Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Paul Simon, Sony Music 2018.
Paul Simon released his 14th studio album, In The Blue Light, on 7 September to coincide with the final leg of his Homeward Bound farewell tour.
It’s an interesting album of collaborations and fresh arrangements of some of Simon’s personal favourite songs from his extensive body of work.
In his usual self-deprecating fashion he describes the song choice thus: “this album consists of songs that I thought were almost right or were odd enough to be overlooked the first time around.”
Redoing the arrangements, harmonic structures, and correcting lyrics that he wasn’t happy with – or didn’t make their meaning clear – helped him re-imagine the songs to hopefully make them more approachable.
Revisiting his repertoire, Simon selected songs that originally appeared on There Goes Rhymin’ Simon (1973), Still Crazy After All These Years (1975), One Trick Pony (1980), Hearts And Bones (1983), The Rhythm Of The Saints (1990), You’re The One (2000), and So Beautiful Or So What (2011).
Among the many musicians who join Simon on the album are jazz icons, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, guitarist Bill Frisell, and drummers Jack DeJohnette and Steve Gadd.
It’s really interesting listening to songs that you know quite well being reinterpreted by the songwriter rather than other artists doing the re-working.
Most of the new interpretations are quieter and slower.
The rhythms are jazzier and the songs airier.
This is a beautiful album that brings a sense of finality to the touring career of one of popular music’s most celebrated songwriters.
Hopefully it won’t be the last recorded work that we hear from Simon, but if it is,it’s a fitting tribute to a great artist.
