Record Label Hear Music
On September 18th, Paul Simon releases a new two-CD, one-DVD package Paul Simon Live In New York City via Hear Music and Concord Music Group. The new release comprises a performance at Webster Hall on Simon's 2011 U.S. tour, and the 90-minute, 20-song set features cuts including "The Afterlife" from last year's solo effort So Beautiful or So What alongside tunes like "Kodachrome" and "Gone at Last" – which haven't been performed in years – and, of course, classics like "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" and "Boy in the Bubble,"
When it came time to cut a live album documenting his supporting tour for
his excellent 2011 album So Beautiful or So What, Paul Simon did what he always
does: he set up shop in his hometown of New York City. Previously, he -- either
with or without Art Garfunkel -- released albums recorded at massive venues
like Madison Square Garden or Central Park, but Hear Music's 2012 Live in New
York City -- available either as a two-CD/one-DVD set or simply as a double
CD or single DVD -- was recorded at the comparatively intimate Webster Hall
and, appropriately enough, the performance feels comparatively cozy, Simon
striking just the right blend of playing for himself and playing for the audience.
He showcases a nice chunk of So Beautiful or So What -- "Dazzling Blue," "So
Beautiful or So What," "Rewrite," "The Afterlife," roughly half of the album
-- and about half of Graceland, often opting for album tracks over hits (no "You
Can Call Me Al" or "Graceland," but "That Was Your Mother" and "Gumboots" both
make the cut), and when he does dip into such standards as "50 Ways to Leave
Your Lover," "Mother and Child Reunion," "Slip Slidin' Away," and "Still Crazy," he
finds subtle little ways to inject a bit of groove into their well-worn contours.
Simon is pleasing the crowd without pandering, and he winds up with a live
album that's lively, slightly surprising, warm, and undeniably fun. ~ Stephen
Thomas Erlewine
Track Listing
1. The Obvious Child
2. Dazzling Blue
3. 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover
4. So Beautiful or So What
5. Mother and Child Reunion
6. That Was Your Mother
7. Hearts and Bones
8. Crazy Love, Vol. 2
9. Slip Slidin' Away
10. Rewrite
1. The Boy in the Bubble
2. The Only Living Boy in New York
3. The Afterlife
4. Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes
5. Gumboots
6. The Sound of Silence
7. Kodachrome
8. Gone at Last
9. Late in the Evening
10. Still Crazy After All These Years
1. The Obvious Child
2. Dazzling Blue
3. 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover
4. So Beautiful or So What
5. Mother and Child Reunion
6. That Was Your Mother
7. Hearts and Bones
8. Crazy Love, Vol. 2
9. Slip Slidin' Away
10. Rewrite
11. Boy in the Bubble
12. The Only Living Boy in New York
13. The Afterlife
14. Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes
15. Gumboots
16. The Sound of Silence
17. Kodachrome
18. Gone at Last
19. Late in the Evening
20. Still Crazy After All These Years