Track 47: "The Coast" by Paul Simon

This is a lonely life/sorrow's everywhere you turn/that is worth something when you think about it/that is worth some money

After a few minutes of extensive thought and deliberation today, I decided that since I've been doing repeat artists for past few entries, I would sort of spin that for future entries and dedicated a handful of tracks to genres/a single band/etc to just sort of stretch the depth of the Ultimate Playlist.

I am sure you are excited.

But in closing out the repeat artists portion of this program (for now)...

I touched on my huge love of Paul Simon back on Track 14 with "Gumboots" from the impeccable "Graceland" album. And though Simon and Garfunkel's "Greatest Hits" was one of the first CDs I ever owned (I also got Zeppelin 1 for Christmas that year), and the duo's songs will always have a special place in my heart, the double-live album "Paul Simon's Concert in the Park" takes the prize for my favorite of Paul Simon's music (and that's saying a lot).

The "Concert in the Park" album is just amazing. Recorded on August 15, 1991, it's Paul Simon with a 14-piece band, back-up singers and two CDs worth of the African-influenced hits from "Graceland"and "Rhythm of the Saints" and several Simon and Garfunkel gems.

This album is always one of my go-to records when spring starts to come around, preferably windows-down and driving anywhere. I've been wanting to write about this tune for a while, and oddly enough it was storming here today (complete with marble-sized hail for a few minutes) and when I started listening to "The Coast" the storm stopped and the sun came out for the first time today (albeit briefly). Surely, it wasn't coincidental.

This is a must-own album in my opinion, especially if you spend anytime on a deck on sunny days with cold beer and other human beings you know well in the vicinity. It will be hard to truly express how much I love this song. The compelling groove, the crystalline melody of the lead guitar and visualizing the Simon's lyrics--it just gets me every time. HORNS. The way the song fades back in after the African chant section is a nice a touch as well...And, my sweet lord, THE HORNS.

If the horns don't get you right in your chest, and you're not singing along to the "oooh-wah" parts by the end of this song, you may seriously want to think deeply about your role in this universe.



--Music is Good