Negotiations and Love Songs 1971-1986

Performer: Paul Simon
Artist: Michael Brecker; Jon Faddis; Adrian Belew; Youssou N'Dour; Phil Woods; The Dixie Hummingbirds; Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Personnel includes: Paul Simon (vocals, guitar, bass); Ladysmith Black Mambazo (vocals); David Spinoza, Hugh McCracken, Joe Beck, Eric Gale (guitar); Jess Levy (cello); Morris Goldberg (penny whistle); Alex Leonard Pickett, Ronald Cuber, Phil Woods, Michael Brecker, Mark Rivera (saxophone); Jon Faddis (trumpet); Dave Bargeron (trombone); Peter Gordon (French horn); Richard Tee (keyboards, synthesizer); Barry Beckett (keyboards, vibraphone); Larry Knechtel, Neville Hinds (keyboards); Adrian Belew (synthesizers); Richard Davis, David Hood, Tony Levin, Marcus Miller (bass); Grady Tate, Ralph McDonald, Jeff Porcaro, Youssou N'Dour (percussion); Cissy Houston, The Dixie Hummingbirds, Valerie Simpson, Phoebe Snow, Patti Austin. Producers: Paul Simon, Phil Ramone, Russ Titelman, Roy Halee, The Muscle Shoals Sound Rhythm Section. Compilation producer: Roy Halee. Digitally remastered by Greg Calbi (Sterling Sound, New York, New York). In his career, Paul Simon has had an impeccable ability to bring together melody and lyric with various global styles, creating some of the smartest pop around. Ever since he left behind the rigid musical borders of Simon & Garfunkel's folk-rock, Simon has built upon that fertile base. And as NEGOTIATIONS AND LOVE SONGS, a Warner Brothers-era greatest hits compilation, clearly shows, Simon expanded his cultural horizons and sent his musical appetite into overdrive to separate his compositions from those of his contemporaries. From reggae lilts and Southern gospel choirs to urban Tejano twangs and South African Township jives, Simon invested his music with the spirit of a worldwide community--curious, considering his seemingly complete lack of interest in the one world/one love vibe of the '60s. But unlike other musical strip-miners, Simon doesn't culture-hop blindly. The polyrhythm and swing of hits like "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard," "Late in the Evening" and "Love Me Like a Rock" harmoniously interweave with the delivery of the words, creating a fit that renders the songs timeless, instant entries in the pop canon. It's as though, when at his best, Simon isn't writing songs so much as weaving quilts.

Besides being one-half of pop's legendary duo Simon & Garfunkel would be enough for most people, but Paul Simon went on to reap just as much acclaim and success as a solo artist. In the 1970s, he was at the vanguard of the singer-songwriter movement, marrying brainy lyrics with sophisticated pop music. In the '80s, he was one of the first pop artists to successfully combine world music into his sound, resulting in the South African flavor of Simon's landmark GRACELAND album, and subsequent flirtations with Brazilian and Latin styles.

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