Paul Simon/ London, UK 2011

The UK tour accompanying the release of their first album in five years, “So Beautiful or So What,” in June 2011, included six performances from the 23rd to July 2nd, around the Glastonbury Festival on June 26th. The performance at Hammersmith Apollo in London on June 29th was recorded in high quality audience recording for about 2 hours and 10 minutes. Using the original master by Taper, who lives in the UK, the atmosphere and realism of the venue were beautifully reproduced, and the diverse set, full of variation from the numbers from “So Beautiful or So What” to familiar solo hits, is all worth listening to. The covers are also excellent, with Jimmy Cliff’s Vietnam, Chet Atkins’ Mystery Train, Wheels, etc. in the first half, and Gumboot as the last number of the main set. And all seven songs after The Sound Of Silence were encores, where they also performed The Beatles’ Here Comes The Sun. Disc 1 / 1. Intro 2. Crazy Love, Vol. II 3. Dazzling Blue 4. 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover 5. So Beautiful Or So What 6. Vietnam 7. Mother And Child Reunion 8. That Was Your Mother 9. Hearts and Bones 10. Mystery Train 11. Wheels 12. Slip Slidin’ Away 13. Rewrite 14. Peace Like A River 15. Obvious Child 16. The Only Living Boy In New York 17. The Afterlife Disc 2 / 1. Questions For The Angels 2. Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes 3. Gumboots 4. The Sound Of Silence 5. Kodachrome/Gone At Last 6. Here Comes The Sun 7. The Boy In The Bubble 8. Late In The Evening 9. Still Crazy After All These Years 10. You Can Call Me [Live at HMV Hammersmith Apollo, London, UK 29th June 2011]