I’m not sure if Vampire Weekend made me more or less open to the bouyant melodies of Paul Simon’s Graceland. Many years ago I loved the album, then there was a period where all it did was make me think of Chevy Chase bozoing his way through that video and then passing out in a pile of coke. Maybe it was Sonic Youth that ruined the album for me.
Regardless, I found an antidote in Casiotone for the Painfully Alone’s cover of “Graceland.” Somehow, I think it comes closer to the earnest (in a good way) tone that this song about divorce deserves. Isn’t it
ironic that Simon’s upbeat version is technically being ironic, don’t you think?
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone – Graceland (Paul Simon Cover)
P.S. Listen to the Casiotone version three times and your palette
will be cleansed, allowing you to dive back into the original version.
P.P.S. I am also aware that Chevy Chase was in the video for “You Can
Call Me Al.” I make no apologies for any flaws in my cognitive associations.