In The Groove Ep.1: Paul Simon - Still Crazy After All These Years

In The Groove is a weekly seg where one of us here at Studio 1 will talk about an album they are spinning in the shop and are subsequently being inspired by. We’ve teamed up with the good folks over at On Vinyl and together we will dig into a monthly theme and highlight some stand out songs on a bunch of our fantastic guitars. For the best listening experience, curated vinyl range,all in pristine condition, be sure to head to www.onvinyl.co.nz

The first one that we’ve picked out is Paul Simon’s Still Crazy After All These Years, and I can tell you it is just that. The cover image is of the artist casually posing aloft the New York City streets upon a fire escape. The coy look he gives is only magnified by the thickness of his authentic mid-70s cookie duster and general carefree vagabond appearance. So, it came as no surprise to learn that Simon was dating the photographer - Edie Baskin, at the time.
The album earned Simon two Grammy Awards - and you can see why as it is stacked with masterful songwriting and warm, effortlessly meticulous production. The musicians in the 70s were monsters and none more so than Steve Gadd, the drummer who plays and I assume wrote the poetic drum part on the #1 hit 50 ways to leave your lover. The drum set is tuned to perfection and played with impeccable feel, like its listing off the 50 ways you could leave a lover. The verses are fantastic, and work through a set of colourful chords over 8 bars before the all too familiar soul thump of a chorus gets even every foot a tappin’. 

Other highlights include the bridge of the title track. Before it kicks in the violins create a palpable tension for three bars which makes the harmonic change all the more bold as it gets the jump on the listener a bar early. This section allows Simon to really work his yearning tenor, and come to a pretty grim late night realisation that it’s “all gonna fade”. The bridge then reaches lofty heights in the Bacharachian mode and of course froths its way to a saxophone solo before weaving back to the verse and out. This is exactly what I hope New York City felt like in the summer of 1975. 

Still Crazy After All These Years is a stone cold classic and the perfect snapshot of a heritage artist in the throes of brilliance.