Paul Simon: One Trick Pony - 1980
This album, from 1980, contained songs from Paul Simon’s spectacularly unsuccessful movie of the same name, but it was not billed as a soundtrack. It functioned as a straight forward album of Simon with a band. It includes two live tracks within the album, both of which are excellent. The music was culturally completely different to the new wave, punk and disco that dominated 1980. Simon never followed trends, did he? He was all the better for it.
Late In The Evening is a bone fide Simon classic to start with, full of that quintessential Simon je ne sais quoi. You just know it when you hear it. The rhythms are totally intoxicating from beginning to end as are Simon’s beguiling, cinematic and enigmatic lyrics. As for the brass section and the percussion solo - wow. I haven’t even mentioned the guitar either. The song is just an unbridled joy.
That’s Why God Made The Movies is a gently shuffling number with Simon reminiscing about lying around in his swaddling clothes (he claimed to have had memories from being one or two years old in the previous song, so he must have been a precocious child!). It is another of his cryptic songs that could mean all sorts of things.
The first live track is the vaguely funky groove of One Trick Pony, with its jazzy beat and easy, free feeling. It is a really addictive number with a great vibe to it, lovely rhythms and, of course, Simon’s mellifluous voice. How The Heart Approaches What It Yearns is a walking pace, slow number that was re-interpreted on 2018’s In The Blue Light.
Oh, Marion is similarly low key with a more solid drum backing and light jazzy guitar sound. The other live track, Ace In The Hole, is an upbeat number with a funky guitar backing and Simon assisted on vocals by Richard Tee. It features some fine guitar too, from Eric Gale.
Nobody is a slow burning, sleepy, reflective number and Jonah is similar in its typically Simon-esque gentle ambience. God Bless The Absentee ups the tempo slightly on a muscular number enhanced by some bluesy guitar. Long Long Day is a quiet ballad to end this short but pleasant album on. It remains considerably underrated in Simon’s canon.
