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In the Blue Light
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| In the Blue Light | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cover art by Out of Office | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 7, 2018 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 43:52 | |||
| Label | Legacy | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Paul Simon chronology | ||||
| ||||
In the Blue Light is the fourteenth solo studio album by American folk rock singer-songwriter Paul Simon. Produced by Paul Simon and Roy Halee, it was released on September 7, 2018, through Legacy Recordings.[1] The album consists of re-recordings of lesser-known songs from Simon's catalog, often altering their original arrangements, harmonic structures, and lyrics. The songs were recorded with guests including the instrumental ensemble yMusic, guitarist Bill Frisell, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and Bryce Dessner. The album's title is a reference to the lyrics in the song "How the Heart Approaches What It Yearns" from the 1980 album One-Trick Pony.
Unreleased recordings
[edit]In an interview for CBC Radio, Simon confirmed that more songs were recorded during sessions for the album but ultimately left off the finished record.[2] Outtakes include a number of unspecified songs from You're the One and a re-recording of "The Sound of Silence" with music based on the arrangement of Simon's live version from recent years. It is unknown whether or not these recordings will be released.
Reception
[edit]| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 70/100[3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| The A.V. Club | B−[5] |
| The Guardian | |
| The Independent | |
| Rolling Stone | |
| Vice | A−[9] |
In the Blue Light was released to favorable reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 70, based on eleven reviews.[3]
Dave Simpson at The Guardian gave the album four stars and said that "generally, sparser arrangements allow more space for Simon’s dazzling imagery and oblique but relevant ruminations on [several] subjects."[6] Jesse Hassenger of The A.V. Club gave the album a B− and wrote, "It would be easy to get bogged down in treating Blue Light as a compare/contrast exercise, but what’s most impressive about is the way that it sounds more or less of a piece as its own record."[10] David Browne from Rolling Stone wrote that, "At its best, In the Blue Light amounts to a dream set list for devoted PaulHeads who wish he’d do entire shows of rarities."[8] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic opined that "Everything on In the Blue Light is deliberate, gentle, and subtle, placing as much emphasis on the words and melody as the instrumentation, which isn't necessarily the case with the dense original albums."[4]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Paul Simon.
| No. | Title | Original album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's Floor" | There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973) | 4:00 |
| 2. | "Love" | You're the One (2000) | 4:10 |
| 3. | "Can't Run But" | The Rhythm of the Saints (1990) | 3:30 |
| 4. | "How the Heart Approaches What It Yearns" | One-Trick Pony (1980) | 4:30 |
| 5. | "Pigs, Sheep and Wolves" | You're the One (2000) | 4:00 |
| 6. | "René and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog After the War" | Hearts and Bones (1983) | 4:44 |
| 7. | "The Teacher" | You're the One (2000) | 3:45 |
| 8. | "Darling Lorraine" | You're the One (2000) | 7:13 |
| 9. | "Some Folks' Lives Roll Easy" | Still Crazy After All These Years (1975) | 4:00 |
| 10. | "Questions for the Angels" | So Beautiful or So What (2011) | 4:00 |
| Total length: | 43:52 | ||
Personnel
[edit]Musicians
|
|
Technical personnel
- Paul Simon – producer
- Roy Halee – producer, mixing
- Andy Smith – engineer
- Chris Allen – additional engineer
- Brett Mayer – additional engineer
- Owen Mullholland – additional engineer
- Nate Odden – assistant engineer
- Matt Soares – assistant engineer
- Grant Valentine – assistant engineer
- Jim Corona – session coordinator
- Greg Calbi – mastering
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[12] | 173 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[13] | 29 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[14] | 21 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[15] | 55 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[16] | 91 |
| Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[17] | 40 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[18] | 16 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[19] | 159 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[20] | 36 |
| Irish Albums (IRMA)[21] | 24 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[22] | 106 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[23] | 7 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[24] | 15 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[25] | 33 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[26] | 14 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[27] | 10 |
| US Billboard 200[28] | 70 |
References
[edit]- ^ Kreps, Daniel (July 12, 2018). "Paul Simon Reworks Old Favorites on New Album 'In the Blue Light'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
- ^ "Paul Simon doesn't want to be 'a Paul Simon cover band'". CBC Radio. September 5, 2018. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ^ a b "In the Blue Light by Paul Simon". Metacritic. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "In the Blue Light – Paul Simon". AllMusic. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^ Hassenger, Jesse. "The battle for baby-boomer relevance pits Paul against Paul". The A.V. Club. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
- ^ a b Simpson, Dave (September 7, 2018). "Paul Simon: In the Blue Light review – wistful new treatments of old gems". The Guardian. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^ Pollard, Alexandra. "Paul Simon, In the Blue Light album review: Shining a light on some overlooked gems". The Independent. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
- ^ a b Browne, David (September 6, 2018). "Review: Paul Simon Revisits Some Obscure Tunes on 'In the Blue Light'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (November 2, 2018). "Robert Christgau on Rich Krueger's Ambition and Paul Simon's Farewell". Vice. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
- ^ Hassenger, Jesse (September 5, 2018). "The battle for baby-boomer relevance pits Paul against Paul". The A.V. Club. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^ "Paul Simon: In the Blue Light". All About Jazz. September 5, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
- ^ "Paul Simon ARIA Chart History June 1988 to June 2025". ARIA. Retrieved July 6, 2025 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Paul Simon – In the Blue Light" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Paul Simon – In the Blue Light" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Paul Simon – In the Blue Light" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^ "Paul Simon Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
- ^ "ČNS IFPI – CZ Albums – Top 100 – 41. týden 2018" (in Czech). ČNS IFPI. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Paul Simon – In the Blue Light" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Paul Simon – In the Blue Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Paul Simon – In the Blue Light" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
- ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Paul Simon". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^ "Paul Simon". Oricon. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 14/9/2018 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Paul Simon – In the Blue Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Paul Simon – In the Blue Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Paul Simon – In the Blue Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart on 14/9/2018 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^ "Paul Simon Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
In the Blue Light
View on GrokipediaBackground and Concept
Development and Announcement
The album In the Blue Light was conceived during the planning stages of Paul Simon's Homeward Bound – The Farewell Tour, announced on February 5, 2018, as a means to revisit overlooked songs from his solo career spanning over four decades.[5] Simon viewed the project as an opportunity to address tracks that had not fully realized their potential in their original forms, aligning with his decision to retire from touring after a career marked by innovative songwriting and performances.[6] The album's announcement came on July 12, 2018, via social media posts and an official press release, strategically timed to build anticipation for the final leg of the farewell tour beginning later that summer.[7] Produced by Simon alongside longtime collaborator Roy Halee, the release was positioned as a reflective companion to the tour, emphasizing re-recordings of lesser-known material rather than new compositions.[8] Simon's intent centered on reimagining these "deep cuts" with improved arrangements, driven by his dissatisfaction with aspects of the originals' productions that had obscured their lyrical and musical clarity.[9] In the announcement, he elaborated: "This album consists of songs that I thought were almost right, or were odd enough to be overlooked the first time around. Re-doing arrangements, harmonic structures, and lyrics that didn’t make their meaning clear, gave me time to clarify in my own head what I wanted to say, or realize what I was thinking and make it more easily understood."[7] This approach allowed Simon to offer fans a fresh perspective on his catalog during what he described as his final touring chapter.[2]Song Selection Process
Paul Simon curated the track list for In the Blue Light by drawing from his solo discography spanning 1973 to 2011, specifically targeting lesser-known album tracks, B-sides, and personal favorites that he believed were underrated or not fully realized in their original forms.[10] He deliberately excluded major hits such as those from Graceland (1986) to emphasize deeper cuts that warranted fresh interpretations, resulting in a selection of 10 songs that highlight overlooked aspects of his songwriting.[11][4] Among the chosen tracks, "One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's Floor" originates from the 1973 album There Goes Rhymin' Simon, while "The Teacher" comes from the 2011 release So Beautiful or So What.[1] These selections reflect Simon's intent to revisit works he felt were "almost right, or overlooked," allowing for new arrangements that enhance their emotional and musical depth without altering core lyrics or structures extensively.[10] The album's title derives from a lyric in "How the Heart Approaches What It Yearns," a track from Simon's 1980 album One-Trick Pony, evoking themes of introspection and longing that align with the project's reexamination of his catalog.[12]Recording and Production
Studio Sessions
The recording sessions for Paul Simon's fourteenth solo studio album, In the Blue Light, took place from late 2017 to mid-2018, with key work occurring at Avatar Studios in New York. A notable session there on November 22, 2017, featured trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and his brass section working on arrangements for the album.[13] These sessions built on Simon's desire to revisit and refine lesser-known songs from his catalog, spanning from 1973's There Goes Rhymin' Simon to 2011's So Beautiful or So What.[1] Produced by Paul Simon alongside his longtime collaborator Roy Halee—who had worked with Simon since the Simon & Garfunkel era—the album emphasized sparse, acoustic arrangements that contrasted the denser, more layered productions of the originals.[1][14] This approach created a pensive, intimate atmosphere, often featuring just Simon's voice and guitar with selective additions from collaborators, allowing greater space for lyrical nuance and emotional depth.[2] Key guest contributions included the chamber ensemble yMusic, which provided string arrangements across several tracks; Wynton Marsalis's trumpet on "One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's Floor"; and guitarist Bill Frisell's subtle, evocative playing, which enhanced the album's reimagined jazz-inflected textures.[2][15] The stripped-down production decisions prioritized clarity and revision, resulting in a final runtime of 43:52 for the ten tracks.Unreleased Recordings
During the recording sessions for In the Blue Light, Paul Simon and producer Roy Halee captured several outtakes that were ultimately excluded from the final album. Outtakes included a number of unspecified songs from sessions for Simon's 2000 album You're the One, as well as a re-recording of "The Sound of Silence," originally a Simon & Garfunkel hit from 1966, featuring an arrangement inspired by Simon's live performances, including his 2012 MusiCares rendition. These were omitted as they did not align with the album's focus on lesser-known deep cuts from his solo catalog. As of November 2025, no official releases of these tracks have materialized, and bootlegs or leaks remain minimal.[16]Musical Style and Themes
Arrangements and Instrumentation
The arrangements on In the Blue Light represent a deliberate shift toward minimalism, stripping away the denser rock and world music elements of the originals in favor of acoustic guitars, piano, and light percussion to emphasize intimacy and clarity.[2] For instance, "Can't Run But," originally from the 1990 album The Rhythm of the Saints with its layered Latin rhythms and percussion, is reimagined as a tense, urgent piece featuring primarily vocals supported by strings and subtle ensemble textures from the chamber group yMusic, creating a stark, classical-leaning vibe.[17][15] This approach draws from folk traditions, evoking the sparse, introspective style of Paul Simon's early solo work, while incorporating jazz influences through selective instrumentation that prioritizes emotional nuance over elaborate production.[18] A key innovation lies in the integration of chamber music elements via yMusic, a New York-based sextet comprising trumpet, flute, clarinet, violin, viola, and cello, which provides intricate counterpoint and textured support across multiple tracks without overwhelming the vocals.[19] This ensemble's contributions, often arranged by collaborators like Bryce Dessner of The National, lend an avant-garde orchestral quality to songs like "Pigs, Sheep and Wolves," blending reeds, strings, and trumpet into complex yet restrained tapestries that highlight the lyrics' thematic depth.[20] Additionally, Wynton Marsalis's jazz trumpet infuses warmth and melodic expressiveness into "Darling Lorraine," transforming the original's straightforward balladry from Hearts and Bones (1983) into a shimmering, emotive narrative enhanced by guitarist Bill Frisell's subtle, rolling lines and minimal percussion accents.[21][18] Overall, these revisions reflect influences from both folk simplicity and jazz improvisation, resulting in more concise structures that focus the songs' core essences, with many tracks benefiting from pensive, distilled tones that ease away from the originals' rhythmic exuberance.[2][22]Lyrical Content
The lyrics featured on In the Blue Light center on recurring motifs of aging, regret, and human connection, drawing from Paul Simon's catalog of underappreciated songs to create a tapestry of introspective storytelling. These themes emerge through narratives that examine the passage of time and interpersonal bonds, as Simon reinterprets tracks originally written across decades to highlight their enduring emotional weight. For instance, "The Teacher" portrays mentorship and loss through the image of a revered guide whose wisdom proves fleeting, emphasizing the challenges of imparting lasting lessons amid life's impermanence.[2][23] Simon has noted that the selected songs resonate personally with him, mirroring various life stages from the urban alienation of his 1970s work—such as the isolation in early tracks—to more recent 2010s meditations on mortality and reflection. This personal lens underscores how the album serves as a retrospective, allowing Simon to revisit pieces that captured his evolving worldview without altering their core messages. "Insomniac's Lullaby," though from a related creative period, exemplifies sleepless introspection in Simon's oeuvre, evoking restless thoughts on vulnerability and eventual rest as a metaphor for acceptance.[24] The poetic style employs dense imagery and intricate rhyme schemes to convey complexity, often contrasting fortune with hardship to illuminate human fragility. In "Some Folks' Lives Roll Easy," for example, Simon juxtaposes those whose existences "roll easy as a breeze" against others who "stumble" and "fall," highlighting disparities in privilege and struggle while underscoring resilience in adversity. No new lyrics were added to these re-recordings; instead, the refreshed arrangements amplify the emotional delivery, infusing the original words with a contemplative depth that enhances their resonance for a mature audience.[25][2]Release and Commercial Performance
Marketing and Promotion
In the Blue Light was released on September 7, 2018, by Legacy Recordings, with promotional efforts beginning weeks earlier through an exclusive full-album premiere on NPR's First Listen series on August 30, 2018.[26][2] The album's announcement on July 12, 2018, highlighted its connection to Simon's ongoing career reflections, positioning it as a project of revisiting and reimagining earlier works.[26] The release was closely tied to the final leg of Simon's Homeward Bound – The Farewell Tour, with several tracks from the album integrated into live performances during the tour's concluding shows. Notably, at the tour's farewell concert on September 22, 2018, at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, New York, Simon debuted reworked versions of songs like "Can't Run But" and "One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's Floor," blending them with career-spanning sets to emphasize the album's themes of revision.[26][27][28] Media promotion focused on interviews that underscored the album's concept of rediscovery and reinterpretation of Simon's catalog, without the release of any traditional singles. In discussions with NPR, Simon described the project as an opportunity to "tinker" with overlooked songs, giving them fresh arrangements and collaborators. Coverage in Rolling Stone and The New Yorker framed the album as a reflective capstone to his touring era, highlighting its role in recontextualizing personal favorites. The track "Can't Run But" was prominently featured in promotional videos and television appearances, including a performance on Saturday Night Live in October 2018.[29][14][30][31] The album was made available in multiple physical and digital formats, including standard CD, 180-gram vinyl, and streaming/digital download options. A limited-edition translucent blue vinyl, exclusive to Barnes & Noble, was offered as a collector's item tied to the album's thematic title.[32][33]Chart Performance
In the Blue Light debuted at number 70 on the US Billboard 200 chart upon its release in September 2018, which was Paul Simon's lowest-peaking solo studio album to that point since 1990's The Rhythm of the Saints (which peaked at #4). This position was surpassed by his 2023 album Seven Psalms, which peaked at #153. In the United Kingdom, it entered the Official Albums Chart at number 10 and spent two weeks in the top 100.[34] The album achieved moderate international success, peaking at number 16 on the Dutch Album Top 100, number 7 on the Official Scottish Albums Chart, and number 36 on the ARIA Albums Chart in Australia.[35][36]| Country | Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Billboard 200 | 70 |
| United Kingdom | Official Albums Chart | 10 |
| Scotland | Official Scottish Albums Chart | 7 |
| Netherlands | Dutch Album Top 100 | 16 |
| Australia | ARIA Albums Chart | 36 |
Critical Reception
Contemporary Reviews
Upon its release in September 2018, In the Blue Light received generally favorable reviews, accumulating a Metacritic score of 70 out of 100 based on 11 critic reviews, indicating a consensus of mixed to positive reception with seven positive and four mixed assessments.[37] Critics widely praised the album's sparse production, which allowed Simon's lyrics to shine more prominently through intimate, reimagined arrangements of overlooked tracks from his catalog. AllMusic awarded it 3.5 out of 5 stars, highlighting its innovative yet uneven approach.[3] Rolling Stone gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars, noting that the sparser setups provided "more space for Simon’s dazzling imagery and oblique but relevant ruminations."[4] The Guardian assigned 4 out of 5 stars, describing the record as "a thoughtful valediction" that wove overlooked songs into a narrative on themes like intolerance and humanity, enhanced by contributions from musicians such as Wynton Marsalis and Bill Frisell.[10] However, some reviewers pointed to shortcomings, including an uneven quality and a lack of the rhythmic urgency found in Simon's 1980s output. The Independent noted its elegant but thematically disjointed approach that shifted abruptly between contemplative and absurdist tones.[38]Retrospective Assessment
Since its release coinciding with the final leg of Paul Simon's farewell tour in 2018, In the Blue Light has been regarded as a capstone to his solo career, offering revised interpretations of overlooked songs from across his discography as a reflective "farewell statement."[7] The album's emphasis on re-recording tracks Simon felt were "almost but not quite right" underscores a theme of artistic redemption through revision, distinguishing it from his later work Seven Psalms (2023), which introduced entirely new material exploring spiritual and existential themes.[2] This contrast highlights In the Blue Light's role in bridging Simon's experimental phase with his contemplative final phase, as noted in analyses of his oeuvre as a secular-believing Jewish artist blending folk-rock traditions with pantheistic theology.[39] In subsequent years, the album has been reappraised in tributes and retrospectives as an underrated gem, particularly for its intimate reworkings that reveal emotional depth in lesser-known compositions.[40] Its collaborations with chamber ensemble yMusic and jazz luminaries like guitarist Bill Frisell and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis inspired live performances that expanded the songs' sonic possibilities, influencing discussions in folk-rock studies on re-recording as a form of artistic evolution.[14] Academic examinations have further explored these revisions as emblematic of Simon's lifelong engagement with themes of immanence and ethical reflection, positioning the album within his broader legacy of genre-blending innovation.[39] From a 2025 vantage point, amid celebrations of Simon's enduring career—including his "A Quiet Celebration" tour announcement—In the Blue Light continues to garner attention for revitalizing underappreciated tracks, though it has seen no major reissues.[41] Retrospective critiques, such as a 2025 Classic Pop review, praise its "fresh takes" and "touching sentiment," affirming Simon's vulnerability in reimagining his past amid health challenges and retirement from touring.[41] While initial reviews noted its introspective quality, later assessments emphasize its lasting significance as a vulnerable endpoint to Simon's revisionist approach.[2]Track Listing and Personnel
Track Listing
All songs are written by Paul Simon.[3] The standard edition of In the Blue Light contains 10 tracks with a total length of 43:52 and no bonus tracks.[21] Two tracks are sourced from Paul Simon's 1970s albums, two from 1980s albums, three from 1990s albums, and three from 2000s–2010s albums.[3] The track order is the same for CD, vinyl, and digital formats.[42]| No. | Title | Length | Original album (year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's Floor" | 3:52 | There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973)[3] |
| 2 | "Love" | 4:10 | Songs from The Capeman (1997)[3] |
| 3 | "Can't Run But" | 3:37 | The Rhythm of the Saints (1990)[3] |
| 4 | "How the Heart Approaches What It Yearns" | 4:42 | One-Trick Pony (1980)[3] |
| 5 | "Pigs, Sheep and Wolves" | 4:00 | Songs from The Capeman (1997)[3] |
| 6 | "René and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog After the War" | 3:54 | Hearts and Bones (1983)[3] |
| 7 | "The Teacher" | 4:35 | You're the One (2000)[3] |
| 8 | "Darling Lorraine" | 7:13 | You're the One (2000)[43] |
| 9 | "Some Folks' Lives Roll Easy" | 3:59 | Still Crazy After All These Years (1975)[44] |
| 10 | "Questions for the Angels" | 4:01 | So Beautiful or So What (2011)[45] |
