It's very good but he has quite a few better albums, but people are just too lazy to explore his other music and make a real connection with it.
I've listened to all his albums and those with Art Garfunkel and 'Graceland' holds up well against any of them. Add to that Graceland probably introduced many to the delights of African music and is genuinely good fusion music and there is no way it is overrated, sorry.
I've listened to all his albums and those with Art Garfunkel and 'Graceland' holds up well against any of them. Add to that Graceland probably introduced many to the delights of African music and is genuinely good fusion music and there is no way it is overrated, sorry.
Well that's your opinion, I like Graceland but feel some of his other albums deserve the same recognition and praise for being great albums.
Graceland is not his best album for me, it annoys me when so many people are dismissive of his other great albums.
Well that's your opinion, I like Graceland but feel some of his other albums deserve the same recognition and praise for being great albums.
Graceland is not his best album for me, it annoys me when so many people are dismissive of his other great albums.
Maybe the other albums do deserve more praise. i remember them all coming out and being critically acclaimed if not being huge sellers.
Paul Simon, Rhymin' Simon, Still Crazy are all great but that doesn't mean Graceland is overrated. Because you or anyone doesn't like an album or in this case thinks one is better than another does not make it overrated. There is a degree of objectivity in this, it's not all just opinion. Graceland is a significant album in Paul Simon's canon, it produced some of his most successful singles, it was something of a creative comeback, sold well, introduced many people to African music, had a mixed critical reception sure but is now considered a great example of fusion music. How is it overrated?
I just feel it is, it's probably one of the very few albums from him I can't sit through entirely, I am happy it has done something for his legacy of course though. My favourite album from him is "Hearts And Bones" which is probably one of his most ignored albums ever, that is a great album, very different to "Graceland" but no less great.
When it comes to fusion music "Graceland" was of course successful musically, I just didn't find anything that exciting/interesting about it, I prefer his album "Rhythm of The Saints" for some fused sounds.
I suppose I just like to support those undervalued gems, I can't help it!
Ultimately it's just the mentality that Paul Simon's solo career = Graceland, that bugs me.
I just feel it is, it's probably one of the very few albums from him I can't sit through entirely, I am happy it has done something for his legacy of course though. My favourite album from him is "Hearts And Bones" which is probably one of his most ignored albums ever, that is a great album, very different to "Graceland" but no less great.
When it comes to fusion music "Graceland" was of course successful musically, I just didn't find anything that exciting/interesting about it, I prefer his album "Rhythm of The Saints" for some fused sounds.
I suppose I just like to support those undervalued gems, I can't help it!
Ultimately it's just the mentality that Paul Simon's solo career = Graceland, that bugs me.
I suppose this may be an age thing. I remember the early solo albums when they came out and they were really well received and were very impressive in terms of the originality of the songwriting. I remember Bob Geldof saying how difficult it was to play Paul Simon's songs and he was right.
Paul Simon was incredibly influential on a generation of singer songwriters and then he went into semi-retirement whatever. I suspect that younger people probably don't know much of this.
Oh, and agree about Rhythm of the Saints but it did come after. I don't know 'Hearts and Bones' so well, will check out.
The ones the rock press shout about ad nauseam. The ones that make their 'top 100' lists which help the musical unknowledgable and uninspired find 'what to buy'. The ones that appear on internet lists which always have the same few at the top, the ones that appear in ridiculous publications like 1001 Albums To Hear Before You Die. People seem to love lists of things that stop them from having to think or make decisions for themselves.
I suppose this may be an age thing. I remember the early solo albums when they came out and they were really well received and were very impressive in terms of the originality of the songwriting. I remember Bob Geldof saying how difficult it was to play Paul Simon's songs and he was right.
Paul Simon was incredibly influential on a generation of singer songwriters and then he went into semi-retirement whatever. I suspect that younger people probably don't know much of this.
Oh, and agree about Rhythm of the Saints but it did come after. I don't know 'Hearts and Bones' so well, will check out.
I do think age/generation has something to do with the shaping of ones taste for a particular artist, also feel the way in which you are introduced to an artists work has something to do with it, I guess because I knew very little about his work prior and was not caught up in the whole "Graceland" hoo-ha I possibly have a more objective view perhaps?
Glad you prefer Rhythm, it's just more gentle but has a great flavour, and oh yes you must check H&B it is very intimate and well crafted.
The hype for this album is insane but it's bad imo
I agree totally.
Heard 'R.A.M.' twice now & it's still sounds like a 1981 album of Stevie Wonder mimicking Metal Mickey playing a mixing desk wearing lead gauntlets.
Comments
It's very good but he has quite a few better albums, but people are just too lazy to explore his other music and make a real connection with it.
Over-rated pile of meaningless bobbins for long-haired virgins who smoke from a pipe.
Yeah, I found it boring too.
Just because you find it boring does not make Dark Side of the Moon overrated. It has to be more than you dislike an album to make it 'overrated'.
The same applies to 'Tubular Bells' detractor.
I've listened to all his albums and those with Art Garfunkel and 'Graceland' holds up well against any of them. Add to that Graceland probably introduced many to the delights of African music and is genuinely good fusion music and there is no way it is overrated, sorry.
Well that's your opinion, I like Graceland but feel some of his other albums deserve the same recognition and praise for being great albums.
Graceland is not his best album for me, it annoys me when so many people are dismissive of his other great albums.
Maybe the other albums do deserve more praise. i remember them all coming out and being critically acclaimed if not being huge sellers.
Paul Simon, Rhymin' Simon, Still Crazy are all great but that doesn't mean Graceland is overrated. Because you or anyone doesn't like an album or in this case thinks one is better than another does not make it overrated. There is a degree of objectivity in this, it's not all just opinion. Graceland is a significant album in Paul Simon's canon, it produced some of his most successful singles, it was something of a creative comeback, sold well, introduced many people to African music, had a mixed critical reception sure but is now considered a great example of fusion music. How is it overrated?
When it comes to fusion music "Graceland" was of course successful musically, I just didn't find anything that exciting/interesting about it, I prefer his album "Rhythm of The Saints" for some fused sounds.
I suppose I just like to support those undervalued gems, I can't help it!
Ultimately it's just the mentality that Paul Simon's solo career = Graceland, that bugs me.
I suppose this may be an age thing. I remember the early solo albums when they came out and they were really well received and were very impressive in terms of the originality of the songwriting. I remember Bob Geldof saying how difficult it was to play Paul Simon's songs and he was right.
Paul Simon was incredibly influential on a generation of singer songwriters and then he went into semi-retirement whatever. I suspect that younger people probably don't know much of this.
Oh, and agree about Rhythm of the Saints but it did come after. I don't know 'Hearts and Bones' so well, will check out.
I do think age/generation has something to do with the shaping of ones taste for a particular artist, also feel the way in which you are introduced to an artists work has something to do with it, I guess because I knew very little about his work prior and was not caught up in the whole "Graceland" hoo-ha I possibly have a more objective view perhaps?
Glad you prefer Rhythm, it's just more gentle but has a great flavour, and oh yes you must check H&B it is very intimate and well crafted.
The hype for this album is insane but it's bad imo
I agree totally.
Heard 'R.A.M.' twice now & it's still sounds like a 1981 album of Stevie Wonder mimicking Metal Mickey playing a mixing desk wearing lead gauntlets.
'One good song does not a good album make'.