Nearly two years to the day that the last Simon & Garfunkel album was released, the mega selling Bridge Over Troubled Water, Paul Simon returned with his second solo album. The self titled album is based on acoustic singer-songwriter tracks but here Simon adds reggae touches and a couple blues based songs. The first two singles have pop elements with a nice flow.
“Mother and Child Reunion” starts off the album on a track that reached the US #4 on the singles charts. Here Simon adds an island flair with some reggae flourishes on a track based on his pet dog dying. Similarly, the enduring second single “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard” is a pop track about a woman who calls the police as “what the mama saw, it was against the law” but the crime is never revealed.
“Everything Put Together Falls Apart” seems to reference drugs and the toll they can take. Later, the deep guitar sound of “Peace Like a River” sounds like CCR while he sings about what it would be like to live under martial law. “Duncan” is six verses of a story of a boy born to a fisherman before moving away, flutes between the verses add a nice touch.
A couple of songs refer to Simon’s then rocky marriage to his first wife, Peggy Harper. “Run That Body Down” sees Simon sing about going to see his therapist while on “Congratulations” he sings that “love will bring you down”. Paul Simon’s first album since the dissolution of his highly successful duo is an eclectic record but rooted in acoustic sounds. He leaves behind some of the bombast and skyscraper singing of the Garfunkel years, instead goes for breadth with various flourishes added to his sound. A very good early 70s album.
9/10
The Light Appears 