4 of Paul Simon’s Best Solo Works

Both as a solo artist and as one half of Simon & Garfunkel, Paul Simon has cemented himself as one of the greatest songwriters and folk musicians of his generation. Though, there are a few solo works by the folk star that are particularly well-orchestrated. Let’s look at just four examples!

1. “You Can Call Me Al”

This 1986 track from Graceland is a particularly charming piece of work. “You Can Call Me Al” is definitely pop music fodder, complete with infectious, earworm rhythms and killer solos. We’d say that this particular track helped get the world music album Graceland mainstream attention more than any other track on that particular album.

It’s a delightful soul-pop track that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The lyrics are a bit silly, the horns are iconic, and that bass solo sounds crazy. If Simon wanted to go full-blown pop with his career, he would have done so beautifully.

2. “Still Crazy After All These Years”

“Still Crazy After All These Years” is the title track from Simon’s 1975 album of the same name. Quite a few singles came out of that record, and this song didn’t get quite as much attention. It’s a shame, though “Still Crazy After All These Years” didn’t chart poorly by any means. Still, we’d say this one is pretty underrated and a great example of Simon’s poetic prowess for writing ballads.

3. “The Boy In The Bubble”

Out of all of Paul Simon’s solo works, this track has to be one of the most recognizable. “The Boy In The Bubble” boasts an accordion intro that is unmistakably Paul Simon.

“The Boy In The Bubble” itself is a contradiction that simply works. Simon croons about being poor and societal destruction in a strangely joyful and “bouncy” way. It wouldn’t have made sense on any other album but Graceland.

4. “Slip Slidin’ Away”

Paul Simon has always been an incredible songwriter, and part of what made him such a treasured talent was his ability to navigate complex emotions and love without getting too sappy. That’s a real skill to have in folk music, as well as adult contemporary music.

“Slip Slidin’ Away” from 1977 has a soft groove that makes it easy to listen to, but the emotionally profound lyrics of the song really tug at the listener’s heartstrings.

Photo by David Redfern/Redferns

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