I don’t know what Paul Simon was thinking when he decided to include on an album two versions of one song. There are “A” and “B” versions of Think Too Much, similar only in title and concept. The better one is the one that should be here. For me, that’s “B”, a placid Karimba tune, which, for some reason, comes before “A”. Also troubling is how the set ends, with The Late Great Johnny Ace. It’s a nice gesture as far as peer homage goes, but not a proper way to end a Paul Simon album.

If there’s a saving grace, it’s the inclusion of the title track, Hearts And Bones, and Train In The Distance. They’re less songs than narrative poems set to music, it seems, but they’re two of Paul Simon’s best yet; majestic works of art if there ever were such a thing in music. Rene And Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War; you’ll come to appreciate the long title after hearing the song; is also enchanting, but the background singing, the best part, is abandoned before the halfway point.

my rating = 3 of 5

1983

Paul Simon is a brilliant storyteller. He could sing the story of your life in just a few bars without missing a detail. It’s a talent he seems to have a true knack for. Melody is another. But that latter fact doesn’t really reveal itself on this set, which, following what may have been his best; Songs From The Capeman; is almost certainly his worst. That’s not the say that You’re The One; he should’ve come-up with a better title; is abominable. Only the silly Pigs Sheep And Wolves story and the tuneless Quiet closer would fall into such a category. It’s just that only about half of the songs are any good. Darling Lorraine is poignant and sweet. Old is quirky and fun. The rest are, at-least in the way of vocal melody; not what Paul Simon says but how he says it; struggling in the water. His band does an impressive job as far as percussive rhythm goes, but he’s the one responsible for that.

my rating = 3 of 5

2000