#315Albums is a list of 315 albums that appear on both the Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, as well as the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die book, edited by Robert Dimery. At its best, it is a representation of some of the greatest music ever released; at its worst, it is a journey through the history of music that the majority see as important, influential, and/or relevant. If nothing else, these albums are worth experiencing at least once to get a better understanding of music, which is why we are working to complete all #315Albums.
No. 044
“Simon’s first album after the breakup of Simon and Garfunkel was a tour de force of songcraft, storytelling, virtuosic guitar picking and upper-register vocal dazzle. ”
Artist: Paul Simon
Album: Paul Simon
Released: 1972
Label: Columbia
Rolling Stones Ranking: 268
Ever since I first watched The Graduate, an absolute masterpiece of filmmaking, I’ve loved Simon and Garfunkel. The mellow tunes always put me in a good mood. Though this is Paul Simon’s first solo album after the duo split, there is still a lot of what I love about them present here. Simon does a great job of keeping things light with songs like “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard”, and then will hit you with something more meaningful, like “Peace Like a River”. And there’s a song about Detroit (“Papa Hobo”), so of course I’m going to enjoy it! I really enjoy Paul Simon’s music, and this self-titled album is no different.
Cinefessions’ #315Albums Rating: 71%
Image and quote courtesy of Rolling Stone Magazine.
Branden has been a film fan since he was young, roaming the halls of Blockbuster Video, trying to find the grossest, scariest looking VHS covers to rent and watch alone in the basement. It wasn’t until recently, though, that Branden started seeking out the classics of cinema, and began to develop his true passion for the art form. Branden approaches each film with the unique perspective of having studied the art from the inside, having both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in acting. He has been a film critic since 2010, and has previously written for Inside Pulse Movies, We Love Cult, and Diehard Gamefan. His biggest achievement as a film critic, to date, has been founding Cinefessions and turning it from a personal blog to a true film website, housing hundreds of film and television reviews, and dozens of podcasts.
