Unearthed: Paul Simon
By Adam D. Miller

Released: January 1972

1.      Mother and Child Reunion
2.      Duncan
3.      Everything Put Together Falls Apart
4.      Run That Body Down
5.      Armistice Day
6.      Me and Julio Down By The School Yard
7.      Peace Like A River
8.      Papa Hobo
9.      Hobo’s Blues
10.    Paranoia Blues
11.    Congratulations

In 2005, we can look back at a long and illustrious solo career for Paul Simon, one that has included nine albums and a score of hit singles, reaching its peak with 1986’s crossover hit Graceland.  And Graceland is exactly where most people start, despite the fact that it is a halfway point, coming fourteen years after a much simpler record that established Simon as a solo artist.

By the time Simon & Garfunkel had broken up in 1970, Paul Simon had already established himself as one of America’s great singer-songwriters. For the duo he had penned such hits as “Sound of Silence,” “Mrs. Robinson,” “Homeward Bound,” and “The Boxer.”

Though not as popular as Graceland, Paul Simon’s solo debut, 1972’s Paul Simon, saw the singer-songwriter emerge with a record that was thoroughly a singer-songwriter record in the vein of Carole King’s Tapestry or James Taylor’s Sweet Baby James.  Most of the album’s tracks were simple and lyric-focused, offering an extremely low key feel, in contrast to the Simon & Garfunkel material which was getting more and more over-the-top.  On most of the tracks, it’s just Paul Simon and his acoustic guitar, with limited backing from friends, singing about subject matter that was both worldly and accessible.  Tracks like  “Everything Put Together Falls Apart” and “Congratulations” are much different than the songs found on Bridge Over Troubled Water, not only because they were written as vehicles for Simon and Simon alone, but because they were more deeply personal.

Contrasting this was the album’s opener.  “Mother and Child Reunion” was recorded in Jamaica and features a light reggae backing, a year before The Rolling Stones or Eric Clapton musically mimicked Bob Marley.  It hinted at the world music explorations Simon would make famous in the 1980s with albums like Graceland and Rhythm of The Saints.  Needless to say, Paul Simon was already attempting to make a much different musical statement than he did with Art Garfunkel.  The track, which has since become a solo Simon favorite, also featured backing vocals from female soul singers in a technique that would become typical of other 70s Simon hits.

For an album (and indeed solo) highlight, “Mother and Child Reunion” is one of music’s great accidents.  In a 1972 interview with Rolling Stone, Simon explained the origin of “Mother And Child Reunion”:  “You never would have guessed. I was eating in a Chinese restaurant downtown. There was a dish called "Mother and Child Reunion." It's chicken and eggs. And I said, ‘Oh, I love that title. I gotta use that one.’

To most listeners, “Me and Julio Down by The Schoolyard” will be the most recognizable track on the album.  Recently included in Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums, the track hit the Top 40 in 1972.  Like “Mother And Child Reunion,” it is an upbeat track on an otherwise mellow affair.

Paul Simon was a big hit.  It may not have reached the popularity of Simon & Garfunkel, but that same popularity is likely what helped push it a million copies in sales.  The perfect introduction to a solo career that aimed to do everything but emulate Simon & Garfunkel’s already established legacy.