Jump to content

Four songs from the upcoming Paul Simon album with Eno


Recommended Posts

  • Members

 

Originally posted by blue2blue

Eno... what a weird guy.


Frankly, I've never recovered from his trip into U2 land.

 

 

Then you would do best to avoid his latest release ("Last Day On Earth"?) at all costs. Seriously dated, sounds very '80s, but not in any cool sort of way.

 

He did have something cool post-U2 called "The Shutov Assembly", an ambient CD that is actually really good. And he has another one that is really good that he released only in Japan as half of a 2-CD set...that one is good ('though not great). The rest of the stuff is, in my opinion, not very good, "The Drop" being the worst of all of 'em.

 

"Another Green World" and "On Land" are among my absolute favorite things he's ever done, both done in the '70s.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Members

Courtesy of an AOL "CD Listening Party," I'm listening to the entirety of the new Simon album right now. It's wonderful.

 

I'm reflexively suspicious when old favorites suddenly develop an interest in loops and electronic beats and tempo-sync textures, but, as usual with Simon's experimentations, the "new" elements are extremely well integrated into his familiar style and aesthetic.

 

I am also suspicious, I must say, of the Eno effect. Things of his that I love on first listen seldom age well with me.

 

But this sounds F%$*king great. Very powerful and very well crafted lyrics. It's great when you hear a "rock poet" really resisting the elliptical fragmentation that defines the good rock lyrics of the day. These lyrics are wholseome and whole.

 

Lots of cool guitar textures, which, I assume, are courtesy of

Frissell.

 

Well, I'll have to pony up for this one.

 

Tangent: My 9 years old's favorite band is the Chili Peppers, and their new album has some surprising wildness to it as well. Check it out.

 

PS: I'm in a tiny minority in that my favorite Paul Simon album is Hearts and Bones. The new one, it strikes me, has affinities with that one.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Originally posted by UstadKhanAli



Then you would do best to avoid his latest release ("Last Day On Earth"?) at all costs. Seriously dated, sounds very '80s, but not in any cool sort of way.


He did have something cool post-U2 called "The Shutov Assembly", an ambient CD that is actually really good. And he has another one that is really good that he released only in Japan as half of a 2-CD set...that one is good ('though not great). The rest of the stuff is, in my opinion, not very good, "The Drop" being the worst of all of 'em.


"Another Green World" and "On Land" are among my absolute favorite things he's ever done, both done in the '70s.

 

 

Yeah... I actually stumbled into some of his later ambient stuff... that man loves those damn FM sounds, dunt he? I guess all music is formulaic... but I couldn't get the word out of my head listening to the stuff. Same damn thing as his ambient albums from 20 years ago... same kind of noodly little piano things held together by short little stabs of bass and some background noodling... I guess -- clearly -- there are people like Yanni or Jimmy BUffett fans who just want the same thing over and over and I suppose Eno has his own.

 

But I listen to those four 70s pop albums and I STILL get shivers up my back. "By This River"... oh my gosh.

 

Well... I guess it would be kind of hell to have such amazing, monumentally influential works so early in your career...

 

In fact, even though I heard all four just a couple days ago I think I'm gonna have to go dip into that deep water again...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Sounds like a really cool album.

 

Pretty amazing how this guy has been able to sustain a career for so long, to have influenced so many, and still to have an output that sounds fresh and new.

How do you do that!?!?!?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Magpel you have excellent taste. I won't say it's my all-time favorite Paul Simon, I won't say it isn't either. 'Hearts and Bones' is an album I seem to go back to a lot.

 

And the 50 kHz 3M digital recording seems to come across especially well on vinyl. (I haven't heard the re-mastered version on CD, so I can't comment on it.)

 

best,

 

john

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Originally posted by jabney

Magpel you have excellent taste. I won't say it's my all-time favorite Paul Simon, I won't say it isn't either. 'Hearts and Bones' is an album I seem to go back to a lot.

Ditto, it's my favorite too. "Everybody loves the sound of a train in the distance..."

 

:thu:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...