Paul Simon

It's not officially his first solo album -- 1965's The Paul Simon Songbook wins that distinction -- but Simon's eponymous '72 release is his first after separating from Jewfro-ed foil Art Garfunkel. The calypso-inflected "Mother and Child Reunion" is Simon's earliest foray into the world music sphere he'd explore a decade later, and "Me and Julio" contains one of the most memorable whistle breaks in pop music. But mostly this album finds Simon unaccompanied by much more than his guitar and hand percussion, and songs like "Papa Hobo" and "Peace Like a River" shine in their soulful, simple Simon ease.

I've been saying nasty things about Simon since 1967, but this is the only thing in the universe to make me positively happy in the first two weeks of February 1972. I hope Art Garfunkel is gone for good--he always seemed so vestigial, but it's obvious now that two-part harmony crippled Simon's naturally agile singing and composing. And the words! This is a professional tour of Manhattan for youth culture grads, complete with Bella Abzug, hard rain, and people who steal your chow fong. The self-production is economical and lively, with the guitars of Jerry Hahn and Stefan Grossman and Airto Moreira's percussion especially inspired. William Carlos Williams after the repression: "Peace Like a River." (Grade - A+)