University of Virginia Library

RECORDS

It's A Down Time

By KEVIN LEWIS

Well friends, it's a down
time. Have to get serious and
take stock. John told us, Sly
told us, and now Paul Simon's
here with his new album and it
seems he has got the word, too.

Dylan told us long ago (so
long ago that "love is all you
need/it makes the world go
round." But Paul's not buying
it. From the album's last song
we learn "Love will do you in
and love will wash you out."
That's the way it is, folks.

Like any album graced by
the name Simon, this is an
extremely well-crafted
production. It's back-up
musicians are among the finest
session men available.

Larry Risechtal, Hal Oshirn
and Charlie McCoy all play
with the solidity that's made
them anonymously rich pop
musicians. From the jazz
world, Paul has brought Airto
Moreoro of The Miles Davis
group, plus one cut with Ron
Carter.

The biggest surprise was
Stephan Grappelli, one of the
finest jazz violinists ever.
Grappelli has been playing
superb swinging jazz for over
thirty years and I trust this
album will awaken a lot of fans
to his fine recordings with
Django Rheinhardt.

But what about the songs?
Well, there are eleven of them.
All are extremely polished,
some to excess (but that's
another story).

The opener is "Mother and
Child Reunion", working its
way up the charts in your
home town, leaving little
reason to go into it here.

Next comes "Duncan,"
Simon's candidate for theme
song of "Summer of '42." This
is one of the more
over-polished items, with flutes
tweeting the breaks and
acoustical guitars picking softly
behind the lyrics.

"Everything Put Together
Falls Apart" reminds one of
Simon writing a new "Mother's
Helper" and singing it like
"Punkey's Dilema." Very odd.

With "Run That Body
Down" things take a decided
turn for the better. Ron Carter
and Hai Blaine lay down a very
nice, laid-back rhythm behind
Simon. In this song he beats
McCartney on his own ground.

The second side opens with
an overly ingratiating ditty
about Paul and "Julio." The
next song is "Peace Like A
River," one of the highlights of
the album. It flows smoothly,
weaving the delicate setting
that Simon creates for us at his
best.

"Papa Hobo" again suggests
McCartney, with a little extra
ecology. Grapenelli's spot on
"Hobo Blues" is a really
enjoyable song.

All in all, Paul Simon seems
to be having a rough time of it.
His music takes us to places
we've been before with him,
but his lyrics have a new
bleakness that's rather
frightening.

Lennon scorned us all with
his primal screams, but he
reminds us, "Yoko and me,
that's reality." Simon closes
with:

(Now at the Band Box)