***** Kind of late to answer your message, but, your bitter criticism of Paul Simon writing music of a lesser value than he was capable to create (in your opinion) only to put food on the table is unfair. There is a difference between steps you take toward an end and the goal itself. Putting food on the table is a necessity; giving up the aspiration to fulfill your potential, that would be a failure. The mere fact that Paul's music if anything keeps getting better, not more commercial, is proof of his real success and validates what he says.
An artist here in Spain (Victor Manuel) told me exactly that, so called artists nowadays are only worried about success, and that's precisely what keeps them apart from it. I started enjoying making songs when my only goal was to express myself, to try to do music as I feel it. My father wasn't famous (thanks God) but he introduced me to his musical universe and that opened the rest of the doors...
