In The Blue Light - Paul Simon (2018)

September through the years: from my September 2018 list, also featuring Spiritualized, Yves Tumor, and easily the most bonkers Cypress Hill release

When an established artist is looking to keep new product on the shelves, the most common ways to do that are greatest hits, remixes, and live albums–all ways to repackage existing material without incurring all the overhead of a recording session. Every once in a while, an artist will take a different tack and re-record their older work in new or updated versions. The one that comes to mind for me is Kate Bush’s Director’s Cut, but there are certainly plenty of other examples.

Simon has done this in a radical musical reworking, on a batch of songs he felt didn’t get the world’s attention the first time around.

The slightly hidden agenda here is that nearly half the songs are from his 2000 album You’re The One, and it’s the only record that’s represented more than once. I think I’m not the only person who didn’t notice new Simon songs in 2000, and not because he stopped writing good songs or being a charming performer. Old guy albums like that one were fighting for notice in the marketplace at the time, and mostly losing.

It’s also maybe telling that there are no re-works from his world-conquering successful albums, the self-titled solo debut, Still Crazy After All These Years, and Graceland. He’s happy to let those lie, whatever he might have thought personally of some of it.

The arrangements include string quartet, jazz combo, and rootsy swing band.

Tracks I Liked

Can’t Run But - One of the tracks I already knew pretty well from Rhythm Of The Saints. It’s taken apart and put back together in a more meditative fashion

Rene and Georgette Magritte with their dog after the war - the other track I know quite well. Much more sedate . Plus it’s a great title to type out.

Darling Lorraine - There aren’t many singer songwriters who could pull off the following line in a song: “Financially speaking, I guess I’m a washout”