The Rhythm of the Saints is the eighth solo
studio album by American singer-songwriter
Paul Simon, released on October 16, 1990, by
Warner Bros. In much the same way that Simon's previous album, Graceland, released in 1986, drew upon
South African music, this album was inspired by
Brazilian musical traditions.[1][2] Like its predecessor, the album was commercially successful and received mostly favorable reviews from critics.
The Rhythm of the Saints peaked at No. 4 on the US album chart, while Graceland had peaked at No. 3, ranking them both among Simon's most commercially successful albums. The album was also successful across the Atlantic, reaching No. 1 on the UK album chart. However, with the exception of "The Obvious Child", none of its three singles—including "Proof" and "Born at the Right Time"—charted or received substantial radio play. "The Obvious Child" also failed to reach the US top 40, although it reached No. 15 in the UK, becoming Simon's last major hit there. The album was certified
Multi-Platinum.
Central Park concert
Alongside various musicians, Simon performed live versions of many of the songs from the album at a free concert in
Central Park,
New York City on August 15, 1991, in front of an audience of around 500,000 people. The performance was recorded and later released as the album Paul Simon's Concert in the Park.
Track listing
All tracks composed by
Paul Simon, except "The Coast" (music by Simon and Vincent Nguini) and "Spirit Voices" (Portuguese lyrics by
Milton Nascimento).
According to Robert J. Reina of Stereophile magazine, Simon's original track sequence was changed when "the boys in Warners' front office insisted the album's lead single, 'The Obvious Child' be given pride of place."[14] To hear Simon's preferred track order, the current release would have to be re-sequenced as 3-6-4-7-8-1-2-9-5-10. At least two sleeves reflecting this track listing are known to exist.[15]
^Inc, Nielsen Business Media (28 December 1989).
Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 16 January 2017 – via Internet Archive. {{
cite book}}: |last= has generic name (
help)
^"Billboard". books.google.com. 12 October 1991. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
^Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 263.
ISBN978-951-1-21053-5.
The Rhythm of the Saints is the eighth solo
studio album by American singer-songwriter
Paul Simon, released on October 16, 1990, by
Warner Bros. In much the same way that Simon's previous album, Graceland, released in 1986, drew upon
South African music, this album was inspired by
Brazilian musical traditions.[1][2] Like its predecessor, the album was commercially successful and received mostly favorable reviews from critics.
The Rhythm of the Saints peaked at No. 4 on the US album chart, while Graceland had peaked at No. 3, ranking them both among Simon's most commercially successful albums. The album was also successful across the Atlantic, reaching No. 1 on the UK album chart. However, with the exception of "The Obvious Child", none of its three singles—including "Proof" and "Born at the Right Time"—charted or received substantial radio play. "The Obvious Child" also failed to reach the US top 40, although it reached No. 15 in the UK, becoming Simon's last major hit there. The album was certified
Multi-Platinum.
Central Park concert
Alongside various musicians, Simon performed live versions of many of the songs from the album at a free concert in
Central Park,
New York City on August 15, 1991, in front of an audience of around 500,000 people. The performance was recorded and later released as the album Paul Simon's Concert in the Park.
Track listing
All tracks composed by
Paul Simon, except "The Coast" (music by Simon and Vincent Nguini) and "Spirit Voices" (Portuguese lyrics by
Milton Nascimento).
According to Robert J. Reina of Stereophile magazine, Simon's original track sequence was changed when "the boys in Warners' front office insisted the album's lead single, 'The Obvious Child' be given pride of place."[14] To hear Simon's preferred track order, the current release would have to be re-sequenced as 3-6-4-7-8-1-2-9-5-10. At least two sleeves reflecting this track listing are known to exist.[15]
^Inc, Nielsen Business Media (28 December 1989).
Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 16 January 2017 – via Internet Archive. {{
cite book}}: |last= has generic name (
help)
^"Billboard". books.google.com. 12 October 1991. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
^Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 263.
ISBN978-951-1-21053-5.