Paul Simon's seventh studio album Graceland was released in 1986. After several albums which were released to mixed reviews and disappointing sales, Simon became interested in the music of South Africa. He traveled to the country in 1985 with engineer Roy Halee and recorded several songs with local musicians. Simon returned to the US where he recorded overdubs for the album as well as entirely new songs with Mexican-American band Los Lobos and Layafette zydeco band Good Rockin' Dopsie and the Twisters. The different musical influences and bands resulted in the album being a mix of world musics, although the majority of songs were African-inspired. Graceland was released to widespread critical acclaim and critical success. It became Simon's best selling solo album and was ranked as the 46th greatest album of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine.
After several underwhelming albums following his magnificent self-titled, I'm grateful and relieved that Simon has lost none of that old magic. The lyrics are gleeful, the melodies are effortless, the singing is animated, and all three are his best in fourteen years. Some may wish there were political lyrics on an album recorded in the heart of an apartheid South Africa but--not only would that have been difficult to pair with the bright guitar, jumping bass, and dancing rhythms--my main gripe (though no less trivial) is that not all the songs were exclusively products of the South African musicians. Sure, all of the songs are superb and zydeco band is killer, but the title track, "Under African Skies," and "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes," are good enough to get any white kid interested in the music from the vast African continent and I'm no exception. A
