Graceland, the phenomenally successful and well loved experimental studio album by Paul Simon is being re-released in a special 25th anniversary edition on Sony. While Peter Gabriel had been exploring world music the previous few years, Simon really brought it into mainstream America in 1986 through his extensive use and incorporation of South African mbaqanga music, and introduced the influential choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo and their a cappella vocal styles of isicathamiya and mbube. Not only was Simon’s use of pop infused with mbaqanga (and a couple tracks with zydeco and conjunto) surprising at the time, Graceland was controversial due to Simon’s violation of the United Nations cultural boycott of South Africa during apartheid. However, the poetic lyrics speak of a variety of American experiences, from the title track which refers to Elvis Presley’s home in Memphis as a holy land to the tale of a poor boy in NYC who falls in love with a rich girl in “Diamonds on the soles of her shoes.” Any version of Graceland is a must have for any music collection, and this well-produced anniversary edition includes the original album plus bonus tracks and an interview with Simon about the title song. – Written by JFelton
SIMILAR | The Band, Jackson Browne, Randy Newman, Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor