Paul Simon must have known that he was cruisin' for a bruisin' with his Broadway musical The Capeman.
Pop stars even fantastically successful, easy-going pop-stars whose songs have become part of the fabric of their culture aren't allowed to get above themselves. So even if the show had not been faced with its well-documented problems, it would barely have stood a chance.
As things turned out, it was perhaps the most significant theatrical flop of the '90s.
Sadly, this buried its accompanying album, which deserved better, if only for its skilled use of Hispanic influences comparable to the Brazilian details to be found in 'The Rhythm Of The Saints', and the African inspiration of 'Graceland'.
His response to this, it seems, is 'You're The One', a small, simple collection of songs that heeds his critics it never gets above itself.
But its modesty is its weakness. For the last 15 years, Simon has been rejuvenating himself with challenges, with awkward collaborations and unusual idioms, testing and experimenting with his talent. With this collection of gentle, wry ballads and witty, shuffly songs he is,
nearly, just coasting on it.
Not that this makes 'You're The One' a bad album. It just makes it an ominous one.
