Music : Greatest Hits : Shining Like A National Guitar

Rating: - Greatest Hits
Although this album has been superseded by 'The Essential' collection released in 2008, 'Shining Like A National Guitar' is still a fantastic selection of Paul Simon tracks in one place. You get a variety of tracks from his solo albums and although his 'Graceland' songs stand out and have particular resonance for me, the other tracks selected here are just as great. From the primal drumming of 'Obvious Child' to 'Still Crazy After All These Tears' and the jubilant 'Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard', this CD has some outstanding tracks to introduce you to Paul Simons song writing abilities and style. The booklet is excellent, with a short essay and the song lyrics and all in all this makes for one top package and a good place to go if you'd like to know more of Paul Simons music.

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Rating: - The Misssisssipi Delta Still Gleaming After All These Years
This is a very acceptable compilation of Paul Simon's solo career spanning both his years with Columbia Records and Warner Brothers who now have the rights to all his back catalogue.From the early days we have Me And Julio... up to the more recent Bernadette.Most fans will have these tracks on several albums already so it is difficult to see who this album is aimed at.Paul Simon solo and with Simon & Garfunkel has so many compilation albums available that they vastly outnmber his albums of original material.With the addition of digital remastering, few could fault this collection though the inclusion of Rene And Georgette Magritte And Their Dog is strange.I know few people who like this track which finds Paul at his most pretentious and dull.However, the rest of the album is great and a fine inroduction to the music of Paul Simon.Magic moment- Steve Gadd's drumming on Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover.

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Rating: - The best single-disc Paul Simon-collection available
The various Paul Simon-compilations that have been released over the years have been an unsatisfying bunch, leaving out some of his best and most succesful songs in favor of his own personal favorites, so none of those collections can be recommended unreservedly.

But "Greatest Hits: Shining Like A National Guitar" remedies that, and it is by far the best such collection ever released, selecting 19 songs from Paul Simon's studio recordings between 1972 and 1997, including all of his ten British chart singles.

Not quite as comprehensive as the double-disc "Paul Simon Anthology", "Shining Like A National Guitar" nevertheless gathers almost all of Simon's very best songs, including "Still Crazy After All These Years", "Graceland", "The Obvious Child", "Mother And Child Reunion", "Slip Slidin' Away", "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover", "Take Me To The Mardi Gras", "Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard", and of course "You Can Call Me Al".

If you're looking for a place to start, this is it. And if you're looking for just one Paul Simon-collection, this might very well be it as well, especially if you already have the key Simon & Garfunkel-songs (which can be found on "The Paul Simon Anthology").
4½ stars - highly recommended.

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Rating: - Excellece and Emotion and Wit all in one brilliant album!!!
I only Heard of Paul Simon when i saw his 'you can call me al' video on VH1 Classic.

It was then i decided to look out for more of his great work.

When i brought this album i enjoyed every song on there especially these:

You can call me al
Mother and child reunion
cool cool river
50 way's to leave your lover
the obvious child
Boy in the bubble
take me to the mardi gras
Me and julio down by the schoolyard

Trust me you cannot go wrong with this album and it belongs in every paul simon fan's collection.

You will love the lyrics as much as the tunes to each song, Please read this and make the right choice by the best paul simon album since Graceland!

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Rating: - Excellece and Emotion and Wit all in one brilliant album!!!
I only Heard of Paul Simon when i saw his 'you can call me al' video on VH1 Classic.

It was then i decided to look out for more of his great work.

When i brought this album i enjoyed every song on there especially these:

You can call me al
Mother and child reunion
cool cool river
50 way's to leave your lover
the obvious child
Boy in the bubble
take me to the mardi gras
Me and julio down by the schoolyard

Trust me you cannot go wrong with this album and it belongs in every paul simon fan's collection.

You will love the lyrics as much as the tunes to each song, Please read this and make the right choice by the best paul simon album since Graceland!