Paul Simon - Negotiations And Love Songs 1971-1986 (Japanese Edition) (1988)

This two-record set on one CD collects 16 Paul Simon hits from his solo career after Simon & Garfunkel without much rhyme or reason. The selections are not in chronological order and several of the cuts are oddly chosen. Those minor points aside, there are some landmark works presented on these discs. "Hearts and Bones" is a brilliant depiction of a crumbling love affair, while "Slip Slidin' Away" uncovers the hurt of divorce and middle age with a groove that's pure mid-'70s decadent. Simon's infatuation with rhythm is all over the place, from the reggae of "Mother and Child Reunion" to the South African bounce of "You Can Call Me Al." –Rob O'Connor

AllMusic Review by William Ruhlmann
Paul Simon replaced his earlier compilation, Greatest Hits, Etc. (1977), with this one, allowing Hits to go out of print. Fans may well wish that he had simply put together a Greatest Hits, Etc., Vol. 2 instead, however, since this is a case of a 16-track album covering 15 years replacing a 14-track album covering five years while containing nine of the same songs. All the major hits have been retained (though "Mother and Child Reunion" and "Loves Me Like a Rock" each have been shortened by 15 seconds), along with some of Simon's odd album track choices, such as "Have a Good Time." From the post-1977 period, you have the 1980 Top Ten hit "Late in the Evening," three selections from the underrated Hearts and Bones, and two from Graceland. (The original double-LP version of Negotiations and Love Songs contained a third, the Grammy Record of the Year-winning title song, but the in-print CD and cassette versions do not.) The result is more sampler than compilation. An artist of Simon's caliber is difficult to condense, and most of the tracks here are worthy, but as a single-album career retrospective, this could have been better.

Tracklist
01. Mother And Child Reunion (Album Version) 3:04
02. Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard (Album Version) 2:44
03. Something So Right (LP Version) 4:32
04. St. Judy's Comet (LP Version) 3:19
05. Loves Me Like A Rock (Album Version) 3:32
06. Kodachrome (Album Version) 3:34
07. Have A Good Time (LP Version) 3:26
08. 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover (Album Version) 3:32
09. Still Crazy After All These Years (Album Version) 3:25
10. Late In The Evening (Album Version) 4:02
11. Slip Slidin' Away (Album Version) 4:45
12. Hearts And Bones (Album Version) 5:39
13. Train In The Distance (Album Version) 4:22
14. Rene And Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War (Album Version) 3:43
15. Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes (Album Version) 5:45
16. You Can Call Me Al (Album Version) 4:36