.

un poco aburrido pero me divirtio en algun punto, un 7 tirando para abajo, talves su hit lo escucharia en el auto

Unlike Graceland, I don’t feel like this offers much more than S&G together. It was perfectly alright , but a bit plain and forgettable at times. Current ranking of the Paul Simon albums: 4. Parsley etc 3. This one 2. Bookends 1. Graceland 6 / 10 Best tracks: Paranoia Blues, Me and Julio

I was really excited to listen to this as a huge fan of Graceland, but I couldn’t connect to any of the songs.

I’ve never been the biggest Simon fan, but his collaboration with notable jazz bassist Ron Carter seeps through the music in a natural and effective way, as if the two are speaking the same musical language, but different dialects. One of Simons’ best albums, and will be looking to add this physically.

Big fan of rulo rhymin Simon. Unfortunately this album was below his standards

Not bad, for this kind of thing.

Some good songs!

Mwagh

I love this, it’s very cute and calming, this is also the first day of using 1001 album generator cause I wanna know A LOT of music Anyway this was beautiful Day 1

Decent. I liked the couple of blues tunes later on in particular.

Some good songwriting, but I think his performances are better elsewhere. 3.5 stars

A few classic Paul Simon tracks. Also a lot of boring ones. Mother And Child Reunion has got the jolly sunny Death In Paradise vibes. Great backing music to use whenever Camille rejoins the island with Catherine or if they get put in a dish together. Me & Julio Down In The School has got the Bert Kaempfert mad hits - starts off a little like Afrikaan Beat. Run That Body Down is also pretty relaxing and nice. Kinda prefer all of Bert Kaempfert’s A Swingin’ Safari to be on this list instead to be honest.

Good but not my favourite.

This is a listenable album, and it exhibits more musical versatility than expected, but nearly every song leaves me wishing Paul Simon would go deeper. I'm not sure he really wants to, truthfully. The exception for me is "Run That Body Down." While this is a simple song, I think it works on multiple levels. It's a parable. I'm writing this review as I'm listening to one of my next albums, "Aqualung" by Jethro Tull. Man, what a study in contrasts.

This album is like picking up an artist's journal. You flip through and can see and feel greatness, but there is something lost in translation. The music if fine, the lyrics are interesting and novel, but it all kind of feels half done... like good ideas half committed to. This is probably a result of having nothing to prove, but at the same time, all of this rises to the level of good but wanting something more or something better.

I just adore the way Paul Simon's albums record their guitars. Most of the songs are unremarkable though.

It was alright, but don't like it as much as S&G.

Ну это мой первый альбом на этом сайте с которого я начал собственно обогащать свою музыкальный вкус. Могу сказать что это типичный американский альбом который приятно слушать на фоне когда едешь в машине по лесу на своем пикапе или типа того. Но не та вещь которую захочешь постоянно переслушивать, но инструменты и вокал очень приятные. Больше всего мне понравилась песня Me and Julio Down by Schoolyard.

Maybe lacks the tenderness I expected, I feel it is worse for it. I think Simon's musical and vocal style lends itself better to a kind of music this album is sparsely populated by. Some nice tracks (Duncan, Mother and Child Reunion) but nothing I adore sadly.

3.5

Different listens

I absolutely love Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard. One of the most joyous little songs ever and I could listen (and have listened) to it on repeat for hours. The rest is nice and fine, but it ain't no Me and Julio.

Good to hear again having forgotten most songs apart from the singles. Even if you don't like Paul Simon's voice you have to admire Stephane Grappelli's contribution on Hobo's Blues which was the highlight for me.

What a lovely record - Paul Simon really is a fantastic songwriter. Obviously this album is just a taste of things to come. He is just dipping his toe into the world of cultural appropriation here (joking of course!) whilst still maintaining his folky style from the S&G days. Whilst as a standalone album it is good it does kinda just make me think…I wish I was listening to Graceland (or the excellent Rhythm Of The Saints which for some reason does not appear to be on this list!)

By no means my favourite Paul Simon, but still a really pleasant and solid record. The main problem I think is that Simon is basically showing off, making the case for a post-Garfunkel future by going through as many different genres as he can. I know he didn't exactly shy away from showing off throughout the rest of his career, but at least he slowed down enough to make more coherent records. It's good, but not his best.

Always pleasant. Masterful songwriting.

this is the best one so far, but i wouldnt play it after a long day

makes telling a story pretty interesting actually Would I listen again: no Deserves to be on this list: maybe 3.1

It’s nice. Nothing that really blows me away though. Actually there are more than a few weird tracks on here that I could live without. Armistice Day is the stand out track for me - positively

I hear why people like it.

Great opening couple of tracks, then about as exciting as his name.

The first track on this album, Mother and Child reunion, was really interesting to me! It felt like it almost had reggae undertones to it. I haven’t had a good narrative track for a while, so Duncan was a nice surprise. It was serene, I enjoyed the flute part. Run that body down had a nice little rhythm to it. I liked the guitar too! Me and Julio down by the schoolyard was a bop! Hobos blues had some great music to it even though it was short. I loved Paranoia blues. Congratulations was a nice way to end the album. 3.5/5 ⭐️ 165/1089

Graceland is beter, maar toch genoten...

I like Paul Simon but this wasn't my favourite of his. Nonetheless, I enjoyed and would revisit