I don’t know why Paul Simon decided to put two versions of the same song on this album. There are A and B versions of Think Too Much. The better one should be the only one. For me that’s B; a placid Karimba tune that, for some reason, comes before A. Also troubling is how the album ends. The Late Great Johnny Ace is a nice tribute as far as peer homage goes but not a proper way to close a Paul Simon album.

If there’s a saving grace, it’s the inclusion of the title song; Hearts And Bones; and Train In The Distance. They’re less songs than narrative poems set to music, but they’re two of Simon’s best. René And Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War; you’ll appreciate the long title after hearing the song; is also enchanting, but the background singing; the best part; is abandoned before the halfway point.

my rating : 3 of 5

1983