Paul Simon - So Beautiful or So What 2011

Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles charts, The Sound of Silence, Mrs. Robinson, and Bridge Over Troubled Water. In 1970, at the height of their popularity, the duo split, and Simon began a successful solo career, recording three highly-acclaimed albums over the next five years. In 1986, he released Graceland, an album inspired by South African township music that helped fuel the anti-apartheid movement. Besides music, Simon wrote and starred in the film One-Trick Pony in 1980 and co-wrote the Broadway musical The Capeman in 1998. Through his solo and collaborative work, Simon has earned 13 Grammys, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2001, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 2006 was selected as one of the 100 People Who Shaped the World by Time magazine. Among many other honors, Simon was named the first recipient of the Library of Congress's Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2007. So Beautiful or So What is the twelfth studio album by American recording artist Paul Simon, released April 8, 2011, on Hear Music. It was produced by Simon and record producer Phil Ramone. The album debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 68,000 copies in its first week, serving as Simon's highest debut on that chart. Upon its release, So Beautiful or So What received general acclaim from music critics, who praised Simon's themes and songwriting. So Beautiful or So What received general acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 85, based on 24 reviews, which indicates universal acclaim. Allmusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave it four-and-a-half out of five stars and praised Simon's musical focus, calling it an album thats vivid, vibrant, and current in a way none of his peers have managed to achieve. Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker complimented his spirited spirituality and commented that the Graceland-ic guitar figures still emphasize rhythm above all. Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrote that Hes finding solace, fleeting and fragmentary, and every springy guitar lick is its own benediction, and found it an improvement over Simon's previous album Surprise, stating Sketches of individuals and moments are intertwined with grander pronouncements, unforced humor tempers gloomier reflections. Will Layman of PopMatters viewed that the album's varying elements are mixed with great care and balance, the sounds serve the songs. And the songs themselves are united utterly, thematically obsessed with the largest and most intriguing questions that art can tackle. BBC Online's Paul Whitelaw noted Simon's world music leanings and guise of introspection, calling the album a profound statement from a master of his craft. Pitchfork Media's Stephen M. Deusner commented that the album can be stodgy in its emotions and a bit too devoted to its motifs, but ultimately complimented its themes of mortality and spirituality. Despite writing that mortality figures heavily, Chicago Tribune writer Greg Kot gave the album three out of four stars and stated Fortunately, he approaches it with a light touch and a skip in his stride. He turns the metaphysical into a series of narratives tinged not just with poignance but humor and groove. Alastair McKay of Uncut noted Simon's songwriting focus and wrote that he's telling stories, throwing narrative shapes, and twisting his songs into the service of a bigger idea. Almost every song is preoccupied somehow by God. The A.V. Club's Noel Murray gave the album an A- rating and commented that whether hes feeling rocky or mellow, Simon keeps toying with song-structure, unafraid to change directions if a new thought occurs. Maddy Costa of The Guardian wrote that the densely textured musical tracks convey the diversity of sounds that Simon has absorbed through his life. Los Angeles Times writer Margaret Wappler complimented its multiethnic landscape and commented that the album, steeped in Afropop and American folk forms, climbs some of the most resplendent summits of Simons career and ranks as his most consistent solo effort since 'Rhythm of the Saints' from 1990. Rolling Stone writer Will Hermes complimented its world-music fusions and called the album old-fashioned in its brevity (10 songs, 38 minutes) and vivid in its storytelling, a spiritual meditation that can't answer the big questions, Does God exist in a world of pain and inequality? Is there an afterlife?. Joe Heim of The Washington Post praised its themes of mortality, love, and God, calling it a reminder of the power of popular song to express the universal, to shape meaning into melody and to serve up rhythm and rhyme in irresistible fashion. Jerry Shriver of USA Today gave the album three-and-a-half out of four stars and described it as a clever and astute set of fully realized songs that explore the relationship between Man and God and the nature of love and mortality. In his consumer guide for MSN Music, critic Robert Christgau noted its music as the mild, irregular folk-rock he's explored for decades, graced with global colors that sound as natural as that guitar, and stated The mood is melancholy. yet suffused with gratitude, for his wife's love first of all, but even more for God's gifts, with the Divinity Himself an actor in several lyrics and close by in most of the others. In the album's liner notes, a brief synopsis of the album by Elvis Costello says that it deserves to be recognized as among Paul Simon's finest achievements. (wikipedia) - - - So Beautiful So What is Paul Simon's 12th solo album and his first release in 5 years. And it was well worth the wait! This is, in my opinion, his best album since Graceland. As you would expect with any of his work, his melodies are amazing, his lyrics poetic, and the feel and sound stand out in its uniqueness. Rewrite creates some incredible textures through the use of a West African stringed kora, a djembe drum, and even the faint grunt of wildebeests on certain guitar notes. Dazzling Blue has a folksy feel with some amazing fingerpicking on the acoustic guitar. Getting Ready for Christmas Day uses parts of a 1941 sermon by Reverend J.M. Gates and adds richness to the story. The Afterlife shows Simon's lyrical genius as it explores the process of entering heaven, filling out forms and waiting in line. There really isn't any filler as each song is a joy that takes the listener on a musical journey. This is an amazing album and if you're a fan of Paul Simon you'll love it! (Polar Bear review on amazon.com) - - - Paul Simon - So Beautiful or So What 2011 (Beverly Hills, Calif. StarCon LLC) 1. Getting Ready For Christmas Day 2. The Afterlife 3. Dazzling Blue 4. Rewrite 5. Love And Hard Times 6. Love Is Eternal Sacred Light 7. Amulet 8. Questions For The Angels 9. Love And Blessings 10. So Beautiful Or So What

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