If I was asked twenty years ago to pick two musical artists’ music to take with me to a desert island or some other inaccessible place (assuming there would be a means of playing the music), I probably would have said King Crimson or Led Zeppelin!
Nowadays, after spending years listening to music whilst driving the highways and byways late at night after a performance I find my musical tastes have somewhat changed for these late night excursions and would have no hesitation in picking Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon as my two artists of choice.
Now, if I had to pick one particular album from each artist that could prove difficult as they both have such a huge body of amazing work so with a lot of listening and head scratching I think I have picked out my favourites so here goes.
Paul Simon: Hearts and Bones
By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4134784
A fantastic album but possibly his least successful commercially full of great songs and incredible musicians.
- Paul Simon – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, programming, vocals
- Rob Mounsey – synthesizer, vocoder
- The Harptones – background vocals
- Bernard Edwards – bass guitar
- Nile Rodgers – electric guitar on “Think Too Much (a)”, and “Cars are Cars”, programming
- Al Di Meola – electric guitar solo on “Allergies”
- Eric Gale – electric guitar on “When Numbers Get Serious”
- Sid McGinnis – electric guitar on “The Late Great Johnny Ace”
- Airto Moreira – percussion
- Marin Alsop – violin on “The Late Great Johnny Ace”
- Michael Boddicker – synthesizer on “The Late Great Johnny Ace”
- Wells Christy, Tom Coppola – synthesizer
- Steve Ferrone – drums on “When Numbers Get Serious” and “Think Too Much (a)”, additional drums on “Allergies”
- Steve Gadd – drums on all songs except where noted
- Anthony Jackson – bass guitar
- Jill Jaffe – viola on “The Late Great Johnny Ace”
- Jesse Levy – cello on “Train in the Distance”
- Mike Mainieri – marimba, vibraphone
- George Marge – bass clarinet on “The Late Great Johnny Ace”
- Marcus Miller – bass guitar on “Train in the Distance” and “Think Too Much (b)”
- Jeff Porcaro – drums on “Train in the Distance”
- Dean Parks – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
- Greg Phillinganes – piano, Fender Rhodes on “Allergies”, “Song About the Moon” and “The Late Great Johnny Ace”
- Michael Riesman – synthesizer, conductor on “The Late Great Johnny Ace”
- Mark Rivera – alto saxophone on “Train in the Distance”
- Robert Sabino – synthesizer, piano
- Richard Tee – synthesizer, piano, Fender Rhodes
- Carol Wincenc – flute on “The Late Great Johnny Ace”
- Frederick Zlotkin – cello on “The Late Great Johnny Ace”
- Peter Gordon – French horn on “Train in the Distance”
The uncredited horn section on “Allergies” and “Cars Are Cars” are Mark Rivera (saxophone), Jon Faddis & Alan Rubin (trumpet)
- Dave Matthews – horn arrangements
Joni Mitchell: Shadows and Light 1980
Love this live album featuring the great Jaco Pastorius on Bass, a bunch of great songs with inspiring playing all round.
Bass – Jaco Pastorius
Drums – Don Alias
Lead Guitar – Pat Metheny
Keyboards – Lyle Mays
Sax – Michael Brecker
Electric Guitar – Joni Mitchell
Vocals – The Persuasions
So there they are!
Why not share your two desert island albums 🙂
