Paul Simon : NPR

'SNL' Spoofs Kanye West, Welcomes Back Paul Simon

Chris Redd and Alec Baldwin perform in a spoof of Kanye West's visit to the White House on Saturday Night Live. Saturday Night Live/Screenshot by NPR hide caption

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Saturday Night Live/Screenshot by NPR

'SNL' Spoofs Kanye West, Welcomes Back Paul Simon

October 14, 2018 • The cold open revisited West's bizarre White House soliloquy, while Simon performed an emotional rendition of "Bridge Over Troubled Water."

Paul Simon Tinkers With His Classics On 'In The Blue Light'

"The album is a good example of fixing things that I thought could be fixed," Paul Simon says. Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images hide caption

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Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images

Paul Simon Tinkers With His Classics On 'In The Blue Light'

September 7, 2018 • The famed singer-songwriter says his fourteenth album, out now, will be his last. Simon also tells NPR's David Greene that he's ready to stop touring.

Paul Simon Tinkers With His Classics On 'In The Blue Light'

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Paul Simon Says 'I'm Finished' Writing Music

September 5, 2018 • In this candid conversation, the singer reveals he hasn't felt compelled to write a new song in years, talks about the desire to better know himself and reflects on the very meaning of life itself.

Paul Simon's 'In The Blue Light' Seeks Redemption In Revision

Paul Simon's In the Blue Light comes out Sept. 7. Frank Ockenfels III/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Frank Ockenfels III/Courtesy of the artist

Review

Paul Simon's 'In The Blue Light' Seeks Redemption In Revision

August 30, 2018 • In the Blue Light features ten recordings of old works, newly considered.

Paul Simon Refreshes 10 Of His Songs On New Album, Alongside All-Star Collaborators

Paul Simon, 76, will release In The Blue Light on Sept. 7. Frank Ockenfels/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Frank Ockenfels/Courtesy of the artist

Paul Simon Refreshes 10 Of His Songs On New Album, Alongside All-Star Collaborators

July 12, 2018 • The album's release coincides with the end of Simon's farewell tour.

Author Robert Hilburn Shares Stories And Revelations Inside 'Paul Simon: The Life'

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Christopher Morris/Courtesy of the author

Author Robert Hilburn Shares Stories And Revelations Inside 'Paul Simon: The Life'

XPN

June 29, 2018 • The former Los Angelese Times music critic was given complete editorial control over the singer-songwriter's biography.

Author Robert Hilburn On World Cafe

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Left to right: Graham Nash, Stephen Stills, David Crosby and Neil Young. 1974. Joel Bernstein hide caption

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Joel Bernstein

XPN

March 13, 2017 • All week, we dig into the archives to present our favorite sessions with artists whose work in the 1970s remains some of their best.

'Swimming In A Trance-Like State': Paul Simon On Philip Glass

Paul Simon collaborated with Philip Glass on the album Songs from Liquid Days. New York Daily News via Getty Images hide caption

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New York Daily News via Getty Images

'Swimming In A Trance-Like State': Paul Simon On Philip Glass

January 26, 2017 • The great songwriter explains his fascination with the repetition, symmetry and changing time signatures in Glass' music.

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Courtesy of the artist.

Bob Boilen's Top 10 Albums Of 2016

December 8, 2016 • The All Songs Considered and Tiny Desk host shares his favorite recordings of the year.

Watch Paul Simon's Ageless And Animated Performance Of 'Wristband'

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Courtesy of the artist.

Watch Paul Simon's Ageless And Animated Performance Of 'Wristband'

September 29, 2016 • The legendary singer and songwriter makes his first-ever appearance at Austin City Limits for a rare live performance.

Encore Week: Car Seat Headrest, Bonnie Raitt, Mudcrutch And More

During this encore week, hear sessions with — clockwise from left — Mudcrutch, Bonnie Raitt (photo: Joe Del Tufo/WXPN) and Car Seat Headrest (photo: Jeremy Zimmerman/WXPN). Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

Encore Week: Car Seat Headrest, Bonnie Raitt, Mudcrutch And More

XPN

September 19, 2016 • Hear from newcomers and veteran artists alike in five recent World Cafe sessions worth another listen.

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Mary Ellen Matthews/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

Paul Simon On World Cafe

XPN

June 3, 2016 • At 74, the legendary songwriter is still searching for sounds he hasn't heard before.

Paul Simon on World Cafe

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Paul Simon On 'Stranger To Stranger' And Why You Can Call Him Al (Again)

Paul Simon's new album, Stranger to Stranger, is out now. Myrna Suarez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Myrna Suarez/Courtesy of the artist

Music Interviews

Paul Simon On 'Stranger To Stranger' And Why You Can Call Him Al (Again)

June 3, 2016 • On his new album, Simon remains clever and biting, even when touching on difficult topics — some of them close to home.

Paul Simon On 'Stranger To Stranger' And Why You Can Call Him Al (Again)

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Review: Paul Simon, 'Stranger To Stranger'

Paul Simon's latest album, Stranger To Stranger, is due out June 3. Myrna Suarez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Myrna Suarez/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

Review: Paul Simon, 'Stranger To Stranger'

May 26, 2016 • After 13 solo albums, Simon still views pop as a language of exuberant dances and polyrhythmic upheavals. Even now, his music pulses with the feeling of invention.

Paul Simon Talks Upcoming Album, Shares New Song

Paul Simon's latest album, Stranger To Stranger, is due out June 3. Myrna Suarez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Myrna Suarez/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

Paul Simon Talks Upcoming Album, Shares New Song

May 19, 2016 • Paul Simon talks about his upcoming album, Stranger To Stranger, and why it may be his last, at least for a while. He also shares the new song, "The Werewolf."

All Songs +1: A Conversation With Paul Simon

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All Things Considered Host Ari Shapiro Plays DJ

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Doby Photography/NPR

All Songs Considered

All Things Considered Host Ari Shapiro Plays DJ

September 21, 2015 • The new host for NPR's evening news magazine joins All Songs Considered to discuss musicals, powerful voices and why Paul Simon's Graceland never gets old.

All Things Considered Host Ari Shapiro Plays DJ

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Match your wits against the granddaddy of composers in this big Bach puzzler. Wikimedia Commons hide caption

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Wikimedia Commons

Deceptive Cadence

Wig Out With The Big Bach Puzzler

March 21, 2014 • Are you brainy when it comes to Bach, or bamboozled? Know your cantatas from your concertos? Match your wits against the granddaddy of composers in this 'Big Bach' puzzler.

Home For The Holidays, With All Songs Considered

All Songs Considered hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton set out on a road trip to find the true spirit of the holiday season. Along the way they stop at the Silent Night Motel, where they meet Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips, St. Vincent (Annie Clark), Josh Ritter, and more. Michael Huey/Mastery Of Maps hide caption

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Michael Huey/Mastery Of Maps

All Songs Considered

Home For The Holidays, With All Songs Considered

December 19, 2013 • Join hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton as they set out on a snowy road trip in search of the true spirit of the holiday season.

Bob And Robin's Excellent Holiday Adventure

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Thanksgiving Edition: Songs About Your Family

ABC-TV

All Songs Considered

Thanksgiving Edition: Songs About Your Family

November 26, 2013 • What song better describes Thanksgiving with your family: "Highway To Hell" or "All You Need Is Love?"

Thanksgiving Edition: Songs About Your Family

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New Music

Summer Song Favorites: 'Kodachrome'

July 9, 2009 • Last inning. Bases loaded. Down by two. For songwriter Maia Sharp, Paul Simon's jaunty tune instantly recalls one childhood summer when she stepped to the plate in a baseball game — as the only girl on the team — and came through in the clutch.

Summer Song Favorites: 'Kodachrome'

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Music Interviews

Paul Simon, Essential Then and Now

Fresh Air

June 29, 2007 • Singer-songwriter Paul Simon, recipient of the first Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, began his career in 1964 as half of the '60s folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, delivering classics like "The Sound of Silence" and "Mrs. Robinson." He went on to a successful solo career, wrote film soundtracks and Broadway shows, and has even done some acting. This interview first aired on Dec. 11, 2000.

Paul Simon, Essential Then and Now

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Concerts

Paul Simon In Concert From Philadelphia

XPN

November 6, 2006 • Widely regarded one of America's finest poets and songwriters, Paul Simon continues to make inspired music for a vast audience of fans and critics, in an acclaimed career that began in the 1950s. Now on tour, Simon recently performed at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia. Hear the full show.