This is a review not just of this compilation CD, but three of the CDs, which it draws materials from. If you've been a fan of Paul Simon's music, but haven't kept up with the last 10 or 15 years of his output, then you're missing a lot. Paul Simon is one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century, and his output has never gone down in quality.
Surprise is the most recent new album he has released. This CD came out in 2005, and it is indeed a pleasant surprise. Gone are the hordes of stellar studio musicians. Instead it is a very simple, straight from the heart, kind of CD with much of the guitar playing by Paul Simon himself. It is easy to forget just what a fine guitarist Paul Simon really is, while one is attracted to his beautiful voice, and his wonderful lyrics. Surprise is full of beautiful melodies, profoundly lyrical and topical statements, and wonderfully tasteful guitar lines, which are beautifully textured like orchestral instruments. Also notable for CD is his collaboration with Brian Eno, an unlikely combination, for those of you who are familiar with Brian Eno. Yet Brian Eno's tasteful and interesting sound effects combine remarkably well with Paul Simon's songwriting. Brian Eno also cowrote two of the songs on the CD. I have several favorites on this CD, not all of which have all been released on this compilation CD. Notable is Another Galaxy, which utilizes audio loop techniques with great effect. Wartime Prayers is beautiful, topical and very moving. There are several songs that touch on topics of family and home life in such a way that it makes one wonder if Paul Simon has found a great deal of serenity in his own family life. According to Internet information, he became married to Edie Brickell in 1992 and has three children. Going backwards in time, the next CD represented on this compilation is Rhythm of the Saints, which follows the trail of exploring African influences begun on the CD Graceland. In spite of some who seem to think it was merely a rehash, it is actually a CD full of wonderfully inventive melodies, beautiful words, wonderful singing, and layered thoroughly with many wonderful African musicians. And then Graceland is just remarkable a CD for a number of reasons, full of marvelous music, and wonderful musicians from all over the world. It effectively began an entire wave of interest in world music.
I can heartily recommend, not just this compilation CD but all the CDs it draws from.

If you like Paul Simon, you'll LOVE this CD. This collection of songs reminds us all of Paul Simon's musical genius. I just keep listening to the CD over and over again. Hope he decides to tour again soon.

Look, I consider Paul Simon as nothing short of genius and I own everything that is available from his collection so forgive me if I'm a bit cynical about yet another "greatest hits" album. Paul has churned them out like crazy but what annoys me about this collection is there is NOTHING new. You can buy all of this material on subsequent albums. He doesn't have a live track or an alternative version. This is Paul cranking it out because he's Paul Simon. About the only audience for this is for those who want an introduction to Paul without the investment. It's a great starter album and there is a huge amount of material that he includes including not so famous number one hits. However, that's the only reason to consider this rerun.

I am a huge Paul Simon fan and I own all his CDs and DVDs. So there was really no reason to get this set for the songs (already have them). I got it for the DVD, since this is the first time those videos have been officially released (AFAIK). One of the videos shows Paul Simon talk about how he wrote Mrs. Robinson - it clearly shows the genius he is.

This set is a great addition to any Simon fan's collection, it also makes a great gift for people who maybe know Simon&Garfunkel but are less familiar with Simon's solo work. Highly recommended.

I purchased this two-CD album as a gift for a friend who is very much into music, particularly the music of Paul Simon's era. I have not listened to it personally, but the recipient called me to say he was enjoying it immensely.

I have a lot of Paul Simon CD's so you could say I didn't really need this two CD set. However, I make a 3 hour car trip a couple of times a year and when I saw this I immediately thought how great it would be to have these two CD's in the changer in the trunk for my next road trip. Its sort of a "greatest hits" but with some songs I've never heard before as well. It covers a long span of years and my only complaint is that it does not include the incredible song "Homeless".

When it comes to music right now, there just really isn't anything that is actually exciting. While there are so many acts that just seem to get by on gloss like Beyonce', Britney Spears, and Usher, there just really isn'y anything anymore about songs and artists that just comes from the simplistic words themselves. There have been acts that have made great records, they just missed the cut when it comes to sales last year from Elton John, Rod Stewart, and Paul Simon. Although Paul has been recognized with great acheivements in music on his own, as a member of Simon & Garfunkel, he has truly made the music of our times, and this collection shows it.

The 2007 Essential Paul Simon is a double album reflection of what made Paul Simon's solo career so dynamic and universal. This was made in honor of his recent inagural Gershwin Award for Song, as well as his 35th anniverasry as a acclaimed solo artist. This collection follows in suit very nicely, and expands the effort delightfully that was made so well on his last solo hits package, 2002's On My Way. The songs here flow very nicely, and have all been remastered very well. All of his classics are highlighted here including the guilty pleasures 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover, You Can Call Me Al, The Boy In The Bubble, as well as down to Earth gems like Mother and Child Reunion, and his Oscar-nominated Father and Daughter from the Nickelodeon animated film The Wild Thornberries Movie, and his recently overlooked track Outrageous from his overshadowed 2006 album Surprise. This version also add in on the fun, by including some great music videos of his work and craftsmanship in songwriting like Diamonds On The Souls Of Her Shoes, and a rendidtion of the Simon & Garfunkel gem, Mrs. Robinson from the classic 70's The Dick Cavett Show.

All in all, The Essential Paul Simon really captures a delightful reflection on a career that has acclaimed for so many years, and also does a wonderful job at reintroducing one of the most legendary artists of the past five decades. If you haven't heard any of Paul Simon's music, than you really don't know what you've missed from a great icon like Paul. I absolutely recommend this hits collection a whole lot. You can still call him Al, but just call him a legend.

Album Cover: B+

Songs: A-

Price: A-

Remastering: A-

DVD: B 1/2+

Overall: B+

This is Paul simon cut right to the bone with no filler whatsoever! I enjoy everything on this collection and The Capeman stuff is good to finally have on cd! I compare this to the Traveling Wilbury's Collection that was recently released also w/ a DVD!! It's all very familiar but worth revisiting over and over again!