Songs from The Capeman
Studio album by
Paul Simon
ReleasedNovember 18, 1997
Recorded1997
StudioThe Hit Factory, New York City
GenreMusical theatre, pop, worldbeat
Length55:35
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerPaul Simon
Paul Simon chronology
Paul Simon's Concert in the Park
(1991) 		Songs from The Capeman
(1997) 		Greatest Hits: Shining Like a National Guitar
(2000)

Songs from The Capeman is the ninth solo studio album by Paul Simon, released in 1997. His first new studio album of original materials in seven years, it contains Simon's own performances of songs from the Broadway musical he wrote and produced called The Capeman augmented by members of the original cast. The songs retell the story of Salvador Agron, who was known as the "Capeman". A departure musically from his earlier work, the album features doo-wop, rock 'n' roll and Puerto Rican rhythms and a number of songs contain explicit lyrics, a first for Simon. The stage show was a commercial flop, losing $11 million, and the album did not sell well.[1] It peaked at number 42 on the Billboard 200, the lowest chart position in Simon's career at the time.

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[2]
Rolling Stone[3]

Track listing

All songs written by Paul Simon, with lyrics co-written by Derek Walcott.

Side one
  1. "Adios Hermanos" - 4:42
  2. "Born in Puerto Rico" - 5:03
  3. "Satin Summer Nights" - 5:44
  4. "Bernadette" - 3:34
  5. "The Vampires" - 5:14
  6. "Quality" - 4:18
Side two
  1. "Can I Forgive Him" - 6:01
  2. "Sunday Afternoon" - 3:25
  3. "Killer Wants to Go to College" - 1:51
  4. "Time Is an Ocean" - 5:23
  5. "Virgil" - 2:49
  6. "Killer Wants to Go to College II" - 2:09
  7. "Trailways Bus" - 5:14
2004 reissue bonus tracks
  1. "Shoplifting Clothes" - 3:35
  2. "Born in Puerto Rico" (sung by José Feliciano) - 4:59
  3. "Can I Forgive Him" (Original demo) - 1:56

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Songs From The Capeman
Chart (1997) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[4] 45
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[5] 41
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[6] 26
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[7] 32
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[8] 36
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[9] 49
UK Albums (OCC)[10] 83
US Billboard 200[11] 42

References

  1. ^ a b Songs from The Capeman at AllMusic
  2. ^ David Browne. "Songs from The Capeman". Ew.com. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  3. ^ DeCurtis, Anthony (14 November 1997). "Songs From The Capeman". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Ultratop.be – Paul Simon – Songs From The Capeman" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  5. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Paul Simon – Songs From The Capeman" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  6. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Paul Simon – Songs From The Capeman" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  7. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Paul Simon – Songs From The Capeman". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  8. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Paul Simon – Songs From The Capeman". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  9. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Paul Simon – Songs From The Capeman". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  10. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  11. ^ "Paul Simon Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
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