Wow, so it's been a while since I posted, but since the grey has returned to the grey coast, I suppose I can start finding more time to write on here. I'll come back with a post that comes out of left field.
For almost ten years, the legendary Paul Simon worked on a screenplay for a Broadway show based on the life of Salvador Agron, or "The Capeman." Agron was a real-life Puerto Rican gang member who was convicted of murdering two Irish boys who he had mistaken for opposing gang members. At sixteen, he was the youngest person at the time to be sent to death row. His case was polarizing and invited attention from unlikely places. At the time, Elenor Roosevelt campained for a new look at his case and sentencing. In the seventies, there was a made for television movie based on his life as well.
Paul Simon spent over 5 million dollars comprising a band to play the music that he had written for his show. It's an unusual departure musically for Simon, with a mix of Latin American drumming, doo-wop songs, blues, and rock and roll. The album is diverse and in a full listen, tells an amazing story of the seedy side of New York in the fifties. The songs are beautiful and thought-provoking, the vocals heartwarming and honest to a point of unnerve. The fifth song on the album, "The Vampires" will forever be one of the most important songs in my life. It enthralls me.
The downside to this rosy review is the fact that the musical was a disastrous flop. In the lead-up to opening day, the production went through three directors. Simon was superfluously difficult in his role. He insisted on having a full hand in almost every stage of the project. The show only lasted 68 days at the Marquis Theater, and lost 11 million dollars. Simon stood by his project and eventually released this album, keeping the vision alive. I described this album recently as "World Music with balls," and I stand by that statement. Long live The Capeman.
