Dull Blades are weapons in the Swords arsenal that saw battle in the recent past, a collection of techniques and skills performed by legendary heroes of yore, the ones that gave you lasting, fleeting memories of their utter greatness. Sometimes its just a chance re-listening flipped to for a car ride; other times it is a skill tree you forgot to explore from an artist who obviously had tricks up his sleeves.
Thus comes Paul Simons first solo album. I knew plenty of Simon and Garfunkel while growing up; they were all over the oldies station my parents would listen to on long weekend drives. When Simon branched off, I lost connection with his music (besides the inescapable awesomeness of You Can Call Me Al). Recently, i discovered Graceland for all its beauty, and began to check out Paul Simons career directly after he broke off with Garfunkel. Garfunkel. Bleh.
I came of course to this first solo album of his, with so much awesomeness and coming out of left field in his embrace of such a drastic change in sound. Mother and Child Reunion is a fuckin' HIT of a first track, and there's no better way to start the 2nd side of an LP than with Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard:
