Below is the tracklist (with running times) for the album:

1. Getting Ready For Christmas Day (4:06)
2. The Afterlife (3:40)
3. Dazzling Blue (4:32)
4. Rewrite (3:49)
5. Love and Hard Times (4:09)
6. Love Is Eternal Sacred Light (4:02)
7. Amulet (1:36)
8. Questions for the Angels (3:49)
9. Love and Blessings (4:18)
10. So Beautiful Or So What (4:07)

“Getting Ready” isn’t the only song that might sound familiar to fan’s of Simon’s recent work. The lyrics to “Love and Hard Times” and “Rewrite” were included in Lyrics 1964-2008, the hardcover book Simon put out two years ago. While “Rewrite” has never been performed publicly (as far as we know), “Love and Hard Times” has made its way into some of Simon’s performances in recent years, beginning with a stop at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2008, then during a Q&A at Barnes and Noble to promote book in November of that year, and then at the Beacon Theater re-opening Simon did in February 2009. In July 2009, Simon released a version of “Questions for the Angels” on iTunes to coincide with a compilation album released through Starbucks, though that version of the song no longer appears to be available. Presumably the track on the new album will be different than the cut already released. Finally, “Amulet” is an instrumental guitar melody Simon wrote for Luciana Souza, the Brazilian jazz singer who improvised vocals over it on her recent album, Tide. Souza performed with Simon at his 2008 Brooklyn Academy of Music concerts, and joined him at the Beacon Theater as well.

According to an interview in the current edition of Rolling Stone magazine, Simon discussed the songwriting process that led to the new album. Discussing a particular passage from his last album, Surprise, Simon said, “That’s the part I liked the best out of all of it. So maybe I’ll go and do a thing I haven’t done in 20-odd years, which is sit in a room and write.” (One wonders what passage Simon was referring to – perhaps the opening chords of “Another Galaxy”?) Instead of working first with drums, Simon began to craft songs around harmony and structure on his guitar, which reminded him of his approach to 1975′s Still Crazy After All These Years. He then assembled a group of familiar, world-class musicians, including longtime Simon band guitarist Vincent Nguini and You’re The One percussionist Steve Shehan. The record also features familial backing vocals from Simon’s wife, Edie Brickell, and his daughter, Lulu, as well as a sample of a Sonny Terry harmonica, some electronic drum parts from Grizzly Bear’s Chris Bear and the bluegrass playing of Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver.

While Simon told Rolling Stone he’d like to perform with Art Garfunkel again, his immediate plans are to support the release of So Beautiful with a solo tour that, like the concerts around the release of You’re The One, would feature deep cuts from his catalogue like “Peace Like a River” and “Crazy Love (Vol. II).” Simon claims that his current approach to music-making is basically indie (Simon financed the sessions himself and then shopped around for a record label), which suits him just fine. “I’m focused on this album and this band,” he said. “It’s my kind of rock & roll.”

The December 23/January 6 edition of Rolling Stone is on newsstands; John Lennon is on the cover.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDxQr-s26t8

During a rehearsal on Wednesday, Paul Simon, the headliner for the reopening celebration on Friday night, said: “I’ve performed here many times and it was always fun, but I was overwhelmed to see how beautiful it is now.

“It’s a great house with a great vibe and its funkiness matched the music in a way,” he added. “But it’s nicer to have clean seats.”

There are a handful of musicians performing in New York this weekend who have a connection to Simon. Marc Anthony, star of the Capeman, is at Madison Square Garden on Saturday; C.J. Chenier, son of Clifton Chenier (name-checked in “That Was Your Mother”), is at Connolly’s on Sunday; and Vusi Mahlasela, who performed in the “Under African Skies” shows as part of “Love in Hard Times” at the Brooklyn Academy of Music last April, is at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday.

Are other surprises in store for the two-night stand? Surely, Simon must have something up his sleeve for those of us who will only be in town for the Saturday night kicker, right?

In typically frustrating fashion, the TicketMaster website will only reveal that the American Express pre-sale runs from this Sunday, January 25, at 9 a.m. until Saturday, January 31, at 10 p.m. (EST). While it’s not entirely evident, it appears that there is no pre-sale password to track down, but tickets might be reserved for those who pay with an American Express card. No word on whether the billing address must be in the U.S.

Regardless, these pre-sales have a habit of featuring mostly lousy tickets – or they feature so few tickets that the good ones disappear in seconds. The public on-sale is a week later, Sunday, February 1st (though at 10 a.m. EST).

Good luck!

Simon played three memorable shows to wrap up his 2000 tour supporting You’re The One at the Beacon in December 2000.

Details:
The Beacon Theatre
www.paulsimon.com
Tickets