Paul Simon expresses optimism about resurrecting his live performances following partial hearing loss.
In a conversation with The Guardian, published last Friday, the musician shared that while his hearing loss limits his capacity to perform with a complete band, he's "aiming to eventually manage a full-length concert."
"I'm hopeful," Simon said. "Six months ago, I was quite the pessimist."
Simon first talked about his hearing loss in an interaction with Britain's The Times newspaper back in May 2023, revealing that "suddenly, I lost most of the hearing in my left ear. No one seems to know why."
Before announcing his hearing loss, Simon embarked on his last tour in 2018, stating then that he was "closing his touring chapter."
"I never said I was retiring," Simon clarified in his latest chat. "I said I was stopping, which I did. I thought we'd reached the pinnacle of what we could achieve with that band and repertoire. It was enjoyable, but I was curious to see what happened when you stopped."
When he stopped, Simon embarked on travels with his wife. Then, he said, he had a dream, and "everything shifted back to a new version of reality."
According to The Guardian, this dream encouraged Simon to work on a composition titled "Seven Psalms." The lyrics materialized in his dreams over weeks and months, he mentioned. The end product was a 33-minute acoustic album, released in 2023. And as the album took shape, Simon was joined in the studio by renowned filmmaker Alex Gibney, who chronicled its creation in a 3.5-hour documentary, "In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon."
"Seven Psalms represents a unique way for an entire piece to come to me," Simon told The Guardian. "I think there's a link between my past self, my subconscious, and who I am now. It was an intriguing and quite satisfying experience for a long time–until my hearing loss disrupted it."
Recently, Simon performed alongside two guitarists at a charity event for the Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss, marking his longest performance in five years.
"In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon," which debuted in the US in March, is slated for release in UK cinemas on October 13, Simon's 83rd birthday.
Despite the challenges brought by his hearing loss, Paul Simon continues to seek ways to entertain, aiming for a full-length concert in the future. The release of his 33-minute acoustic album, "Seven Psalms," showcases his persistence and creativity in the face of adversity.
