On the surface, this 1980 concert may seem little more than another subdued performance from an artist who’d spent as much of the previous decade trying to close a chapter on his glorious past as he did establishing a solo career. Only two songs from the Garfunkel era feature (The Boxer and The Sound Of Silence), and then only as encores.
With the benefit of hindsight, however, it’s clear that Simon is hinting at what’s to follow. It would be six years before the groundbreaking and controversial Graceland, but the live arrangements of both Me & Julio and Ace In The Hole are freshly injected with seductive African rhythms, courtesy of guitarist Eric Gale.
It’s also pleasing to be reminded of then-current material that hasn’t survived into the setlists of Simon’s more recent shows. Jonah, the song of the character Simon played in the movie One Trick Pony, may be considered a minor work by some, but its subject matter of a struggling folk singer suggests we’re revisiting the central character of Homeward Bound and finding him nowhere nearer to his dream 15 years on.
