NewsPaul Simon / Ultimate Collection
Sony will issue Paul Simon The Ultimate Collection in April, a single disc compilation that will feature both Simon & Garfunkel classics and the best of solo Simon.
The 19-track collection boasts an attractive front cover (an outtake from his 1972 eponymous solo debut) and springs no real surprises in terms of track listings. In the unlikely event of you owning none of the acclaimed singer-songwriter’s work it’s about as good as your going to get on one disc.
Interestingly, this is being marketed as the ‘first ever’ single disc compilation to feature both Simon & Garfunkel and Paul Simon, but ‘someone’ has forgotten about Over The Bridge Of Time which was released in 2013, although admittedly, I think that compilation was primarily focused on the US market.
A comparison of track listings (they are not the same) reveals that the early set ignores Graceland, Father and Daughter and The Obvious Child and includes a few alternative selections such as Hearts and Bones and Love and Hard Times (the latter from Simon’s most recent studio album, 2011’s So Beautiful Or So What).
The Ultimate Collection is out on 13 April 2015
CD Edition
- • UK Pre-order: The Ultimate Collection
- • USA Pre-order: Ultimate Collection
- • CANADA Pre-order: Ultimate Collection
2LP Vinyl set
- • UK Pre-order: The Ultimate Collection [VINYL]
- • USA Pre-order: Ultimate Collection
- • CANADA Pre-order: Ultimate Collection (Vinyl)
Track listing
1. You Can Call Me Al
2. Graceland
3. Mrs. Robinson – Simon & Garfunkel
4. The Boxer – Simon & Garfunkel
5. Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes
6. 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover
7. Cecilia – Simon & Garfunkel
8. Me & Julio Down by The School Yard
9. The Boy In The Bubble
10. The Only Living Boy In New York – Simon & Garfunkel
11. Mother & Child Reunion
12. Late In The Evening
13. Father & Daughter
14. The Obvious Child
15. Slip Slidin’ Away
16. America – Simon & Garfunkel
17. The Sound Of Silence – Simon & Garfunkel
18. Still Crazy After All These Years
19. Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel
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[…] week and it’s a fantastic record. Surprisingly, it’s only his fifth chart-topper. His Ultimate Collection compilation, which also went to number one, rises to number 20 on the physical chart as well. […]
Unless Roy Halee was involved this is going to sound like ass.
Halee’s all-analog Negotiations and Love Songs remains the sonic high point for Paul Simon compilations.
What a bunch of curmudgeons! You guys think everyone is as old as Paul Simon and bitter as yourselves? News flash: people are born every day and are constantly discovering older music. It amazes me that so many people are, apparently, stuck in some decades old rut, and apparently most of the people commenting here have never broadened their horizons far enough to discover anything outside of their tiny little generational window.
I can see a nice new compilation that spans his entire solo career – a 2-CD set that includes all the singles, maybe rarity or deep track or two, and possibly a couple unreleased tracks.
But why include Simon & Garfunkel songs… especially songs SUNG by Art Garfunkel. It makes no sense; it’s an odd listening experience.
I suppose if he made it a double-CD set and included sol0 tracks by Art Garfunkel it would have made some kinda sense, similar to that Genesis collection from last year.
Bizarre.
I actually like the cover of this album.
As a record of where the solo Simon was in the 1970’s the “Greatest Hits, etc” release is, IMO, a perfect compilation.
If we’re going to have further compilations, its time, as someone mentioned above, to open up the vaults and lets have some rarities.
Boring! I won’t be buying this. Now if Sony released this as a hybrid multichannel SACD, that would be well worth buying and at a premium price as well as it would be a whole new listening experience. No wonder Sony has problems when it lacks imagination and does not respond to offer the products that many want, which for me, is more surround sound releases, preferably on SACD, not BDA which I don’t like as a format, nor do I like the DVDs used for surround sound releases.
Well there may be only one song from the last 25 years (‘Father and Daughter’), but it’s an absolute gem of a song, originally released only as a single in 2002. I’d buy this album just for that one song.
Jeremy, it’s Track 11 on (the UK edition of) Surprise!
Why bother is right.
With cds falling in price, you can easily get used copies of any best of Simon & Garfunkel and Paul Simon for under $5.
I completely agree with Steve in that they/him did create flawless albums and compilations do not do them/him justice. Would also add that the sound on the recent S&G complete albums is incredible for anyone thinking of purchasing it.
What’s with the cover? This idea is so old, they even made it sepia. LOL
Why bother?
Paul Simon’s first solo album is The Paul Simon Songbook. Though originally not released in the USA , it still is his first.
There’s a £6, 2cd solo compilation from 2012 available with twice the number of tracks. I’m not a fan of combined group/solo compilations for any artist.
You do get some rarities here though.
“Me and Julia Down by the School Yard” and “Slip Sliddin’ Away”, which I assume are early demos, before he changed the titles. Disappointed that “Bridge Over Troubled Waiter” isn’t included.
Man, is this lame! If one wants the best of Simon & Garfunkel/Paul Simon here’s what to get:
Sound of Silence (the entire CD);
Parsley, Sage… (ditto)
Bookends (ditto)
Bridge Over… (ditto)
So get the above on the 5-disc studio recordings.
As for Simon:
Paul Simon (the entire CD)
There Goes Rhymin’… (ditto)
Still Crazy… (ditto)
Graceland (ditto)
and the list could go on. My point is that they/him created flawless ALBUMS of material from which singles were picked for promotion via radio play. The very best material from their respective catalogues is missing in action on this compilation. A staggeringly awful selection.
What a pointless compilation! There is f-all on it!
I don’t know how much marketshare I represent, but I might be just who this is aimed at! I grew up in the 70s/80s with many of these songs seeping into my soul through repeated radio exposure. Graceland came out when I was 17 and in college. Some of Graceland’s radio hits were what inspired both the issuing of the Negotiations And Love Songs 1971-1986 comp and my buying it. 20 years later, I sold it without ever buying any other Simon material.
For me, S&G/Simon is in the same boat as The Eagles, Bad Company, Joe Walsh, Steve Miller Band, Hall & Oates. All performers I learned to like from repeated radio exposure before developing any critical acumen (i.e. going to college and being exposed to Punk and Indie/Post-Punk/College Rock) . Imbibed in innocent times, running in my blood forever, but not anything I’m proud of. For various reasons, I think people who like these performers are schmucks. But I still have 1-2 Disc comps from most of them.
But I have nothing from Hall & Oates and Simon. Neither has a comp that clears all my bases for me.
In H&O’s case, it’s ’cause I had 3 12″s from Big Bamm Boo, so my H&O comp needs to include most of those remixes… and that will probably never happen. That and that when I do listen closely to any other song than She’s Gone, i realize they suck.
But in Simon’s case it is likely the right comp will come for me. When I compared this to the one mentioned in the above article, this has A LOT more appeal to me: It has Graceland and Mrs. Robinson! If it goes cheap on Amazon I will buy it and hate myself in the morning!
Maybe BMG-SONY-MegaCorp thinks there are thousands of me out there. (Or maybe they’re just gonna kill Simon for the big pre-release promo push!)
Hall & Oates have two collections of 12″ remixes available. Their four cd box set can also be picked up for £11.
How on earth would anyone say this Simon collection is aimed at them?
You can get better Simon / S & G compilations for a third of the price! If its only Graceland and Mrs Robinson you want try I Tunes.
Pointless…
we already had the 1999 best of simon and garfunkel- 20 tracks,
1988- greatest hits- 14 tracks
the essential simon and garfunkel (my fave) 2 discs
the essential paul simon- 36 songs
Over the Bridge of Time: Paul Simon Retrospective
Negotiations And Love Songs 1971-1986
The Paul Simon Collection: On My Way, Don’t Know Where I’m Goin’
im sure the list goes on, this is just a cash cow- although i dont see people not already having them in their collection
Yes, there was also Shining Like A National Guitar.
Just another terrible compilation that nobody needs.
Who on earth is this aimed at? Paul Simon / Simon & Garfunkel must have now released more Greatest Hits / Best Of’s than The Beach Boys!!
If there is a music collector out there who hasn’t got this music in their collection I can’t see them wanting it now. I see there is only one track from the last 25 years which just shows how cynical this release is. Silly and not needed.
What next? “The Ultimatum Of The Ultimate Collections”, come on Simon you miserable old git open up the vaults!