My Amazon Reviews: Paul Simon "There Goes Rymin' Simon"

We Come in The Age's Most Uncertain Hour
 5 Out of 5 Stars

For his second solo album after breaking up Simon and Garfunkel, "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" hit a peak that Paul was unable to attain until many years later. Freed from the compositional restraints of the old duo's expected style, Simon takes a full sheaf of musical styles and just throws them into the air. This album was recorded in various studios across the country with assorted bands (primarily the powerhouse Muscle Shoals band), allowing Simon free reign to experiment with styles.

The result was a grab-bag of songs that were all terrific, three top 40 singles and a solo Grammy. But even with the mix of styles, the sound is still distinctly Simon. The perky pop of "Kodachrome," the gospel of "Loves Me Like a Rock" and the jazzy "Take Me To The Mardi Gras" all intermingle. Two of his best love songs are here with the lullaby to his son ("St Judy's Comet") and the beautiful "Something So Right" (much later covered by Annie Lennox).

Then there is the classic "American Tune." Maybe the only song on the album that makes you wish Art was still around, Simon makes a declarative statement about his state of mind circa 1973. Watergate was beginning to bubble up from the pits, Nixon was still dragging out the VietNam War after his re-election and Simon was singing "I don't know a soul who's not been battered." Prescient even now, it's a song for the ages, even if Simon that 1973 was the most uncertain hour.