Review of the concert: Paul Simon at Globen in Stockholm

He does not say good bye at the end, when he comes out after eight extranames and two and a half hours, crowned with a serious lonely version of "The Sound of Silence" which started there are more than Fifty years old and still the most beloved and inevitable song of Paul Simon, in close competition with "Bridge over the water trouble."

Instead, Frank Sinatra begins to sing "Mrs. Robinson" in the speakers as a surprise greeting from a completely different musical world. Possible to resemble both a lacquer park and boast; For example, Bob Dylan never had a song performed by Sinatra.

In addition, is a kind of reminder of the number of classics that Paul Simon did not include in his long concert. In particular, from the catalog Simon & Garfunkel, all "I'm a rock", "Cecilia", "Scarborough fair", "El condor pasa" …

Maybe there was who missed it, I miss some watches The first solo career, like "Loves me like a rock" or "Duncan". But we can not all remember it, and four songs from the 1990s, Robbery of the Saints, turned out to be a better idea than I would have thought.

There are so many different phases well beyond this folk songwriter who would have been one of the great, even if he has ever written a song after 1970. And when he claims amazingly that most of his songs are made to dance, it's probably more publicity than truth.

But his group can handle all facets. It's so big and moving that it's almost impossible to grab it. The first time I count they are ten, later twelve, even later fourteen. Fifteen in the program of the tour. Change position and instruments and come and go.

Some songs in the middle do it with the yMusic chamber ensemble, just strings and blues plus an electric guitar. In "The obvious child" are the five percussionists, in "Diamonds on the soles of shoes here" at least nine choir singers. Many arrangements are also modified, with new blues or different rhythms. And "Bridge over troubled water" has never been so complex.

Yet, Paul Simon is so similar across all of this. Sweet, calm and infinitely hot. With a voice that has become both hoarse and veiled here and there, but which is found in the most beautiful light without perceptible problems. In the mighty "American song" chanted at the very end, I realize that his seventy-six-year-old voice has not aged at all.

Nevertheless, it seems wise to extinguish it this way, with a farewell tour while it still can. And it's easy to get rid of the relief that he explains that he knows now, not knowing what's going on next.

Few artists nevertheless supported their assignment, with equal ambition and stubborn renewal. At the same time as "The Sound of Silence" and "Bridge on Cloudy Water" should always be played, even though it may not be the same.

At this latter he explains that he had a complicated relationship, she came to him and was better than his usual songs, so he allowed other voices to sing him and stayed at him. distance. But now he wants to take him as a lost child

What makes the interpretation feel the definitive, although I've never heard of him at his previous concerts have difficulties with him. But is it somewhere that Paul Simon finishes with the flag at the top, he's right there, completely available in a chambered version with a lot of musical triplet