Graceland is a 1986 album by Paul Simon. I bought my original copy on cassette tape! I have always liked Simon and Garfunkel a bit and this seventh studio album of Simon's was well publicised. I have paid it quite a bit of attention over the years and downloaded a 25th anniversary edition not long ago. Apparently Simon's life and career had not been going well until he brought out this album with its many South African township style tracks. Other tracks lean on Zydeco and Cajun music, also very fresh at the time. There is a track with Los Lobos too. Simon faced controversy for seemingly breaking the cultural boycott imposed by the rest of the world against the apartheid regime in South Africa. He was also accused of exploitation. It is Simon's most successful studio album and his highest-charting effort in over a decade. A big seller, it was given awards. I have mixed feelings about Paul Simon's lyrics. He certainly has an ability to find an attractive lyric that will stick in your head.
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