Graceland

Paul Simon, while successful earlier in his life, comes back in a decade of music without a lot of artistic quality or ability. Amongst a growing environment where Hair Metal was the norm, it is stunning that Graceland was received so well towards the popular audience. The 80s was a time of massive consumerism and it is amazing that such a deep album did so well. Paul Simon also did not match the epitome of a rocker at the time but certainly shined through as one of the best.

One refreshing thing regarding Paul Simon’s music that probably was received better during this era of music was the fact that it addressed deeper issues in society that were not so shallow. With the relatively talentless hair metal genre on the rise, Paul Simon brought back a culture of music that was popular in previous decades. He used his songs to push messages and his opinions about several issues about society. Simon jumps right into these touchy subjects with his very first song. A lot of times, albums like to lead in with something lighter but Simon told a story of a boy with autoimmune deficiency. To me, this just crosses over previously untouched subjects. The messages and intriguing stories that he is able to tell throughout his songs are a direct result of his uncanny lyricism ability.

Building off of this lyricism, I am also amazed at his remarkable and unique rhyming scheme. While at first I thought his rhyming scheme wasn’t that complex but as I listened further into this album, I began to uncover a much more deeper and intertwined rhyming scheme. To me, this just illustrates Simon’s phenomenal writing and composing ability as an artist.

Unlike the amazing lyricists that preceded him (like Bob Dylan), Paul Simon shines through as being a very versatile/multitalented artist. Not only is he able to create songs that challenge the intelligence of the listener and makes them ponder issues regarding society and the world, but he upholds the musical part as well. His vocals are soft but effective at matching the general tone of his music. While he has a softer voice, it is still powerful and strong throughout the album. He definitely has a distinctive voice but I think that it blends well with the countermelody. In general, his countermelodies also follow a general pattern. The songs lead in with an instrumental and then fade out a little in order for Simon to take control of the reigns with the vocals. Then they will slowly be reincorporated with the rest of the song. This is an effective and engaging method of using the countermelody in his songs because I think it adds a level of dynamic to each and every one of his songs.

While I may have made it sound like a lot of his songs follow a standard pattern, I am amazed at how well Simon is able to utilize a variety of different instruments and sounds to create COMPLETELY different musical fabrics in each of his songs. In one song, his voice and instruments ooze a country vibe. The very next one uses effectual guitars to portray a bluesy sound. And the next, uses an African choir as the complementing melody/introduction. The variety never stops throughout the album. Right when I think I’ve figured him out, he throws me a different way. At the beginning of the album I thought that he was primarily a country/blues style artist, but as the album progressed, I realized he basically made his own niche in the music scene (especially given the time period). He even uses horns and congas in the same song! I personally think this is astounding.

Overall, I’m pretty surprised how much the album appealed to me. I usually generalize the 80s like most people; a dark time of pop with a serious lack of talent. As I’ve become more exposed to more music from this time period, I realized that there are little spotlights of talent amongst the sea of hair metal. This album is definitely one of those spotlights. I think that because Paul Simon was an older artist at the time, it allowed him to succeed because he brought a “fresh” outlook (or probably more like a throwback style of music).  As I listen to his music, I keep thinking and comparing it to music of the 60s because that was a time where artists were pushing limits of what sounds they could create. Simon definitely brings a similar technique and style to the 80s that seems like an anachronism but is much appreciated.  For example, in “You Can Call Me Al”, Simon uses a unique studio method in order to spice up the song.

To get an appreciation for just how varied Paul Simon’s music is, check out the following two songs and compare them. I think the title song, “Graceland”, takes on a much more country vibe while it is really hard for me to even classify “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes”. By that track on the album, I began to reevaluate how I categorized/viewed Paul Simon as an artist. I hope you see the rich music culture that he brings.