Paul Simon at the Palladium

A couple of years ago I went to a huge show of Paul Cézanne’s paintings at Tate Modern, full of anticipation. I left feeling disappointed. Too many bowls of apples, too many Montagnes Sainte-Victoire. It was indigestible. One of each would have had more impact. The disappointment was nothing to do with Cézanne or his obsessions. For the consumer, sometimes less is more. That was my consolation last night, leaving Paul Simon’s concert at the London Palladium at the interval, which occurred after the presentation of the complete Seven Psalms song cycle, 33 minutes long, which I wrote about when the album was released in 2023. The early departure — missing an hour and a half of what he promised would be “a bunch of hits” — was caused by the intense discomfort of sitting in the front row of the Grand Circle, the Palladium’s uppermost level. The view was wonderful; the effect of being jammed into the seat excruciating. In a sold-out house, no alternative accommodation was available. It…