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Paul Simon - Octogenarian

Started by Keebleman, October 13, 2021, 07:38:50 AM

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Keebleman

The perennial answer to the question "Who's that little guy with Art?" enters his ninth decade today.  Mrs Robinson is my all time favourite song.  It was in the charts when I was born and my emotional connection to it is so strong I'm convinced it must have been on the maternity ward radio when I slithered into view.  (Mind you, Fire by the Crazy World of Arthur Brown was also a big hit at the time and I hate that.)

Mark the occasion by listening to this edition of the excellent - and sadly discontinued - Rivals podcast, in which we learn that Garfunkel felt their relationship broke down beyond repair in 1958!!!

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/folkie-fight-simon-vs-garfunkel/id1494336314?i=1000475900003

(Art's 80th is on Nov 5th.)


Attila

Mr Attila was surprised to learn the other night (as we were watching the S & G documentary) that Paul Simon and Simon and Garfunkel were a huge part of my teenaged and university years. I've got everything they released (on vinyl), spent ages tracking down television and film appearances in the days before internet, and learned on the guitar a considerable number of Simon's catalogue.

The first concert I was finally allowed to go see (as my mother was convinced that all pop music concerts were the devil's playground, and I would be kidnapped/assaulted/turned into a drug addict, any combo of the above within minutes of setting foot in the venue) was at Laurel Race Track in 1983, when the pair went on a tour following the Concert in Central Park's success. I saw the latter when it was broadcast and then just about every repeat in HBO that summer, as well (and it's probably floating around on an old VHS tape I made here, as well).

As for the concert -- in addition to still owning the now fragile t-shirt, what I remember about it is

*the audience boo'd when Art dedicated a song to a 'special lady' in the audience -- because Paul was dating (or may have been married to, can't recall) Carrie Fisher at the time, and bringing her along to concerts. Turns out he was dedicating it to a young family member, and gave the boos a knowing 'mmm hmmm, fooled you' response

*Art was hanging around the racetrack entranceway checking out the crowds as they wandered in

*the audience was in a thunderous mood by the time the pair of them even got started -- something like 2 hours late -- because they were backstage watching/listening to an Orioles game. That's the year the Orioles won the pennant and ultimately went on to win the World Series in a derby with Philadelphia -- now admittedly as a huge Orioles' fan I was keen on that pennant race, too, but not so much that I was willing to sit in scratching grass fighting off mosquitoes surrounded by increasing drunk yuppies, while our heroes listened in to the game.

I also remember my cousin, who escorted me, passing out his business card to various audience members (he was a practicing psychologist), and someone who brought out a guitar so that he could play and sing along with the numbers on stage. That was quickly ended by surrounding audience members.

I'll have to dig out my Concert in Central Park album, as it was a two-album gatefold, and I taped a lot of cuttings and things inside of it at the time, including my concert ticket.

jobotic

Quotesomeone who brought out a guitar so that he could play and sing along with the numbers on stage.

Fantastically appalling behaviour!

Johnny Foreigner

Is this why that bodyguard song has been playing in a loop in every pub, supermarket, café and hotel lobby for the last sodding three months?

I mean, yes, I get it: you are in a foreign country and you don't speak the language and your name is Al, for which reason you wish to employ someone as your bodyguard. That's quite all-right, these things happen. You don't have to keep harping on about it.

pigamus


Pauline Walnuts

Quote from: pigamus on October 13, 2021, 10:58:05 AM
Why did they boo Carrie Fisher?

Did you see her performance in The Force Awakens?

Attila

Quote from: pigamus on October 13, 2021, 10:58:05 AM
Why did they boo Carrie Fisher?

Can't remember all the details about it, but I think it was just a subset of the fandom who were irked that he would sometimes let her come on stage, thinking it was his Yoko Ono/Linda McCartney indulgence. Just dumb stuff from a certain type of fan -- that's why Art subverted it a bit by dedicating the song to what turned out to be a little girl. I'd have to look it up in my diaries, as it was in 1983, mind. But I know I wrote about the experience in breathless detail as only an 18 year old can muster :D

Quote from: jobotic on October 13, 2021, 10:36:54 AM
Fantastically appalling behaviour!

No one really minded during the interminable waiting; dude had a good old sing-song going. But when people realised he was going to continue once the show DID start...it was a big nope. To clarify, this was an outdoor concert, big old horse-racing track in Laurel, MD, so people were setting up folding chairs, blankets, stuff like that. So initially someone wanting to play 'Sounds of Silence' to pass the time wasn't particularly amiss before the show.

Watched the documentary on BBC today and came away with two main thoughts:

* Art's heavy smoking has knocked his voice down about 3 octaves since his heyday

* While Paul Simon has a short guy, vindictive energy I can't help but feel Art is the primary knobhead of the duo. Art seems far more likely to mythologise in a way that comes over insincere. He also didn't contribute anywhere near as much creatively either, other than his perfect voice.

QDRPHNC

By strange coincidence I put on Graceland today on a whim. Boy in the Bubble still some of my favourite lyrics ever.

Kankurette

The Boy in the Bubble was a childhood favourite and I still love it. I wish I'd gone to see Simon performing Graceland in full in London.

Rizla

I like that he could laugh at himself - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THRbofqA4mk.

This coming hot on the heels of the "One Trick Pony" film too.

SweetPomPom

Graceland is a cracking album, really regret not seeing it a few years ago when he did that Hyde Park thing.
I did see Art more recently but he brought out this weird clone thing he claimed was his son. Very odd vibes.

I cannot ever listen to Mrs Robinson due to Evan Dando and the ridiculous heavy rotation his version got at the time.