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Reviews > CDs

CDs / Shows

Published: 2011/04/18

by Ron Hart

Paul Simon: So Beautiful or So What

HEAR Music/Concord

The last time Paul Simon recorded with veteran producer Phil Ramone it was in 1975 and they made an album about the pains of surviving divorce. Thirty-five years later, the pair reconvened to extol the virtues of Simon’s two-decade-long marriage to Edie Brickell with his strongest cache of songs this side of Graceland. On his first set of new material since 2006’s Brian Eno-helmed Surprise, the almost-septuagenarian steals back his Afro-pop mojo from Vampire Weekend (“The Afterlife,” “Rewrite”), jams with Grizzly Bear’s Chris Bear (“Love Is Eternal Sacred Light”) and name checks Jay-Z (“Questions for the Angels”). But its the romantic moments here that vault So Beautiful to the heavens, particularly the gorgeous paeans to his wife “Love and Hard Times” and “Dazzling Blue,” ensuring this collection’s rank among Simon’s very best.

Comments

There are 2 comments associated with this post

Greg Corrao April 18, 2011, 11:02:36

Ron Hart is the best you guys have. More RH please!

Auth September 30, 2012, 15:11:49

You’re right, the whole Casey Anthony thing is crazy. We get CNN and lemme tell ya Nancy Grace is one scary barracuda. While I won’t be srsiupred to find out she did it, Nancy Grace has already tried her and found her guilty and I wonder how it’s possible to have a fair trial?As for Weird Al, I was gonna send you the new video the other day and then I fiugured you’d already be on top of it! I love it, silliness at it’s best hmmm?Hope everything goes well or as well as can be hoped for with the doc .cathyb4s last blog .. Reply:June 28th, 2011 at 9:36 pm, Nancy Grace, ugh. Yeah, she’s scary. And thanks.