Rough Sundays

It's Oprah's favorite album of all time. It might be your favorite album of all time. It's definitely host Aric S. Queen's favorite album of all time. And in 1986, it gave the sounds of South Africa a worldwide stage — and one that launched bands like Ladysmith Black Mambazo into the well-deserved spotlight. But it also would become one of the most controversial albums of all time, too; the backlash including UN sanctions, hits put out on Paul Simon and even three grenades tossed into his storage unit. So, since we're down in South Africa, we're going to not only lay out exactly what happened — the recording, the subsequent turmoil and the apology-ish tour — but more importantly, we're going to get to know the artists behind each individual track. So make a cup of coffee, sit way back and let's start the first of three episodes dedicated to a little album called "Graceland".