'Hearts And Bones'

Over the past year, no one's become a bigger fan of Paul Simon than me. His first several solo albums have simply become several of my favorites of the past several years and, probably, all time.

However, modern times did not do Simon any favors. Hearts and Bones and Graceland both show the same symptoms: Overproduced, overdone, over-'80s, keyboards, synths, basslines that don't quit and lyrics that don't seem to connect on the same level.

That's what's most depressing: Everything we absolutely love about those early albums seem lost on these later albums. Like a musician going through a mid-age crisis thinking he needs to out-produce everything he's done before. And it doesn't work. Simply doesn't work on any level.

Two things I am thankful for is that one song is about Carrie Fisher, and, generally, most people at the time thought the album sucked, too. See, I'm not crazy or jaded.