| Paul Simon Finds Soul in Muscle Shoals: There Goes Rhymin' Simon Features Vibrant Vocal Performances, Gospel Accents, Pop Melodies, and Narrative Lyrics Mastered from the Original Analog Master Tapes for Audiophile Sound: Mobile Fidelity's Hybrid SACD Plays with Exceptional Detail and Reveals "Those Nice Bright Colors" R&B-Drenched 1973 Album Includes "Kodachrome" and "American Tune": Quincy Jones Contributes String Charts, Allen Toussaint Provides Horn Arrangements, Dixie Hummingbirds Supply Background Vocals Demonstrating a deep-seated flair for soul and R&B, Paul Simon recruited gospel backup singers and traveled to the Muscle Shoals Sound Studios to refine the vibrant sounds he desired for There Goes Rhymin' Simon. His instincts proved correct. Many rightly consider the iconic singer-songwriter's third album a masterpiece - one that, per critic Robert Christgau, "suggests a new grace and flexibility for the mass-pop mode, and invests small subjects and emotions with an almost luminous wit and awareness." Musically, the record runs the gamut with Jamaican-leaning rhythms and orchestral flourishes at home alongside blues currents and New Orleans-soaked brass accents. Simon's instinct for conveying strong narratives with heartfelt emotion completes a trifecta of instrumentation, arrangement, and delivery. Mastered from the original analog master tapes, Mobile Fidelity's hybrid SACD elevates the 1973 effort to audiophile status. Newly revealed transparency, presence, balance, immediacy, and darkblack backgrounds showcase the scope and craft of Simon's alluring melodies - as well as vocal performances that, arguably, remain the album's standout element. Simon's singing hits peaks that equal or best those on any of his other works. Assured, natural, and supple, his baritone resonates with immersive realism and extension. As the man said, "everything looks worse in black and white." Rest assured: Mobile Fidelity's SACD plays with the greens of summers and those nice bright colors! Numbered Hybrid Stereo SACD |
