Since Legacy Recordings acquired the rights to Paul Simon's back catalogue from Rhino last year, things have gone pretty much by the book. Other than a new compilation and a planned Graceland box set, things have been pretty simple, with Sony's reissue arm re-releasing the mid-2000s expanded reissues of Simon's solo albums, with the same bonus tracks as before.
Next Tuesday, the new Songwriter compilation will hit stores alongside the reissues (re-reissues?) of One Trick Pony (1980), Hearts and Bones (1983), Graceland (1986) and The Rhythm of the Saints (1990). But eagle-eyed buyers are going to find one minor difference on one of these sets - though admittedly not so minor that it should be overlooked at The Second Disc.
What's the difference? Find out after the jump.
By and large, these reissues have been exactly that: straight reissues. The content is the same, the packaging is only slightly altered (the discs are now in jewel cases, not digipaks) and Bill Inglot and Dan Hersch's mastering has been kept intact.
However, one of these sets has been newly remastered for release: The liner notes to the new Graceland credits "Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, New York, 2011."
One wonders if this is a new master in preparation for the Graceland box - although all the tracks on the Songwriter set are remastered as well, this time by Vic Anesini. We imagine time will tell, especially as Legacy gets closer to announcing the box set edition of Simon's 1986 classic.
Reacquaint yourself with the track lists to the new reissues below.
One-Trick Pony (Legacy 88697 93271-2, 2011 - previously released as Warner Bros./Rhino R2 78902, 2004)
- Late in the Evening
- That's Why God Made the Movies
- One-Trick Pony
- How the Heart Approaches What It Yearns
- Oh, Marion
- Ace in the Hole
- Nobody
- Jonah
- God Bless the Absentee
- Long, Long Day
- Soft Parachutes (Unreleased Soundtrack Recording)
- All Because of You (Outtake)
- Spiral Highway (Unreleased Soundtrack Recording)
- Stranded in a Limousine
Tracks 1-10 released as Warner Bros. LP HS 3472, 1980
Tracks 11-13 are unissued bonus tracks.
Track 14 released on Greatest Hits, Etc. - Columbia JC 35032, 1977
Hearts and Bones (Legacy 88697 93269-2, 2011 - previously released as Warner Bros./Rhino R2 78903, 2004)
- Allergies
- Hearts and Bones
- When Numbers Get Serious
- Think Too Much (b)
- Song About the Moon
- Think Too Much (a)
- Train in the Distance
- Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog after the War
- Cars Are Cars
- The Late Great Johnny Ace
- Shelter of Your Arms (Work-in-Progress)
- Train in the Distance (Acoustic Demo)
- "Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog After the War (Acoustic Demo)
- "The Late Great Johnny Ace (Acoustic Demo)
Tracks 1-10 originally released as Warner Bros. LP 23942, 1983. Tracks 11-14 are unissued bonus tracks.
Graceland (Legacy 88697 84250-2, 2011 - previously released as Warner Bros./Rhino R2 78904, 2004)
- The Boy in the Bubble
- Graceland
- I Know What I Know
- Gumboots
- Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes
- You Can Call Me Al
- Under African Skies
- Homeless
- Crazy Love, Vol. II
- That Was Your Mother
- All Around the World or the Myth of Fingerprints
- Homeless (Demo)
- Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (Unreleased Version)
- All Around the World or the Myth of Fingerprints (Early Version)
Tracks 1-11 originally released as Warner Bros. LP 25447, 1986. Tracks 12-14 are unissued bonus tracks.
The Rhythm of the Saints (Legacy 88697 89880-2, 2011 - previously released as Warner Bros./Rhino R2 78905, 2004)
- The Obvious Child
- Can't Run But
- The Coast
- Proof
- Further to Fly
- She Moves On
- Born at the Right Time
- The Cool, Cool River
- Spirit Voices
- The Rhythm of the Saints
- Born at the Right Time (Original Acoustic Demo)
- Thelma (Outtake)
- The Coast (Work-in-Progress)
- Spirit Voices (Work-in-Progress)
Tracks 1-10 originally released as Warner Bros. LP 26098, 1990.
Tracks 11 and 13-14 are unissued bonus tracks.
Track 12 originally released on Paul Simon 1964/1993 (Warner Bros. 45394, 1993)
RoyalScam says
A remastered "Graceland" was unnecessary, IMO.
Why couldn't they add the studio version of "Slip Slidin' Away" to "One Trick Pony"? That was a misstep in the previous round. I purchased what was purported to be the "Complete Studio Recordings", and found that wasn't true...the demo of "Slip Slidin' Away" was tacked onto "Still Crazy...", but the released version was nowhere to be found. "Stranded In A Limousine" was added to "One Trick Pony", and "Slip Slidin' Away" should've been alongside it.
David, UK says
@ RoyalScam: Not only was another remastered (redbook CD) Graceland unnecessary, as you rightly suggest - it was actually a significant step backwards in terms of sound quality, which is the whole point of remastering: to improve on the sound. Bonus cuts are a nice addition when included, but not really the point. The box set issue is the most compressed, ear-fatiguing, least dynamically wide version of the album yet. Hopefully one day we will get a true hi-def release - either 24-bit on HDTracks or an SACD issue - and hopefully it will have its full dynamic range restored so we can turn our systems up loud and really feel those jumping rhythms. Until that time I think the best digital version we have is the 2004 CD remaster.