Paul Simon: Greatest Hits - Shining Like a National Guitar

Herald rating: * * * *

(Warners)

Review: Graham Reid


The ease with which Simon shifted ground around the Graceland period - from South African township jive to Brazilian beats for Rhythm of the Saints - seemed just too pat. It earned him the derision of critics who somehow hadn't noticed he'd always had musical magpie tendencies: reggae for Mother and Child Reunion, jazz for Late in the Evening, doo-wop with the Dixie Hummingbirds on Love Me Like A Rock, all included on this excellent, and obviously diverse, collection.

And when the Graceland/South African sanctions debacle blew up, he came off as defensive and humourless (despite having had made videos with his friend Chevy Chase).

But Simon has seldom been able to win with critics who find his style too airbrushed and the man too self-satisfied. Both accusations are true.

However, acclaim for his often engaging music and literate, memorable lyrics (his almost haiku-like compression of suburban neurosis in Slip Slidin' Away has seldom been bettered) has been given by a public untroubled by the critics.

Simon's record company, however, has passed this way before. His double disc Anthology of only four years ago covered all but three of these songs, two from his tedious The Capeman album.

But as a brightly remastered 19-track single disc, picking up hits and favourites from his solo years, this is one which the punters will thoroughly enjoy and critics will probably continue to carp about. Count me with the punters.