While Bob Dylan stands as the central figure, the one who woke this sleeping giant of a generation determined not to go silent, none of the other poet laureates of the era addressed himself to all of us middle-class cowboys as directly as Paul Simon….

From "Homeward Bound" to "Dangling Conversations" to "Mrs. Robinson," Simon's songs mirrored the alienation, malaise, and despair of the era, but did so melodiously, with a good beat, so you could dance to them. (p. 43)

Combining further study with a less frenetic performing pace, he's produced three fine albums—Paul Simon (1971), There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973), and Still Crazy After All These Years (1975)—each one revealing a variety of influences, each one musically rich as well as emotionally complex…. Not only is he producing songs of quality, but he's reminding us who we are, as he sadly reflects on the past, slyly flirts with...