"A loose affiliation of millionaires..."

Brian Eno confirms that he did reunite with Roxy Music, and he did contribute songs, thank you very much. He also offers insight into collaborating with Paul Simon, including his thoughts on Graceland, an album whose Western-African hybrid initially rankled the co-creator of Talking Heads' Remain in Light:

"I realise now that what I was feeling was envy," he says, briefly collapsing with laughter. "It was like I'd found this wonderful private beach, and suddenly Paul Simon moved in and brought all these people along with him. I was sort of annoyed, but whenever I happened to hear something from Graceland, I found myself liking it. And I found out from one of the percussionists who'd worked with him that, contrary to my initial suspicions, he hadn't exploited the musicians at all. In fact, he'd treated them extremely well."

To prepare myself to listen to the new Simon I played Graceland a lot; it holds up marvelously well, despite a patchy second side (I want to be repulsed by "Under African Skies," in which Bwana Paul notes Joseph's face "black as night," but the melody -- thank you guitarist Ray Phiri -- is too beguiling). The sinuousity of the rhythm tracks mitigates Simon's irritating preciousness, producing unexpectated permutations: the joke's on Simon-the-wannabe hipster ("I Know What I Know"); or else both rhythm and lyrics elevate him into something perilously close to shamanship ("The Boy in the Bubble" -- the best song he's ever written?). Christgau was so right: "[Graceland] gives up a groove so buoyant it could float a loan to Zimbabwe."

I'll also defend The Rhythm of the Saints (not as sinuous, nor as beguiling) against all comers.