Simon & Garfunkel

[maccastheman]

I have NEVER seen Paul Simon look happy on stage - not that I think he doesn't enjoy being on stage. He always has this serious look about him - like he's waiting on the world to collapse or something. They both had very positive remarks after the performance. Simon even went so far as to say they might work together again in the future. That's a lot more than he's been saying of late.

I just think Paul Simon has a very serious dispostion. I do think he's very jealous of Arts voice, but I think that's only part of the reason he never looks settled. I think the rest is just his dispostion. When I saw the Dylan/Simon tour in '99, I thought Paul was going to have a heart attack. He kept looking at Bob making sure neither one of them would screw up "Sound of Silence" or "Knocking on Heaven's Door." The music was still beautiful to the ears.

[Steve-o]

Granted...the guy is a stiff on stage. He's tight. The Concert in Central Park--the entire time he was like that, and it didnt help having that idiot rush the stage in the middle of the show. I've never seen him look comfortable, but this was a little different. I still stand by my comments about what I saw. He seemed a little more uncomfortable than usual, and I bet it was because some of the old tension was creeping back into his mind. Art put his arm around him and Simon acted like it was the arm of a zombie or something. Bad vibes, no matter how postive their remarks were after the show. I hope they do get back out there, but the guy might just explode by the end of the tour.

[Aujouret]

So what is it with Paul Simon anyway?
What is the problem with those guys?
Do they just not like each other or what?
I thought their intro at the Grammys was probably the best part of that excruciating show. (cept for Bruce, of course[:)])
Their Sounds of Silence was very lovely.
If they don't get along- I say don't tour.
Don't make themselves miserable.

[theDingle]

I think it was in the Rollingstone Mag tribute to George where I read that Paul Simon had visited him around the time of the Anthology book release. He wanted an autographed copy but felt it would be too forward to ask for one, but George had one sent to him later as a surprise.

I thought Simon's first 2 solos were very good, but there's only been a few select tunes by him that I've liked since.

As far as playing with Dylan, I just recently read Howard Sounes'Down The Highway: The Life Of Bob Dylan. It's very good and very objective I think. One thing it did relate was that Dylan could be nerve-wrackingly unpredictable onstage. Maybe that's why Simon was tracking him so close!

That book gave me a serious jones for getting back into some Dylan music.

[maccastheman]

I've seen Dylan about 8 times, and every time his performances were COMPLETELY different. But that's the nature of a Dylan show - different set list every night, different song arrangements, etc. It makes things very interesting. Some very magical things happen that way, and some not-so-great things happen that way. Paul Simon is the complete oppostie - TOTAL PERFECTIONIST. I was shocked when they said they would perform 3 songs together at each show given how different they are - but it worked. I especially liked the oldies medlies they did. (That'll be the Day/I Walk the Line/etc.)

Just because people don't like each other doesn't mean they can't make good music together - case in point: Let it Be, White Album, and Abbey Road. Great moments on those albums despite the anxiety.

As for Simon's post S&G output: It think it's great. In fact, I think in many ways it surpasses S&G as a whole. (It's much more experiemental, etc.) I think Paul Simon, Still Crazy, Graceland, Rhythm of the Saints, and even You're the One hold their own against any S&G record. The point is, they are 2 entirely different animals. S&G was about mellow tunes and angelic harmonies. Paul Simon solo is about experiementation.

[theDingle]

True, spontaneity can go either way, and you're right, it's magical when it works, and more often than not, it works for Dylan.

I respect that Simon, or anyone, is experimental, but it won't always connect with me. After he went solo, right off the bat he tried some reggae, then some gospel and new orleans influences, and I liked most of that. Later on, sometimes I dug it, sometimes not.