THERE GOES RHYMIN' SIMON

Audio Remasterers: Daniel Hersch; Bill Inglot. Recording information: columbia Studios, NY (09/1972-01/1973); Malaco Recording Studios, Jackson, MS (09/1972-01/1973); Morgan Studios, London, England (09/1972-01/1973); Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, Muscle Shoals, AL (09/1972-01/1973). Building on the solid reputation of Simon & Garfunkel and the genre-exploring experiments of his solo debut, Paul Simon released this exceptional collection of songs in 1973. Simon seems to revel in his newfound solo freedom here, expanding his folk-rock palette to include gospel, reggae, R&B, and Dixieland, ratcheting up production values, and performing with great authority and confidence. That confidence is supported by some of the artist's finest and most focused compositions, including the jangly, exuberant "Kodachrome," a metaphor for the subjectivity of memory, the beautiful acoustic ballad "American Tune," and the gospel-derived "Love Me Like a Rock." The Dixie Hummingbirds lend their exquisite harmonies to "Loves Me Like a Rock" [is it "love" or "loves"?] and "Tenderness," while Reverend Claude Jeter contributes a floating falsetto to "Take Me To the Mardi Gras" and the Muscle Shoals rhythms section provide occasional R&B muscle. These guests add color and texture to Simon's singer-songwriter format, marking a cultural journey that would culminate in 1986's GRACELAND. In fact, THERE GOES RHYMIN' SIMON is probably the artist's most consistent and satisfying solo album after GRACELAND--a sizable claim given the songwriter's impressive achievements through the '70s and '80s.