Preview Paul Simon’s Joyous Debut ‘ACL’ Performance
Paul Simon performs a pair of Graceland classics, the zydeco-styled “That Was Your Mother” and funky staple “You Can Call Me Al,” in a preview of his debut Austin City Limits spot. The singer-songwriter’s hour-long, career-spanning set kicks off Season 42 of the PBS performance series, which premieres Saturday, October 1st at 9 p.m. ET.
“You Can Call Me Al” finds Simon crooning over the track’s signature South African groove: a joyous tumble of electric guitar riffs and horn, interjected with solos on bass guitar and penny whistle. On “That Was Your Mother,” the singer unleashes some playful dance moves, backed by saxophone, rubboard and the track’s signature accordion.
Simon’s wide-ranging, 11-track Austin City Limits set also includes classics like “Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard” and “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes,” recent single “Wristband” and stripped-down takes on iconic Simon & Garfunkel tracks “Homeward Bound” and “The Sound of Silence.”
Austin City Limits Season 42 will also feature James Bay/Rhiannon Giddens (October 8th), Robert Plant (October 15th), Florence + the Machine/Andra Day (October 22nd), Iggy Pop (October 29th), Natalia Lafourcade/Grupo Fantasma (November 5th), My Morning Jacket/Ben Harper (November 12th) and ACL Presents: Americana Music Festival 2016 (November 19th). Additional episodes will be announced at a later date.
Stranger to Stranger, Simon’s 13th solo album, finds the veteran songwriter experimenting with heavy echo effects, African woodwinds, electronic beats, Peruvian drums, synthesizers and other unexpected sounds. “I don’t set out to make each album different than the last one,” he told Rolling Stone. “It’s just my natural inclination.”