I was over in the UK when this record came out. I was at my brother's place in Blackpool and he had himself a nice little music machine and he was playing Gracelands a lot. In my mind I remember it as being on CD but were they out then. I didn't start buying them until around 1989 so maybe they were. whatever the facts the sound on Paul Simon's album was just amazing. It was like nothing I'd heard before but at the same time was very familiar. They were playing this single on the TV regularly so it really got into my head. Right from the get go it achieves lift off with that first instrument which is either an accordion or some panting wind organ. Then it as Paul Simon's familiar honey like vocals singing about bombs in baby carriages and the wonders of life and it just burst with life. Everyone got excited about this sound. It was World music in the pop charts. Even Hugh Cornwall of the Stranglers picked it as the best album of the year.
And it's still very listenable. I downloaded the Joe Strummer "London Calling" radio shows the other day and he plays this song. I was driving down Neerim road in Carnegie and got caught at the railway crossing. I sat there there and turned up the music and sang along to "Boy in The Bubble"
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