If any musical justification were needed for the breakup of
Simon & Garfunkel, it could be found on this striking collection,
Paul Simon's post-split debut. From the opening cut, "Mother and Child Reunion" (a Top Ten hit),
Simon, who had snuck several subtle musical explorations into the generally conservative
S&G sound, broke free, heralding the rise of reggae with an exuberant track recorded in Jamaica for a song about death. From there, it was off to Paris for a track in South American style and a rambling story of a fisherman's son, "Duncan" (which made the singles chart). But most of the album had a low-key feel, with
Simon on acoustic guitar backed by only a few trusted associates (among them
Joe Osborn,
Larry Knechtel,
David Spinozza,
Mike Manieri,
Ron Carter, and
Hal Blaine, along with such guests as
Stefan Grossman,
Airto Moreira, and
Stephane Grappelli), singing a group of informal, intimate, funny, and closely observed songs (among them the lively Top 40 hit "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard"). It was miles removed from the big, stately ballad style of
Bridge Over Troubled Water and signaled that
Simon was a versatile songwriter as well as an expressive singer with a much broader range of musical interests than he had previously demonstrated. You didn't miss
Art Garfunkel on
Paul Simon, not only because
Simon didn't write
Garfunkel-like showcases for himself, but because the songs he did write showed off his own, more varied musical strengths. ~ William Ruhlmann