May 17, 2009 :: 08:59 PM EDT
Album Review - Paul Simon - "Surprise"
Surprise (Warner Brothers ‘06)
After another long 6-year layoff, during which he again toured with Garfunkel, resulting in the Old Friends Live On Stage CD and DVD, Paul improbably teamed with "sonic landscaper" Brian Eno for the aptly titled Surprise.
It seemed an odd marriage, the two seeming to have little in common beyond their shared love of world music, and I didn't know what to make of this album at first. As with all of his albums, however, this one grew on me with repeat listens, once I got used to the Eno-ized contrasts, as distorted guitars, electronic rhythms, and a highly modernized funkiness aren't the types of things I'm used to hearing on a Paul Simon album. Yet Eno and Simon are smart enough that Simon's melodies are still front and center; they're merely (mostly) enhanced by Eno's moody electronic embellishments in the background. And good melodies they are, accompanied as per usual by a fine batch of lyrics (he asks lots of questions about family, aging, politics, and life in general).
"Outrageous," which has funky, almost rap-like verses (it works better than it sounds) before launching into a light, catchy chorus (undeniable hook: "who's gonna love you when your looks are gone?"), should by all rights be a smash hit, "Wartime Prayers" is a prayerful call for peace that's alternately somberly moving and all out anthemic, and "Father And Daughter" (written for The Wild Thronberrys movie before Eno came on board) is a delightful love song that any parent can easily relate to. I could describe several other songs as well, some of which are quite pretty ("Everything About It Is A Love Song," "Beautiful"), lightly funky ("Sure Don't Feel Like Love," Once Upon A Time There Was An Ocean"), moody ("I Don't Believe," "Another Galaxy"), or simply unlike anything else he's ever done ("How Can You Live In The Northeast," on which Simon laments our lack of sympathy for and understanding of one another).
Of course, those descriptions are oversimplifications, as some songs are pretty, funky, catchy, and moody, or at least they're one or another at various times, and it should also be noted that this is Simon's most rocking album, though I suppose that's not saying much. Perhaps the album gets a bit sluggish at times on side two ("I Don't Believe" and "That's Me" are probably the weakest entries), much as You're The One had done, but by and large this album is indeed a surprising success, as Simon remains the rare '60s artist who has remained relevant into the '70s, '80s (when he was getting better as almost all of his peers were losing their way), and beyond. Now in his '60s, Simon still makes the effort to make every album sound different yet still recognizably like Paul Simon, and though this album sounds so different at first that it'll likely be off putting to some, eventually I think that you'll be pleasantly surprised by the results of this unlikely pairing.
After another long 6-year layoff, during which he again toured with Garfunkel, resulting in the Old Friends Live On Stage CD and DVD, Paul improbably teamed with "sonic landscaper" Brian Eno for the aptly titled Surprise.
It seemed an odd marriage, the two seeming to have little in common beyond their shared love of world music, and I didn't know what to make of this album at first. As with all of his albums, however, this one grew on me with repeat listens, once I got used to the Eno-ized contrasts, as distorted guitars, electronic rhythms, and a highly modernized funkiness aren't the types of things I'm used to hearing on a Paul Simon album. Yet Eno and Simon are smart enough that Simon's melodies are still front and center; they're merely (mostly) enhanced by Eno's moody electronic embellishments in the background. And good melodies they are, accompanied as per usual by a fine batch of lyrics (he asks lots of questions about family, aging, politics, and life in general).
Yet Eno and Simon are smart enough that Simon's melodies are still front and center; they're merely (mostly) enhanced by Eno's moody electronic embellishments in the background.”
Of course, those descriptions are oversimplifications, as some songs are pretty, funky, catchy, and moody, or at least they're one or another at various times, and it should also be noted that this is Simon's most rocking album, though I suppose that's not saying much. Perhaps the album gets a bit sluggish at times on side two ("I Don't Believe" and "That's Me" are probably the weakest entries), much as You're The One had done, but by and large this album is indeed a surprising success, as Simon remains the rare '60s artist who has remained relevant into the '70s, '80s (when he was getting better as almost all of his peers were losing their way), and beyond. Now in his '60s, Simon still makes the effort to make every album sound different yet still recognizably like Paul Simon, and though this album sounds so different at first that it'll likely be off putting to some, eventually I think that you'll be pleasantly surprised by the results of this unlikely pairing.
Sources: Scott Floman
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