Paul Simon - You Can All Me Al (what a tune!!!)

[Rud]

redescovered this today! such an uptempo feel good track classic!!

video was quality too!!

[Lincoln]

Yeah, that's a really good song. Paul Simon is overlooked as a great musician.

[T-Dub]

That track was one of my favorites when I was a kid...the video was timeless too.

[CRAFTY]

Can you hook it up?

*bumps Mrs. Robinson once more

[Rud]

indeed i can!

www.dubcnm.com/rud/Paul Simon - You Can Call Me Al.mp3

[Soulful]

yea i feel good everytime i hear that track.."50 ways to leave your lover" is another good song with him

[Trauma-san]

I never understood Paul Simon.  He's obviously incredibly talented.  He wrote some of the greatest songs of all time (Homeward Bound, The Boxer, etc.).  He kind of took the elitist, artistic route though in his solo career... which I guess you can't criticise too much.  Still, though, you have to wonder how great he could have been if he would have TRIED to make appealing music.  I guess you can't fault him for making the music he wanted to make, but what if he tried to make music we'd enjoy? 

This song is a perfect example.  Unbelievably catchy and charismatic.   Great song.  Everyonce in a while he writes one like that, but it seems to me that most of his music is just self indulgent that he knows damn good and well we wont' really appreciate.

This song is off the album "Graceland" and there's a lot of cool songs on that album.  "Graceland" is a great song of course, and "You can call me Al" is a great song... there's some african chants on the album that are really peaceful and beautiful to listen to, and my favorite Paul Simon song, "Crazy Love Part II" is on there. 

BTW, look around the net for a copy of "You Can Call Me Al" by Rush Limbaugh.  It's a parody song with a guy who sounds just like Al Sharpton singing it, pretty funny stuff.  Unless you like Al Sharpton.  Then I would suggest you don't download it. 


Anyways, how great of a songwriter is Paul Simon?  Lyrically he's the shit.  "Asking only workmen's wagers, I coming looking for a job but I get no offers, just a come on from the whores on 7th avenue... I do declare, there were times when I felt so lonesome I took some comfort there".  Sumbitch. 

Or top this one.

"In The Clearing Stands a Boxer
And a Fighter By His Trade
And He Carries The Reminders
Of Every Glove That Laid Him Down
And Cut Him Till He Cried Out
In His Anger And His Shame
"I Am Leaving, I Am Leaving"
But The Fighter Still Remains"

That's so fucking good words can't really describe it.  I guess there's no way to know exactly what he's talking about, but the way I always took it was it's a comment on how people cannot change who they are, and some people are either born to a destiny or have the heart and soul of whatever it is that defines them.  In the example there's a man who's a boxer, and you can just see him standing in an alley somewhere (in the clearing stands a boxer)... I can see some dude like Cinderella Man standing there, out of shape, but still tough as nails, he's had a hard life, had his ass whipped night after night, and he keeps saying that he's done, never again, but yet he still does it every night because that's what the hell he is... a boxer.  Sad but beautiful at the same time.

Paul Simon = incredible. 

"

[Petey]

I seen this video on vh1 classic today, coincidence? you be the judge.

[Rud]

thanks for the info on his work trauma, i will try and get the material you spoke on there and have a listen, thanks man dude seems mega talented! thanks

[Trauma-san]

That album also has "Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes" on it. 

[Lincoln]

Nice post Trauma, I agree.

Paul Simon has at least 4 albums I would consider to be excellent, probably one of the more consistent musicians that I listen to.

[Mindless Minority]

Never looked into Paul Simons solo work, fucking love Simon & Garfunkels back catalogue though.

[Trauma-san]

Nice post Trauma, I agree.

Paul Simon has at least 4 albums I would consider to be excellent, probably one of the more consistent musicians that I listen to.

I don't know that I've even heard 4 of his albums.  Like I was saying above, I always thought most of his solo stuff was too artistic for me.  If you can believe that.  I generally like songs with a solid commercial appeal and he's not much concerned with that, imho. 

He did have some sort of song about his daughter or something (maybe his son?) about 2 years ago in some movie that won an oscar or something?  Any idea what I'm talking about? I remember thinking it sounded pretty good.  It might have been for "Brother Bear" although I'm just going stream of consciousness here, I haven't seen Brother Bear and I've only heard the Paul Simon song once, so that may be all incorrect. 

[King Tech Quadafi]

I love this song, sing it all the damn time....

the video was classic too

[West Coast Veteran]

one of the greatest songs of all time.. this song just makes u happy when u listen to it...