As a seasoned musician of over 40 years, there are not many "lost gems" out there. This is no doubt one of them. While always considered a pop classic, upon listening with fresh ears, I was shocked at how sophisticated and influential this album has become. Many decidedly modern artists clearly owe a debt of gratitude to this album. Beautifully recorded and produced, much of the production style portends to the now fairly common elements of production as exemplified by the Mitchell Froom/Tchad Blake style of recording. Some of the instrumental tracks in the songs are extremely atmospheric, while others are very intimate and up close. Instead of full band arrangements, the rhythmic elements are often sketched out with few parts, another stylistic strategy that is commonly employed now, but in retrospect was so ahead of its time.
The guitar playing is stunning, the arrangements are unique and have clearly influenced everyone from Richard Thompson (Run That Body Down) to Los Lobos (Peace Like a River). The rhythm section work is perfect, and the writing and variety make this a true "album" as opposed to a collection of tunes. Oh yeah, and Mr Simon's vocals are right up front and dry as a bone, with a "in your living room" feel. This album actually sounds like real musicians playing together in real time; these are performances, not assembled tracks. Without a doubt, listening to this will take you back, but it will also take you forward, with a unhurried pace and sound that many are just catching up to.
If you only know Mr. Simon for his world-influenced hits, this album is quite a departure and will open your eyes to his roots. However if your tastes run to the jazzy and modern styles of folk/pop, you will hear where many of today's artists got some of their sound, from Norah Jones to the aforementioned Thompson and Los Lobos. A timeless classic for sure, but also something for the critical listener and the sophisticated music fan who wants to be challenged in her/his listening. You will not be disappointed.

Paul Simon has never displayed much feel for rock'n'roll. Which isn't to say that he has to play fast, or heavy; but there is a whole world of textures he's missing -- and worse, his albums sometimes sound slick. But this, his first solo album, avoids slickness by committing to a raw acoustic sound that's always alert and never descends into "mellow." The usual crack outfit of sidemen accompanies him here, but I like the way Simon handles a lot of the guitars himself (showing himself to be an engagingly funky finger-picker). Overall, a remarkably loose album for this perfectionist, though I guess I'd feel pretty liberated myself if I'd just managed to get rid of Art Garfunkle.

Such a wealth of great songs here, some of which are well known -- e.g., "Me and Julio," "Mother and Child Reunion" (written about the death of a family pet, but really an elegy to the '60s), the yearning "Peace Like A River," and the perverse, poker-faced "Duncan." But like all truly great albums, even the slightest numbers here gradually reveal themselves to be major works: on first listen, for example, "Papa Hobo" struck me as a throwaway, but now I am knocked out by its sly beauty, by that crazy bass harmonica...and by the sudden shift to falsetto that, far from being cute shtick, simply communicates Simon's joy in this gorgeous music. The whole album's like that: as if he didn't even know he was being watched.

Relaxed, inventive and wry, Paul Simon's first solo outing (discounting the compilation The Paul Simon Songbook, 1965) recalls many of the stylistic modes employed on Simon & Garfunkel's Bookends (1968) yet deliberately showcases Simon's intellect within more circumspect parameters.

In many respects, the album is rife with contradictions; continually at odds with it's entry status into Simon's discography - is it a progression from his S&G material or is it a clean break??

Ultimately, it's both. Whilst there is not an epic like `Bridge Over Troubled Water' in sight and his singing is far more expansive than he ever allowed himself to be whilst working with Art Garfunkel, there are numerous traits that support the notion of continuation.

The narrative `Duncan' - which reprises both the autobiographical style of `The Boxer' and the accompaniment of Andean folk instrumental group Los Incas (as on `El Condor Pasa') - is a rare moment of outright earnestness on an intimate (both his [then] wife Peggy and son Harper figure prominently in the lyrics of `Run That Body Down') yet simultaneously cautious album - Simon has always been too intelligent a songwriter to be foolish enough to betray himself in his work.

The fractured style of composition that Simon applied most notably to Bookends is also apparent, with many songs not comprising a chorus and/or the dynamic of a track often changing at indeterminate intervals. Also, Simon's scandalously underrated acoustic guitar playing provides as much of a counterpoint to his singing as Garfunkel once did, particularly on the darkly seductive `Peace Like a River' and the engagingly convoluted 'Armistice Day'.

No Simon masterpiece would be complete without a sprinkling of hits, and in the ebullient despondency of `Mother & Child Reunion' and the vigorous, vaguely homoerotic `Me & Julio Down by the Schoolyard' it has two timeless classics on an album that upon Simon's turning 30 makes for an interesting juxtaposition with his `mid-life crisis' album of a decade later, Hearts & Bones (1983).

Paul Simon was one of the greatest songwriters of the 60's and 70's. This, His first solo album, showcases that fact. The two radio hits are catchy singalongs, but it's the rest of the album that really shines. Duncan, Peace Like A River, Run That Body Down and Hobo's Blues (with the fabulous Stephane Grappelli) are all excellently crafted and performed songs. If you loved this album back then you will still enjoy it, and if you're trying this for the first time you will not be dissapointed.

I've always liked Paul Simon, but I just gained new respect for the compositions on this album... I'm a harmonica player, and was casually trying to play along with the songs-- but man, are these tunes complex! They sound like simple folk ditties, but there are all kinds of key modulations that sneak up on you (it's very hard to modulate with diatonic harmonicas--you need a different harp for each key). This fancy stuff is so understated that you don't even notice it though; the melodies all have an intimate, honest feeling. Amazing stuff.