Though he recorded the album's prominent percussion tracks in Brazil, Paul Simon fashioned The Rhythm of the Saints as a deliberate follow-up to the artistic breakthrough and commercial comeback that was the South Africa-tinged Graceland. Several of the musicians who had appeared previously were back, along with some of the New York session players who had worked with Simon in the 1970s, and the overall sound was familiar to fans of Graceland. Further, Simon's nonlinear lyrical approach was carried over: he continued to ruminate about love, aging, and the onslaught of modern life in disconnected phrases and images that created impressions rather than telling straightforward stories. But where Graceland had seamlessly merged its styles into an exuberant whole, The Rhythm of the Saints was less well digested. Those drum tracks never seemed integrated effectively into what had been dubbed over them; at the same time, they tended to lock the songs into musical patterns that reined them in from the kind of excitement the South African music on Graceland generated, making the melodies harder to grasp. At the same time, Simon sang his lyrics in a less involved way, which sometimes made them seem like collections of random lines rather than the series of striking observations Graceland seemed to contain. No Paul Simon album could be lacking in craft or quality, and The Rhythm of the Saints was a typically tasteful effort. But this time around, Simon hadn't quite succeeded in bringing the wide-ranging elements together; the album sold about half as many copies as Graceland (that is to say, a none-too-shabby two million), and that's about right -- where Graceland was an exotic adventure, The Rhythm of the Saints was more of an anthropology lesson. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
Clifton Chenier (Accordion), Ladysmith Black Mambazo (Vocals (Background)), Milton Nascimento (Vocals), Naná Vasconcelos (Percussion), Naná Vasconcelos (Conga), Naná Vasconcelos (Triangle), Naná Vasconcelos (Vocals), Naná Vasconcelos (Berimbau), Naná Vasconcelos (Gourd), Adrian Belew (Synthesizer), J.J. Cale (Guitar), J.J. Cale (Percussion), Paul Simon (Guitar), Paul Simon (Vocals), Paul Simon (Vocals (Background)), Paul Simon (Producer), Paul Simon (Main Performer), Paul Simon (Horn Arrangements), Paul Simon (Guitar Arrangements), Ringo Starr (Guitar), Michael Brecker (Synthesizer), Michael Brecker (Percussion), Michael Brecker (Saxophone), Hugh Masekela (Flugelhorn), Giovanni Hidalgo (Conga), Kim Wilson (Harmonica), Kim Wilson (Olodum), Clifton Anderson (Trombone), Francisco Aguabella (Conga), Artur Andres, Mingo Araujo (Percussion), Mingo Araujo (Castanets), Mingo Araujo (Conga), Mingo Araujo (Cymbals), Mingo Araujo (Drums), Mingo Araujo (Triangle), Mingo Araujo (Shaker), Mingo Araujo (African Bells), Mingo Araujo (Go Go Bell), Mingo Araujo (Casinette), Isaak Asante (Percussion), Martin Atangana (Guitar (Electric)), Dave Bargeron (Euphonium), Dave Bargeron (Horn), Karen Bernod (Vocals (Background)), Jude Bethel (Sax (Tenor)), Jacques Bolognesi (Trombone), Randy Brecker (Synthesizer), Randy Brecker (Trumpet), Randy Brecker (Piccolo Trumpet), Briz (Vocals (Background)), Greg Calbi (Mastering), Anthony Carrillo (Bongos), Elolongue Mbango Catherine (Vocals (Background)), Don Chacal (Bongos), Don Chacal (Conga), Don Chacal (Bata), Don Chacal (Gourd), C.J. Chenier (Accordion), Wilson DasNeves (Percussion), Wilson DasNeves (Cowbell), Djana'd (Vocals (Background)), Charles Doherty (Sax (Alto)), Charles Doherty (Sax (Tenor)), Steve Gadd (Drums), Florence Gnimagnon (Vocals (Background)), Myrna Lynn Gomila (Vocals (Background)), Gordinho, Gordinho (Sordu), Grupo Cultural (Drums), Roy Halee (Engineer), Alain Hatot (Saxophone), Errol Ince (Trumpet), Kia Jeffries (Vocals (Background)), Remi Kabaka (Percussion), Bruce Keen (Engineer), Bakithi Khumalo (Bass), Armand Sabal-Lecco (Bass), Charlotte M'bango (Vocals (Background)), Andre Manga (Bass), Mazzola (Percussion), Mazzola (Arranger), Mazzola (Chicote), Jimmy McDonald (Accordion), Clyde Mitchell (Trumpet), Madeleine Yayodele Nelson (Chekere), Madeleine Yayodele Nelson, Vincent Nguini (Bass), Vincent Nguini (Guitar), Vincent Nguini (Clavinet), Vincent Nguini (Horn Arrangements), Vincent Nguini (Guitar Arrangements), Greg Phillinganes (Synthesizer), Greg Phillinganes (Keyboards), Ray Phiri (Guitar), Ray Phiri (Guitar Arrangements), Raphael Rabello (Guitar), Decio Ramos, Felix Sabal-Lecco (Drums), Paul Santos (Percussion), Paulinho Santos, Paulo Sérgio Santos, Paulo Sérgio Santos (Chicote), George Seba (Guitar (Electric)), Phillipe Slominski (Trumpet), Pedro Sorongo (Percussion), Pedro Sorongo (Scraper), Justin Tchounou (Synthesizer), Richard Travali (Engineer), Richard Travali (Assistant Engineer), Antonio Luis Alves de Souza (Director), Remy Kabocka (Drums), Marc Silag (Coordination), Lizzie Bravo (Translation), Bruno Barbey (Photography), Danny Harrison (Coordination), Beloba (Percussion), Mequinho (Engineer), Yolanda Cuomo (Art Direction), Yolanda Cuomo (Design), Marçalzinho (Percussion), Armandinho (Guitar), Canegal (Percussion), Asante (Drums), Sidinho Moreira (Bongos), Sidinho Moreira (Conga), Sidinho Moreira (Drums), Sidinho Moreira (Bottle), Sidinho Moreira, Sidinho Moreira (Water Bowl), Yo Yo De La Nelson (Chakeire), Sylvia Plachy (Photography), Jorge Ferreira da Silva (Percussion), Kofi Electrik (Guitar), Kofi Electrik (Guitar Arrangements)
