In the Blue Light

Last updated
In the Blue Light
In The Blue Light Cover.jpg
Cover art by Out of Office
Studio album by
Paul Simon
ReleasedSeptember 7, 2018
Genre Pop
Length43:52
Label Legacy
Producer
Paul Simon chronology
Stranger to Stranger
(2016)		In the Blue Light
(2018)		 Seven Psalms
(2023)

In the Blue Light is the fourteenth solo studio album by American folk rock singer-songwriter Paul Simon. Produced by Paul Simon and Roy Halee, it was released on September 7, 2018, through Legacy Recordings. [1] The album consists of re-recordings of lesser-known songs from Simon's catalog, often altering their original arrangements, harmonic structures, and lyrics. The songs were recorded with guests including the instrumental ensemble yMusic, guitarist Bill Frisell, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and Bryce Dessner. The album's title is a reference to the lyrics in the song "How the Heart Approaches What It Yearns" from the 1980 album One-Trick Pony .

Contents

Unreleased recordings

In an interview for CBC Radio, Simon confirmed that more songs were recorded during sessions for the album but ultimately left off the finished record. [2] Outtakes include a number of unspecified songs from You're the One and a re-recording of "The Sound of Silence" with music based on the arrangement of Simon's live version from recent years. It is unknown whether or not these recordings will be released.

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 70/100 [3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
The A.V. Club B− [5]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Vice A− [9]

In the Blue Light was released to favorable reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 70, based on eleven reviews. [3]

Dave Simpson at The Guardian gave the album four stars and said that "generally, sparser arrangements allow more space for Simon’s dazzling imagery and oblique but relevant ruminations on [several] subjects." [6] Jesse Hassenger of The A.V. Club gave the album a B− and wrote, "It would be easy to get bogged down in treating Blue Light as a compare/contrast exercise, but what’s most impressive about is the way that it sounds more or less of a piece as its own record." [10] David Browne from Rolling Stone wrote that, "At its best, In the Blue Light amounts to a dream set list for devoted PaulHeads who wish he’d do entire shows of rarities." [8] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic opined that "Everything on In the Blue Light is deliberate, gentle, and subtle, placing as much emphasis on the words and melody as the instrumentation, which isn't necessarily the case with the dense original albums." [4]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Paul Simon

No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's Floor" There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973)4:00
2."Love" You're the One (2000)4:10
3."Can't Run But" The Rhythm of the Saints (1990)3:30
4."How the Heart Approaches What It Yearns"One-Trick Pony (1980)4:30
5."Pigs, Sheep and Wolves"You're the One (2000)4:00
6."René and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog After the War" Hearts and Bones (1983)4:44
7."The Teacher"You're the One (2000)3:45
8."Darling Lorraine"You're the One (2000)7:13
9."Some Folks' Lives Roll Easy" Still Crazy After All These Years (1975)4:00
10."Questions for the Angels" So Beautiful or So What (2011)4:00
Total length:43:52

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for In the Blue Light
Chart (2018)Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [12] 29
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [13] 21
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [14] 55
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [15] 91
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI) [16] 40
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [17] 16
French Albums (SNEP) [18] 159
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [19] 36
Irish Albums (IRMA) [20] 24
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [21] 106
Scottish Albums (OCC) [22] 7
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [23] 15
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [24] 33
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [25] 14
UK Albums (OCC) [26] 10
US Billboard 200 [27] 70

Related Research Articles

<i>Youre the One</i> (Paul Simon album) 2000 studio album by Paul Simon

You're the One is the tenth solo studio album by Paul Simon, released in 2000. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2001, with Simon becoming the first artist to be nominated in that category in five consecutive decades (1960s-2000s)..

<i>Its Time</i> (Michael Bublé album) 2005 studio album by Michael Bublé

It's Time is the fourth studio album by Canadian singer Michael Bublé. It was released on February 8, 2005, by 143 Records and Reprise Records. With arrangements by David Foster, the album contains cover versions of songs from traditional contemporary pop: George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Stevie Wonder, and The Beatles, as well as the original song "Home", which was co-written by Bublé.

<i>Gurus Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality</i> 1995 studio album by Guru

Jazzmatazz, Volume II is the second solo studio album by American hip hop musician Guru. It was released on July 18, 1995, through Chrysalis Records as the second installment of the rapper's Jazzmatazz album series.

<i>Fresco</i> (M People album) 1997 studio album by M People

Fresco is the fourth and final to date studio album by the British dance band M People. It includes the Top 10 singles "Just for You" and "Angel St", the single "Fantasy Island", and a cover version of the Roxy Music song "Avalon". The album reached number 2 in the UK Albums Chart, and was supported by a large UK arena tour. The tour confirmed M People as one of the UK's most successful live acts of the 1990s. Fresco became M People's last studio album to date as the group has not released any new material since. Various hit collections followed as well as two solo albums from lead singer Heather Small. By the end of 1998, Fresco had sold over 750,000 copies in the UK.

<i>Code Blue</i> (album) 1990 studio album by Icehouse

Code Blue is the sixth studio album by the Australian rock/synthpop band Icehouse and was released in November 1990 by Regular Records. Code Blue peaked at #7 on the Australian album charts.

<i>Live 1980/86</i> Live album by Joe Jackson

Live 1980/86 is a Joe Jackson double live album, released in May 1988. It was recorded during the 1980 Beat Crazy tour, the 1982-83 Night and Day tour, the 1984 Body & Soul tour, and the 1986 Big World tour. Notably, the album contains three different versions of "Is She Really Going Out with Him?"

<i>Bruce Springsteen with The Sessions Band: Live in Dublin</i> 2007 live album by Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen with The Sessions Band: Live in Dublin is a 2007 video and audio offering that captures in-concert performances from the Bruce Springsteen with The Seeger Sessions Band Tour recorded in November 2006 at The Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. The release consists of a concert DVD, a Blu-ray Disc, and separate two-CD audio set. A "special edition" of the CD set includes the concert DVD as well. The album is dedicated to friend and Irish show-business giant, Jim Aiken.

<i>Strange Weather</i> (Marianne Faithfull album) 1987 studio album by Marianne Faithfull

Strange Weather is a 1987 studio album by British singer Marianne Faithfull, recorded after recovering from a 17-year addiction to heroin in 1986. The album's three predecessors on Island Records were all recorded while Faithfull confronted personal struggles, and contained a majority of lyrics and some music penned by Faithfull herself. In contrast, Strange Weather is a striking mix of rock, blues and dark cabaret, and though none of the songs were written by Faithfull, all are tied together by the spare and nuanced production of Hal Willner, using a notable group of contributing musicians, such as Bill Frisell. The title track has since become a Faithfull concert staple and has appeared live in three additional recordings.

<i>Ready or Not</i> (Lou Gramm album) 1987 studio album by Lou Gramm

Ready or Not is the debut solo studio album by American rock singer-songwriter Lou Gramm, released in February 1987 by Atlantic Records.

<i>Clapton</i> (2010 album) 2010 studio album by Eric Clapton

Clapton is the eighteenth solo studio album by English rock guitarist and singer-songwriter Eric Clapton. It was released on 27 September 2010 in the United Kingdom and the following day in the United States.

<i>Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles</i> 2011 live album by Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis

Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles is a live tribute album by country singer Willie Nelson and jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. It was recorded during concerts at the Rose Theater in New York City, on February 9 and 10, 2009. The album received mixed reviews, in which the instrumentation of Marsalis' orchestra was praised by the critics.

<i>Joe Cools Blues</i> 1995 studio album by Wynton Marsalis and Ellis Marsalis

Joe Cool's Blues is an album by jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and his father Ellis Marsalis that was released in 1995. The album reached a peak position of No. 3 on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart.

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is an American big band and jazz orchestra led by Wynton Marsalis. The Orchestra is part of Jazz at Lincoln Center, a performing arts organization in New York City.

<i>Fast Forward</i> (Joe Jackson album) 2015 studio album by Joe Jackson

Fast Forward is the 19th studio album by British singer-songwriter Joe Jackson. The album and tracklist were officially announced via Jackson's official website and was scheduled for a mid-fall release. The record was later released worldwide on 2 October 2015. Excluding his classical releases and film work, the album is his thirteenth studio project.

<i>Play the Blues: Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center</i> 2011 live album , from Jazz at Lincoln Center by , Wynton Marsalis and Eric Clapton

Play the Blues: Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center is a 2011 live album by Eric Clapton and Wynton Marsalis. Released on September 13, it contains live recordings of the 2011 collaboration at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts between the British blues guitarist and the American jazz trumpeter. A video release accompanies the audio recordings. The live album reached various national charts and was certified in several territories.

<i>Chapter and Verse</i> (Bruce Springsteen album) 2016 compilation album by Bruce Springsteen

Chapter and Verse is a compilation album by Bruce Springsteen that was released on September 23, 2016. The album is a companion piece to Springsteen's 500-plus-page autobiography, Born to Run, which was released four days later. The career-spanning album features eighteen songs handpicked by Springsteen, five of which have never been released. The album contains Springsteen's earliest recording from 1966 and late '60s/early '70s songs from his tenure in The Castiles, Steel Mill and the Bruce Springsteen Band along with his first 1972 demos for Columbia Records and songs from his studio albums from 1973 until 2012.

<i>A Brand New Me</i> (Aretha Franklin album) 2017 compilation album by Aretha Franklin, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

A Brand New Me is a compilation album by American recording artist Aretha Franklin. It was released on November 10, 2017, by Rhino Records and Atlantic Records. The album features archival vocal performances that Franklin recorded for Atlantic Records accompanied by new orchestral arrangements by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and newly recorded backing vocals, in addition to the original (archived) background vocal and instrumental accompaniments. Producer Nick Patrick said of the album: "There is a reason that Aretha Franklin is called the 'Queen of Soul.' There is nothing more exciting than that incredible voice taking you on an emotional roller coaster ride through her amazing repertoire of songs. To have the opportunity to work with that voice on this project has been the greatest honor and to hear a symphony orchestra wrapped around those performances is breathtaking." Franklin died in August 2018, nine months after the album's release.

<i>My Songs</i> 2019 remix album by Sting

My Songs is the fourteenth album by British singer-songwriter Sting and his second album to feature new renditions of previously released material. The album was released on 24 May 2019.

<i>Hey Clockface</i> 2020 studio album by Elvis Costello

Hey Clockface is the 31st studio album by English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, released on 30 October 2020 by Concord Records.

<i>The Bridge</i> (Sting album) 2021 studio album by Sting

The Bridge is the fifteenth studio album by British singer-songwriter Sting, released on 19 November 2021 through the currently-defunct A&M Records, Cherrytree Music Company and Interscope Records. It is his first rock-oriented album since 2016's 57th & 9th. The album marks the return of Branford Marsalis on saxophone and clarinet, as well as Manu Katché on drums.

References

  1. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (July 12, 2018). "Paul Simon Reworks Old Favorites on New Album 'In the Blue Light'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Paul Simon doesn't want to be 'a Paul Simon cover band'". CBC Radio. September 5, 2018. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  3. 1 2 "In the Blue Light by Paul Simon". Metacritic . Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  4. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "In the Blue Light – Paul Simon". AllMusic . Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  5. ↑ Hassenger, Jesse. "The battle for baby-boomer relevance pits Paul against Paul". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  6. 1 2 Simpson, Dave (September 7, 2018). "Paul Simon: In the Blue Light review – wistful new treatments of old gems". The Guardian . Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  7. ↑ Pollard, Alexandra. "Paul Simon, In the Blue Light album review: Shining a light on some overlooked gems". The Independent . Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  8. 1 2 Browne, David (September 6, 2018). "Review: Paul Simon Revisits Some Obscure Tunes on 'In the Blue Light'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  9. ↑ Christgau, Robert (November 2, 2018). "Robert Christgau on Rich Krueger's Ambition and Paul Simon's Farewell". Vice . Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  10. ↑ Hassenger, Jesse (September 5, 2018). "The battle for baby-boomer relevance pits Paul against Paul". The A.V. Club . Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Paul Simon: In the Blue Light". All About Jazz. September 5, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Paul Simon – In the Blue Light" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Paul Simon – In the Blue Light" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Paul Simon – In the Blue Light" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Paul Simon Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 41.Týden 2018 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Paul Simon – In the Blue Light" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Paul Simon – In the Blue Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Paul Simon – In the Blue Light" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Paul Simon". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Paul Simon". Oricon . Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Paul Simon – In the Blue Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  24. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Paul Simon – In the Blue Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  25. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Paul Simon – In the Blue Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  26. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  27. ↑ "Paul Simon Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.