DAILY NEBRASKAN

July 9, 2006

Simon still crazy, and creative, after all these years

Paul Simon: Surprise (4 out of 5)

Paul Simon has the ability to make silly and ridiculous words into bold and insightful statements. Since the disbanding of Simon and Garfunkel, Simon has released numerous sensational albums such as 1973's "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" and 1975's "Still Crazy After All These Years."

Last month Simon released his latest effort, "Surprise," a 21st century folk album equipped with a sonic landscape from the irreplaceable Brian Eno.

The 61-year-old music legend hasn't released an album so insightful since 1990's "Rhythm of the Saints."

On "Surprise," bouncy rhythmic patterns attached with Simon's famous scatterbrained iambic pentameter resemble his 1986 landmark album, "Graceland." Throughout most of the CD, I dare you to repress those urges to dance like Chevy Chase in Simon's '86 video for "You Can Call Me Al."

Did I just date myself?

Simon isn't pulling a Johnny Cash or a Neil Diamond with age. Instead, he's created an album of original thinking in regards to aging (see "Outrageous" and "Once Upon a Time There Was an Ocean"), wartime ("Wartime Prayers") and babies ("Beautiful").

One of the album's highlights is the opening track, "How Can You Live in the Northeast," a tune pointing out the many flaws of the world and treading the tiresome topic that we're all the same. But with Simon's jovial lesson plan he delivers quirky lines like "If the answer is infinite light / why do we sleep in the dark?"

The bouncy "Outrageous," which must be the album's single due to its performance on both "Saturday Night Live" and "The Late Show," is a fun little number about God's love and whatnot. Basically it is what it is: a fun pop song.

But the album's high point falls on the eighth track, "Another Galaxy," during which Eno's subtle soundscape mixes with Simon's story of a runaway bride, fueled by guitar tones similar to the late John Fahey's "Red Cross."

"Galaxy" segues into another one of the album's highlights, "Once Upon A Time There was an Ocean," in which Simon talks about geological changes in landscape and then directs it toward his own life with the album's most sincere and profound lyrics: "I figure that once upon a time I was an ocean / Now I'm a mountain range / something unstoppable put into motion / where nothing is different but everything's changed."

The only low points in the album are the two tracks falling behind the magic of "Galaxy" and "Ocean": "That's Me" and the song he made for a Nickelodeon movie (I bet his grandkids were stoked) "Father and Daughter."

I can't say this is Simon's best album, but the lyrics are just the right mix of subtle humor and keen insight that it makes it one of the best releases of the summer. And teaming up with Eno didn't hurt either.

Gist: Simon's usual blend of humor and insight offer the summer's best release so far.

--CLAYTON MASTERS