Paul Simon - Paul Simon (Remastered) (1972/2026)

Paul Simon is the second solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was released in January 1972, nearly two years after he split up with longtime musical partner Art Garfunkel. His first solo album, recorded in England in 1965, remained unreleased in the U.S. (except for a brief period in 1969) until 1981, when it appeared in the 5-LP Collected Works boxed set. Originally released on Columbia Records, Paul Simon was later issued under the Warner Bros. label and has since returned to Columbia through Sony. The album topped the charts in the United Kingdom, Japan, and Norway and reached No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Pop Albums. It was certified platinum in 1986.

"If any musical justification were needed for the breakup of Simon & Garfunkel, it could be found on this striking collection, Paul Simon's post-split debut. From the opening cut, "Mother and Child Reunion" (a Top Ten hit), Simon, who had snuck several subtle musical explorations into the generally conservative S&G sound, broke free, heralding the rise of reggae with an exuberant track recorded in Jamaica for a song about death. From there, it was off to Paris for a track in South American style and a rambling story of a fisherman's son, "Duncan" (which made the singles chart). But most of the album had a low-key feel, with Simon on acoustic guitar backed by only a few trusted associates (among them Joe Osborn, Larry Knechtel, David Spinozza, Mike Manieri, Ron Carter, and Hal Blaine, along with such guests as Stefan Grossman, Airto Moreira, and Stephane Grappelli), singing a group of informal, intimate, funny, and closely observed songs (among them the lively Top 40 hit "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard"). It was miles removed from the big, stately ballad style of Bridge Over Troubled Water and signaled that Simon was a versatile songwriter as well as an expressive singer with a much broader range of musical interests than he had previously demonstrated. You didn't miss Art Garfunkel on Paul Simon, not only because Simon didn't write Garfunkel-like showcases for himself, but because the songs he did write showed off his own, more varied musical strengths." (William Ruhlmann, AMG)

Digitally remastered.

Tracklist
01. Mother and Child Reunion (Remastered)
02. Duncan (Remastered)
03. Everything Put Together Falls Apart (Remastered)
04. Run That Body Down (Remastered)
05. Armistice Day (Remastered)
06. Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (Remastered)
07. Peace Like a River (Remastered)
08. Papa Hobo (Remastered)
09. Hobo's Blues (Remastered)
10. Paranoia Blues (Remastered)
11. Congratulations (Remastered)
12. Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (Demo - San Francisco 2-71) (Remastered)
13. Duncan (Demo - San Francisco 2-71) (Remastered)
14. Paranoia Blues (Unreleased Version) (Remastered)