Paul Simon (1972)

(My first record review since September 30, 2012.)

The instrumentation on Paul Simon's first solo album after his split with Art Garfunkel is sparse, casual, and somewhat restless.  Bursts of brass interject at times, and exotic reeds and percussion hint at Latin and reggae influences in an album in which Simon tries to break from his sixties past.  The songs here are sketches of an artist in transition from a voice of a generation to a voice of his own personal perspective.

Much of Paul Simon finds Simon's various characters, as well as himself, failing to find their own place in the world but still trying.  The haunting "Duncan" tells the tale of a Canadian drifter who loses his virginity to an proselytizing Christian girl to the muted sound of Andean flutes, while "Armistice Day" finds Simon reflecting on the sad songs remembering the nation's veterans while attempting in vain to get answers from his congressman, as a strained, somewhat demented horn section tries to pump life into his weariness.  Simon is weary throughout as he confronts the difficulties of his marriage ("Run That Body Down") and deals with the realities of living in suspicion of others in New York City ("Paranoia Blues"), but he is determined to get through it.  What liveliness comes through is in the album's two hits, the reggae-influenced "Mother and Child Reunion" and "Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard," but in each song, the lyrics belie the music.  The former song acknowledges death affecting an intimate family setting, while the latter song finds a boy running from his own family after committing an unspecified crime with another boy; the references to the Jewish parents and the Hispanic accomplice, in addition to the reference to "the radical priest" that bails them out  (one of the Berrigan brothers?), suggest that the crime is more than a misdemeanor, but whatever the mama saw, it adds to the tension underneath the jaunty music.

Paul Simon is the bridge between the deep, intellectual folk rock of Simon and Garfunkel and the more savvy singer-songwriter pop of Simon's solo career, and for all of his difficulties of establishing his own voice, Simon is optimistic in finding contentment in his second act after his breakup with Garfunkel.  "Peace Like River" may have found him admitting to "going to be up for awhile" after being awakened from his dreams, but he looks forward to the glorious day he's seen.