Paul Simon will take his classic 1986 album ‘Graceland‘ out on the road next year, the legendary songwriter has announced.
2012 will mark the 25th anniversary of the touring duties for the landmark LP, which is also set to be re-released on new ‘box-set’ and ‘legacy’ editions next year.
Earlier this summer, Simon returned to South Africa to perform with Ladysmith Black Mambazo and trumpet player Hugh Masekela. The show was filmed by Joe Berlinger, and is set to be included as part of the new special features which will comprise the box set.
Commenting on the film, Simon explained how the documentary recalled some of the controversies which surrounded ‘Graceland’s recording, done at a time of political and humanitarian turmoil in South Africa, when the country was in the grip of Apartheid.
“The documentary took me back to the artistic aspects and the political aspects of making ‘Graceland’ and the controversy that surrounded it and how it was resolved, plus what remains of it and what we learn from it,” he told Billboard.
The rich layers and seamless combination of contemporary American rock with traditional South African tones made ‘Graceland’ one of the most successful albums of the 1980s. In 1987, it took home the Grammy for Album Of The Year.