Surprise (Paul Simon album)

Surprise is the eleventh solo studio album by American musician Paul Simon, released on May 9, 2006. It peaked at #14 on the Billboard 200.

Surprise
Studio album by
Paul Simon
ReleasedMay 9, 2006
RecordedSummer 2002, Early 2003-2004, Late 2004–Early 2006
StudioMayfair Studios Landsdowne Studios Ocean Way Nashville Capitol Studios The Hit Factory Clinton Recording Studios Sony Music Studios Right Track Recording
GenreSoft rock
Length45:16
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerPaul Simon
Paul Simon chronology
You're the One
(2000)		 Surprise
(2006)		 The Essential Paul Simon
(2007)

History

After the relative success of You're the One, which was released in late 2000 finding Simon back to the Top 20 of the American charts after ten years of absence and also receiving a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year, Paul Simon spent most of the following two years promoting the album. In 2002 he took a year off, and during 2003 and 2004 had a widely documented reunion with Art Garfunkel, followed by a Simon & Garfunkel Old Friends reunion tour from October–December 2003 and June and July 2004, where the duo extensively toured America and Europe and the concerts in New York in December 2003 were registered on both a live album and video that was released by the end of the year. Also in December 2004, Paul Simon's studio albums were re-released in remastered issues, as well as re-promoted.

At this point, Simon was fully involved in the writing and recording of a new studio album. He was introduced to Brian Eno, producer of Talking Heads and U2 among others.

According to Simon, one of the first songs written for the album was "Wartime Prayers", which became one of the most celebrated tracks of the album and later a concert favourite. Simon commented that, in some kind of premonition, the song was written even before the Iraq invasion in 2003. Soon after, early recording for the album began. The album was recorded in London, New York and Nashville. Simon first met with Brian Eno in London to discuss a collaboration between Eno's electronic production and Simon's classic guitar folk-rock. As Simon said, "We spent some time in his studio and decided to combine our visions. It took about two years. The actual time I spent with Brian was 20 days, split into four periods. We found we could really work intensely for five days, and after that it was a bit of a burnout." [1]

Inspiration

In personal terms, Simon was inspired by the fact of being over sixty years old – an age that he turned in 2001 and that he humorously referred already on his single "Old", from the You're the One album.

In the way of the songs were written, Simon stated – "I start with the rhythm. It's drums first, then I go to key to sound to guitar to the form of the song to the beginning of the melody. As the melody begins, so do the words. That's how it's been since Graceland. I write backward." Simon was particularly grateful with the results of the songs written considering of his age.

I'm much more judgmental these days. Finishing a song is more satisfying now because I'm grateful, whereas when I was 28, I expected it. Now if I find something to say, and I say it in a way that I think is artful and true, I'm relieved I wasn't frustrated or stymied. When I was younger, I just said whatever I had to say. I ask myself now: Do I deeply believe that? Will anybody get it? Am I just talking to myself? You have to put that aside because it's not very helpful. [...] I'm trying to be as honest as I can expressing myself musically and lyrically, editing out what might be considered obscure but not trying to oversimplify or be condescending. And then I have to let go, even if I don't immediately understand the words. What I meant eventually reveals itself. You can be too familiar with the process, which I've been doing since I was 15. Sometimes, instead of manipulating the craft, you have to just be the vessel through which some sort of inspiration will flow. With this record, it took me a while to map out a path.

— Paul Simon, [1]

Simon showed special care about the musical venture he traveled since 1986's Graceland. As he put it, "Once you go away for a bit, you wonder who people think you are. If they don't know what you're up to, they just go by your history. I'm so often described as this person that went to other cultures, which is true, but I never thought of it that way. I suspect people are thinking, 'What culture did you go to?' But this record is straight-ahead American."

The digital sounds of the 2000s also reportedly inspired Simon. "I wondered, 'Is this an appropriate context to express various thoughts, given the way people listen now and the way music is exposed to the world?' Pop music, as it's constantly evolving, is completely different from the value system and aesthetic I grew up with and contributed to." Simon stated that he wasn't demonizing technological shifts. "The Internet is opening things up", he said. "At first it caused the record business to implode, but now it's making life easier. It's broken the stranglehold that radio had. Downloading has made people more eclectic in their tastes, and I'd guess eventually that will redirect radio to loosen up, because it will have to compete. When that happens, you can say whatever you want, and there will be a place for it."

Eno was finally not credited as producer but as provider of "sonic landscape". Simon expressed gratitude with the album – "Working with Brian Eno opens the door to a world of sonic possibilities; plus he's just a great guy to hang with in the studio, or for that matter in life. I had a really good time."

Singles

Surprise gained attention for spawning an unusual number of singles for a later Simon album, something that did not happen with either Songs From The Capeman or You're the One.

"Father and Daughter" was released in Europe on May 29, 2006 as a CD single backed with "Another Galaxy". It managed to reach #31 in the UK, becoming Simon's only appearance as a solo artist on the British singles charts after 1990. On August 21, "That's Me" was released as the second single of the album, with the classic "You Can Call Me Al" as the B-side. It failed to appear on any national charts.

Finally, "Outrageous", one of the most promoted and particularly distinctive songs from the album, was released as the third single of Surprise on November 13. The B-side for the CD single was the American number-one hit "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover", while the B-side for the coloured vinyl 7" single was the Top 5 smash "Slip Slidin' Away". "Outrageous" was also promoted with a music video specifically made for the song. It also, however, failed to become a hit single.[2]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic78/100[3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[5]
The Guardian[6]
The Irish Times[7]
NME8/10[8]
The Observer[9]
Pitchfork5.1/10[10]
Q[11]
Rolling Stone[12]
Uncut[13]

Surprise was positively received by most critics. It gained a score of 78 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 23 professional reviews.[3] The Observer reviewer Neil Spencer praised both Simon's and Eno's work: "Simon offers no easy answers to the questions sprayed out in his memorable lines, alternating dreamy idylls with grumpy dissatisfaction while Eno's production ebbs and flows like a digitalised Greek chorus." He called the album "a thrilling return to form".[9] Entertainment Weekly's Chris Willman stated that "patience is rewarded with moments of stellar songwriting", in an allusion to the high anticipation of the release of the album. Willman praised particularly Brian Eno's work: "If Surprise seduces a wider audience than the placid-sounding You're the One, thank co-producer Brian Eno, whose sonic upgrade makes his subject's musings more ear-tickling and appropriately tense. [...] Eno finds smart ways to accent Simon's worry lines."[5] Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic was also very positive with the album, calling the album a "comeback": "Simon doesn't achieve his comeback by reconnecting with the sound and spirit of his classic work; he has achieved it by being as restless and ambitious as he was at his popular and creative peak, which makes Surprise all the more remarkable."[4]

Both Billboard and Rolling Stone were more reserved in their praise, with Billboard stating that "Surprise falls shy of a masterpiece, but it is consistently engaging and offers some of Simon's most creative songs in two decades." Rolling Stone wrote that "despite the album's shiny surface, Simon sounds like Simon".[12]

Commercial performance

Simon promoted the album extensively, making television appearances, signing copies of the album and later launching a transatlantic tour in support of Surprise.

On May 7, he appeared on Sunday Morning where he was interviewed by Harry Smith. On May 12, three days after the release of the album, he appeared on Good Morning America. On May 13 Simon performed "How Can You Live in the Northeast?" and "Outrageous" at Saturday Night Live. Promotion in the UK was next, with Simon performing "Outrageous", "Father and Daughter" and "Graceland" on Later... with Jools Holland. That show also featured performances by David Gilmour with David Crosby and Graham Nash, Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint, The Streets and Nação Zumbi.

The hype surrounding the release of the album was followed by a positive commercial reception. With Surprise, Paul Simon achieved his greatest week of sales during the Soundscan era, when the album debuted at #14 on the Billboard 200 with sales of over 61,000 copies sold, which slightly surpassed the 60,000 units sold by You're the One back in 2000.[14] Surprise was also Simon's highest chart position in his homeland since The Rhythm of the Saints landed at #4 in 1990. Surprise has sold 296,000 copies in the US.[15]

In the UK, reaction was even stronger, with the album debuting at #4, and then becoming his best chart position also since The Rhythm of the Saints was #1 in 1990. During its second week, Surprise notably stayed at #4, and then slipped down to #20 during its third week, disappearing quickly from the charts.

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."How Can You Live in the Northeast?"Paul Simon3:42
2."Everything About It Is a Love Song"Paul Simon3:57
3."Outrageous"Paul Simon, Brian Eno3:24
4."Sure Don't Feel Like Love"Paul Simon3:57
5."Wartime Prayers"Paul Simon4:49
6."Beautiful"Paul Simon3:07
7."I Don't Believe"Paul Simon4:09
8."Another Galaxy"Paul Simon, Brian Eno5:22
9."Once Upon a Time There Was an Ocean"Paul Simon, Brian Eno3:55
10."That's Me"Paul Simon4:43
11."Father and Daughter"Paul Simon4:11

Personnel

Production

  • Paul Simon – producer
  • Brian Eno – sonic landscape
  • Andy Smith – recording and programming
  • Tchad Blake – mixing
  • Laurence Brazil, Jim Briggs, Dan Bucchi, Daniel Gross, Scrap Marshall, Zach McNees, Claudius Mittendorfer, Derek Moffatt, Charlie Paakkari, Steve Pelluet, Mike Peters, Bryan Russell, Ryan Simms, Bryan Smith, Chris Testa – engineers

The Surprise Tour

The Surprise Tour covered the United States, Canada and parts of Europe between June and November 2006. It consisted on 27 shows, including a performance on a sold-out Wembley Stadium on November 10. Below is a typical set list from "The Surprise Tour."

Main Set

  1. "Gumboots"
  2. "The Boy in the Bubble"
  3. "Outrageous"
  4. "Slip Slidin' Away"
  5. "You're the One"
  6. "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard"
  7. "How Can You Live in the Northeast"
  8. "Mrs. Robinson"
  9. "Loves Me Like a Rock"
  10. "That Was Your Mother"
  11. "Duncan"
  12. "Graceland"
  13. "Father and Daughter"
  14. "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes"
  15. "Still Crazy After All These Years"
  16. "Cecilia"

First Encore

  1. "You Can Call Me Al"
  2. "The Only Living Boy in New York"
  3. "The Boxer" (featuring Jerry Douglas on Dobro)

Second Encore

  1. "Wartime Prayers"
  2. "Bridge Over Troubled Water"

Tour dates
Date City Country Venue
North America and Promotional Performances
May 7, 2006 New Orleans United States New Orleans Fairgrounds
May 12, 2006 New York City Good Morning America
May 13, 2006 Saturday Night Live
May 18, 2006 Los Angeles The Ellen DeGeneres Show
(Taped earlier)
May 26, 2006 London England Later with Jools Holland
North America
June 28, 2006 Columbus United States Value City Arena
June 29, 2006 Cleveland Plain Dealer Pavilion
July 1, 2006 Milwaukee Summerfest
July 2, 2006 Toledo Toledo Zoo Amphitheater
July 4, 2006 Cooperstown Doubleday Field
July 5, 2006 Montreal Canada Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier
July 7, 2006 Essex Junction United States Champlain Valley Exposition
July 8, 2006 Manchester Verizon Wireless Arena
July 9, 2006 Uncasville Mohegan Sun Arena
July 12, 2006 Columbia Merriweather Post Pavilion
July 15, 2006 Atlantic City Borgata Events Center
July 16, 2006 Holmdel PNC Bank Arts Center
July 19, 2006 Atlanta Chastain Park Amphitheatre
July 21, 2006 Grand Prairie Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie
July 22, 2006 The Woodlands Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
July 24, 2006 San Antonio San Antonio Municipal Auditorium
July 26, 2006 Phoenix Maricopa Events Center
July 28, 2006 Costa Mesa Orange County Fair
July 29, 2006 Paso Robles California Mid-State Fair
July 30, 2006 Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena
North America Fall
September 2, 2006 Atlantic City United States Borgata Events Center
September 26, 2006 Vancouver Canada Orpheum Theatre
September 27, 2006
September 29, 2006 Seattle United States KeyArena
September 30, 2006 Portland Rose Garden
October 3, 2006 San Diego Embarcadero Marina Park South
October 4, 2006 Los Angeles Greek Theatre
October 6, 2006 Berkley Greek Theatre
October 7, 2006 Santa Barbara Santa Barbara Bowl
October 10, 2006 Denver Magness Arena
October 12, 2006 Minneapolis Northrop Auditorium
October 16, 2006 Rosemont Rosemont Theater
October 17, 2006 Detroit Fox Theatre
October 18, 2006 Toronto Canada Hummingbird Centre
October 21, 2006 New York City United States Radio City Music Hall
October 22, 2006 Boston Agganis Arena
  • Note: The September 2, 2006 show was originally scheduled for July 14 but had to be postponed due to artist's illness
  • Note: The set listed above is in the order performed at Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, Maryland, July 12, 2006.

An October 2006 performance during a tour stop at the Tower Theater outside Philadelphia was recorded and aired as part of National Public Radio's Live Concert Series. The concert recording featured 24 tracks from Paul Simon's 5-decade career.

Charts
Chart (2006) Position
Australian ARIA Albums Chart[16] 73
Austrian Albums Chart[17] 72
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[18] 37
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)[19] 78
Danish Albums Chart[20] 12
French SNEP Albums Chart[21] 102
German Media Control Albums Chart[22] 37
Irish Albums Chart[23] 8
Italian Albums Chart[24] 21
Japanese Oricon Albums Chart[25] 126
Netherlands Mega Albums Chart[26] 20
Norwegian VG-lista Albums Chart[27] 20
Scottish Albums Chart[28] 4
Swedish Albums Chart[29] 10
Swiss Albums Chart[30] 55
UK Albums Chart[31] 4
US Billboard 200[32] 14

Certifications

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Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Ireland (IRMA)[33] Gold 7,500^
United Kingdom (BPI)[34] Gold 100,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

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References
  1. Gundersen, Edna (June 19, 2006). "Simon says new album is truly a 'Surprise'". Usatoday.Com. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
  2. "News about Paul Simon and Garfunkel - Oct 2006". Archived from the original on December 29, 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  3. "Reviews for Surprise by Paul Simon". Metacritic. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  4. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Surprise – Paul Simon". AllMusic. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  5. Willman, Chris (May 15, 2006). "Surprise". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 28, 2018. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
  6. Petridis, Alexis (June 2, 2006). "Paul Simon, Surprise". The Guardian. London. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  7. Breen, Joe (June 2, 2006). "Paul Simon: Surprise (Warner Bros)". The Irish Times. Dublin. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  8. "Paul Simon: Surprise". NME: 33. May 27, 2006.
  9. Spencer, Neil (May 21, 2006). "Paul Simon, Surprise". The Observer. London. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  10. Hogan, Marc (May 10, 2006). "Paul Simon: Surprise". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  11. "Paul Simon: Surprise". Q (240): 114. July 2006.
  12. Hoard, Christian (May 2, 2006). "Surprise". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  13. "Paul Simon: Surprise". Uncut (109): 110. June 2006.
  14. "Chili Peppers Post 'Stadium' At No. 1 | Entertainment & Arts > Music Industry from". AllBusiness.com. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
  15. "Paul Simon Talks 'So Beautiful' Album, 'Graceland' Reunion Tour". Billboard.com. October 28, 2011. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  16. "australian-charts.com". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  17. "Paul Simon - Surprise - austriancharts.at". Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  18. "ultratop.be - Paul Simon - Surprise". ultratop.be/nl, Hung Medienaccessdate=2011-08-29. Ultratop.
  19. "ultratop.be - Paul Simon - Surprise". ultratop.be/fr,, Hung Medien. Ultratop. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  20. "danishcharts.dk Paul Simon - Surprise". danishcharts.dk. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  21. "lescharts.com Paul Simon - Surprise". lescharts.com, Hung Medien. SNEP. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  22. "Album Search: Paul Simon" (in German). Media Control. Archived from the original on August 10, 2011. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  23. Steffen Hung. "Discography Paul Simon". irishcharts.com. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
  24. "Paul Simon - Surprise - Music Charts". Acharts.us. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
  25. ポール・サイモン-リリース-ORICON STYLE-ミュージック "Highest position and charting weeks of Surprise by Paul Simon" Check |url= value (help). oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  26. "dutchcharts.nl Paul Simon - Surprise". dutchcharts.nl, Hung Medien. MegaCharts. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  27. "norwegiancharts.com Paul Simon - Surprise". Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  28. "Paul Simon - Surprise -". Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  29. "swedishcharts.com Paul Simon - Surprise". swedishcharts.com, Hung Medien. Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  30. "Paul Simon - Surprise - hitparade.ch". Hung Medien. Swiss Music Charts. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  31. "The Official Charts Company - Paul Simon - Surprise". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  32. Allmusic - Surprise > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums
  33. "Irish album certifications – Paul Simon – Surprise". Irish Recorded Music Association.
  34. "British album certifications – Paul Simon – Surprise". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Surprise in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
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