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Jul 2023
52m 13s

Paul Simon

Pushkin Industries
About this episode

Paul Simon is one of the greatest living songwriters. Since debuting with Art Garfunkel in 1957, Paul Simon has written countless songs quintessential to the American psyche. This year, at 81 years old, he’s released the latest addition to his beloved catalog, Seven Psalms, to an outpouring of critical acclaim.

In 2021, Malcolm Gladwell and Bruce Headlam released the audiobook, Miracle And Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon. It’s an intimate look into Simon’s songwriting alongside never-before-heard live studio versions of hits including “The Boxer," “The Sound of Silence," and “Graceland.” This fall, we'll also be releasing an updated version of the audiobook with a brand-new chapter featuring even more from Malcolm and Paul's newly-recorded deep dive into Seven Psalms, some of which you'll hear today.

To celebrate the latest chapter in Paul Simon’s 65-year-career, on today’s episode Malcolm Gladwell sits back down with Paul to discuss the creation of his latest album. Paul explains why he feels music reviews are more about the writer than the piece of music being critiqued, and he talks about why many of his lyrics take a conversational bent. He also recalls how the title came to him in a dream after he considered never writing again.

You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Paul Simon songs HERE.

Check out the Miracle And Wonder audiobook at miracleaudiobook.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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