Simon (doesn’t) say
Reading a biography of Paul Simon. It was fairly well-reviewed, but I have to say I don’t feel like it’s giving me any sense of who he is. It’s more like I’m watching through a very thick, scratched-up window as Paul Simon walks past me down the street.
I think Ray Charles spoiled me. I mean with Ray I got to start with an autobiography. Man, no scratchy window there: Reading Brother Ray was like watching the man walk past me in his skivvies…or less! Seriously, a fascinating read - Ray’s co-writer David Ritz really did a great job of capturing Ray’s voice. And then I read a very well-researched biography by Michael Lydon that filled in some of the blanks. Ray, for instance, claimed that his drugging never cost him jobs; the folks quoted in the bio beg to differ, and offer proof.
This Paul Simon book seems factual enough, but I don’t get the feeling the author has actually done any research, talked to anyone who knows Simon. So if your goal is to get a rundown of the man’s career, it’ll do you fine. But if your goal is to get a sense of who the man is and why he made the choices he made…well, so far I’m not finding that.
