Five years after reaching the pinnacle of his solo career (to that point) with Still Crazy After All These Years, Paul Simon made the bizarre move of writing and starring in a movie.

1980’s One-Trick Pony featured Simon in the semi-autobiographical role of a fading folk rock star attempting a comeback in the face of professional and personal obstacles. While supporting characters in the film are loosely based on people in Simon’s own life, the main character seems like a stab at a self-destructive, self-fulfilled prophecy.

Far from washed up, Simon was at a commercial and creative peak in the mid 70s. So why take five years off to create a tale about a loser? And fittingly, the failure of the film (fueled by harsh reviews of Simon’s acting) wound up taking the shine off of his star.

The film’s soundtrack did produce one hit (‘Late in the Evening‘) but the rest of its songs are new to me. This weekend’s posts represent the first time I’ve heard any of them in their entirety.

I have to say I’m impressed by the musicianship of today’s selection, ‘God Bless the Absentee.’ This isn’t a Paul Simon classic by any means but it sure does have a beautiful jazzy groove.