Alan Dearling shares some thoughts on Paul’s latest musical offering
‘Ruminations’ is probably what I’m sharing. It seems more appropriate rather than a ‘review’ or ‘commentary’. This 15th studio album by Paul Simon, now 81, is partly spoken, an intoned sonic poem. A strangely twisting musical “endless river flows” populated by ‘The Lord’. A soundscape largely of spiritual and religious meditations. There’s a simplicity and beauty within its single meandering acoustic journey – seven tracks recorded to be listened to in their entirety.
It quickly becomes obvious that this is some kind of ‘bookend’ in Paul’s long career, many aeons since the days when he was one half of Tom and Jerry with Art Garfunkel back in the very early coffee houses and folk clubs in the early 1960s. It’s an endpiece. A wonky and often off-tune entreaty to “Dip your hand(s) in Heaven’s Water”. At 33 minutes of solo ‘dangling conversations’ Simon is obviously filled with lamentations and mournful regrets. With added, occasional wry and rueful humour, including listening into two cows! But mostly it is a death song-cycle. A return to the womb.
“The Lord is our benediction and our curse.”
“We have no destination.”
“The Lord is a welcome door to the stranger.”
And finally in the Seventh Psalm, ‘Wait’, sung with his wife, Edie Brickell, we are engulfed in the quiet anticipation of standing outside of some kind of metaphorical or real, ‘Heaven’s Door’ or ‘gates’. Simon tells us that:
“I want to believe in the dreamless transition…”
“Children get ready – Time to come home.”
Musically, it is mostly a floating, vaguely Spanish-styled piece of acoustic guitar playing, with some added rather ethereal instrumentation/orchestration. The recurrent guitar theme piece reminded me somewhat of Al Stewart’s ‘Small Fruit Song’ and ‘Anji’ from the late, great, Davey Graham for its frail simplicity. Apparently, Paul Simon lost his hearing in one ear during the recording. A thing of some beauty, but deeply tinged in sadness, some remorse, some regrets. A musical ‘dreaming’ or even a ‘haunting’, waiting for the Grim Reaper, perhaps, as his final ‘mystery guide’?
‘Seven Psalms’ – lamentations and prayers on life’s curious mysteries.
Amen.
Listen to the album on ‘Youtube’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANtntuDslnk
- I hope that, like me, Paul Simon smiles when and if he sees a comment/review on Amazon marketplace which reads:
Lisa Bosworth:
1.0 out of 5 stars Only Plays Track One
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 27 May 2023
I hope to find a way to return this CD for a refund. It only plays Track One, no matter how I try to get it to move on to the other “Psalms”.