Paul Simon, Songwriter

Paul Simon’s a maddening figure in modern music for me, and not because I have regularly been told I resemble him. (Admittedly, at certain angles it’s uncanny, but I liked it better when someone told me long ago that I looked like Timothy Dalton.) You can argue that he’s never delivered utter crap, but he’s certainly inspired others to create it.
A 31-track greatest-hits album allows for some brilliant less-commercial works to gain overdue appreciation. “Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog After the War” in particular is a Simon song no radio programmer has given me a chance to grow tired of. “Quality,” from the Capeman musical, seems to touch lightly on every facet of Simon’s career, from youthful doo-wop to winsome folk strains to faint African rhythms.
The fact that he’s had so many hits has denied Paul Simon a proper career overview until now.