You're The One - Paul Simon

You're The One by Paul Simon (2000) This collection of songs has a more intimate and introspective musical ambition than Simon's most famous solo album, Graceland, but proves nonetheless his peerless observational song-craft stands undiminished by age. Of course keeping things simple for Simon often means a richer array of instrumentation than lesser musicians would have the confidence to employ in full flow, and his compositions are filled by flavour and feeling. I would say the ratio of stronger songs to weaker songs is seven to four, and two or three are truly exceptional. That's not bad considering Simon and Garfunkel split up in 1970, the same year as The ...  Read the complete review

The best yet! - Advantages: Eazy listening, Touch of humour - Disadvantages: May be misunderstood

A new Paul Simon album is always something worth getting excited about especially as it has been so long since he made a great album. For me, Graceland was a milestone in his career, equalling if not exceeding his most excellent work in the early 70s. I was never overly impressed with The Rhythm of The Saints. Maybe it was too hard to follow up Graceland. So, with no new music to speak of in the 90s, except the overlooked Songs From The Capeman, it's good to see one the finest and most consistent songwriters of our time back in the spotlight. The compilation 'Shining Like a National Guitar' released earlier this year is a good retrospective view of ...  Read the complete review

One of the grand old men of American popular music is back with his first non-themed album in over a decade. With his Broadway failure The Capeman behind him, Simon has returned to what he does best. Coming on like Raymond Carver with a guitar, Simon seduces the listener with 11 ‘stories’. There are no hit singles here, just an album that intrigues and impresses from the outset. An early highlight is ‘Darling Lorraine’. Here, our protagonist recalls meeting his future wife. The teller is seduced by "the sin of impatience". A lifetime eventually passes between them. From an early romance, they endure arguments with the ...  Read the complete review