Search - Paul Simon :: Paul Simon Songbook

Paul Simon Unplugged--From 1965!

W. C HALL | Newport, OR USA | 03/26/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The arrival of this album on compact disc (at last!) is a true delight for die-hard Paul Simon fans, and should provide a real delight of discovery for more casual listeners. A bit of history, first: This was the product of one of several pauses in the Simon and Garfunkel partnership. The two enjoyed a hit record in the 1950s as Tom and Jerry, but went their separate ways for a while before coming together to record "Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M." Although the album was billed as featuring "exciting new sounds in the folk tradition," it didn't create much excitement, vanishing almost without a trace.So it was back to college for Art, and off to England for Paul, where he played in small underground clubs. A BBC announcer championed Simon's work, prompting public requests to buy recordings of his music. In May of 1965, Simon went into Columbia's studios in London with his acoustic guitar to record the tracks that made up this album. Some are repeated from "Wednesday Morning 3 A.M."; others would later find their way onto the second and third Simon and Garfunkel releases. According to one biography, the entire album was recorded in an hour, with Simon doing only one take of each song. (However, the liner notes on this release contradict that, indicating, for instance, the version of "Leaves That Are Green" that appears is take 11.)The production bill for this simple venture reportedly totaled $300. (And yes, that's Kathy, of "Kathy's Song" fame, with him on the cover.) While the recordings from these 1965 sessions may lack the signature Garfunkel harmonies and the American studio polish, they offer a unique look at these masterpieces in their purest essence: just a man, his guitar, and the deepest feelings of his soul.This might have been the birth of Simon's career as a solo recording artist. But back in the states, Tom Wilson, producer of "Wednesday Morning 3 A.M." was preparing to add electric guitar, bass and drums to one of the cuts from that album...a song that was also included on the "Songbook." It was "Sounds of Silence." And the rest, as they say, is history.The "Songbook" has only been available in the U.S. as a vinyl import until now, except for its inclusion in a briefly-available boxed set of Simon's solo works. This long-overdue, but highly welcome release will help to fill a gap in many collections and provide an opportunity for fresh appreciation for these timeless songs.--William C. Hall"

An Early Document From A Seminal Songwriter (4.5 stars)

Juan Mobili | Valley Cottage, NY USA | 08/20/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I too had heard about the existence of these masters and, although I love and respect Paul Simon's body of work, did not think enough of it to check it out right away. Well ... I'm certainly sorry I waited as long as I have.

Listening to this CD will give you the kind of insight into an artist that you may only get from his or her private notebooks, a sense of looking at notes that may still change but were important enough to be written down when they were, a diary of a young man who must express the outrage or tenderness he's found in the world around him.

You don't have to be a completist or be writing a PhD dissertation on Simon, to own this CD. I'd argue that if you've never heard Simon & Garfunkel you may still be thanking your stars for having discovered the treasures that are included here.

This is not to say that the latter versions with Art Garfunkel are to be forgotten, of course, but that these takes ought to be listened to as the roots of the glorious recordings they created together. Actually, I'd go as far as to say that many of their classics would not be have been such without Artie's breathtaking voice.

This album is full of gems, played with a minimum of instrumentation and without any kind of pretentiousness. "I Am A Rock" sounds angrier and reveals an edge to the words I did not ever get from the famous duo's versions; "A Most Peculiar Man" and "Kathy's Song" are bound to thaw your heart; and "A Church Is Burning" or "A Simple Desultory Philippic" although naive, somewhat the sentimental fury of a young man, will move you with their honesty.

These are not outtakes, the often incomplete, unrealized stuff that gets added to reissued classic albums, that clearly proves why it was buried in vaults for a long time. This is an early album, a set of songs that was meant to be heard, by one of the most important singer-songwriters in popular music. Astute and tender, at times naive but not asleep to the times he witnessed as a young artist."

My Favorite Album Ever--By Anyone--Period!

Robert L. Smith | San Francisco, CA United States | 05/20/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There is a purity and an innocent optimism to this early Paul Simon solo album that--in many ways--surpasses the later work Simon has released, whether alone or with Art Garfunkel. Accompanied only by his acoustic guitar, a very young and still unknown Paul Simon offers up pasionate and tender versions of twelve songs that later became Simon and Garfunkel classics, often with subtle differences in lyrics. The never-again-released rarity "The Side Of A Hill" may sound a trifle naive nowadays, but--in an edited form--it went on to become the "Canticle" counter melody for "Scarborough Fair!" And yes, that is Kathy with Paul on the cover, kneeling on the damp London cobblestones. Perhaps because of its unadorned simplicity, this album--which I actually wore out several times on vinyl--has become my favorite album ever--by anyone--period. Even if you do not come to treasure it as I have, you will find it well worth a listen. It offers a glimpse of a budding genius on the verge of greatness, a sweetly unguarded moment, a harbinger of things to come."