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Let Us Now Praise Rhymin’ Simon
American Tune(smith)
Paul Simon has never struck me as particularly modest, but a startling humility was on display a few years ago when Far Out magazine asked him to name his favorite songwriters.
His top tier was Irving Berlin, the Gershwins, Hank Williams, Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart, and one Simon contemporary, Paul McCartney.
Dylan? Lennon? They were in Simon’s second tier, along with Stephen Sondheim, Bob Marley, and his own self-effacing self.
The choice that intrigued me most was McCartney.
The two Pauls have much more in common than first names. They’ve both notorious perfectionists. They’ve both composed great anthems that have been covered by multiple artists. Both have a cute streak. Both are indebted to preexisting musical genres; they’re more shrewd borrowers and brilliant synthesizers than blazing innovators.
But why would Simon rank Macca higher than himself?
He didn’t elaborate, so I will speculate.
McCartney’s range and command of genres is unmatched. He can sing almost anything, so he can write almost any style. It’s difficult to think of a musician whose oeuvre spans shouters like “I’m Down” and “Helter Skelter,” delicate ballads like “I Will” and “Here There and Everywhere,”…
