A deep dive into troubled water
Hard on the heels of his acclaimed book on country superstar Johnny Cash, American music journalist Robert Hilburn has written a spellbinding biography of one of the greatest singer-songwriters of our era, Paul Simon.
Since the early 1960s, when he partnered with Art Garfunkel, until the present day, Simon has penned many of the ballads that have defined our times. Just reflect on part of the extraordinary Simon musical canon, starting with the “Sounds of Silence” to “Homeward Bound” to “Bridge Over Troubled Water” to “Mrs. Robinson” to “Graceland” to “Still Crazy After All These Years.”
As Hilburn notes, “Only Stevie Wonder, among major sellers, demonstrated as much consistent musical sophistication and ambition as Simon. Both men were complete artists and consummate record players.” Simon’s genius has not gone unrecognized. He’s been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (twice) and he’s the only artist to receive Grammy Awards for Album of the Year in three separate decades.
But anyone who thinks Simon’s career has been a seamless ascent to the pinnacle of American music would be well advised to read Hilburn’s book.
What makes Simon’s career so engrossing is the way he overcame endless setbacks, beginning with his insanely tempestuous on-again, off-again relationship with the guy with whom he initially rode to early fame and fortune, Art Garfunkel. As detailed here, theirs was one of the great love-hate relationships in modern music history.
Simon terminated their partnership at the height of their popularity in 1970. It was a bet that paid off for Paul but not so much for Garfunkel, whose career stalled. One blistering put-down neatly captures the undercurrent of hostility between them. “No matter what happens, I’ll always be taller than you,” Garfunkel once chided his height-conscious partner. Such revealing anecdotes add brio to Hilburn’s fascinating chronicle of Simon’s life with its star-studded cast of friends, lovers and colleagues.
But the real genius of this book is how Hilburn looks “under the hood” to reveal how a great artist like Simon perfects his craft. As legendary music producer Quincy Jones observes, “There are a lot of factors that comprise great artistry, including passion, musical curiosity, and fearlessness. And the first rule of being an artist is you’ve got to protect all three. If Paul hadn’t left Garfunkel, a part of that artistry could have died. He did what he had to do.”
With his first solo album in October 1971, Simon “unveiled a cosmopolitan mix of pop, jazz and new world music uniquely his own.” That drive to grow musically would characterize his career over the coming decades.
Ultimately Simon’s career is an ode to never giving up or giving in. As Simon says, “Everybody makes mistakes, just as every career has its ups and downs.”
Now in his mid-70s, is this legendary music machine ready to stop? Only Simon knows for sure. But his pal, painter Chuck Close, counsels wisely. “Artists don’t retire.” Let’s hope Chuck’s right.