Why doesn't Paul Simon get more love?

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I can't lie, and I'll be crucified, but I enjoy his work much more than Bob Dylan

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I'm a big fan of both, and will say Paul writes more melodic stuff. But Dylan has a more impressive body of his work and is more poetic of a songwriter, IMO.

Google Paul Simon Karen Carpenter or Paul Simon Sound of Silence Guitar Track originator..

Tigerdroppings..Simon is Ahole

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always like Paul Simon's stuff. Brilliant songwriter and pretty good guitar player. He didn't have that "voice of a generation" type following that Dylan did. Because of that, how big he (and Art) were at the time didn't translate as much to future generations

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hard to when all this was going on in just January of 1966 (releases)

I Got You (I Feel Good) James Brown -
Just Like Us! Paul Revere & the Raiders -
A-tom-ic Jones Tom Jones -
Four & More Miles Davis Live
Sounds of Silence Simon & Garfunkel -
Them Again Them UK
The Movie Song Album Tony Bennett -
- Ballads of the Green Berets Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler featuring hit title track
Bobby Vinton Sings Satin Pillows and Careless Bobby Vinton -
Five O'Clock World The Vogues -
Jealous Heart Connie Francis -
Lesley Gore Sings All About Love Lesley Gore -
Lightfoot! Gordon Lightfoot -
That Nashville Sound Jimmie Rodgers -
The Orbison Way Roy Orbison -
The Second Album The Spencer Davis Group -
Where the Action Is The Ventures

not to mention Elvis, the Beatles, Stones, Beach Boys were all happening as well

Perhaps his biggest legacy is with guitar players and how fun his walking bass lines are to learn.

ETA: released in Dec 65
My Generation The Who -
Rubber Soul The Beatles -
December's Children (And Everybody's) The Rolling Stones US release
The Beatles' Million Sellers The Beatles EP
Turn! Turn! Turn! The Byrds -
All Systems - Go! The Honeycombs -
Here I Am Dionne Warwick -
Get the Picture? The Pretty Things -
It Don't Bother Me Bert Jansch -
Jackson C. Frank Jackson C. Frank

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Elleshoe

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You ask why Paul Simom doesn't get more love...


I then say my favorite Mardi Gras tune is by Paul Simon...


You then say "nah"...



Sounds like you answered your own question.

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Tigerdroppings..Simon is Ahole

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It's well known in the biz that Simon is an a-hole

My fave Simon story: S&G cut an acoustic folk number that flopped and they went their separate ways. Two years later, after the Byrds launched folk rock w/ "Mr Tambourine Man", a Columbia producer named Tom Wilson (a black Republican from Texas, but that's another story) took the S&G track, added an electric guitar and rock rhythm section, then released it as a single, all w/o S&G's knowledge. Shortly afterward "The Sounds of Silence" was the #1 song in the country.

S&G got back together and went on tour. They ended up doing in LA doing the Shindig TV show. Simon went to the guitarist in the show's band and tried to tell him how to do the "SoS" guitar solo, adding "this is the way I played it on the record."

The guitarist replied, "Yeah, I already know how to play the solo."

Simon: "How do you know?"

Guitarist: "Because I played it on the record."

In never really appreciated him until I saw him live in the early 90's. Blew me away. Saw him again at UNO about two years ago. My wife couldn't believe he was 70 the way he sounded and acted in the concert.

He actually released a great album in 2011 called "So Beautiful So What". If you're a fan give it a listen.

There was another new one last year, but sadly I haven't listened yet.

Graceland is a great production.

Simon has always lagged behind in critical respect to Bob Dylan, for the obvious reason that he's not Bob Dylan. He's also far more likely to sing about middle class needs and desires, which the music press is far more likely to turn their noses up about. But songs like "Rene And Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War" are terrific. Heck, his best S&G work is probably an album about dealing with getting old ("Bookends"), hardly a rock n roll topic.

He's a nebbish Jewish guy who has never tried to be anything but a guy who sings pop-folk tunes. He gets dismissed because he's not edgy enough (it's the older version of Springsteen/Mellencamp). In short, he's not cool.

Which is why I love him.

Rhythm of the Saints>Graceland







jk, its not a competition, both are great albums, but RotS is one of my desert island albums.