Red Rubber Ball/ How Can I Leave Her

Here's an especially nice copy of a single that always surprises me when I hear it anew: I like it a whole lot more than my memory of it. I think that reflects the somewhat childish, sing-song quality to the lyric (yes, Paul Simon co-wrote this song, but was he responsible for the concept?), which you don't notice so much when the excellent band is playing. Speaking of excellent, be sure to check out the almost-Garage jangly guitar number on the flip. Note: This beautiful copy comes in a vintage Columbia Records factory sleeve. The A side label is pristine, and, in a first for me since opening the store in 2001, I'm grading the audio pristine Mint! (So often on this styrene pressing, the audio has been damaged to one degree or another by groove wear.)