The Essential Paul Simon

The Essential Paul Simon

by Paul Simon
The Essential Paul Simon

The Essential Paul Simon

by Paul Simon

CD

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Overview

Released five years after Warner's last Paul Simon comp, the single-disc The Paul Simon Collection: On My Way, Don't Know Where I'm Goin', the double-disc The Essential Paul Simon is a full 17 tracks heftier than its predecessor and contains all but one of its 19 songs (MIA is the latter-day "Love," which only hardcore fans will recognize as from You're the One, and they're not quite the market for this set anyway). It's also slimmer than the 1993 box Paul Simon 1964/1993, which spanned three discs but also encompassed his '60s recordings with Art Garfunkel, plus a single the duo recorded as Tom & Jerry, along with selections from his solo debut, The Paul Simon Songbook -- it was ambitious, where this compilation is efficient, picking up after the parting of ways with Garfunkel and running straight through until 2006's Surprise. The sequencing isn't strictly chronological -- some songs are shuffled around for effect, with "Still Crazy After All These Years" closing the first, while "Take Me to the Mardi Gras" is cleverly followed by the zydeco stomp "That Was Your Mother" -- but it roughly divides into having the first disc devoted to the '70s and early '80s, the second devoted to Graceland and beyond. Some might argue that there's too heavy of a Graceland presence here -- a whopping six tracks, over half the album -- but it is his biggest album and functions as a nice transition between his better-known '70s hits and the more esoteric but frequently compelling work that he's done since. And, unlike The Paul Simon Collection, The Essential Paul Simon is designed to introduce fellow travelers to the interesting work he's done since Graceland, as the second disc emphasizes that quite greatly, and it does a good job of it, while also providing a good summary of his best-known (and much of his best) solo work. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date: 10/25/2010
Label: Legacy / Sony Music Entertainment
UPC: 0886977867927
Rank: 30471

Tracks

Disc 1

  1. Mother and Child Reunion
  2. Loves Me Like a Rock
  3. Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard
  4. Duncan
  5. Kodachrome
  6. 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover
  7. Slip Slidin' Away
  8. Gone at Last
  9. Something So Right
  10. Late in the Evening
  11. Hearts and Bones
  12. Take Me to the Mardi Gras
  13. That Was Your Mother
  14. American Tune
  15. Peace Like a River
  16. Stranded in a Limousine
  17. Train in the Distance
  18. The Late Great Johnny Ace
  19. Still Crazy After All These Years

Disc 2

  1. Graceland
  2. Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes
  3. The Boy in the Bubble
  4. You Can Call Me Al
  5. Under African Skies
  6. The Obvious Child
  7. Born at the Right Time
  8. The Cool, Cool River
  9. Spirit Voices
  10. Adios Hermanos
  11. Born in Puerto Rico
  12. Quality
  13. Darling Lorraine
  14. Hurricane Eye
  15. Father and Daughter
  16. Outrageous
  17. Wartime Prayers

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Paul Simon   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background),Guitar (Nylon String),6-String Electric Bass
Phoebe Snow & The Jessy Dixon Singers   Primary Artist
George Harrison   Primary Artist
Tony Cedras   Keyboards
Tony Levin   Bass
Alton Rubin   Drums,Accordion
Patti Austin   Vocals (Background)
Sherman Robertson   Guitar
Steve Shehan   Percussion
Jon Faddis   Trumpet
Jamey Haddad   Percussion
Denzil Lang   Percussion
David Hood   Bass
John Beal   Bass
David Spinozza   Guitar
Jay Leonhart   Bass
Dean Parks   Hi String Guitar,Guitar (Electric)
John Tropea   Guitar (Electric)
Jeff Porcaro   Drums
Robby Ameen   Drums
Valerie Simpson   Vocals (Background)
Pete Carr   Guitar,Guitar (Electric)
Deidre Tuck   Vocals
Assane Thiam   Percussion
Johnny Hoyt   Saxophone
Vusi Khumalo   Drums
Makhaya Mahlangu   Percussion
C.J. Chenier   Accordion
Isaac Mtshali   Drums
Chikapa "Ray" Phiri   Guitar
Grupo Cultural Olodum   Drums
Giovanni Hidalgo   Congas
Dan Duggan   Hammer Dulcimer
Winston Grennan   Drums
Juliet Hafner   Viola
Anthony Carrillo   Bongos
Abraham Laboriel, Sr.   Bass
Hucks Brown   Guitar
Armand Sabal-Lecco   Bass
Morris Goldberg   Soloist,Penny Whistle
Steve Gadd   Drums,Percussion
The Everly Brothers   Vocals
Bob Cranshaw   Bass,Bass (Electric)
Bob James   Keyboards
Richard Crooks   Drums
Bobby Allende   Bongos,Cymbals
Kia Jeffries   Vocals (Background)
Renelie Stafford   Vocals
Jessy Dixon Singers   Choir/Chorus,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Jimmy Sabater   Congas,Cowbell
Alexander Gafa   Guitar
Jay Elfenbein   Vihuela
Ladysmith Black Mambazo   Vocals
Cissy Houston   Vocals
J.J. Cale   Guitar
Larry Knechtel   Piano
The Dixie Hummingbirds   Vocal Group
Don Elliott   Vibraphone
Clifford Carter   Celeste,Keyboards,Glockenspiel,Keyboard Glockenspiel
Greg Phillinganes   Fender Rhodes
Jesse Levy   Cello
Vincent Nguini   Claves,Guitar,Guitar (Rhythm),Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Gil Goldstein   Keyboards
Eric Gale   Guitar (Electric)
David Sanborn   Saxophone
Francisco Aguabella   Congas
Wallace "Red Rat" Wilson   Guitar (Rhythm)
Peter Gordon   French Horn
Juliet Haffner   Viola
Nana Vasconcelos   Congas,Triangle,Gourd
Nelson Gonzalez   Tres,Plenaro
Maxine Willard Waters   Vocals (Background)
Ray Phiri   Guitar
The Oak Ridge Boys   Vocal Group
Oren Waters   Vocals (Background)
Oscar Hernandez   Piano,Synthesizer
Leonard Pickett   Sax (Tenor)
Kim Allan Cissel   Trombone
Anthony Jackson   Bass,Contrabass Guitar
Alan Rubin   Trumpet
Demola Adepoju   Pedal Steel
Herbie Hancock   Piano
Stewart Rose   French Horn
Earl Gardner   Trumpet
Lew Soloff   Trumpet
Rob Mounsey   Synthesizer
Hugh McCracken   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Pino Palladino   Bass
Robin DiMaggio   Drums
Roger Hawkins   Drums
Julia Waters   Vocals (Background)
Ronnie Cuber   Sax (Bass),Sax (Baritone)
Randy Brecker   Trumpet
Sidinho   Bottle,Congas,Percussion,Tambourine,Drums (Bass)
Edgardo Miranda   Cuatro
Nestor Sanchez   Vocals (Background)
Ray Vega   Soloist,Trumpet
Karen Bernod   Vocals (Background)
Richard Tee   Piano,Keyboards,Fender Rhodes
Neville Hinds   Organ
Michael Brecker   EWI,Soloist,Saxophone
Rev. Claude Jeter   Falsetto
Ralph McDonald   Percussion
Ray de la Paz   Vocals (Background)
Michael Boddicker   Synthesizer
Michael Mainieri, Jr.   Marimba,Vibraphone
Onward Brass Band   Horn
Oriente Lopez   Flute,Organ
Milton Nascimento   Vocals
Adrian Belew   Guitar,Guitar (Synthesizer)
Adriana Simon   Vocals
Michael Breacker   Soloist,Saxophone
Elolongue Mbango Catherine   Vocals (Background)
Marcia Butler   Oboe
Jimmy Johnson   Guitar (Electric)
Mingo Araujo   Congas,Go Go Bell,Percussion,Drums (Bass)
Sidinho Moreira   Bottle,Congas,Percussion,Tambourine,Drums (Bass)
Teana Rodriguez   Vocals (Background)
Bob James & Creations   Keyboards
Michael Mainieri   Marimba,Vibraphone
Wallace Richardson   Guitar
Russell George   Bass
Airto Moreira   Percussion
Alex Foster   Sax (Alto)
Brian Eno   Electronics
Cyro Baptista   Percussion
Denzel Laing   Percussion
Gordon Edwards   Bass
Marcus Miller   Bass
Marc Quinones   Congas,Timbales
Linda Ronstadt   Vocals
Youssou N'Dour   Percussion
Phoebe Snow   Vocals,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Adrian Simon   Vocals
Forere Motloheloa   Accordion
Bobby Scott   Piano
Paul Griffin   Piano
Joe Osborn   Bass
Von Eva Sims   Vocals
Ken Asher   Organ
Mark Rivera   Sax (Alto)
Kim Wilson   Harmonica
Barry Beckett   Keyboards,Piano (Electric)
Frankie Negron   Falsetto
Grady Tate   Drums
Victor Montanez   Drums
David Rubin   Washboard
Los Incas   Flute,Charango,Percussion
Richard Davis   Bass (Acoustic)
Marvin Stamm   Trumpet
Babacar Faye   Percussion
Don Chacal   Gourd,Congas,Percussion
The Waters   Vocals (Background)
Florence Gnimagnon   Vocals (Background)
Kim Cissel   Trombone
Myrna Lynn Gomila   Vocals (Background)
Felix Sabal-Lecco   Drums
David "Piro" Rodriguez   Soloist,Trumpet
Chris Eminizer   Sax (Tenor)
Trent Sutton   Vocals (Background)
Sid McGinnis   Guitar (Electric)
Dionte Sutton   Vocals (Background)
Bobby Bright   Vocals (Background)
DeWayne Snype   Vocals (Background)
Charlotte Mbango   Vocals (Background)
Briz   Vocals (Background)
Felicite Fouda   Vocals (Background)
Ademola Adepoju   Pedal Steel
David W. Bageron   Trombone
Cyro Captista   Percussion
Mark Stewart   Banjo,Cello,Guitar (Electric)
John Selolwane   Guitar
Irvin "Marky" Markowitz   Trumpet
Derrick James   Vocals (Background)
Sean Pulley   Vocals (Background)
Yo Yo De La Nelson   Chakeire
Ed Vasquez   Vocals (Background)
Renee Connell-Adams   Vocals (Background)
Lourdes Delgado   Saxophone
Wallace Wilson   Guitar (Rhythm)
Anthony Carillo   Bongos
Alton Rubin Jr.   Drums
Bagithi Khumalo   Bass
Barry Beckette   Keyboards
David Rodriguez   Soloist,Trumpet
Deirde Tuck   Vocals
Lou Delgado   Saxophone
Myrna Gomila   Vocals (Background)
Russel George   Bass
Alonzo Johnson   Bass
Jackie Jackson   Bass

Technical Credits

Paul Samwell-Smith   Producer
Paul Simon   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Derek Walcott   Composer,Lyricist
Joseph Shabalala   Composer
Lenny Waronker   Producer
Vusi Khumalo   Producer
Danny Rivera   Coro
Bill Inglot   Mastering
Russ Titelman   Producer
Oscar Hernandez   Associate Producer
Phil Ramone   Producer
Milton Nascimento   Composer,Lyricist
John Schuning   Design
Brian Eno   Composer,Sonic Environment
The Muscle Shoals Sound Rhythm Section   Producer
Forere Motloheloa   Composer
Roy Halee   Producer,Associate Producer
Rockin' Dopsie & the Cajun Twisters   Performer
Greg Ross   Design
Gary Heery   Photography
The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section   Producer
Ellen Wakayama   Art Direction
Sal Agron   Interviewee
Jeffrey Kent Ayeroff   Creative Director
Daniel Hersch   Mastering
Gabe Pressman   Interviewer
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