The Rhythm of the Saints

The Rhythm of the Saints
Studio album by
Paul Simon
ReleasedOctober 16, 1990
RecordedDecember 1989 – June 1990
GenrePop, rock, worldbeat
Length44:49
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerPaul 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.

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[5]
Blender[6]
Chicago Sun-Times[7]
Chicago Tribune[8]
Entertainment WeeklyA+[9]
The Guardian[10]
Los Angeles Times[11]
NME6/10[12]
Q[13]
Rolling Stone[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:

  • "Thelma" previously appeared on Paul Simon 1964/1993.
  • According to Robert J. Reina of Stereophile magazine, Simon's original track sequence was changed when "the boys in Warners' front office insisted the album's lead single, 'The Obvious Child' be given pride of place."[14] To hear Simon's preferred track order, the current release would have to be re-sequenced as 3-6-4-7-8-1-2-9-5-10. At least two sleeves reflecting this track listing are known to exist.[15]

Personnel

  • Paul Simon – vocals, guitars (1, 3, 7, 8, 9), horn arrangements (1, 2, 3, 5–10), guitar arrangements (1, 5–8), backing vocals (4)
with

Keyboards

Guitars and bass

Drums and percussion

Reed and brass instruments

Vocals

Production

  • Paul Simon – producer
  • Marco Mazzola – basic rhythm track production (2–10)
  • Phil Ramone – original Olodum recording supervisor (1), Transamerica sessions supervisor (2, 3, 5, 8, 10)
  • Roy Halee – engineer
  • Rich Travali – assistant engineer
  • Luiz "Mequinho" Felipe – assistant engineer (1)
  • Vanderley Loureiro – assistant engineer (2–10)
  • Geraldo Tazares – assistant engineer (2–10)
  • Bruce Keen – assistant engineer (4, 7)
  • Greg Calbi – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York)
  • Danny Harrison – album coordinator
  • Marc Silag – album coordinator
  • Dolores Lusitana – associate coordinator
  • Yolanda Cuomo – art direction, design
  • Miguel Rio Branco – front cover photography
  • Bruno Barbey – back cover photography
  • Sylvia Plachy – photograph of Paul Simon

Charts

References

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  2. ^ a b McAlley, John (November 15, 1990). "The Rhythym [sic] of the Saints". Rolling Stone. New York. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  3. ^ Hunt, Dennis; Cromelin, Richard (January 9, 1992). "The 34th Annual Grammy Nominations: Grammys Get 'Religion,' Nominate R.E.M. 7 Times". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  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.
  6. ^ Powers, Ann (November 2006). "Paul Simon: The Rhythm of the Saints". Blender. Vol. 5, no. 10. New York.
  7. ^ McLeese, Don (November 11, 1990). "Spirituality In Rock: Into The Mystic". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  8. ^ Kot, Greg (October 14, 1990). "The Evolution Of Simon's Diverse Solo Career". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  9. ^ Sandow, Greg (October 26, 1990). "The Rhythm of the Saints". Entertainment Weekly. New York. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  10. ^ Sweeting, Adam (August 6, 2004). "Paul Simon, The Rhythm of the Saints". The Guardian. London. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  11. ^ Willman, Chris (October 14, 1990). "Paul Simon, 'The Rhythm of the Saints,' Warner Bros". Los Angeles Times.
  12. ^ Dalton, Stephen (October 27, 1990). "The Age of Con-Saint". NME. London. p. 38.
  13. ^ Sutcliffe, Phil (December 1990). "Irresistible". Q. No. 51. London.
  14. ^ "1996 Records to die for Page 6". February 29, 1996.
  15. ^ "Ask the Expert: The value of a Paul Simon vinyl jacket". October 13, 2020.
  16. ^ "australian-charts.com Paul Simon – The Rhythm of the Saints". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
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  33. ^ Allmusic – The Rhythm of the Saints > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums
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