No. 311: Paul Simon - "Paul Simon" (1972)

The 1970's was the age of the "singer-songwriter", and Paul Simon - arguably one of the finest singer-songwriters of his generation - dropped his solo debut on us in 1972, two years after saying goodbye to his musical sparring partner Art Garfunkel.
Simon & Garfunkel's melodious folk ballads came to define the sound of the 1960's, but Simon was itching to experiment with other musical styles, as evident on this underrated pearler of a solo debut.
The reggae tinged "Mother & Child Reunion" and the Latin-influenced "Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard" show him embracing the sounds of world music well before the mega-success of Graceland in the 80's - and there's even some cool, jazzy figures that wind themselves through "Everything Put Together Falls Apart" - a far cry from the early folk-ballad days indeed.
The most revealing thing about this album, however, is Simon's skills as a guitar player. There are some amazing acoustic guitar licks, and some unexpected phrasings in places, which are testimony to the immense talents of this man. Check out the bluesy "Peace Like A River" for a healthy dose of what I'm talking about. And as for the tunes: McCartney is possibly the only real peer of Paul Simon when it comes to the gift of melody & songwriting, which is about the highest compliment you could ever pay anyone.
Find the 2004 remastered CD version of this album with the three extra tracks and put some time aside to get into it. It won't take you very long.

No. 312: Grinderman - "Grinderman 2" (2010)

You either love Nick Cave or you don't  - and if you don't then this may be the one that changes your mind...
This is the second album from Grinderman - the side project of selected members from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - and they've delivered a great, dark, moody, rock album that is more aggressive and adventurous than their 2007 debut.
Longtime Cave collaborators & Bad Seeds' Warren Ellis, Martyn P. Casey and Jim Sclavunos pull together with the great man himself to create a sinister-sounding set that bristles with tension and an otherworldly, haunted spookiness.
These guys are getting on in age a bit, but there's something Johnny Cash-like in Cave's powerful tenor which seems to mark it as ageless, and his performance on this record is the perfect blend of confidence and outright menace. Which is always a winning combination. The album bursts out of the blocks with three great tunes - but the best is the brilliant "Heathen Child", a shuffling voodoo blues that also has a great video clip (with just the right amount of humour added too).
A great release that's well-worth a listen.