History Music / PaulSimon

However, Simon rebounded with ''Music/{{Graceland}}'' (1986). Recorded in UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica with a cast of talented African musicians and containing a fusion of Western pop-rock and folk music with African genres such as isicathamiya and mbaqanga, the album was released in 1986 to a wildly positive response despite criticism of Simon for recording in South Africa [[CompletelyMissingThePoint at the height of Apartheid]]. The album re-established Simon as a successful artist and became an enduring benchmark by which "world music" experiments by other pop artists are measured.

** "Boy In The Bubble".

** Then there's "Rhythm of the Saints" which is in itself a sort of successor to "Graceland"; while "Graceland" was heavily influence by South African music and recruited African musicians to help formulate the sound, "Rhythm" did something similar but turned to South American genres and musicians.

Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American folk and rock musician known both for his initial career in the folk-rock duo Music/SimonAndGarfunkel and his eclectic solo career, which has ranged from straightforward pop, rock and folk to world music explorations.s

However, Simon rebounded with ''Music/{{Graceland}}'' (1985). Recorded in UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica with a cast of talented African musicians and containing a fusion of Western pop-rock and folk music with African genres such as isicathamiya and mbaqanga, the album was released in 1986 to a wildly positive response despite criticism of Simon for recording in South Africa [[CompletelyMissingThePoint at the height of Apartheid]]. The album re-established Simon as a successful artist and became an enduring benchmark by which "world music" experiments by other pop artists are measured.

* ''Music/{{Graceland}}'' (1985)

!!This musician provides examples of:

** There's been plenty of speculation over the meaning of the line "The cross is in the ballpark" in "Obvious Child".

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/PaulSimon_5815.jpg]]

-->--- "You Can Call Me Al"

-->"You Can Call Me Al"

Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American folk and rock musician known both for his initial career in the folk-rock duo Music/SimonAndGarfunkel and his eclectic solo career, which has ranged from straightforward pop, rock and folk to world music explorations.

* NonActorVehicle: 1980's ''One Trick Pony'', which he wrote as well as starred and composed the music for. Interesting since his character is explicitly not an AuthorAvatar; he's a OneHitWonder struggling to make a comeback. It famously has a character (played by Rip Torn) who's a blatant TakeThat to Creator/ColumbiaRecords president Walter Yetnikoff, among other [[InJoke In-Jokes]] about the music industry. A BoxOfficeBomb, but it generated a BreakawayPopHit with "Late in the Evening".

* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: Started cynical-ish, especially on early SimonAndGarfunkel records, but he's always had a foot in idealism.

Away from the music world, Simon is a member of the ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' Five-Timer's Club (even appearing in the original titular sketch). His memorable music video for "You Can Call Me Al" features ChevyChase.

* TechnologyMarchesOn: "Kodachrome" (1973) refers to the first successfully mass-marketed color still film, comparing it to memories. These days digital photography has taken over, and the name "Kodachrome" is more connected to the song than the film. The last batch of actual Kodachrome film was shipped out in 2009 with an expiration date of November 2010.

** "The Late Great Johnny Ace", from ''Hearts and Bones'', is at once a Shout Out to Johnny Ace and InMemoriam to Music/JohnLennon.

* NotChristianRock: 2011's ''So Beautiful Or So What'' contains many references to God and angels. Paul says he didn't notice.

->''"If you'll be my bodyguard\\
I can be your long-lost pal\\
I can call you Betty\\
And Betty, when you call me you can call me Al."''

'''Paul Frederic Simon''' (born October 13, 1941) is an American folk and rock musician known both for his initial career in the folk-rock duo Music/SimonAndGarfunkel and his eclectic solo career, which has ranged from straightforward pop, rock and folk to world music explorations.

However, Simon rebounded with his MagnumOpus, ''Music/{{Graceland}}'' (1985). Recorded in UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica with a cast of talented African musicians and containing a fusion of Western pop-rock and folk music with African genres such as isicathamiya and mbaqanga, the album was released in 1986 to a wildly positive response despite criticism of Simon for recording in South Africa [[CompletelyMissingThePoint at the height of Apartheid]]. The album re-established Simon as a successful artist and became an enduring benchmark by which "world music" experiments by other pop artists are measured.

* ComingOfAgeStory: "Duncan" is largely this, complete with dose of SexAsARiteOfPassage towards the end.

I can be your long lost pal\\

->''"If you'll be my bodyguard, I can be your long lost pal\\
I can call you Betty, and Betty, when you call me you can call me Al."''

->''If you'll be my bodyguard, I can be your long lost pal\\
I can call you Betty, and Betty, when you call me you can call me Al.''

'''Paul Simon''' (born October 13, 1941) is an American folk and rock musician known both for his initial career in the folk-rock duo Music/SimonAndGarfunkel and his eclectic solo career, which has ranged from straightforward pop, rock and folk to world music explorations.