The Rhythm of the Saints

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The Rhythm of the Saints
Rhythm Of The Saints.jpg
Studio album by
Paul Simon
ReleasedOctober 16, 1990
RecordedDecember 1989 – June 1990
Genre Pop, rock, worldbeat
Length44:49
Label Warner Bros.
Producer Paul Simon
Paul Simon chronology
Negotiations and Love Songs
(1988)		The Rhythm of the Saints
(1990)		 Paul Simon's Concert in the Park
(1991)
Singles from The Rhythm of the Saints
  1. "The Obvious Child"
    Released: September 1990
  2. "Proof"
    Released: February 1991
  3. "Born at the Right Time"
    Released: 1991

The Rhythm of the Saints is the eighth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon, released on October 16, 1990, by Warner Bros. In much the same way that Simon's previous album, Graceland , released in 1986, drew upon South African music, this album was inspired by Brazilian musical traditions. [1] [2] Like its predecessor, the album was commercially successful and received mostly favorable reviews from critics.

Contents

In 1992, The Rhythm of the Saints earned two nominations for the 34th Grammy Awards – Album of the Year and Producer of the Year. [3] [4]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Blender Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Chicago Sun-Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [7]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [8]
Entertainment Weekly A+ [9]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]
NME 6/10 [12]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]

The Rhythm of the Saints peaked at No. 4 on the US album chart, while Graceland had peaked at No. 3, ranking them both among Simon's most commercially successful albums. The album was also successful across the Atlantic, reaching No. 1 on the UK album chart. However, with the exception of "The Obvious Child", none of its three singles—including "Proof" and "Born at the Right Time"—charted or received substantial radio play. "The Obvious Child" also failed to reach the US top 40, although it reached No. 15 in the UK, becoming Simon's last major hit there. The album was certified Multi-Platinum.

Central Park concert

Alongside various musicians, Simon performed live versions of many of the songs from the album at a free concert in Central Park, New York City on August 15, 1991, in front of an audience of around 500,000 people. The performance was recorded and later released as the album Paul Simon's Concert in the Park .

Track listing

All tracks composed by Paul Simon, except "The Coast" (music by Simon and Vincent Nguini) and "Spirit Voices" (Portuguese lyrics by Milton Nascimento).

  1. "The Obvious Child" – 4:10
  2. "Can't Run But" – 3:36
  3. "The Coast" – 5:04
  4. "Proof" – 4:39
  5. "Further to Fly" – 5:36
  6. "She Moves On" – 5:03
  7. "Born at the Right Time" – 3:48
  8. "The Cool, Cool River" – 4:33
  9. "Spirit Voices" – 3:56
  10. "The Rhythm of the Saints" – 4:12

Bonus tracks (2004 reissue)

  2. "Born at the Right Time" (acoustic demo) – 3:50
  3. "Thelma" (outtake) – 4:14
  4. "The Coast" (work-in-progress version) – 5:13
  5. "Spirit Voices" (work-in-progress version) – 3:49

Notes:

Personnel

with

Keyboards

Guitars and bass

Drums and percussion

Reed and brass instruments

Vocals

Production

Charts

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References

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  4. ↑ Dennis Hunt and Richard Cromelin. "Rock On The Net: 34th Annual Grammy Awards – 1992" . Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  5. ↑ Ruhlmann, William. "The Rhythm of the Saints – Paul Simon". AllMusic . Retrieved August 8, 2011.
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  47. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – Paul Simon – The Rhythm of The Saints". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved December 7, 2024.
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