One has to wonder if Paul Simon knew during the recording of
\nGraceland<\/i> that he was about to set the world of popular
\nmusic on its ear.<\/p>\n
Most people had written Simon off as a relic of the ’60s and
\n’70s; he hadn’t had a real “hit” since the song “Late In The
\nEvening”, and he had barely survived what some people called career
\nsuicide with the movie
\nOne-Trick Pony<\/i>. Simon’s discovery of South African melodies
\nthanks to a compilation album seemed to be the creative spark that
\nhe needed, and in 1986,
\nGraceland<\/i> was sent forth – arguably becoming Simon’s best
\nwork of his career.<\/p>\n
The album, in effect, served as a revelation to Simon of the
\nunique power and artistry he has, as well as the sheer joys of the
\nrhythms of South Africa to the rest of the world. Without songs
\nlike “Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes,” we might never have
\nheard of Ladysmith Black Mambazo – and that would have been our
\nloss. Thirteen years after its release, this album has lost none of
\nits power – even if some of its references are a little dated.<\/p>\n
The singles from this album are instantly recognizable, even
\ntoday. “The Boy In The Bubble”- with Forere Motloheloa’s frenzied
\naccordion work opening the track – is still a delightful mixture of
\nmusical cultures that succeeds on many different levels. What seals
\nthe deal for this song – as well as the others on the album – is
\nthe use of South African artists instead of relying on studio
\nhotshots.<\/p>\n
Maybe some of the younger listeners won’t understand the
\nreference to the “baby with the baboon heart” (Baby Fae, in case
\nyou had forgotten), but the track’s power is still as strong today
\nas it was over a decade ago. Likewise, “You Can Call Me Al” is
\nstill a fun track to listen to, and has not worn out its welcome in
\nthe marketplace. While never released as a single, both “I Know
\nWhat I Know” and “Gumboots” kick things into overdrive.<\/p>\n
The peak of the set, of course, is “Diamonds On The Soles Of Her
\nShoes”. The interaction between Simon and Ladysmith Black Mambazo –
\nas well as the incredible guitar work of Chikapa “Ray” Phiri – is
\nstill enough to bring tears to my eyes in just the right setting.
\nThis is not Simon bastardizing the rhythms of South Africa; this is
\nhim embracing them and making them accessible for Westerners.
\nFurther proof is on the track “Homeless,” which features Simon
\nsinging in the native language of Ladysmith Black Mambazo.<\/p>\n
Just like Simon brought ska and reggae to people’s attention in
\nthe early 1970s with the song “Mother And Child Reunion,” he brings
\nnot only South African rhythms but also zydeco to listeners on
\nGraceland<\/i>. “That Was Your Mother” enlists the help of Good
\nRockin’ Dopsie And The Twisters to show some people who otherwise
\nwouldn’t listen to zydeco on a dare just how festive and lively
\nthis genre of music is.<\/p>\n
Simon does happen to create songs that have enough of a modern
\nflavor to them to make sure that listeners aren’t scared away by
\ntoo many new musical concepts. The title track is a happy shuffle
\nthat features the Everly Brothers on backing vocals; Linda
\nRonstadt’s contribution to “Under African Skies” is uplifting and
\nbeautiful.<\/p>\n
Simply put,
\nGraceland<\/i> is perfect. Simon knew exactly how to shape the
\nmusic into something of his own creation while not losing any of
\nthe original essence of the tribal rhythms. While you can derive
\nsome pleasure from the singles released off
\nGraceland<\/i>, this remains an album that must be experienced as
\na whole. No matter how many albums I listen to each month,
\nGraceland<\/i> remains one of my all-time favorites.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":26697,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"artist":[5719],"rating":[5646],"class_list":["post-39149","review","type-review","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","artist-paul-simon","rating-rating-a"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/39149","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/review"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39149"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/39149\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26697"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39149"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39149"},{"taxonomy":"artist","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artist?post=39149"},{"taxonomy":"rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rating?post=39149"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}