American Tunes: Paul Simon song-by-song

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Lance LaSalle, Jan 2, 2023.

  1. bob_32_116

    bob_32_116 Forum Flaneur

    Location:
    Perth Australia
    I find the title of this thread ironic, because the tune of the song it refers to is basically the Chorale from St Matthew Passion by J. S. Bach, hence is a German tune and not American.
     
  2. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus Thread Starter

    Well, I didnt mean to make a political comment, i just went through a bunch of songs and thought “that will make a nice title.”
     
  3. Wayfaring Stranger

    Wayfaring Stranger Forum Resident

    Location:
    York uk
    I think that Paul Simon’s cultural “borrowing” of musical sources is something that may rear it’s head frequently as this thread advances.
     
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  4. ARL

    ARL Forum Resident

    Location:
    England
    "Teenage Fool"

    If you had played me this without any indication of who was singing, I would never have guessed Paul Simon! Hopefully "The Only Living Boy In Macon" persona doesn't last for too long. The music is OK but the vocal is really off-putting, and on a song like this 2:46 seems like an eternity. 1.5/5.
     

  5. :laugh:
     
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  6. Chartstuff

    Chartstuff Forum Resident

    Location:
    Manchester, UK
    True Or False: I don't think this at all bad. If you get past the odd singing, it's quite catchy. Well I haven't been able to get it out if my head for the past couple of days - whether that's a good thing or not...I don't know. 3/5 (I have a clear memory of this being on some kind of compilation / radio show by the DJ Kenny Everett in the 1970s. This was of the 'world's worst records'. I've just been looking for it but I couldn't find anything).

    Teenage Fool: Tupelo Sludge 2/5

    The fact that this was put out behind Artie's back is probably the most interesting thing about the single overall.
     
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  7. BeSteVenn

    BeSteVenn FOMO Resident

    Teenage Fool” is so bad that it’s good. I find it oddly compelling and am just a little embarrassed to admit I like it. The melody reminds me of Conway Twitty’s “It’s Only Make Believe”, but it predates that song. Maybe it’s the key, the tempo, or the vocal affectations that bring that song to mind. As a composition it doesn’t measure up, but it’s a cheesy little record that I do like to hear from time to time. 3/5

    A link for North America:
     
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  8. Rfreeman

    Rfreeman Senior Member

    Location:
    Lawrenceville, NJ
    Teenage Fool - 1
    Derivative of stuff I don't like to begin with
    I can only vaguely appreciate this by imagining Bill Murray singing it as a parody of a lame crooner.
     
  9. aphexj

    aphexj Sound mind & body

    Teen Age Dreck. 1/5
     
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  10. Wildest cat from montana

    Wildest cat from montana Humble Reader

    Location:
    ontario canada
    Title is fine...
    It was that or you could have titled it : ' You Can Call Me Paul ' or ' The Sound Of Simon' or 'Parsley Simon Garfunkel and Thyme'.
     
  11. Jo B

    Jo B Forum Resident

    Location:
    Minnesota USA
    Any band or duo that survives for an extended period requires a selfless personnel equation of no less than x-1 . Who that -1 is can change over time but it can never be greater than 1 at any given time. These guys were x-x and yet managed to have moments of brilliance.
     
  12. bob_32_116

    bob_32_116 Forum Flaneur

    Location:
    Perth Australia
    An interesting hypothesis. Is this a roundabout way of saying there can be no more than one member with too much ego?
     
  13. Jimmy Jam

    Jimmy Jam Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cork
    Great idea for a thread.....and surprised it hasn't been done before (maybe it has)

    The man is one of the greats imo, right up there with the big boys, only got to see him live once but it was wonderful...

    Anyway, I look forward to dipping in and out
     
  14. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus Thread Starter

    I checked, and don't think it has. Anyway, I'm doing it again!
     
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  15. bob_32_116

    bob_32_116 Forum Flaneur

    Location:
    Perth Australia
    There has been at least one Simon & Garfunkel thread, but I suppose a thread about all Paul Simon's songs was a bit challenging for most of us to attempt.
     
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  16. BZync

    BZync Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    I was a bit young for S&G. The first album I owned was Bridge on 8 track cartridge. I'll be lurking on this thread at least until the first S&G album. I find these early recording fascinating as, to my ears, i hear absolutely nothing to indicate what they would become. Even the voices are unrecognizable to me.

    Thanks for starting this discussion. It should be fascinating.
     
  17. Bnk

    Bnk Forum Resident

    Location:
    Birmingham
    Teenage Fool,I agree with BeStevenn upthread there`s some nice things here,the vocal is impressive to me for a 16 year old. Sounds like the mic is really close to the vocal,and some sounds get lost at the deep end of the register,and there seems to be some intakes of of breath caught in a bad way. I always liked the mature Simon`s vocals sounding really intimate and up close on a lot of his solo stuff,so maybe that started there. Bet he`s better in these earlier songs on the slowies and the mid-pacers. Again,mature Simon doesn`t exactly break a sweat a lot of the time.
    Teenage Fool,a solid 3/5. Needs more harmony and doo-wop voices too imo.
     
  18. Jo B

    Jo B Forum Resident

    Location:
    Minnesota USA
    It's more than just only having one, you have to have the others be willing to let that ego operate, essentially giving up a little piece of themselves. It's an interesting thought project, but this thread isn't the place for it.
     
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  19. SMRobinson

    SMRobinson Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    "Teenage Fool"-- a genuinely atrocious vocal. Nothing but historical interest here I'm afraid.

    Thank goodness none of my own juvenilia had national distribution.

    1/5
     
  20. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus Thread Starter

    Our votes for "Teenage Fool"
    1-3
    2-3
    3-3
    4-0
    5-0
    Average: 1.8889
     
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2023
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  21. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    I met Paul back in 1982...He was a pleasant fellow. I was glad to have met him back then being a fan since the beginning...
     
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  22. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus Thread Starter

    Today's song is "Our Song", written by Tommy Graph and Jerry Landis, aka Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon. Performed by Tom & Jerry and the Lee Sims Orchestra.


    Background:
    Released in March 1958, "Our Song" failed to chart altogether. It does see Paul's father's band (Lee Sims=Louis Simon) credited and I suppose that they have been the uncredited backing musicians all along.
    Line Up:
    Jerry Landis: co-lead vocal, acoustic guitar
    Tommy Graph: co-lead vocal
    with
    Lee Sims: stand up bass

    Released on most of the following compilations
    • Simon & Garfunkel (1967)
    • Early Simon & Garfunkel (1993)
    • Two Can Dream Alone (2000)
    • Tom & Jerry (2003)
    • Tom & Jerry Meet Tico and the Triumphs (2012)
    • Two Teenagers (2012)
    • The Early Years: 1957-1962 (2013)
    • Singles And Rarities 1958-1962 (2016)
    • Early Recordings (2016)
    • The Early Years (Two Young Hearts Afire with the Same Desire) 2017
    • In the Beginning (2021)
     
  23. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus Thread Starter

    "Our Song" is a worthy follow up to "Hey Schoolgirl". It is of course another Everly's pastiche, but it's pretty good. It doesn't quite have as astrong a hook as "Hey Schoolgirl", and I guess that BIG records had blown its wad promoting that and this one did not get the payola treatement and thus was not a hit. There's little annoying about the vocals, unlike True Taylor's pair of songs and this is a nice little song that goes by pleasantly.

    3.1/5
     
  24. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus Thread Starter

  25. smilin ed

    smilin ed Senior Member

    Location:
    Durham
    A metaphor for the American values stated on the Statue of Liberty and its welcoming of immigrants, including those from Germany, of which there were many?
     

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