Paul Simon
Surprise

THE REVIEW

FROM THE LOGBOOK OF PAUL SIMON (All true!!)

April 10, 2005
Dear Art, I'm in New Guinea recording the sounds of the rubber-chewing Papuans, but after three days and nights, I haven't had any new ideas for my next album. I'm not giving up and I'll keep going for a couple more weeks, who knows...

May 11, 2005
Dear Art, I've abandoned the 1,500 hours of recordings accumulated and Papua, I'm now heading towards Central Asia and Mongolia. You understand that after the stroke of luck with "Graceland" (20 years ago) made with the Africans, replicated with "The Rhythm of the Saint" done with the Brazilians and "Songs from the Capeman" with the Puerto Ricans, and considering that, as soon as I dared to change the formula, the record company half-screwed me for the flop ("The One")...I'm still here traveling the world looking for an inspiration that will bring me back to the glorious past. What one has to do to survive...

July 14, 2005
Dear Art, sorry if you can't read these writings well but I'm under the sewers of Kiev trying to record the sounds of orphaned glue-sniffing kids, all in 2 square meters without light, with rats running past the microphone. Those bastards! Who knows, maybe some idea will come to me...

July 28, 2005
Dear Art, no luck, the sniffers stole all my equipment but I don't give up. Now I'm south of Lapland and I'm convincing two half-Inuits to be my sound technicians on the next album, you know... they say they can produce miraculous arrangements and then they're satisfied with salted cod and kerosene (as payment, I mean). We'll see if at least they...

August 5, 2005
Bjork just told me to go to hell and even the Matmos flashed their middle finger at me. Can you believe it, no one wants to produce my next album?! It's a shame!! (is it time to dig deep into my wallet?!)

August 28, 2005
I'm going at random... the first one who says yes, I'll hire them and I won't think about it anymore!

September 15, 2005
Dear Art, I was walking around New York and while I was with the microphone next to the toilet flush of the Heartbreak Hotel to try to catch some sound, guess who passed by?! You won't believe it... the legendary Brian Eno, also known as "PrezzENOlo"...can you believe it?! So after I offered him coffee (with a brioche, the glutton!!) we started chatting and... HEAR IT, he agreed to be the sound engineer for my next album for the modest sum of... let's not go there, it's better!!
Well, anyway, beyond the expense, it's fantastic, don't you think?

October 8, 2005
The record company did two calculations (U2 + Eno > ZOOROPA + POP = Worldwide success = Big bucks!) and gave me the OK. I'm so excited I've written 4 silly chord sequences but "the genius of Eno" will fix everything (even Bowie told me, as he no longer knows which saint to turn to!!). Now we're entering the recording studio. I brought my packed lunch (my wife says I need to start saving something to pay Eno... who meanwhile is enjoying caviar and champagne at the bar under the studio!)

October 11, 2005
Dear Art, here every minute of recording costs me as much as a dumb child ($10,000 a minute, roughly!) so I mustn't waste time writing songs, as that's not what matters ... "the genius of Eno" will take care of it (as Zucchero Fornaciari told me who's thinking of hiring him too!) and for the lyrics, the usual crap is fine...a bit of love, freedom, loneliness, the father-son relationship...in short, the usual stuff that always "sells" (in a "literary" sense, eh?! You dirty old man :-)))

October 12, 2005
We finished...in three hours I recorded 72 songs, 40 were really bad, 21 were unbearable...in short, I kept 11 that were quite passable since "the genius of Eno" will make them cute and trendy with those fine basslines and those icy, cool sounds. I'm super excited!!

October 13, 2005
I've recorded all the vocal parts (even excessively, since I improvised random phrases too... "the genius of...oh well, you get it)!

November 20, 2005
The album is ready and I'm quite satisfied even though everyone thinks it's me singing on a Brian Eno album with U2's country-pop music, and frankly, it annoys me (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!?! with all I've shelled out, dammit!!!)

December 12, 2005
Bono has raised a ruckus and is going to lawyers (he says he doesn't recognize his voice... ha ha ha, he's really lost it!!).

December 18, 2005
Warner Bros wants to put on the cover as credit "U2 & Paul Simon" but I refuse (without adequate financial compensation!!). They say that way sales would be guaranteed. AND SCREW THAT, I say... we need to at least agree ON THE PRICE if we're going to talk!

January 14, 2006
Dear Art, I thought that "ON THE PRICE" would actually be a good title...since it all started from there, but the record company says it's too mercenary. Does it give you the same impression?

March 22, 2006
We've agreed on a title that will be a compromise: it will be called "SURPRISE" which, if you read between the lines, closely resembles "On Price," half Italian and half English. Cool, right? The album will be released in early May. What are the songs like? What a question: don't embarrass me now... I'd call it one undistinguished mash that comes and goes like stream water... what does stream water taste like?! Who knows... I've been drinking tap water for years!

April 24, 2006
I'm already thinking about the producer for the next album and I'm losing sleep? I was considering the Tenores di Bitti from Sardinia, the ones Gabriel used? What do you think, is it a stupid idea?! Do you have any other ideas?

P.S. If maybe you could answer me from time to time, it wouldn't be bad... I'm thinking of organizing yet another big concert in some square, at least I'd be sure to fill it up... you know how it is, I have to fund the now half-drained coffers!! Eh eh eh... Write to me curly!

See you later!
Your "old friend"
Paul