Graceland
by Paul Simon

From DeusExMackia TOP 100 COMMENTER 01/18/2017 16:11 | #183228 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Not just a wondrous fusion of South African and World music, but truly some of the best song writing ever. There's a certain magic to this album - I'm not exactly sure where it comes from, perhaps from Simon's voice, the gentle and bright sound of the album, or perhaps just the warmth that seems to emanate from every track on the album. If you ever need an album to accompany a summer's evening or set a chilled, laid back move, this is the album that'll do it.

I should spend some time covering just what an incredible achievement this album was back in its day - the fact that South African culture was being featured on an American release was quite something, and the exposure it gave to these artists and attention it brought to South African culture was huge. Not only is Graceland a excellent album musically, it's excellent for what it achieved.

You could, as I have, spend a long time analysing the many fascinating lyrics found throughout the album, but somehow, I don't think that's the point. This albums real power is the warmth of its sound and its incredible ability to relax you and captivate you. It elicits perhaps the most positive emotional response of any piece of music I've ever heard. Every song seems only to build and build on this feeling, and the result is a genuinely magical record.

Undoubtedly one of the best albums ever released, perhaps simply for its emotional power, but more so for its wonderful fusion of sounds, feelings and words.

Graceland, IS Paul Simon's greatest album. It's a stunning fusion of pop/rock and African grooves and sounds. It's a stunning record. It's amazing to think now just how much flak and criticism Simon got at the time for making this album during the apartheid years, I suppose it's understandable, but in some small way it did help to break some of those barriers down. As for the music, it's as good as any of his classic records. In fact, Simon had always employed world music on his LP's, even in his Garfunkel years, on stuff like, el condor pasa. There are at least four genuine Paul Simon masterpieces on here. The boy in the bubble, you can call me Al, diamonds on the soles of her shoes, and the title track, are all moments of pop genius, stunning lyrics, and with, the boy in the bubble, still relevant today. Elsewhere, there are other great songs in, I know what I know, gumboots, under African skies, and, crazy love vol:2(about his break up with Carrie Fisher), are all excellent. Homeless, is a beautiful acapella track featuring, ladysmith black mambazo, and, that was your mother, is a great jiving song. Closing track, all around the world, is probably the least of the African influenced songs, but again, very good. It's a superb album, a classic for all time.

From sheep21 12/26/2012 01:16 | #58921 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Ray Phiri was an outstanding guitarist, whoever was on bass was innovative, everyone else sounded funky and Paul Simon is a genius. This is a supergroup to the level of Cream. Pity they didn't do anything else and there was so much controversy about Paul Simons visit. It was worthwhile and did not harm anybody.

From JoaoMoreira 03/09/2015 13:10 | #136432 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

I've been listening to this record for a while and I can't understand how people see it as one best albums of its decade. Sure, it has some good tunes like Boy in the Bubble or the title theme, but half of the album is uninteresting filling-music. Plus, its awful how it sound so "world-music" with the cliché african in the background and the american singing above all... it's almost racist :D

Don't get me wrong, I don't think this album sucks, I think it's just average.

Waited for YEARS to buy this album, despite that everyone (critics and peers alike) told me how great it was. Sure, "...call me Al" was great - but I thought the album would be a little square, considering it was Paul Simon. Needless to say, I was dead wrong. Graceland is AMAZING! It grabs the listener from the opening and never lets go. There's nothing quite like it.