Biography of Paul Simon

Paul Simon's career has been distinguished by a constant search for new musical styles -- a constant musical exploration. Because of this, all of Simon's albums sound different; there is no representative album. Toward the end of Simon And Garfunkel's career, Simon began experimenting with different forms of music from around the world, a trend that blossomed when Simon went solo. From reggae and R&B to South African and Brazilian music, Simon has gone all over the map musically. Although he began his career by emulating Bob Dylan lyrically, by the time Simon started recording solo, he had developed his own distinct style. Simon's early-'70s albums are classic singer/songwriter albums, with more musical variety than the genre usually exhibits. He then drifted into a severe dry spell, producing a few good songs between 1976 and 1985. With the release of Graceland in 1986, Simon's writer's block was eliminated with the help of some new musical influences. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine