GRACELAND
| Paul Simon
GRACELAND
Graceland is the seventh solo studio album by American singer-songwriterPaul Simon. It was produced by Simon, engineered by Roy Halee and released on August 25, 1986, by Warner Bros. Records. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Rolling Stone
1997 - But politics should not color one’s appreciation of an album as lovely, daring and accomplished as this.
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Pitchfork
2012 - The 25th anniversary reissue of Paul Simon's Graceland shows how the album gave a human face to the perception of South Africa during apartheid by synthesizing geographically disparate musical strains that turned out to be remarkably complementary.
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BBC
2012 - Forget the boycotts and controversy, and marvel once again at the magic that Simon conjured up on Graceland.
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Drowned in Sound
2012 - It is one of those huge, revered albums that possess a real legacy, a veteran of countless ‘best of’ lists and a genuine musical landmark.
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The Guardian
But though occasionally silly, many of the album's irrepressible flourishes are the result of Simon's musical excavations. American roots music such as zydeco is represented, as well as the traditional South African music of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who were brought to a western audience by this album.
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AV Club
The music of Graceland is as stirring as always, whether heard on the remastered album or in Under African Skies (which supplements the archival footage with rehearsals for a recent reunion concert in Johannesburg).
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Classic Rock Review
But simply throwing together all these elements is not, in of itself, enough to make a great album. It takes a bit of musical genius as well as the courage to take chances and go against the musical mainstream. Simon surely does this on Graceland.
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All Music
An enormously successful record, Graceland became the standard against which subsequent musical experiments by major artists were measured.
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Pop Matters
This 25th anniversary package is proof that those subversive words with which Simon has become so brilliant at writing can actually still mean something to generations filled with both cool kids and nerds alike. ... this entire collection proves one thing: Paul Simon and Graceland will remain as one of the most relevant pop records of all time.
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Robert Christgau
Opposed though I am to universalist humanism, this is a pretty damn universal record. Within the democratic bounds of pop accessibility, its biculturalism is striking, engaging, unprecedented--sprightly yet spunky, fresh yet friendly, so strange, so sweet, so willful, so radically incongruous and plainly beautiful.
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Only Solitaire
I'm really a sucker for this album because I dig the grace (no hint at the title) with which Paul tackles his more 'upbeat' numbers, both here and in the past times - it's just that here there's a lot of 'em
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The Guardian
the album took Simon’s career from its lowest point to its pinnacle
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Aphoristic Album Reviews
Even without the novelty of the sound, it’s filled with great songs like ‘The Boy In The Bubble’, ‘Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes’, and ‘Under African Skies’. Simon’s musical heroes, The Everly Brothers, provide backing vocals for the title track.
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Wilson & Alroy's Reviews
Pleasant collection of simple tunes derived from South African pop music. Made meaningful by pointed lyrics and the presence of several gifted South African musicians
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Consequence of Sound
2016 - The songwriter's South African-influenced album remains both unifying and controversial
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Huffington Post
2017 - The music ranges from the most elemental (human voices raised in harmony) to contemporary rock to a melding of music from around the world that makes barriers and genres seem passe. It “samples” found music, collaborates across languages and creates an album that is one of the most joyous, complex and rich in rock history.
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Ultimate Classic Rock
2016 - the songs on Graceland are joyful, funny and celebratory. And the playful, elastic African rhythms have a lot to do with this.
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GLide Magazine
2011 - a seamless, vibrant combination of South African and American popular music styles
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Tim Lee Songs
each time I listen to the album, I hear and appreciate something new, even after all this time
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Acoustic Sounds Inc
2012 - If there’s an album easily pointed to as one that not only stood the test of time, but sounds fresher than ever, it would be Graceland. Repeated plays do not diminish the listening pleasure thank to the musical content and Roy Halee’s superb engineering.
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Immortal Reviews
Paul Simon captured future hope in Graceland, beautifully bringing in the mood of the 80s while wistfully looking forward. It’s a beautiful combination, truly defining a decade with its sound. Simon’s words still echo hauntingly today, too.
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QRO
2012 - If you’ve already got Graceland, you probably don’t need the 25th anniversary deluxe edition, though the extras are definitely nice. But make sure that you do have it, a rare record of the last twenty-five years that should be in everyone’s collection, on everyone’s iPod – and never loses its power or charm.
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The Abso!ute Sound
2014 - he resultant album has a rich tonal palette, perfect top-to-bottom balance, dynamics galore, and propulsive rhythms. In short: awesome.
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The Young Folks
2014 - But if there ever was a convincing argument that art transcends politics, Graceland would be it. Because, in spite of all of the negative aspects that went into recording the album, it’s still a masterpiece, and the songs live on.
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No Depression
2012 - The box set’s live and documentary material, insightful commentary and memorable peek into Simon’s work process add color and depth to an already rich work of art. For the millions who already own the album, the extras are worth considering, as the light shed by the annotation and detail turns the star into a supernova.
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Digital Journal
2012 - The fact that both artist and record company put the extra effort in to making these reissues special will most likely be appreciated by Graceland fans even if many of them will be buying the core material for the third or fourth time.
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The Marquee
2012 - This 25th anniversary edition includes the documentary film Under African Skies about the making of the album, plus live and demo recordings of tracks. It’s a loving set for an album that was truly groundbreaking.
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JotaKa
2010 - It is definitely the best work of Paul Simon alone and the second best of his entire career, being topped only by “Bridge over Troubled Water” with Garfunkel, which is also a really awesome album.
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