vintage song obsession: Paul Simon – “The Obvious Child” (late 2003-early 2004)
Sometimes you hear a song again for the first time. Something flips in your head and you realize you like it. Sometimes it’s something specific that you hear or a mood you’re in that causes that change. Or maybe some other music you’ve heard in the meantime changed your mindset and opened you up to it.
I don’t know what flipped that switch for me on “The Obvious Child”. I’d heard it growing up–Rhythm of the Saints was one of only a couple pop records my parents had–and I remember liking it but it wasn’t anything I came back to. What brought me back to it in 2003? Your guess is as good as mine.
What I do know is that it sounded totally different. Those drums–by samba reggae group Olodum–at the beginning were, and are still, huge and fascinating. I listened through it picking out all the different rhythmic layers. Those five 1/16th surdo (low drum) notes during the turn-around are key to keeping the whole rhythm driving along, for instance
And say what you will about Simon’s cultural appropriations, but when he’s on, he’s got a genius knack at making fluid and beautiful pop songs with world influences.
Paul Simon – The Obvious Child (mp3)
I like this video from Live in Central Park because the drums sound even bigger than on the recording:
“The Obvious Child” is on Rhythm of the Saints, available at insound.
