Rhythm of the Saints

Rhythm of the Saints
Name	Rhythm of the Saints
Type	studio
Artist	Paul Simon
Released	January 1990
Recorded	1989
Studio	The Hit Factory (New York), Ocean Way (Los Angeles), Real World Studios (Box), Studio 440 (Boston)
Genre	Worldbeat, pop, folk rock
Length	49:17
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Paul Simon, Roy Halee
Prev title	Graceland
Prev year	1986
Next title	The Rhythm of the Saints Tour
Next year	1990

Rhythm of the Saints is a 1990 studio album by Paul Simon blending Latin American, African, and Brazilian rhythms with pop songwriting and studio production. The album followed Simon's commercially and critically acclaimed Graceland and continued collaborations with international musicians while engaging with themes of spirituality, displacement, and cultural exchange. Recorded after extensive fieldwork and studio sessions, it features collaborations with artists from Brazil, Peru, West Africa, and the United States and is noted for complex percussion, layered arrangements, and introspective lyrics.

Background and recording

Simon began work on the album after the global success of Graceland and the subsequent Graceland Tour. Influences included field recordings and contacts established during tours of Brazil, South America, and West Africa. Sessions took place at notable facilities such as The Hit Factory in New York City, Ocean Way Recording in Los Angeles, and Real World Studios associated with Peter Gabriel. Producers included long-time collaborator Roy Halee. Musicians contributing came from diverse scenes: Brazilian artists linked to Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and Milton Nascimento traditions; Peruvian and Afro-Brazilian percussionists connected to Samba, Candomblé, and Afro-Peruvian music; and American session players tied to Steely Dan and Simon & Garfunkel networks. The recording integrated multi-tracking, sampled percussion, and studio overdubs, reflecting production approaches similar to those on Graceland and contemporary worldbeat records by Peter Gabriel and Sting.

Music and themes

Musically, the album navigates genres associated with Brazilian music, Afro-Brazilian rhythms, and Latin American folklore while retaining pop structures found in Simon & Garfunkel compositions and Paul Simon's solo work. Tracks juxtapose intricate percussion ensembles reminiscent of ensembles tied to Bossa Nova pioneers like João Gilberto and rhythm traditions related to Samba reggae and Maracatu. Lyrically, Simon invokes motifs comparable to literary references used by Leonard Cohen and narrative techniques used by Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, addressing exile, faith, and cultural hybridity. Themes echo concerns similar to works by Morrissey and Tracy Chapman about identity and displacement, while some songs incorporate liturgical imagery paralleling influences from Gregorian chant traditions and similarly spiritual explorations undertaken by Van Morrison. Instrumentation features accordion lines associated with Renato Teixeira-style folk, guitar textures recalling George Harrison's world-music collaborations, and horn arrangements akin to those employed by Fela Kuti-influenced Afrobeat projects.

Release and promotion

Released by Warner Bros. Records in January 1990, the album was promoted through singles, music videos, and appearances on television programs such as Saturday Night Live and interviews in outlets associated with Rolling Stone and Billboard. Singles were serviced to radio formats influenced by Adult Contemporary and world-music programming on stations with histories of supporting artists like Sting and Peter Gabriel. Promotional strategies included collaborations with international festivals connected to Glastonbury Festival and appearances at venues tied to Carnegie Hall circuits. Marketing emphasized Simon's previous acclaim including awards like the Grammy Awards he had earned for earlier projects.

Critical reception

Contemporary reviews were mixed to positive across publications such as Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The Guardian, and NME. Critics compared the album's ambition and global reach to Graceland and works by Peter Gabriel and Paul Simon's peers like Sting; some praised the intricate percussion and songwriting, while others critiqued perceived studio gloss and questions about cultural appropriation similar to debates surrounding Graceland and collaborations involving Paul Simon and Africa. Retrospective assessments in outlets aligned with Pitchfork and AllMusic have re-evaluated the album's craft, noting standout tracks and production achievements while situating the record within late-20th-century worldbeat trends exemplified by artists such as Youssou N'Dour and Cesária Évora.

Commercial performance

The album achieved strong commercial performance, charting in the top ten in markets including the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Netherlands, and Australia. It produced charting singles on lists compiled by Billboard and national charts in France and Germany. Sales were bolstered by Simon's international profile established through prior albums and tours; the record received certifications from industry bodies akin to those of RIAA and BPI in various territories. While not eclipsing the sales magnitude of Graceland, it sustained Simon's presence on year-end lists and in global markets shaped by worldbeat popularity.

Tour and live performances

Simon supported the album with a concert tour featuring many of the album's percussionists and backing vocalists, appearing at arenas and festivals associated with acts like Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen. The stage productions incorporated elaborate percussion setups and guest appearances by musicians linked to the album's recording sessions. Live renditions often blended arrangements from Graceland and Simon's earlier catalog from Simon & Garfunkel, with setlists resembling those used on tours by contemporaries such as Sting and Peter Gabriel. Recordings and broadcasts of select performances circulated on radio programs and as concert films distributed through channels connected to VH1 and international public broadcasters.

Legacy and influence

The album is regarded as an important entry in the late-20th-century worldbeat movement alongside releases by Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon, and Sting, influencing later cross-cultural collaborations by artists such as Beck, Björk, David Byrne, Anoushka Shankar, and Arctic Monkeys members exploring global sounds. Its fusion of Brazilian rhythms with Western songwriting contributed to increased interest in Brazilian music among mainstream audiences and affected producers working with artists like Shakira and Ricky Martin during the 1990s Latin pop surge. Academic discussions in musicology and ethnomusicology comparing fieldwork methods reference debates involving Paul Simon and collaborators, situating the album in conversations alongside projects by Alan Lomax and ethnographic recording initiatives. Overall, the record endures as a document of cross-cultural musical exchange at the close of the 1980s.

Category:Paul Simon albums