Rating: B
Paul Simon, one of the greatest American pop
songwriters of all time recently celebrated his 70th
birthday. Looking back at his own career, Simon has
handpicked the songs for his double CD titled simply
Songwriter. Instead of just selecting greatest hits,
Simon has taken great care in picking the albums 32
songs, being sure to show songs that showcase all facets
of his creative endeavors.
There are a few great surprises as well, the first
being a new live version of “Sound of Silence” recorded
at Webster Hall in 2011. “The Boxer” is also from a live
version held New York’s Central Park in 1991. Aretha
Franklin joins Simon for “Bridge Over Troubled Waters”
as well.
Elsewhere on the album Simon chooses songs carefully,
from the well known “Mother and Child Reunion” and
“Kodachrome” to the less known “Train in the Distance”
and “Rene and Georgette Magritte.”
The best of Disc One are easily “Late in the Evening”
and “Still Crazy After All These Years.” Disc Two is
more for the Paul Simon aficionado as the well-known
songs are few and far between. This disc, however,
provides insight to Simon’s later compositions; the best
of bunch being the newly released “So Beautiful So
What.”
This two-disc set proves Simon to be one of the best
to do what he does. He sees life through one set of eyes
but from many different perspectives. He intuitively
understands people’s thoughts and emotions and can
relate them to the listen in either first or third
person. Paul Simon is a special songwriter indeed.
By Jeb Wright
