Paul Simon's 2000s album are perhaps the most peculiar in his catalog, or at the very least the most overlooked - coming after his 80s comeback
Graceland and the just-as-brilliant follow-up that was
Rhythm of the Saints, but before his acclaimed late career material with
So Beautiful or So What and
Stranger to Stranger, which are albums I'm all too eager to dive into. After the damage control of
You're the One at the beginning of the decade, Simon returned six years later with legendary producer Brian Eno for his new album, a proper Simon album for a new decade. While Simon can ultimately be counted on for some great material on his albums, including here ("How Can You Live in the Northeast?", "Father and Daughter"), the production is just not very suited for Simon here. Eno is a talented guy, but his production dates this album more than anything - never before has an album sounded more like 2006, let me tell you. It's also not a great sign that even
You're the One had better lyricism from Simon, even if the high points on this album are better - "Outrageous" is baffling on quite a few levels. A mix of some lackluster writing and production that is, if nothing, unsuited for Simon, makes for what is by some distance his most ho-hum album. I'm surprised, too.
🆗
Listen to Surprise.
Comments
Post a Comment