Paul Simon - Hearts and Bones

I'd guess this is the most personal of Paul Simon albums.

I think Graceland is my favorite but there's something really special in H&B for me.

 

One of Pauls best and the last one (in my opinion), focusing on great melodies instead of rythms.

//Björn

 

I like it a lot too, but luckily he still makes wonderful music.

 

If anyone is still interested in hearing what the original album Think Too Much might have sounded like with Artie's vocals, check these YouToob vids before they get pulled: http://www.youtube.com/user/SumerMusic

 

Very cool.

Don't recognize any difference in my two favorite tracks: "Hearts and Bones" and "Train In The Distance"...is that Artie on the "ooohs" in the latter?

 

This was a strange mix of the unofficial S&G release of "Hearts and Bones" (which featured Artie's vocals on two tracks) and the likewise unoffical live album from Canada (recorded during the 1983 tour) + two official Art Garfunkel songs ("Bright Eyes" & "A Heart in New York") and the 2003 S&G release of "Citizen of the Planet" (that originally was supposed to be included on the "Hearts and Bones" album (allthough it was called "Think too Much" at that time)).

 

My favourite three tracks as well. Paul's best solo album (IMO).

 

Try this too: http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/Alternate+Hearts+and+Bones/2936993

 

I've really gotten into HEARTS AND BONES in the last week or so. Having never owned the album in any form, I started listening to those tracks that I already had on compilations and a 45. That was about half of the album, and possibly the better half, though the jury is still out on that one.

Hearts And Bones, Train In The Distance, Rene And Georgette, and The Late Great Johnny Ace were all on several compilations I owned but had not paid any attention to. I had always, mistakenly, avoided tracks with which I wasn't familiar. I'd heard "The Late Great Johnny Ace" in the Central Park concert and thought it a bit weird among the S&G songs.

Surprisingly, I had "Think Too Much (A)" among my 45s. It had never been played before and sounded great when I dubbed it to CD-R.

So I grabbed an older Warner Brothers disc off of eBay and have been playing it nearly every day and enjoying it immensely. The "newer" songs of "Allergies", "When Numbers Get Serious", "Think Too Much (B)", "Song About The Moon", and "Cars Are Cars" are working their way into unassisted hum-ability.

Then I decided to expand my Paul Simon collection a bit further by grabbing a 5 Classic Albums pack. It's got the self-titled album which surprisingly has never been in my collection in any form, THERE GOES RYHMIN' SIMON which I have on a Quad LP, the remastered version of HEARTS AND BONES which I was now curious about, and two albums for future exploration, CAPEMAN and YOU'RE THE ONE. It was reasonably priced and makes a nice "bookend" with the Art Garfunkel 5 Classic Albums pack.

Back to HEARTS AND BONES. I did some quick comparisons and found that "Think Too Much (B)" sounds a lot louder on the remaster. Not bad, just louder, much louder. The waveforms are well within proper specs - no brickwalling - but I've noticed that that track on the old WB disc plays very softly in my car player. To those of you who own the old LP, was "Think Too Much (B)" appreciably softer than the songs that surrounded it? Other songs on the remaster are only slightly louder than the WB counterpart.

Bottom line is I'm only 32 years late to the party, but I'm really enjoying the album. Normally, I'd be all over the mystique surrounding Garfunkel's involvement in the project, but the album is so good that I just don't care about any of that. It's perfect the way it is. To the "Cars Are Cars" detractors, I say lighten up. It's a fun track. I'm also loving "Train In The Distance" and both of the "Think Too Much's". The title track is amazing and "Rene And Georgette" is quite haunting.

And then there's "The Late Great Johnny Ace". I thought it was weird on the Central Park show, but it's quite at home here and makes a great, dramatic ending to the album, especially with the Phillip Glass end-extension.

"Allergies" - probably not the best choice for a lead single. No wonder I never heard any songs from this album on the radio. It's an interesting and maybe fun album cut in a "Cars Are Cars" kind of way, but it's status as lead track and lead single was just wrong.

On another thread, someone posted a "Train In The Distance" YouTube:


That picture is so reminiscent of a picture I took this year in Strasburg, PA, reduced to black & white:

Harry

 

I read that Paul erased Art's vocals because the songs were too personal to have another voice on them, and that this caused further alienation between the 2. If it's true and a recording of it by S&G exists somewhere, I'd love to hear it. It's a weird album.

 

Agreed about "Cars and Cars." I was never a fan of "Allergies" either. But the rest of the album is terrific.

 

Pretty cool album, "Rene and Georgette Magritte" is one of his best songs ever...but I gotta say that I think all 'yall saying this is his best solo album, especially over his s/t, are trippppppppin'.

 

The only reason this isn't considered one of Paul Simon's all time best albums is A) the production and B) the fact that his next proper album, Graceland, was one of the greatest rock records of all time.

The songwriting throughout the record is top notch and highly personal, from the claustrophobic "Allergies" to the wistful "Train in the Distance" and the tribute to John Lennon, "The Late Great Johnny Ace".

I can understand why the big '80s production with the soft guitars would turn people off to the album's sound, but instead of feeling dated I think it anchors the album in the time and place of its recording.

 

We've got half the LP with Artie anyway

Train in the Distance (studio leak)
Song About the Moon (studio leak and live)

Cars are Cars, Think Too Much, Late Great Johnny Ace (Vancouver 1983 - Artie sings on the middle eight of LGJA, unlike Central park)

Plus, from the era, you have "In Cars" from Scissors Cut and "Citizen of the Planet" with S&G vocals

Paul also did "Allergies" on the reunion tour, but without Artie

 

That's like saying "instead of feeling dated, I think it feels dated." Haha. I get what you mean though--"dated" carries a negative connotation, and you simply have no issue with this album sounding like the early '80s.

 

Yes, that's what I meant, it's not dated in a negative way, but I can understand why people wouldn't love the production.

 

HEARTS AND BONES is my favourite album of Paul, is a great record.
I like very much YOU'RE THE ONE, too.

 

All-A-Gees!

 

Ha. I remember reading that it was Art who was uncomfortable with the personal nature of the songs and didn't see a way for his voice to be represented on many of them. Paul got angry about that criticism and thus the erasures. Who knows?

 

I've only ever gotten into half the album, maybe I'll try again. I have to agree with Paul that this is not the right batch of songs for a S&G reunion. Maybe if they worked with a different group of musicians? Even then though, I feel the songs are too fusion for their vocals.

 

thanks for the link. great read

 

I remember being amazed at the sound quality especially the guitars sounding so crisp. Also the chalkboard at the record store coming soon "new Simon and Garfunkel album". Wow, 11 years since my last post on this thread.

 

On getting the Hilburn book, I inevitably jumped straight to the part about the aborted Think Too Much album... Not a lot of new info, apart from that Waronker apparently favoured the S&G version of the album, Warners really wanted it to be a reunion album, and Paul eventually sort of asked Warners' permission to make it a solo album. Still a little vague about the extent to which the S&G version of the album was finished.