How did a Jewish kid from Queens end up on top of the musical pyramid? That’s the question Bonca seeks to answer in his insightful portrait of Paul Simon, who, at 72, remains at the top of his game. Simon met his future songwriting partner, Art Garfunkel, in sixth grade. They lived three blocks apart, became fast friends, and soon began writing songs together. At 15, they tried selling their wares at the famous Brill Building in midtown Manhattan. Their first album, Wednesday Morning 3 A.M., set the template for what was to follow: literate songwriting, lush harmonies, gorgeous melodies. That their songs appeared on TheGraduate soundtrack only sealed the deal. When the duo parted ways in 1970, Simon began an exploration of world music, most successfully on Graceland and The Rhythm of the Saints. In spite of occasional missteps, such as the disastrous film, One-Trick Pony, Simon, Bonca affirms, continues to create important work, including his recent album, So Beautiful or So What.

Booklist

Beyond Bonca’s poetic expertise and profound readings of individual songs, the highlight of this book is the context it provides. . . .It also includes significant film and book releases. The timeline will allow readers to see at a glance events that might have influenced the songwriting process. This book will prove most useful for a class such as an undergraduate popular music survey, or as background reading for a more advanced seminar. Lay audiences and newcomers to Simon’s work will also find it an interesting and . . . accessible introduction to his career. Serious music scholars will appreciate the author’s poetic readings of many songs and his thorough understanding of the cultural milieu in which Simon has worked . . . Therefore, Paul Simon: An American Tune is recommended for well-stocked general libraries and for universities whose general studies curricula include classes in popular music or 1960s to 1980s American culture.

Notes: Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association