Let's be honest...Paul Simon sucked as a mechanical design engineer.
I do really love Paul Simon's songs. But I do feel there is a certain authenticity question hanging over them...goes back to that poetry thing really - Wordsworth said that poetry is
emotion recollected in tranquility...
. No one could put it better. And so the question is - what is happening in that period of "tranquility" - is it authentic or less than authentic? For me Simon is somewhat less authentic than Dylan, Lennon, Cohen, Mitchell, and sundry others.
But I do believe someone can take something that is less authentic and make it more authentic...there are countless examples of that in popular music...
I think "As Time Goes By" is a good example of a song that gained in authenticity over its original up tempo rendition.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Glennwillow
Well, I think you are being very generous to me in your opinion of whose version is better. But thank you very much!
Maybe I have the benefit of being quite a bit older now than Paul Simon was when he made that recording (he was probably in his early 20s), and I have lived a lot more of life by this time. Who knows...
When I look back at Paul Simon's accomplishments over a lifetime of music, I see a great deal of success and a tremendous record of creativity. My musical background is really nothing in comparison. Paul Simon probably wasn't as good of a mechanical design engineer as I was.
- Glenn
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