PAUL SIMON, Graceland USA 1st pressing LP [You Can Call Me Al/Boy in the Bubble]

$

20

Paul Simon ?– Graceland Label: Warner Bros. Records ?– 1-25447, Warner Bros. Records ?– 9 25447-1 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Specialty Pressing  Country: US Released: 01 Sep 1986 Genre: Jazz, Rock, Funk / Soul, Pop, Folk, World, & Country Style: Folk Rock, Pop Rock, African, Afrobeat, Zydeco, Funk, Rhythm & Blues Tracklist Hide Credits A1 The Boy In The Bubble Accordion – Forere Motloheloa Acoustic Guitar – Paul Simon Backing Vocals – Paul Simon Bass – Baghiti Khumalo* Drums – Vusi Khumalo Engineer [Assistant At Ovation Studios] – Peter Thwaites Engineer [Assistant At The Hit Factory] – Mark Cobrin Guitar Synthesizer [Synthesizer Guitar] – Adrian Belew Music By – Forere Motloheloa, Paul Simon Percussion – Makhaya Mahlangu Synthesizer – Rob Mounsey Words By – Paul Simon 3:59 A2 Graceland Backing Vocals – Paul Simon Bass – Baghiti Khumalo* Drums – Vusi Khumalo Engineer [Assistant At Amigo Studios] – Steven Strassman Engineer [Assistant At Ovation Studios] – Peter Thwaites Engineer [Assistant At The Hit Factory] – Mark Cobrin Guitar – Chikapa "Ray" Phiri* Pedal Steel Guitar – Demola Adepoju Percussion – Makhaya Mahlangu Vocals – The Everly Brothers*, Paul Simon Words By, Music By – Paul Simon 4:48 A3 I Know What I Know Engineer [Assistant At Ovation Studios] – Peter Thwaites Engineer [Assistant At The Hit Factory] – Mark Cobrin Featuring [With] – General M.D. Shirinda, The Gaza Sisters Music By – General M.D. Shirinda, Paul Simon Synthesizer [Synclavier], Vocals – Paul Simon Vocals – Paul Simon, The Gaza Sisters Words By – Paul Simon 3:13 A4 Gumboots Accordion – Jonhjon Mkhalali Backing Vocals – Diane Garisto, Michele Cobbs*, Paul Simon Drums – Petrus Manile Engineer [Assistant At Ovation Studios] – Peter Thwaites Engineer [Assistant At The Hit Factory] – Mark Cobrin Featuring [With] – The Boyoyo Boys Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar – Daniel Xilakazi Music By – Jonhjon Mkhalali, Lulu Masilela, Paul Simon Percussion – Ralph McDonald* Saxophone – Barney Rachabane, Mike Makhalemele, Teaspoon Ndlela Synthesizer [Synclavier] – Paul Simon Tambourine – Lulu Masilela Words By – Paul Simon 2:42 A5 Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes Alto Saxophone – Alex Foster Bass – Baghiti Khumalo* Drums – Isaac Mtshali Engineer [Assistant] – Mark Cobrin Guitar – Paul Simon, Chikapa "Ray" Phiri* Percussion – Assane Thiam, Babacar Faye, Youssou N'Dour Tenor Saxophone – Leonard Pickett* Trumpet – Earl Gardner Vocals – Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Paul Simon Words By, Music By – Paul Simon Written-By [Beginning By] – Joseph Shabalala, Paul Simon 5:34 B1 You Can Call Me Al Backing Vocals – Paul Simon Bass – Baghiti Khumalo* Bass Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Ronald E. Cuber* Drums – Isaac Mtshali Electric Bass [Six-String] – Paul Simon Engineer [Assistant] – Mark Cobrin Guitar – Chikapa "Ray" Phiri* Guitar Synthesizer – Adrian Belew Percussion – Ralph McDonald* Synthesizer – Rob Mounsey Tin Whistle [Pennywhistle Solo] – Morris Goldberg Trombone – David W. Bargeron*, Kim Allan Cissel Trumpet – Alan Rubin, John Faddis*, Lewis Michael Soloff*, Ronald E. Brecker* Words By, Music By – Paul Simon 4:39 B2 Under African Skies Bass – Baghiti Khumalo* Drums – Isaac Mtshali Engineer [Assistant At Amigo Studios] – Steven Strassman Engineer [Assistant At The Hit Factory] – Mark Cobrin Guitar – Adrian Belew, Paul Simon, Chikapa "Ray" Phiri* Percussion – Ralph McDonald* Vocals – Linda Ronstadt, Paul Simon Words By, Music By – Paul Simon 3:34 B3 Homeless Engineer [Assistant] – Andrew Fraser Featuring [With] – Ladysmith Black Mambazo Lead Vocals [Lead Singer] – Joseph Shabalala Words By, Music By – Joseph Shabalala, Paul Simon 3:45 B4 Crazy Love, Vol. II Backing Vocals – Paul Simon Bass – Lloyd Lelose Drums – Isaac Mtshali Engineer [Assistant At Ovation Studios] – Peter Thwaites Engineer [Assistant At The Hit Factory] – Mark Cobrin Featuring [With] – Stimela Guitar – Chikapa "Ray" Phiri* Guitar Synthesizer – Adrian Belew Soprano Saxophone – Morris Goldberg Words By, Music By – Paul Simon 4:17 B5 That Was Your Mother Accordion – Alton Rubin, Sr. (Dopsie)* Bass – Alonzo Johnson Drums – Alton Rubin, Jr. Engineer [Assistant] – Mark Miller (2) Featuring [With] – Good Rockin' Dopsie And The Twisters* Guitar – Sherman Robertson Saxophone – Johnny Hoyt Washboard – David Rubin Words By, Music By – Paul Simon 2:51 B6 All Around The World Or The Myth Of Fingerprints Acoustic Guitar – Paul Simon Bass – Conrad Lozano Drums – Louie Perez Drums [Additional] – Steve Gadd Engineer [Assistant At Amigo Studios] – Steven Strassman Engineer [Assistant At The Hit Factory] – Mark Cobrin Featuring [With] – Los Lobos Guitar – Cesar Rosas Guitar, Accordion – David Hildago* Percussion – Ralph McDonald* Saxophone – Steve Berlin Vocals – Cesar Rosas, David Hildago*, Paul Simon Words By, Music By – Paul Simon 3:15 Companies, etc. Copyright (c) – Warner Bros. Records Inc. Copyright (c) – WEA International Inc. Copyright (c) – Paul Simon Phonographic Copyright (p) – Paul Simon Recorded At – Ovation Studios Recorded At – The Hit Factory Recorded At – Amigo Studios Recorded At – Abbey Road Studios Recorded At – Master Trak Studio Mastered At – Sterling Sound Pressed By – Specialty Records Corporation Record Company – Warner Bros. Records Inc. Record Company – Warner Communications Credits Arranged By [Co-Arranged By] – Paul Simon (tracks: B1, B2, B4), Chikapa "Ray" Phiri* (tracks: B1, B2, B4)  Art Direction – Jeffrey Kent Ayeroff, Jeri McManus Coordinator [Album Production Coordination] – ...Night After Night...Ltd.*  Design – Kim Champagne Engineer – Roy Halee Mastered By [Originally Mastered By] – Greg Calbi Photography By [Back Cover] – Gary Heery Photography By [Icon] – Mark Sexton Producer – Paul Simon Programmed By [Synclavier Programming] – John Mahoney Notes Issued with printed inner sleeve containing full lyrics. 

USA FIRST PRESSING VINYL ALBUM IN EMBOSSED SLEEVE WITH ORIGINAL PRINTED INNER SLEEVE.

SLEEVE: VERY GOOD+, JUST LIGHT SHELF, CORNER, EDGE AND RING WEAR.   INNER SLEEVE VERY GOOD+ WITH NO SEAM SPLITS.

DISC: VERY GOOD+. NO SCRATCHES, BUT A FEWLIGHT PLAY SCUFFS AND FINGERPRINTS. CLEAN LABELS.

Why buy a first or early pressing and not a re-issue or a ‘re-mastered’ vinyl album?

First and early pressings are pressed from the first generation lacquers and stampers. They usually sound vastly superior to later issues/re-issues (which, in recent times, are often pressed from whatever 'best' tapes or digital sources are currently available) - many so-called 'audiophile' new 180g pressings are cut from hi-res digital sources…essentially an expensive CD pressed on vinyl.  Why  experience the worse elements of both formats?  These are just High Maintenance CDs, with mid-ranges so cloaked with a veil as to sound smeared.  They are nearly always compressed with murky transients and a general lifelessness in the overall sound.  There are exceptions where re-masters/re-presses outshine the original issues, but they are exceptions and not the norm.

First or early pressings nearly always have more immediacy, presence and dynamics. The sound staging is wider.  Subtle instrument nuances are better placed with more spacious textures. Balances are firmer in the bottom end with a far-tighter bass. Upper-mid ranges shine without harshness, and the overall depth is more immersive.  Inner details are  clearer.

On first and early pressings, the music tends to sound more ‘alive’ and vibrant.  The physics of sound energy is hard to clarify and write about from a listening perspective, but the best we can describe it is to say that you can 'hear' what the mixing and mastering engineers wanted you to hear when they first recorded the music.