Paul Simon: `Mainstream popular music is mostly about a very young demographic. But mainstream popular music isn't the whole world." albums were," he says. "I don't really know, to tell you the truth. It's not the kind of question I ask myself. "Because I don't have those feelings; I don't think anything I do is bold. I just get an idea that interests me. And if the idea draws upon another culture, well, so be it. And that's the way it had been over the past 15 years, almost, since Graceland. And this is now really back to songwriting and melody and rhythm, and [me] playing more guitar." The role of Simon's band was extremely important in making his new album. He usually works mostly on his own to write and hone his songs before entering the record- ing studio. But for You're the One he interacted almost from the start with the members of his talent-rich band, which features such veteran Simon collaborators as drummer Steve Gadd and guitarist Vincent Nguini and such relative newcomers as percus- sionist Jamey Haddad and multi-instrumentalist Mark Stewart. "It was a band that started this album," Simon said. "I had the sound of a band in my head and went looking for it, to find the players to make up that band. And once I had that sound, [the goal] was to play for the fun of it, and we did. "The music started to evolve from that, and had its own quality And it also sounded a lot like the other albums I've done. It had both qualities, and that felt pretty comfortable. The process was one of the most enjoyable albums I've made and, actually, one of the quickest, even though I started two years ago. With one or two exceptions, all the lyrics came light- ning-like for me, in a day or two. That's very fast, and consider- ably faster than the pace of Graceland or Rhythm of the Stints." Simon has long preferred to let his songs speak for them- selves, so that listeners can have their own interpretations. But he's happy to discuss the musical ingredients of his work, the distinctive mix of Buddy Holly-inspired guitar work and polyrhythmic Afro-Cuban drumming that opens "Old," a wry song [and the first single] from his new album. "That guitar part came first and it sounded like Buddy Holly, and that's why I started to sing about [Holly's] 'Peggy Sue,"' Simon explained. "That was the jump-off point. The first line is so important in a song. And I always try and make the first line as if it were two lines that were connected, but then going at an angle, going off in the distance at some kind of angle, the light of the angle "You open up [a song] in a certain way, and say, 'That's interesting, but I don't really know how it ends.' Now if you started with the first line and knew how it would end, you'd be in trouble, because then how would you hold your interest? "That's very important, that whole sense of How do you keep interest? How do I personally keep my interest, and keep from being bored and boring others?" . Simon's constant quest for surprise and originality is com- mendable. But, sadly, it's all too rare in this age of talent-challenged teen-pop groups, dial-a-rant rap-rockers and all-image/no- content pap-pop confectioners. And that should be a serious concern for any veteran musician — be it Joni Mitchell, Don Henley, Tracy Chapman or Simon himself — who refuses to pander to the fleeting attention spans and superficial aesthet- ics fostered by MTV and myopic pop radio programmers. "I sort of preceded my contemporaries in that category, since no one played me on the radio for a long time. They didn't even play Graceland that much on radio," Simon said. "I think about it, and here's what I think: Mainstream pop- ular music is mostly about a very young demographic. But mainstream popular music isn't the whole world. There's a lot of music going on in the world that's very, very interesting, and it's going on all over the world. It's not withering at all. "I know a lot of musicians who are extraordinary players and composers, and they are not selling the amount of records that the top-of-the-chart artists are. But they're working at getting better, and the impact they are having is probably more power- ful than whoever the latest teen act is, simply because, well, how powerfully can you have an impact on a 7- or 8-year-old?" Perhaps thinking of his own young children, Simon laugh- ingly corrected himself "Well, as I say that, I think, pretty powerful," he continued. "But on another level, for more mature listeners, there's plenty of music that is nourishing enough. So for artists who were once on the charts — and now it's tough to get radio-airplay and maybe you won't be on top of the charts — if that's the case, you have to think: Is that what I'm really doing? "Am I in the top-of-the-charts business, or am I in it for the music? If you're at top of charts, and in it for music, then it's both. But if the chart success goes away, I don't think, 'This is terrible.' I'm in it for the music. I'm not interested in being No. 1 and repeating myself "I'm only interested in what I like. I can't help it. It's nice to have a hit, but as far as the work goes, it doesn't matter if it's a hit. How others feel about your work is more what counts. That is what counts. That's the only concern: Is the work good? You can't be distracted by the fact it was 5 million peo- ple, and now its 500,000 [that buy your albums]. The record company might be, but the artist shouldn't. "It's the journey that's important. The record charts and radio [airplay] are a big distraction. On the other hand, we're busy human beings and we've got to get distracted, otherwise we don't know what to do with ourselves. I like to be part of an audience, too, and to be surprised. I don't want to know every- thing and plot everything out, not at this point in my life. "I'm just sort of like everybody else in my generation, I guess, just feeling their way. And I have a full plate in front of me." 0 RESTAURANT MID-EASTERN, CHALDEAN & AMERICAN •Lambchops • Lamb Shish Kabob •White Fish Curry • Tabouleh • Hommus •Vegetarian Entrees • Fresh Catch •Chicken Shawarma • Etc. •Fresh Juice Bar • Cocktails and Wine 6123 HAGGERTY RD. OUST N. OF MAPLE) BLOOMFIELD AVENUE SHOPS WEST BLOOMFIELD (248) 668-1800 27060 EVERGREEN (AT 11 MILE & EVERGREEN) LATHRUP LANDING LATHRUP VILLAGE (248) 559-9099 COUPON GOOD AT BOTH LOCATIONS 150% OFFI Lunch or Dinner With purchase of a second lunch or dinner entree of equal or greater value • 1Coupon Per Couple I • Not Valid With other Offers • Expires 12/31/2001 I • Dine In Only L Catering For All Occasions SEND SOMEONE SPECIAL A GIFT 52 WEEKS A YEAR z z z JN z SEND A GIFT SUBSCRIPTION TO DETROIT JEwnoz NEWS (243) 354-6620 The Grammy Awards airs 8-11 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, on CBS. As part of the festivities surrounding the 43rd annual Grammy Awards, Paul Simon will be honored for his artistic and philanthropic achievements as the MusiCares Person of the Year. The event, a fund-raiser for the Musicians Financial Assistance Program that aids musicians in times of financial, med- ical and personal need, will feature toasts and perform- ances by dozens of celebrities, including Simon's wife Edie Brickell. It airs live 9-11 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19, on QVC. Check your local listings. For a complete list of Grammy nominees, go to our Web site at www.detroitjewishnews.com . 2/16 2001 79