Paul Simon - The Late Great Johnny Ace

Joe writes: A great song about mourning recently deceased rock 'n' roll stars:

more Graceland - Paul Simon

Joe writes: My last post was about a song inspired by a visit to Graceland. Here's Paul Simon talking about the role Graceland played in inspiring his song of the same name:




Hot Chip guested and chose some records on Jo Whiley's Radio 2 recently including Paul Simon's Late In The Evening, chosen by Alexis from the band. I've written before about Late In The Evening and the One Trick Pony album and film from whence it came, but hearing it again made me realise that the template for the Graceland album was right there, lyrically and musically, six years earlier.

These are the greatest Todd Terje edits of all-time

good list from Thump

but they forgot this one, the Diamonds Dub (Tangoterje Edit) of Paul Simon's Diamonds In The Soles Of Her Shoes:

everybody loves the sound of a train in the distance, and Aaron Neville

Joe writes: Aaron Neville has a really extraordinary voice. His first US pop hit was the wonderful Tell It Like It Is, which reached no. 2 on the Hot 100 in 1966.



He also recorded my favourite version of the song Pledging My Love, originally a hit for Johnny Ace, whose version was the first single Paul Simon ever bought according to Wikipedia (if so then it stood Simon in good stead as a primer in songwriting).



Paul Simon's song The Late Great Johnny Ace appeared on his underrated album Hearts & Bones, and here's my favourite track from that album, Train In The Distance:

Paul Simon

Joe writes: Whether you judge it influence or on quantity of great songs written, Paul Simon is one of the ten greatest artists of the rock 'n' roll era.

He also made a painfully accurate film about being a (fading) rock star, called One Trick Pony. It wasn't available for years but you can now buy the DVD on Amazon.com (you'll need a US or multi-region DVD player though). Here's a scene from it:

The soundtrack to One Trick Pony was possibly Paul Simon's least successful album but it's his second best, after Graceland - every song is a killer.

Rumer does a brilliant cover of Long Long Day from One Trick Pony:

While looking at Paul Simon videos on YouTube, I came across this joyous performance of Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes. Brilliant dancing and even better music:

I love Rumer

Joe writes: Once in a while, an artist comes along with echoes of acts from the classic rock era like Joni Mitchell or Fleetwood Mac or Roberta Flack or The Carpenters. The problem comes when you listen to their music back to back with an album like Blue or Rumours; they invariably fall far short.

Not so with Rumer. She is an achingly great lyricist; an intuitive, unaffected soul singer; a wonderful songwriter.

Her music is so good it makes me wince. She is up there with the best of them.

And to cap it all, she has the great taste to cover Long Long Day from Paul Simon's One Tricky Pony.

(updated post)

A truly great road song: America by Paul Simon

Phil writes: Probably one that everyone knows but it's always nice to think that someone out there may hear it for the first time and personally I never tire of it. Meant to post this when they started running Greyhound buses in the UK. Wouldn't really work for me - surely they're all about the vast distances and the scenery from the moon rising over an open field to the New Jersey Turnpike. No, British Greyhounds make me think of 'Do you know the way to Sandringham?' or 'By the time I get to Tulse Hill'. Favourite lines: Kathy I'm lost I said though I knew she was sleeping/I'm empty and aching and I don't know why."



Buy the mp3 from Amazon

Herman Dune, Jonathan Richman and Paul Simon

Joe writes: Herman Dune played a lovely set at SXSW with Kimya Dawson joining him to sing vocals on a couple of songs including I Wish That I Could See You Soon. A very endearing song from a very endearing artist, although the lyric about spooning is a bit much.

I Wish That I Could See You Soon is clearly inspired by Jonathan Richman, and my favourite Jonathan Richman song is I Was Dancing In The Lesbian Bar.

I can also hear shades of Late In The Evening in I Wish That I Could See You Soon. Late In The Evening is the opening and best remembered track from Paul Simon's 1980 album One Trick Pony. The album has been slated by critics, perhaps more because of the film of the same name than the music (see also Parade by Prince). The critics are wrong about the music anyway. The album is great from beginning to end and is probably Paul Simon's best alongside Graceland.

Herman Dune - I Wish That I Could See You Soon (iTunes)




Jonathan Richman - I Was Dancing In The Lesbian Bar (iTunes)




Paul Simon - Late In The Evening (iTunes)

Paul Simon dance bootlegs

I really love both of these but I'm posting the links now mostly so that any recent visitors to the blog know it's not just about country music.

Paul Simon - Diamonds Dub by Tangoterje (iTunes link for the original, and a link to buy the vinyl)

Georgie Glamour feat. Simon & Garfunkel - Silence (iTunes link for the original)