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Simon and Garfunkel - 10Alben[192kbps-320kbps]1966-1997

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:13:39

Simon And Garfunkel Discography-AMPS TORRENTZ

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:18:24

Simon and Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water-1970-FAF INT [www.torrentsforall.net]

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:10:02

Simon And Garfunkel - The Definitive - Files24.com

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:14:31

Simon And Garfunkel Discography torrent [twistedtorrents com]

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:09:06

[EAC FLAC CUE] Simon And Garfunkel ~ Simon And Garfunkel's Greatest Hits

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:10:05

[EAC FLAC CUE] Simon And Garfunkel ~ Simon And Garfunkel\'s Greatest Hits

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:31:11

[EAC FLAC CUE] Simon And Garfunkel ~ Simon And Garfunkel\'s Greatest Hits

Artista: Simon and Garfunkel
Tipo album: Raccolta
Pubblicazione: 1972
Durata: 43 min : 25 s
Tracce: 14
Genere: Folk Rock
Rimasterizzazione: October 25, 1990
CD-Rom: 1
Etichetta: Columbia
Distribuzione: Sony

Simon and Garfunkel\'s Greatest Hits è la prima raccolta dei Simon and Garfunkel, rilasciata il 12 giugno 1972.

Track List

1. Mrs. Robinson
2. For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her
3. The Boxer
4. The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin\' Groovy)
5. The Sound Of Silence
6. I Am A Rock
7. Scarborough Fair
8. Homeward Bound
9. Bridge Over Troubled Water
10. America
11. Kathy\'s Song
12. El Condor Pasa (If I Could)
13. Bookends
14. Cecilia

Simon & Garfunkel (somewhat) Live in 68[MyAnonaMouse.net]

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:10:14

Simon Garfunkel - Bookends

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:10:10

Simon Garfunkel - Greatest Hits torrent [twistedtorrents com]

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 22:11:48

Simon and Garfunkel - The Concert In Central Park (1981) [DVD-ISO-PAL] (oan)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:10:55

Simon & Garfunkel Parsley Sage Rosemary And Thyme][Mp3][320Kbs][Hector][H33T]

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:11:07

Simon & Garfunkel [Limited Edition Greatest Hits] [Cov+2CD] [Bubanee]

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 21:12:02

[lightingspeeds com] Simon & Garfunkel [Limited Edition Greatest Hits] [Cov+2CD] [Bubanee]

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:11:09

Simon & Garfunkel - Limited Edition Greatest [Cov+2CD][Bubanee]

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:11:22

Simon & Garfunkel [Limited Edition Greatest Hits] [Cov+2CD] [Bubanee]

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:11:00

Simon & Garfunkel Wednesday Morning,3AM][Mp3@320kbs][Hectorbusinspector]

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:11:13

Simon & Garfunkel Wednesday Morning,3AM torrent [ceasers palace info]

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:11:22

Simon & Garfunkel Wednesday Morning,3AM][Mp3@320kbs][Hectorbusinspector][H33t]

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:10:44

BookEnds Simon & garfunkel][Mp3@320Kbs][Hectorbusinspector][H33T] torrent [ceasers palace info]

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 23:11:09

BookEnds Simon & garfunkel][Mp3@320Kbs][Hectorbusinspector][H33T]

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 18:11:12

Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water][Mp3@320kbs][Hectorbusinspector][H33t]

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 03:10:58

Simon & GarfunkelParley,Sage Rosemary&Thyme][Mp3@320kbs][Hectorbusinspector][H33t]

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:11:09

Simon & Garfunkel Sound Of Silence][Mp3@320kbs][Hectorbusinspector][H33t] torrent [ceasers palac

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 02:11:08

Simon & Garfunkel Sound Of Silence][Lyric's][Mp3@320kbs][Hectorbusinspector][H33t]

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:11:15

Simon & Garfunkel [Greatest Hits] [AAC] [320kb/s] [CBR] [CodeTempest]

Sun, 24 May 2009 04:11:32

Simon & Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme

Sat, 23 May 2009 16:27:41

with cue & m3u files 1. Scarborough Fair / Canticle 2. Patterns 3. Cloudy 4. Homeward Bound 5. The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine 6. The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feeling Groovy) 7. The Dangling Conversation 8. Flowers Never Bend With the Rainfall 9. A Simple Desultory Philippic 10. For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her 11. A Poem on an Underground Wall 12. 7 O' Clock News / Silent Night 13. Patterns - (previously unreleased, demo version) 14. A Poem on the Underground Wall - (previously unreleased, demo version)

Simon And Garfunkel Greatest Hits 1972

Sun, 03 May 2009 04:11:51

Simon and Garfunkel - The concert in Central Park - 1981

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 03:11:46

Simon and Garfunkel - The Definitive 1991 [WwW GureTorrents CoM] rar

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:11:50

Simon and Garfunkel - The Definitive 1991 [WwW. GureTorrents.CoM]

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:38:48

Tracklist:

1. Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.
2. Sound of Silence
3. Homeward Bound
4. Kathy\'s Song
5. I Am a Rock
6. For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her [In Concert]
7. Scarborough Fair/Canticle
8. 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin\' Groovy)
9. Seven O\'Clock News/Silent Night
10. Hazy Shade of Winter
11. Condor Pasa (If I Could)
12. Mrs. Robinson
13. America
14. At the Zoo
15. Old Friends
16. Bookends Theme
17. Cecilia
18. Boxer
19. Bridge over Troubled Water
20. Song for the Asking

Simon and Garfunkel Collection KompletlyWyred com Release

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:12:00

Simon and Garfunkel Collection KompletlyWyred com Release

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 05:12:00

SIMON & GARFUNKEL CONCERT IN CENTRAL PARK

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 09:12:10

The Essential Simon & Garfunkel

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 17:13:18

CD 1 The Sound of Silence (Paul Simon) Wednesday Morning 3 AM (Paul Simon) (live) Bye Bye Love (Felice Bryant/B. Bryant) Bleecker Street (Paul Simon) I am a Rock (Paul Simon) A Most Peculiar Man (Paul Simon) (live) Richard Cory (Paul Simon) Kathy's Song (Paul Simon) (live) Scarborough Fair / Canticle (folkvisa arrangerad av Simon & Garfunkel) Homeward Bound (Paul Simon) Sparrow (Paul Simon) (live) Leaves That are Green (Paul Simon) (live) He was My Brother (Paul Simon) The 59h Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) (Paul Simon) The Dangling Conversation (Paul Simon) A Poem on the Underground Wall (Paul Simon) (live) Blessed (Paul Simon) (live) Cloudy (Paul Simon) The Blues Run the Game (Jackson C. Frank) A Hazy Shade of Winter (Paul Simon) CD 2 Mrs Robinson (Paul Simon) Bridge over Troubled Water (Paul Simon) At the Zoo (Paul Simon) Fakin' It (Paul Simon) Old Friends (Paul Simon) Bookends Theme (Paul Simon) Punky's Dilemma (Paul Simon) Overs (Paul Simon) (live) A Church is Burning (Paul Simon) (live) America (Paul Simon) El Condor Pasa (If I Could) (Milchberg/Robles/Paul Simon) Cecilia (Paul Simon) Keep the Customer Satisfied (Paul Simon) So Long Frank Lloyd Wright (Paul Simon) The Boxer (Paul Simon) Baby Driver (Paul Simon) The Only Living Boy in New York (Paul Simon) Song for the Asking (Paul Simon) For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her (Paul Simon) (live) My Little Town (Paul Simon)

The Essential Simon & Garfunkel

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 17:12:07

Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water - ReMastered

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 02:20:17

Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water Enjoy and Seed!

Simon and Garfunkel - Atlanta

Sat, 07 Feb 2009 01:19:52

The Essential Simon & Garfunkel (2003) Nlt release By Zero Yuy

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:59:59

The Essential Simon & Garfunkel (2003) Nlt release By Zero Yuy

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:31:00

Format: Mp3 Bitrate: 320 kbps Tracklist: CD 1: 1/20 - The Sound Of Silence (Album Version) 2/20 - Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M (Live) 3/20 - Bye Bye Love (Album Version) 4/20 - Bleecker Street (Album Version) 5/20 - I Am A Rock (Album Version) 6/20 - A Most Peculiar Man [Live] 7/20 - Richard Cory (Album Version) 8/20 - Kathy's Song [Live] 9/20 - Scarborough Fair/Canticle (Album Version) 10/20 - Homeward Bound (Album Version) 11/20 - Sparrow [Live] 12/20 - Leaves That Are Green [Live] 13/20 - He Was My Brother (Album Version) 14/20 - The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) (Album Version) 15/20 - The Dangling Conversation (Album Version) 16/20 - A Poem On The Underground Wall [Live] 17/20 - Blessed [Live] 18/20 - Cloudy (Album Version) 19/20 - Blues Run The Game (Album Version) 20/20 - A Hazy Shade Of Winter (Album Version) CD 2: 1/20 - Mrs. Robinson (Album Version) 2/20 - Bridge Over Troubled Water (Album Version) 3/20 - At The Zoo (Album Version) 4/20 - Fakin' It (Album Version) 5/20 - Old Friends (Album Version) 6/20 - Bookends Theme (Album Version) 7/20 - Punky's Dilemma (Album Version) 8/20 - Overs [Live] 9/20 - A Church Is Burning [Live] 10/20 - America (Album Version) 11/20 - El Condor Pasa (Album Version) 12/20 - Cecilia (Album Version) 13/20 - Keep The Customer Satisfied (Album Version) 14/20 - So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright (Album Version) 15/20 - The Boxer (Album Version) 16/20 - Baby Driver (Album Version) 17/20 - The Only Living Boy In New York (Album Version) 18/20 - Song For The Asking (Album Version) 19/20 - For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her [Live] 20/20 - My Little Town (Album Version)

Simon & Garfunkel

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 02:33:08

Simon & Garfunkel - Bookens, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, Sounds of Silence, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. 5 CD Set All CD's are expanded CD's

Simon and Garfunkel - The Concert In Central Park (1981) [DVD-ISO-PAL] by alientorrent.com

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 01:19:47

Lick Library - Learn To Play Simon And Garfunkel [anonamouse.net]

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:19:52

Simon And Garfunkel.Greatest Hits

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:26:32

SIMON AND GARFUNKEL. GREATEST HITS.1972

Simon And Garfunkel Discographie

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 11:21:53

Simon & Garfunkel - [Bridge Over Troubled Water] [Apple Lossless] [CodeTempest]

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:20:26

Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends 1968 [MP3 @ 320]

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:21:37

Simon & Garfunkel - Sounds Of Silence 1966 [MP3 @ 320]

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:21:37

Simon & Garfunkel - Wednesday Morning, 3 A M [MP3 @ 320]

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:21:37

Simon & Garfunkel-Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme[MP3 @ 320]

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:21:37

Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water[MP3 @ 320]

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:21:37

Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water 1970 [MP3 @ 320](

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:20:19

Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water 1970 [MP3 @ 320](oan) ["Bridge Over Troubled Water" 1970] 1. (00:04:56) - Bridge Over Troubled Water 2. (00:03:09) - EL CONDOR PASA(If I Could) 3. (00:02:55) - Cecilia 4. (00:02:38) - Keep The Customer Satisfied 5. (00:03:45) - So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright 6. (00:05:13) - The Boxer 7. (00:03:17) - Baby Driver 8. (00:04:02) - The Only Living Boy In New York 9. (00:02:46) - Why Don't You Write Me 10. (00:02:53) - Bye Bye Love 11. (00:02:00) - Song For The Asking [bonus tracks] 12. (00:01:45) - FEUILLES-O (Demo) 13. (00:04:46) - BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER (Demo Take 6) Playing Time.........: 00:44:05

Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends 1968 [MP3 @ 320](oan)

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:20:19

Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends 1968 [MP3 @ 320](oan) ["Bookends" 1968] 1. (00:00:33) - Bookends Theme 2. (00:02:49) - Save The Life Of My Child 3. (00:03:36) - America 4. (00:02:19) - Overs 5. (00:02:07) - Voices Of Old People 6. (00:02:36) - Old Friends 7. (00:01:24) - Bookends Theme 8. (00:03:22) - Fakin' It 9. (00:02:18) - Punky's Dilemma 10. (00:04:07) - Mrs. Robinson 11. (00:02:18) - A Hazy Shade Of Winter 12. (00:02:32) - At The Zoo [bonus tracks] 13. (00:02:19) - You Don't Know Where Your Interest Lies 14. (00:02:11) - OLD FRIENDS (Demo) Playing Time.........: 00:34:31

Simon & Garfunkel - Sounds Of Silence 1966 [MP3 @ 320](oan)

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:20:19

Simon & Garfunkel - Sounds Of Silence 1966 [MP3 @ 320](oan) ["Sounds Of Silence" 1966] 1. (00:03:09) - The Sound Of Silence 2. (00:02:25) - Leaves That Are Green 3. (00:03:18) - Blessed 4. (00:03:21) - Kathy's Song 5. (00:02:38) - Somewhere They Can't Find Me 6. (00:02:18) - Anji 7. (00:02:59) - Richard Cory 8. (00:02:34) - A Most Peculiar Man 9. (00:01:53) - April Come She Will 10. (00:02:01) - We've Got A Groovy Thing Goin' 11. (00:02:59) - I Am A Rock 12. (00:02:55) - Blues Run The Game [bonus tracks] 13. (00:04:06) - BARBRIALLEN (Demo) 14. (00:02:03) - ROSE OF ABERDEEN (Demo) 15. (00:03:04) - ROVING GAMBLER (Demo) Playing Time.........: 00:41:44

Simon & Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme 1966 [MP3

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:20:18

Simon & Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme 1966 [MP3 @ 320](oan) ["Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme" 1966] 1. (00:03:14) - Scarborough FairCanticle 2. (00:02:49) - Patterns 3. (00:02:25) - Cloudy 4. (00:02:33) - Homeward Bound 5. (00:02:51) - The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine 6. (00:01:58) - The 59Th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) 7. (00:02:42) - The Dangling Conversation 8. (00:02:14) - Flowers Never Bend With The Rainfall 9. (00:02:23) - A SIMPLE DESULTORY PHILIPPIC 10. (00:02:09) - For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her 11. (00:01:57) - A Poem On The Underground Wall 12. (00:02:12) - 7 O'clock NewsSilent Night [bonus tracks] 13. (00:02:56) - PATTERNS (Demo) 14. (00:01:51) - A POEM ON THE UNDERGROUND WALL (Demo) Playing Time.........: 00:34:14

Simon & Garfunkel - Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.[MP3 @ 320](oan)

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:20:18

Simon & Garfunkel - Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.1964 [MP3 @ 320](oan) ["Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M" 1964] 1. (00:02:49) - You Can Tell The World 2. (00:02:13) - Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream 3. (00:02:47) - Bleecker Street 4. (00:02:51) - Sparrow 5. (00:02:42) - Benedictus 6. (00:03:09) - The Sound Of Silence 7. (00:02:53) - He Was My Brother 8. (00:02:29) - Peggy-O 9. (00:02:09) - Go Tell It On The Mountain 10. (00:02:50) - The Sun Is Burning 11. (00:02:55) - The Times They Are A-Changin' 12. (00:02:24) - Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. [bonus tracks] 13. (00:02:46) - BLEECKER STREET (Demo) 14. (00:02:52) - HE WAS MY BROTHER (Alternate Take 1) 15. (00:02:47) - THE SUN IS BURNING (Alternate Take 12) Playing Time.........: 00:40:37

Simon & Garfunkel - Wednesday Morning, 3 A M 1964 [MP3 @ 320](oan)

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:19:45

Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water 1970 [MP3 @ 320](oan)

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:19:45

Simon & Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme 1966 [MP3 @ 320](oan)

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:19:45

Simon And Garfunkel-The Collection-(UK Import)-5CD-2008- www supreme-speeds com

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:19:45

Simon & Garfunkel - Sounds Of Silence 1966 [MP3 @ 320](oan)

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:19:44

Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends 1968 [MP3 @ 320](oan)

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:19:44

Simon And Garfunkel-The Collection-(UK Import)-5CD-2008-FIH http://xtreme-scene.co.uk/index.php

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:19:51

Simon & Garfunkel - The Collection (2008) [FLAC]

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:18:50

Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water (1969) [FLAC] (20

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:18:49

Simon_And_Garfunkel-The_Collection-(UK_Import)-5CD-2008-FIH

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:21:44

ARTiST: Simon & Garfunkel LABEL: Sony BMG ALBUM: The Collection SOURCE: CDDA GENRE: Classic Rock SiZE: 258.MB RETAiL: 11/24/2008 LENGTH: 194:37 QUALiTY: VBR/44.1kHz/Joint-Stereo ENCODER: LAME v3.97 (-V2 --vbr-new) New 5 CD UK box-set of classic Simon & Garfunkel LPs. Re-mastered & expanded with new, previously unreleased bonus tracks. Enjoy from your friends in FIH...! NO. TiTLE TiME TRACK LiST: CD 1/5 01. You Can Tell The World 2:49 02. Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream 2:13 03. Bleecker Street 2:47 04. Sparrow 2:51 05. Benedictus 2:41 06. The Sound Of Silence 3:09 07. He Was My Brother 2:52 08. Peggy-O 2:28 09. Go Tell It On The Mountain 2:09 10. The Sun Is Burning 2:50 11. The Times They Are A-Changin' 2:55 12. Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. 2:23 13. Bleecker Street (Demo) (Bonus Track) 2:46 14. He Was My Brother (Alternate Take 1) (Bonus Track) 2:52 15. The Sun Is Burning (Alternate Take 12) (Bonus Track) 2:46 TRACK LiST: CD 2/5 01. The Sound Of Silence 3:09 02. Leaves That Are Green 2:24 03. Blessed 3:17 04. Kathy's Song 3:21 05. Somewhere They Can't Find Me 2:38 06. Anji 2:18 07. Richard Cory 2:59 08. A Most Peculiar Man 2:33 09. April Come She Will 1:52 10. We've Got A Groovy Thing Goin' 2:00 11. I Am A Rock 2:59 12. Blues Run The Game 2:55 13. Barbriallen (Demo) (Bonus Track) 4:06 14. Rose Of Aberdeen (Demo) (Bonus Track) 2:02 15. Roving Gambler (Demo) (Bonus Track) 3:03 TRACK LiST: CD 3/5 01. Scarborough Fair/Canticle 3:14 02. Patterns 2:49 03. Cloudy 2:25 04. Homeward Bound 2:32 05. The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine 2:51 06. The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) 1:58 07. The Dangling Conversation 2:41 08. Flowers Never Bend With The Rainfall 2:13 09. A Simple Desultory Philippic 2:22 10. For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her 2:08 11. A Poem On The Underground Wall 1:56 12. 7 O'clock News/Silent Night 2:12 13. Patterns (Demo) (Bonus Track) 2:55 14. A Poem On The Underground Wall (Demo) (Bonus Track) 1:51 TRACK LiST: CD 4/5 01. Bookends Theme 0:32 02. Save The Life Of My Child 2:48 03. America 3:35 04. Overs 2:19 05. Voices Of Old People 2:07 06. Old Friends 2:35 07. Bookends Theme 1:24 08. Fakin' It 3:22 09. Punky's Dilemma 2:17 10. Mrs. Robinson 4:07 11. A Hazy Shade Of Winter 2:17 12. At The Zoo 2:32 13. You Don't Know Where Your Interest Lies (Bonus Track) 2:19 14. Old Friends (Demo) (Bonus Track) 2:11 TRACK LiST: CD 5/5 01. Bridge Over Troubled Water 4:55 02. El Condor Pasa (If I Could) 3:09 03. Cecilia 2:54 04. Keep The Customer Satisfied 2:37 05. So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright 3:45 06. The Boxer 5:12 07. Baby Driver 3:17 08. The Only Living Boy In New York 4:01 09. Why Don't You Write Me 2:46 10. Bye Bye Love 2:52 11. Song For The Asking 1:59 12. Feuilles-O (Demo) (Bonus Track) 1:45 13. Bridge Over Troubled Water (Demo Take 6) (Bonus Track) 4:46

Simon & Garfunkel - Live 1969 [2008/FLAC/Lossless/Log]

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 22:18:36

Simon & Garfunkel - Greatest Hits (1972)

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 10:54:00

Un saludo

Simon & Garfunkel - Greatest Hits (1972)

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 01:21:08

Un saludo

Simon & Garfunkel - Homeward Bound

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 19:00:43

Simon & Garfunkel - Homeward Bound Video XVID 640 x 480 Audio MP3 192

Simon & Garfunkel - Sounds Of Silence

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 19:00:43

Simon & Garfunkel - Sounds Of Silence Video XVID 640 x 480 Audio MP3 192

Simon and Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (remastered, EAC vbr~190, lame 3.98)

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:25:56

Simon And Garfunkel 20 Greatest Hits +++ ?? @ (320 Kbps)

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 19:22:41

Simon & Garfunkel 20 Greatest Hits +++ ?? @ (320 Kbps)

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:19:42

Simon & Garfunkel's - Greatest Hits [Apple Lossless] [CodeTempest]

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:18:20

Simon & Garfunkel - 20 Greatest Hits [EAC-FLAC] [RePoPo]

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:21:57

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Simon and Garfunkel - 20 Greatest Hits 01.- The Sound Of Silence [03:04] 02.- Homeward Bound [02:26] 03.- I Am A Rock [02:50] 04.- America [03:27] 05.- The 59th Street Bridge Song [01:41] 06.- Cloudy [02:11] 07.- At The Zoo [02:17] 08.- El Condor Pasa [03:06] 09.- Hazy Shade Of Winter [02:17] 10.- We've Got A Groovy Thing Goin' [01:58] 11.- Cecilia [02:49] 12.- Keep The Customer Satisfied [02:33] 13.- Mrs Robinson [03:55] 14.- The Boxer [05:10] 15.- Scarborough Fair/Canticle [03:07] 16.- The Dangling Conversation [02:37] 17.- Old Friends, Bookends Theme [03:54] 18.- For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her [02:03] 19.- Bridge Over Troubled Water [04:51] 20.- Song For The Asking [01:42] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01.- SOUND OF SILENCE Hello darkness, my old friend I've come to talk with you again Because a vision softly creeping Left its seeds while I was sleeping And the vision that was planted in my brain Still remains Within the sound of silence In restless dreams I walked alone Narrow streets of cobblestone 'Neath the halo of a street lamp I turn my collar to the cold and damp When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light That split the night And touched the sound of silence And in the naked light I saw Ten thousand people maybe more People talking without speaking People hearing without listening People writing songs that voices never shared No one dared Disturb the sound of silence "Fools," said I, "you do not know Silence like a cancer grows Hear my words that I might teach you Take my arms that I might reach you" But my words like silent raindrops fell And echoed in the wells of silence And the people bowed and prayed To the neon god they made And the sign flashed out its warning In the words that it was forming And the sign said "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls And tenement halls And whispered in the sound of silence 02.- HOMEWARD BOUND (STUDIO VERSION) I'm sittin' in the railway station Got a ticket for my destination, mmm On a tour of one night stands My suitcase and guitar in hand And every stop is neatly planned For a poet and a one-man band Homeward Bound, I wish I was Homeward Bound Home, where my thought's escaping Home, where my music's playing Home, where my love lies waiting Silently for me Every day's an endless stream Of cigarettes and magazines And each town looks the same to me The movies and the factories And every stranger's face I see Reminds me that I long to be Homeward Bound, I wish I was Homeward Bound Home, where my thought's escaping Home, where my music's playing Home, where my love lies waiting Silently for me Tonight I'll sing my songs again I'll play the game and pretend But all my words come back to me In shades of mediocrity Like emptiness in harmony I need someone to comfort me Homeward Bound, I wish I was Homeward Bound Home, where my thought's escaping Home, where my music's playing Home, where my love lies waiting Silently for me Silently for me 03.- I AM A ROCK A winter's day In a deep and dark December I am alone Gazing from my window To the streets below On a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow I am a rock I am an island I've built walls A fortress deep and mighty That none may penetrate I have no need of friendship Friendship causes pain It's laughter and it's loving I disdain I am a rock I am an island Don't talk of love Well I've heard the word before It's sleeping in my memory I won't disturb the slumber Of feelings that have died If I never loved I never would have cried I am a rock I am an island I have my books And my poetry to protect me I am shielded in my armor Hiding in my room Safe within my womb I touch no one and no one touches me I am a rock I am an island And a rock feels no pain And an island never cries 04.- AMERICA "Let us be lovers, we'll marry our fortunes together I've got some real estate here in my bag" So we bought a pack of cigarettes and Mrs. Wagner pies And walked off to look for America "Kathy," I said as we boarded a Greyhound in Pittsburgh "Michigan seems like a dream to me now" It took me four days to hitchhike from Saginaw I've come to look for America Laughing on the bus Playing games with the faces She said the man in the gabardine suit was a spy I said "Be careful, his bowtie is really a camera" "Toss me a cigarette, I think there's one in my raincoat" "We smoked the last one an hour ago" So I looked at the scenery, she read her magazine And the moon rose over an open field "Kathy, I'm lost," I said, though I knew she was sleeping "I'm empty and aching and I don't know why" Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike They've all come to look for America All come to look for America All come to look for America 05.- THE 59th STREET BRIDGE SONG Slow down, you move too fast You've got to make the morning last Just kicking down the cobblestones Looking for fun and feeling groovy Ba da da da da da da, feeling groovy Hello lampost, what'cha knowing I've come to watch your flowers growin' Ain'tcha got no rhymes for me Doo-it in doo doo, feeling groovy Ba da da da da da da, feeling groovy I got no deeds to do No promises to keep I'm dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep Let the morningtime drop all its petals on me Life I love you, all is groovy 06.- CLOUDY Cloudy The sky is gray and white and cloudy Sometimes I think it's hanging down on me And it's a hitchhike a hundred miles I'm a raga-muffin child Pointed finger-painted smile I left my shadow waiting down the road for me a while Cloudy My thoughts are scattered and they're cloudy They have no boreders, no boundaries They echo and they swell From Tolstoi to Tinkerbell Down from Berkeley to Carmel Got some pictures in my pocket and a lot of time to kill Hey sunshine I haven't seen you in a long time Why don't you show your face and bend my mind? These clouds stick to the sky Like a floating question why And they linger there to die They don't know where they are going, and, my friend, neither do I Cloudy Cloudy 07.- AT THE ZOO Someone told me It's all happening at the zoo I do believe it I do believe it's true It's a light and tumble journey From the East Side to the park Just a fine and fancy ramble to the zoo But you can take a crosstown bus If it's raining or it's cold And the animals will love it if you do Somethin' tells me It's all happening at the zoo I do believe it I do believe it's true The monkeys stand for honesty Giraffes are insincere And the elephants are kindly but they're dumb Orangutans are skeptical Of changes in their cages And the zookeeper is very fond of rum Zebras are reactionaries Antelopes are missionaries Pigeons plot in secrecy And hamsters turn on frequently What a gas! You gotta come and see At the zoo 08.- EL CONDOR PASA I'd rather be a sparrow than a snail Yes I would, if I could, I surely would I'd rather be a hammer than a nail Yes I would, if I only could, I surely would Away, I'd rather sail away Like a swan that's here and gone A man gets tired out to the ground He gives the world Its saddest sound Its saddest sound I'd rather be a forest than a street Yes I would, if I could, I surely would I'd rather feel the earth beneath my feet Yes I would, if I only could, I surely would 09.- HAZY SHADE OF WINTER Time, time, time See what's become of me While I looked around For my possibilities I was so hard to please But look around Leaves are brown And the sky is a hazy shade of winter Hear the Salvation Army band Down by the riverside It's bound to be a better ride Than what you've got planned Carry your cup in your hand And look around Leaves are brown And the sky is a hazy shade of winter Hang onto your hopes, my friend That's an easy thing to say But if your hopes should pass away Simply pretend That you can build them again Look around The grass is high The fields are ripe It's the springtime of my life Seasons change with the scenery Weaving time in a tapestry Won't you stop and remember me At any convenient time? Funny how my memory skips While looking over manuscripts Of unpublished rhyme Drinking my vodka and lime I look around Leaves are brown And the sky is a hazy shade of winter Look around Leaves are brown There's a patch of snow on the ground 10.- WE'VE GOT A GROOVY THING GOIN' Bad news, bad news! I heard you're packing to leave I come a-running right over I just couldn't believe it I just couldn't believe it Oh, baby, baby You must be out of your mind Do you know what you're kicking away? We've got a groovy thing goin', baby We've got a groovy thing I never done you no wrong I never hit you whe you're down I always gave you good loving I never ran around I never ran around Oh, baby, baby You must be out of your mind Do you know what you're kicking away? We've got a groovy thing goin', baby We've got a groovy thing There's something you ought to know If you're fixing to go I can't make it without you No no no no, no no No no, no no no no no Oh, baby, baby You must be out of your mind Do you know what you're kicking away? We've got a groovy thing goin', baby We've got a groovy thing We've got a groovy thing goin', baby We've got a groovy thing 11.- CECILIA Cecilia, you're breaking my heart You're shaking my confidence daily Oh Cecilia, I'm down on my knees I'm begging you please, to come home Cecilia, you're breaking my heart You're shaking my confidence daily Oh Cecilia, I'm down on my knees I'm begging you please, to come home Come on home Making love in the afternoon With Cecilia up in my bedroom I got up to wash my face When I come back to bed Someone's taken my place Cecilia, you're breaking my heart You're shaking my confidence daily Oh Cecilia, I'm down on my knees I'm begging you please, to come home Come on home Jubilation, she loves me again I fall on the floor and I'm laughing Jubilation, she loves me again I fall on the floor and I'm laughing 12.- KEEP THE CUSTOMER SATISFIED Gee but it's great to be back home Home is where I want to be I've been on the road so long my friend And if you came along I know you couldn't disagree It's the same old story, yeah Everywhere I go I get slandered, libeled I hear words I never heard in the Bible And I'm one step ahead of the shoe shine Two steps away from the county line Just trying to keep my customers satisfied Satisfied Deputy Sheriff said to me "Tell me what you come here for, boy You better get your bags and flee You're in trouble, boy And now you're heading into more" It's the same old story Everywhere I go I get slandered, libeled I hear words I never heard in the Bible And I'm one step ahead of the shoe shine Two steps away from the county line Just trying to keep my customers satisfied Satisfied And it's the same old story Everywhere I go I get slandered, libeled I hear words I never heard in the Bible And I'm so tired I'm oh so tired But I'm trying to keep my customers satisfied Satisfied 13.- MRS. ROBINSON And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson Jesus loves you more than you will know, wo wo wo God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson Heaven holds a place for those who pray, hey hey hey Hey hey hey We'd like to know a little bit about you for our files We'd like to help you learn to help yourself Look around you, all you see are sympathetic eyes Stroll around the grounds until you feel at home And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson Jesus loves you more than you will know, wo wo wo God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson Heaven holds a place for those who pray, hey hey hey Hey hey hey Hide it in a hiding place where no one ever goes Put it in your pantry with your cupcakes It's a little secret, just the Robinsons' affair Most of all you've got to hide it from the kids Coo coo ca-choo, Mrs. Robinson Jesus loves you more than you will know, wo wo wo God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson Heaven holds a place for those who pray, hey hey hey Hey hey hey Sitting on a sofa on a Sunday fternoon Going to the candidate's debate Laugh about it, shout about it When you've got to choose Every way you look at it you lose Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you, woo woo woo What's that you say, Mrs. Robinson? Joltin' Joe has left and gone away, hey hey hey Hey hey hey 14.- THE BOXER I am just a poor boy Though my story's seldom told I have squandered my resistance For a pocketful of mumbles Such are promises All lies and jests Still a man hears what he wants to hear And disregards the rest When I left my home and my family I was no more than a boy In the company of strangers In the quiet of the railway station Running scared Laying low, seeking out the poorer quarters Where the ragged people go Looking for the places only they would know 15.- SCARBOROUGH FAIR Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme Remember me to one who lives there She once was a true love of mine Tell her to make me a cambric shirt (On the side of a hill in the deep forest green) Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme (Tracing a sparrow on snow-crested ground) Without no seams nor needlework (Blankets and bedclothes the child of the mountain) Then she'll be a true love of mine (Sleeps unaware of the clarion call) Tell her to find me an acre of land (On the side of a hill, a sprinkling of leaves) Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme (Washed is the ground with so many tears) Between the salt water and the sea strand (A soldier cleans and polishes a gun) Then she'll be a true love of mine Tell her to reap it in a sickle of leather (War bellows, blazing in scarlet battalions) Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme (Generals order their soldiers to kill) And to gather it all in a bunch of heather (And to fight for a cause they have long ago forgotten) Then she'll be a true love of mine Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme Remember me to one who lives there She once was a true love of mine 16.- THE DANGLING CONVERSATION It's a still life water color Of a now late afternoon As the sun shines through the curtain lace And shadows wash the room And we sit and drink our coffee Couched in our indifference Like shells upon the shore You can hear the ocean roar In the dangling conversation And the superficial sighs The borders of our lives And you read your Emily Dickinson And I my Robert Frost And we note our place with bookmarkers That measure what we've lost Like a poem poorly written We are verses out of rhythm Couplets out of rhyme In syncopated time And the dangling conversation And the superficial sighs Are the borders of our lives Yes, we speak of things that matter With words that must be said "Can analysis be worthwhile?" "Is the theater really dead?" And how the room is softly faded And I only kiss your shadow I cannot feel your hand You're a stranger now unto me Lost in the dangling conversation And the superficial sighs In the borders of our lives 17.- OLD FRIENDS, BOOKENDS THEME Old friends Old friends Sat on their park bench Like bookends A newspaper blown through the grass Falls on the round toes Of the high shoes Of the old friends Winter companions The old men Lost in their overcoats Waiting for the sunset The sounds of the city Sifting through the trees Settle like dust On the shoulders Of the old friends Can you imagine us Years from today Sharing a park bench quietly? How terribly strange To be seventy Old friends Memory brushes the same years Silently sharing the same fear... Time it was, and what a time it was, it was A time of innocence, A time of confidences Long ago, it must be, I have a photograph Preserve your memories; They're all that's left you 18.- BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER (STUDIO VERSION) When you're weary, feeling small When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all I'm on your side When times get rough And friends just can't be found Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down When you're down and out When you're on the street When evening falls so hard I will comfort you I'll take your part When darkness comes And pain is all around Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down Sail on silver girl Sail on by Your time has come to shine All your dreams are on their way See how they shine If you need a friend I'm sailing right behind Like a bridge over troubled water I will ease your mind Like a bridge over troubled water I will ease your mind 19.- SONG FOR THE ASKING Here is my song for the asking Ask me and I will play So sweetly, I'll make you smile This is my tune for the taking Take it, don't turn away I've been waiting all my life Thinking it over, I've been sad Thinking it over, I'd be more than glad To change my ways for the asking Ask me and I will play All the love that I hold inside ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lyrics taken from Simon & Garfunkel Lyrics Archive http://sglyrics.myrmid.com/index.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Simon & Garfunkel - 20 Greatest Hits [EAC-FLAC] [RePoPo]

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:18:10

Simon & Garfunkel - Live From New York City 1967 (EAC-CUE-FLAC)

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:17:30

******************************************************************************* Simon & Garfunkel - Live From New York City 1967 ******************************************************************************* Tracklist: 01.- He Was My Brother [03:21] 02.- Leaves That Are Green [02:57] 03.- Sparrow [03:06] 04.- Homeward Bound [02:39] 05.- You Don't Know Where Your Interest Lies [02:06] 06.- A Most Peculiar Man [02:59] 07.- The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) [01:49] 08.- The Dangling Conversation [03:01] 09.- Richard Cory [03:23] 10.- A Hazy Shade of Winter [02:37] 11.- Benedictus [02:55] 12.- Blessed [03:45] 13.- A Poem on the Underground Wall [04:45] 14.- Anji [02:28] 15.- I Am a Rock [02:57] 16.- The Sound of Silence [03:25] 17.- For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her [02:40] 18.- A Church Is Burning [03:43] 19.- Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. [03:35] Bonus: 01.- Red Rubber Ball (included in the Old Friends Boxset) [02:28] Ripped with EAC, creating a single .cue/.wav audio file, preserving the CD structure, gaps and volume levels as in the original CD. THIS CD COMES ONLY IN ONE LONG AUDIO TRACK. If you want to split it, use Medieval Cue Splitter. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Album Review by Richie Unterberger and Wikipedia Recorded on January 22, 1967, at Lincoln Center in New York, four of these 19 songs were on the 1997 Old Friends box set, but the rest were unissued until the 2002 appearance of this release. However, one track from that set, "Red Rubber Ball", was not included in this release, thus leaving it somewhat incomplete. The duo performs acoustically, without accompanists (as was usually the case in their concerts, and unlike in their other official live albums, The Concert in Central Park and Old Friends: Live On Stage), on a fine-sounding and well-delivered set that doesn't contain any revelations, but is nonetheless an excellent document of their live work as they reached their prime. Certainly a Simon & Garfunkel fan could have hardly wished for a better song selection, as it features all the major hits and most of the best album tracks that the pair had recorded prior to 1967: "The Sound of Silence," "I Am a Rock," "Homeward Bound," "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)," "Richard Cory," "A Hazy Shade of Winter," "The Dangling Conversation," "Anji," and "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her." Some of the more offbeat moments, however, lie in less-celebrated songs like "Leaves That Are Green," "Benedictus," and "He Was My Brother." Only two of the cuts, though, would qualify as relatively seldom-heard tunes: "A Church Is Burning," which Paul Simon put on his 1965 U.K.-only solo album but was not recorded for release by Simon & Garfunkel, and the uncommonly tough-minded "You Don't Know Where Your Interest Lies," which would be a 1967 non-LP B-side (of "Fakin' It"). Numerous live Simon & Garfunkel bootlegs had circulated before this release, so the pair's concert sound will not come as a shock to hardcore fans, but it's great to have a classy, above-board document of their live presence. It should also be of note that this tape is not the same show as the bootleg, "Live From New York City, 1966", despite similar material and packaging. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Track notes from Allmusic, Wikipedia and SongFacts ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HE WAS MY BROTHER Written by Paul Simon in June of 1963 under the pseudonym P. Kane. A song of loss, it was later rewritten to make reference to an ex-classmate of Simon's, Andrew Goodman, who was one of the students murdered in Mississippi during a civil rights demonstration in 1964. Like the classic "He Was a Friend of Mine" (cut by both Bob Dylan and the Byrds), the feeling of loss is captured in a beautiful atmosphere of subtle, poetic style, avoiding overstatement. One of Simon's finest early lyrics, it's backed by a minor-key folk progression with a vaguely country rhythm. The song was released two other times (other than Simon & Garfunkel's version), once as a solo single by Simon under the name "Jerry Landis." This was written as a memorial to Michael "Mickey" Schwerner. It was actually written before the incident (the murder of Andrew Goodman, Mickey Schwerner and James Chaney, the night of June 21, 1964), when Paul Simon was in England. It was after Andrew was sadly killed that Paul Simon released the song. As a college student, Schwerner had been a member of Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity. Both Simon and Garfunkel were also members of AEPi. Of course, in the larger sense, the song is a tribute to the memories of all three of the slain civil rights workers. LEAVES THAT ARE GREEN A sprightly folk-pop tempo and feel highlight this song, which is one of the earliest tunes in the Simon & Garfunkel canon that shows the duo embracing the then-current folk-rock style. Buttressed by some inventive percussion and harpsichord, the shiny quality of the melody is highlighted throughout this fine pop confection. Lyrically, it's a sad, almost melancholy song of lost love that utilized the changing seasons to convey the feelings at the disintegration of a romance. This is indeed something that Paul Simon would utilize again in the very near future. SPARROW Written by Paul Simon in the summer of 1963, "Sparrow" was written after an amusing incident where Simon found himself walking down a street in a fit of self-doubt, which was followed by an unfortunate accident when a sparrow defecated on him from atop a building. Although the incident is not recounted in the song, the feeling of being lost is certainly at the core of the fine lyrics, which also draw on biblical imagery. Musically, the song is a neo-classical exercise in minor-key folk balladry and features some excellent fingerpicking guitar and subtle acoustic bass. According to Art Garfunkel, this was the first song of Simon's that he arranged, and following, at a New York city folk club, the two re-ignited their musical partnership. HOMEWARD BOUND Few songs in pop music have captured the melancholy ache of homesickness as well as Paul Simon's poignant "Homeward Bound." The song also goes a long way to dispel the glamour myth of a musician on tour. Simon even turns the lyric on himself, taking the romantic troubadour-poet image down a notch, capturing the self-doubt and insecurity that accompanies such intense loneliness: "Tonight I'll sing my songs again/I'll play the game and pretend/But all my words come back to me in shades of mediocrity/Like emptiness in harmony/I need someone to comfort me/Homeward bound/I wish I was/Homeward bound/Home, where my thought's escaping/Home, where my music's playing/Home, where my love lies waiting/Silently for me." The myth has it that the song was written by Simon in a train station in Widnes in Northern England; in fact, there is apparently a plaque at the station commemorating this. But it is true that Simon wrote it sometime during a 1965 solo tour of England, while he had been based in London. He told writer Paul Zollo that the song "was written in Liverpool when I was traveling. What I like about that is that it has a very clear memory of Liverpool station and the streets of Liverpool and the club I played at and me at the age of 22." He has also told other interviewers that it reflects the whole feeling of being on that tour, one that he certainly felt sitting in the station at Widnes, as well as telling Hit Parader magazine, "I missed my girl and my friends. It was kind of depressing. I was living out of suitcases, getting on trains every day and going to the next place...I got very homesick for London." When traveling back from Wigan, where he was playing, he got stuck on the station and wrote this. The song has a double meaning: literally, wanting for a ticket home to Brentwood, but on the other hand, yearning to go to his home in the US. The arrangement builds each line: the first verse lines beginning softly on descending half-step chords; the melodies and chord progressions on the second lines rise, growing more powerful and tense as they ascend into the almost bouncy, country-ish chorus. The original studio version, from their third LP, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, & Thyme (1967), is still based around the acoustic guitar that was the staple of their Dylan-influenced folk sound prior to their first acoustic/electric hybrid, Sounds of Silence (1965). But like Dylan, the duo was also under the spell of the Beatles, and they flesh out their arrangements with a full pop-band instrumentation, with the aid of Dylan producer Bob Johnston. The bass was played by the legendary Carol Kaye. And, as usual, the harmonies are the thing on "Homeward Bound"; the two longtime Everly Brothers fans blend their voices seemingly effortlessly, with Simon's soft voice layered and intertwined with the even more angelic-voiced Art Garfunkel's high harmony. The live, non-band versions of the song offer an even more sensitive reading of the song, the voices remaining quiet for the chorus. Even the quiet instrumentation on Concert in Central Park treats the song a little more gently than the original. A MOST PECULIAR MAN Written in mid-1964, this song was written by Paul Simon and inspired by a newspaper story about a man who committed suicide. This incident may also have inspired Sounds of Silence's other suicide song, "Richard Cory." A different solo version on the song appeared on the Songbook album, a Simon solo demos album. A strong Broadway feel is juxtaposed by the folk-based melody, and the lyrics are in a literate, narrative tone, which would soon become a Paul Simon trademark. THE 59TH STREET SONG (FEELIN' GROOVY) Is one of the ultimate 1960s feel-good songs, from a decade that wasn't exactly short of them. Paul Simon sometimes has the image of being a detached, intellectual pessimist, but few popular songs are more optimistic. Set to a jaunty acoustic guitar riff, the tune skips along like a rock tossed over a lake, conjuring the image of a carefree summer day when the sun is shining, there are no deadlines or obligations to meet, nothing on your schedule at all really, and everything's going your way. Melodically, the most memorable part is the end of the verses, when the vocals land on the title and sustain that note for a while, sometimes leaving the path free for the pair to lah-lah their way around the tune wordlessly. The track is so unrelentingly sunny, indeed, that sometimes it's made fun of by those who came of age or sobered up in the punk/ new wave era, as a symbol of all that was wimpy about hippiedom (particularly the line in which they say hello to a lamppost and ask how it's doing). Still, dark does need to be balanced by light, and "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" -- usually just known as "Feelin' Groovy" -- remains a beloved song, as apt to be heard played by amateur musicians at parties or busking on sidewalks as much as it is by Simon & Garfunkel on the radio. The 59th Street bridge referred to in the title is one of the main bridges running over the waterways of New York, the pair's home town. Simon & Garfunkel's performance of this song is so familiar that it might come as a surprise to those not around at the time of its release to learn that it wasn't a single. It did make the Top 20 in 1967, but only in a much more pop-oriented version by Harpers Bizarre, who gave it much slicker mini-symphonic style production, as well as helium-high vocals. It's the Simon & Garfunkel version that's now primarily remembered, though, and rightly so as it was considerably superior to the hit cover. The 59th Street bridge (officially the Queensboro Bridge), goes over the East River in New York City, connecting Queens to Manhattan. Simon & Garfunkel are from New York, which has a very hectic pace. In this song they remind us to slow down and appreciate the simple pleasures in life, like cobblestones and flowers. When he performed at Tufts University in 1966, Simon said of this song: "I spent most of the year 1965 living in England, and at the end of that year in December, I came back to the United States, 'The Sound Of Silence' had become a big hit, and I had to make this adjustment from being relatively unknown in England to being semi-famous here, and I didn't really swing with it. It was a very difficult scene to make, and I was writing very depressed-type songs until around June of last year. I started to swing out of it, I was getting into a good mood, and I remember coming home in the morning about 6 o'clock over the 59th Street Bridge in New York, and it was such a groovy day really, a good one, and it was one of those times when you know you won't be tired for about an hour, a sort of a good hanging time, so I started to write a song that later became the 59th Street Bridge Song or Feelin' Groovy." The Queensboro Bridge is notoriously noisy and mechanical. You walk on metal graters that vibrate as the traffic zooms by, creating a dangerous and exciting sensation. This could be the background for "Slow down, you move too fast..." Despite being one of Simon & Garfunkel's best known songs this was never a hit for them. However in 1967 a more Pop-oriented version by Harpers Bizarre with higher vocals peaked at #13 in the US & #34 in the UK. (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England) This is one of the first uses of the word "Groovy" in a popular song. It gave the songwriters Carole Bayer Sager and Toni Wine inspiration for the first "Groovy" hit: "A Groovy Kind Of Love." THE DANGLING CONVERSATION "Dangling Conversation" is a classic example of a good song and a better arrangement that tried to do too much within the context of popular music. The theme is failed communication between lovers. The song starts in a room washed by shadows from the sun slanting through the lace curtains and ends with the room "softly faded." They are as different as the poems they read: Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost. The first of Paul Simon's major songs after "The Sounds of Silence" that did not capture the imagination of the public. In that sense, it's usually regarded as a failure for not making the Top Ten. In fact, it was the last of Simon's attempts at " literary rock" -- as a follow-up to "Richard Cory" and "I Am a Rock," it was also the most subtle of them, a single acoustic guitar backed by a string section and a single drum that may have been too sophisticated for the AM radio of its period. The song's references to "Emily Dickinson" and "Robert Frost" were not only non sequiturs when juxtaposed, to anyone who was familiar with the two literary figures, but also alienated teenagers and adults who might not have paid attention in their high school or college English classes. In the end, sophisticated listeners tolerated it without embracing the song, and casual audiences kept it at arm's length, where its literary conceits seemed to be keeping them. The song was part of Simon & Garfunkel's concert sets in late 1966 and 1967, but was quickly dropped once they had more new repertory established. RICHARD CORY In the poem, Richard Cory was the envy of all who encountered him. Everyone thought he had it all. They saw his money, felt his power, knew his intelligence, and never once did they doubt his happiness. They looked upon him as more than mere man, and they desired to be looked upon in that way, too. They assumed that living like Richard Cory would bring elusive happiness. The poem indicates that everyone kept their distance. Richard Cory lead an unbearably lonely life. His money did not buy happiness nor did it bring him friends. Both the song and the poem tell of Richard Cory's ultimate suicide (the original poem concluded: "And Richard Cory, one calm summer night/Went home and put a bullet through his head."); however, the song ends slightly differently, declaring in the final chorus that even after his death, the people wanted to be like Richard Cory. The song tells the tale of a Richard Cory from the perspective of one of the men that works in his factory. The factory worker is envious of the advantages and enjoyments available to Cory, believing him (Cory) to be a satisfied man. The last verse of the song ends similarly to the Robinson poem: Richard Cory went home last night and put a bullet through his head. The chorus repeats again after this verse, reinforcing the irony of the factory worker's admiration. A classic, dark murder ballad, it is loaded with all of the drama and suspense of a mid-'60s art film. Buttressed by a simple but engaging minor-key folk melody, this song was not only one of the most popular album cuts on the Sounds of Silence album but was also covered masterfully by Denny Lane during his stint in Paul McCartney & Wings. It eventually appeared on the Wings Over America live album. A HAZY SHADE OF WINTER "Hazy Shade of Winter" was a sizable hit for Simon & Garfunkel in late 1966, reaching number 13, although it's not quite as frequently played or famous as their biggest smashes. That's unfortunate, as "Hazy Shade of Winter" was one of their best songs, and certainly one of the toughest and more rock-oriented by a duo more noted for being relatively mild and dignified. A brusque, stiff drum rhythm sets the pace on the opening instrumental section, built around an edgy, up and down guitar riff; the melody and arrangement of the instrumental section are duplicated on the track's subsequent vocal choruses. The lyrics evoke the passage of the seasons, but (as the title suggests) focusing on the gloominess of winter. The chorus of the song repeats: But look around, leaves are brown now And the sky is a hazy shade of winter Look around, leaves are brown There's a patch of snow on the ground. The lyric is one of Simon's more downbeat early ones, seems to be lamenting how he was looking for something (or someone) perfect, but never found it, and now time is running out on his dreams, particularly on the chorus, with its images of leaves turning brown (perhaps subconsciously influenced by the brown leaves in John Phillips' slightly earlier "California Dreamin'"?) and the sky looking like a hazy shade of winter, using seasons as a metaphor for the cycle of life. Though the verse is less melodically memorable than the chorus, it's commendably urgent and well-arranged, particularly in the lonely bleats of trumpet after some of the lines, and the part at the ending where the bass and a bassoon busily bring the verse to a climax. There's only a brief bridge here -- and we're not talking about the 59th Street bridge! -- which, though not as vital a part of the song as the main courses, does serve the purpose of adding a little bit more of a dark clouds gathering feel. It's also nifty how the song comes to an unexpected dead, final stop on the last chorus, after the line about a patch of snow on the ground. In the 1980s the song was revived from an unexpected quarter, when the Bangles put it on the soundtrack of Less Than Zero. On The Bangles website, Susanna Hoffs talks about meeting Paul Simon after watching Simon & Garfunkel in concert: "We had loved Simon & Garfunkel, and naturally we also loved Paul as a solo artist, and we were really happy to see them perform and then go backstage for a meet-and-greet. This was after our version of 'Hazy Shade of Winter' had come out, and although I don't think we talked about it very much, I remember he was very sweet, and I'm sure he was happy the song had done so well. I think it's always good to have your song covered, but it was a little uncomfortable talking to him about it, because when Simon & Garfunkel did the song, it had gone to #17 (sic), and the Bangles version went to #2. You're proud, of course, but you never want to come off as full of yourself or arrogant you know?" BENEDICTUS "Benedicts" dates back to spring of 1964, when Arthur Garfunkel was a college student. One of the courses he took was on 16th century music, and following some library research he came up with the idea of updating this classic Latin hymn (It was arranged and adapted from an Orlande de Lassus setting of the Song of Zechariah, one of the three great canticles in the opening chapters of the book of Luke). Almost a cappella in style (is set for two voices with cello and sparse guitar accompaniment), it's a wonderfully intricate two-part harmony reading. The syncopated style achieved on this arrangement would later be revisited by the duo, specifically on "Scarborough Fair." BLESSED Written by Paul Simon while he was in the Soho district of London in early 1965, "Blessed"'s inspiration came to him when he went into a church during a downpour and was impressed by the sermon about the meek inheriting the earth. Simon realized that the meek didn't have anything, so, therefore, what would they inherit? It's a powerful document, and musically it shows him to be quite capable of writing in the rock style of the day. A droning, waltz-time tempo is a great example of what was soon to be called raga rock in the hands of the Byrds in early 1966. The original version of "I Am a Rock" was first released on The Paul Simon Songbook, and became, in the summer of 1965, the A-side to Simon's only single released from the album, backed with "Leaves That Are Green" on CBS 201797. Like the album, the single was not a commercial success. It is an extremely rare single to locate. Meanwhile, The Paul Simon Songbook, which for a long time Simon himself had disdained as an album, remained available only in the United Kingdom until 1981. The Paul Simon Songbook (1965), the first album on which "I Am a Rock" was released. This was Paul Simon's first solo album, recorded after Simon & Garfunkel had effectively broken up after finishing the recording of their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. For sixteen years (1965-81), the recording of "I Am a Rock" from this album was not released in the United States. The Paul Simon Songbook (1965), the first album on which "I Am a Rock" was released. This was Paul Simon's first solo album, recorded after Simon & Garfunkel had effectively broken up after finishing the recording of their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. For sixteen years (1965-81), the recording of "I Am a Rock" from this album was not released in the United States. While Paul Simon was in Europe during the summer of 1965, Tom Wilson, the producer of Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., responded to requests for "The Sound of Silence" from American radio stations and dubbed an electric guitar and drums onto the original track. He then released the song as a single, whereupon it entered the United States pop charts. When Simon heard about the success of this song, he was still touring in Europe as a poor solo folk singer. He immediately returned to the United States, and in December 1965 he and Garfunkel began a series of hasty recording sessions to match the electric "mold" created by Wilson with many of the other songs that Simon had recorded on the Song Book, including "I Am a Rock," which was re-recorded during these sessions on 14 December 1965. The result was the album Sounds of Silence, which the duo released the following January. "I Am a Rock" was the fifth and closing track on Side 2 of the record. With "The Sound of Silence" (the opening track), it bookends the rest of the material. This album quickly capitalized on the success of the new album's title track as a #1 single, and itself rose to #21 on the Billboard charts. The duo cashed in quickly on their new-found success. They released "I Am a Rock" as a single in the late spring of 1966, and the song reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, the third single (chronologically) by Simon & Garfunkel to reach the top 5 (after "The Sound of Silence" and "Homeward Bound"). This single had two incarnations. First, as a promotion, it was released on red vinyl to radio stations, with a mono mix on one side and a stereo version on the other. These copies are somewhat difficult to locate for collectors. The standard version sold in stores, however, was the black vinyl 45 rpm record with the red Columbia Records label. The B-side was a version of "Flowers Never Bend With The Rainfall," which was later released on Simon & Garfunkel's even-more-successful (and critically acclaimed) album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. Until 1981, the initial official recording of "I Am a Rock" on The Paul Simon Song Book remained unavailable in North America. This was partly because Simon himself disdained the album, saying on the album's liner notes, This L.P. contains twelve of the songs that I have written over the past two years. There are some here that I would not write today. I don't believe in them as I once did. I have included them because they played an important role in the transition. It is discomforting, almost painful, to look back over something someone else created and realize that someone else was you. I am not ashamed of where I've been and what I've thought. It's just not me anymore. It is perfectly clear to me that the songs I write today will not be mine tomorrow. I don't regret the loss. As a result, the album was only made available in North America when it was released as part of the box set of albums Paul Simon: Collected Works. The album was not released on CD until March 23, 2004. When it was, Columbia Legacy included two bonus tracks, one of which was an alternate take of "I Am a Rock," during which one can plainly hear Simon stamping his foot for a beat. A POEM ON THE UNDERGOUND WALL One of the most effective songs from the Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme album, "Poem on an Underground Wall" is, quite simply, Paul Simon's finest piece of musical cinema from this period. A simple, very brief, and colorful narrative of a subterranean graffiti artist, the sense of drama in Simon's lyric is positively devastating. Musically, the song rises and falls with a powerful sense of flow, again, like a great film. The duo's unison vocals also get top marks here, being one of their finest performances on the album, which in itself is wholly striking. The Simon and Garfunkel boxed set Old Friends includes a live version of the song, prefaced by an anecdote from Garfunkel about its origin: he explains that a photo shoot for the cover of the album Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. was ruined because the subway wall they had intended to use as a backdrop had obscenities written on it. ANJI "Anji" (or "Angie") is an acoustic fingerstyle guitar piece composed and recorded by noted folk guitarist Davey Graham. The piece is one of the most well-known acoustic blues-folk guitar pieces ever composed, with many notable artists covering it, including Bert Jansch and Paul Simon. Anji is in the key of A minor (often used with a capo) is notable for its trademark descending bassline. I AM A ROCK Continuing the alienated-young-man theme that seemed to preoccupy Paul Simon in his early songwriting career, "I Am a Rock" also follows the successful acoustic-electric, pop-folk formula that Simon & Garfunkel happened upon almost accidentally with their 1964 breakthrough hit single "Sound of Silence." The latter song was originally recorded with only acoustic guitar accompanying the duo's pristine harmonies. It was turned into an electrified pop recording without the pair's knowledge by producer Tom Wilson -- who was having success with similar arrangements for Bob Dylan -- on order of Columbia Records. When "Sound of Silence" resulted in a number one record, Simon & Garfunkel recorded a number of other songs with electric bass, guitar, organ, and drums to round out the album Sound of Silence (1966), capitalizing on the success of the title track. Like "I Am a Rock" from the album, the sound was usually closer to the jangly West Coast folk sound of the Byrds and the Mamas and the Papas than to Dylan's often raucous and hard-driving blues treatments. Simon & Garfunkel's sweet harmonies always take off a bit of edge, even when turning it up a notch with harder, Louvin Brothers-via- the Everly Brothers singing. "I Am a Rock" was also a hit for the duo. The lyrics of the first verse reference "a deep and dark December" during which the speaker is gazing out from his window to the snow below in the street. The song was not included on Simon & Garfunkel's first album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., which they released on October 19, 1964. The folk-rock nature of the music makes it unlikely that Simon would have written it much earlier than 1963, when he first began experimenting with the folk genre. Some sources say that it was performed by Simon on January 27, 1965, on a promo show for the BBC. In any case, Simon seems to have written the song before the end of January 1965, and certainly had it down before May, when he recorded it As with "Sound of Silence," "I Am a Rock" starts softly, with a lilting, triplet folk-guitar lick and Simon's gentle, almost whispered voice setting the scene: "A winter's day/In a deep and dark December," the band kicking in for, "I am alone/Gazing from my window to the streets below/On a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow/I am a rock/I am an island." His lyrics tread the same introspective teenage/young adult ground as Brian Wilson's 1963 classic "In My Room," though Simon has not quite yet developed the subtlety demonstrated by Wilson and his co-writer, Gary Usher. But Simon does strive for greater depth: "I've built walls/A fortress deep and mighty/That none may penetrate/I have no need of friendship/Friendship causes pain." His lyrics sound a bit labored and self-conscious as he finishes the verse with the plodding, "It's laughter and it's loving I disdain." What Simon does exhibit, however, is a well-developed sense of irony: With the final verse, he seems to be either deflating his sense of self-important misanthropy or poking fun at a distrustful, emotionally frustrated narrator, as if it was not Paul Simon singing the song confessionally after all, but a singer giving voice to a character: "I have my books/And my poetry to protect me/I am shielded in my armor/Hiding in my room, safe within my womb/I touch no one and no one touches me/I am a rock/I am an island," capping it with the sad-sack lament, again singing in a quiet voice, "And a rock feels no pain/And an island never cries." The narrator, after trying to disprove John Donne's Meditation 17, "No man is an island," finally succumbs and seems to ultimately agree. And the reprised folk-guitar riff finishes the frame. The original version of "I Am a Rock" was first released on The Paul Simon Songbook, and became, in the summer of 1965, the A-side to Simon's only single released from the album, backed with "Leaves That Are Green" on CBS 201797. Like the album, the single was not a commercial success. It is an extremely rare single to locate. Meanwhile, The Paul Simon Songbook, which for a long time Simon himself had disdained as an album, remained available only in the United Kingdom until 1981. The Paul Simon Songbook (1965), the first album on which "I Am a Rock" was released. This was Paul Simon's first solo album, recorded after Simon & Garfunkel had effectively broken up after finishing the recording of their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. For sixteen years (1965-81), the recording of "I Am a Rock" from this album was not released in the United States. The Paul Simon Songbook (1965), the first album on which "I Am a Rock" was released. This was Paul Simon's first solo album, recorded after Simon & Garfunkel had effectively broken up after finishing the recording of their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. For sixteen years (1965-81), the recording of "I Am a Rock" from this album was not released in the United States. While Paul Simon was in Europe during the summer of 1965, Tom Wilson, the producer of Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., responded to requests for "The Sound of Silence" from American radio stations and dubbed an electric guitar and drums onto the original track. He then released the song as a single, whereupon it entered the United States pop charts. When Simon heard about the success of this song, he was still touring in Europe as a poor solo folk singer. He immediately returned to the United States, and in December 1965 he and Garfunkel began a series of hasty recording sessions to match the electric "mold" created by Wilson with many of the other songs that Simon had recorded on the Song Book, including "I Am a Rock," which was re-recorded during these sessions on 14 December 1965. The result was the album Sounds of Silence, which the duo released the following January. "I Am a Rock" was the fifth and closing track on Side 2 of the record. With "The Sound of Silence" (the opening track), it bookends the rest of the material. This album quickly capitalized on the success of the new album's title track as a #1 single, and itself rose to #21 on the Billboard charts. The duo cashed in quickly on their new-found success. They released "I Am a Rock" as a single in the late spring of 1966, and the song reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, the third single (chronologically) by Simon & Garfunkel to reach the top 5 (after "The Sound of Silence" and "Homeward Bound"). This single had two incarnations. First, as a promotion, it was released on red vinyl to radio stations, with a mono mix on one side and a stereo version on the other. These copies are somewhat difficult to locate for collectors. The standard version sold in stores, however, was the black vinyl 45 rpm record with the red Columbia Records label. The B-side was a version of "Flowers Never Bend With The Rainfall," which was later released on Simon & Garfunkel's even-more-successful (and critically acclaimed) album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. Until 1981, the initial official recording of "I Am a Rock" on The Paul Simon Song Book remained unavailable in North America. This was partly because Simon himself disdained the album, saying on the album's liner notes, This L.P. contains twelve of the songs that I have written over the past two years. There are some here that I would not write today. I don't believe in them as I once did. I have included them because they played an important role in the transition. It is discomforting, almost painful, to look back over something someone else created and realize that someone else was you. I am not ashamed of where I've been and what I've thought. It's just not me anymore. It is perfectly clear to me that the songs I write today will not be mine tomorrow. I don't regret the loss. As a result, the album was only made available in North America when it was released as part of the box set of albums Paul Simon: Collected Works. The album was not released on CD until March 23, 2004. When it was, Columbia Legacy included two bonus tracks, one of which was an alternate take of "I Am a Rock," during which one can plainly hear Simon stamping his foot for a beat. THE SOUND OF SILENCE In an interview with Terry Gross of National Public Radio (NPR), Paul Simon explained how he wrote the song while working at his first job in music: "It was just when I was coming out of college. My job was to take the songs that this huge publishing company owned and go around to record companies and see if any of their artists wanted to record the songs. I worked for them for about 6 months and never got a song placed, but I did give them a couple of my songs because I felt so guilty about taking their money. Then I got into an argument with them and said, 'Look, I quit, and I'm not giving you my new song.' And the song that I had just written was 'The Sound Of Silence.' I thought, 'I'll just publish it myself,' and from that point on I owned my own songs, so that was a lucky argument. I think about songs that it's not just what the words say but what the melody says and what the sound says. My thinking is that if you don't have the right melody, it really doesn't matter what you have to say, people don't hear it. They only are available to hear when the sound entrances and makes people open to the thought. Really the key to 'The Sound Of Silence' is the simplicity of the melody and the words, which are youthful alienation. It's a young lyric, but not bad for a 21-year-old. It's not a sophisticated thought, but a thought that I gathered from some college reading material or something. It wasn't something that I was experiencing at some deep, profound level - nobody's listening to me, nobody's listening to anyone - it was a post-adolescent angst, but it had some level of truth to it and it resonated with millions of people. Largely because it had a simple and singable melody." Simon began working on the song sometime after the Kennedy assassination. He had made progress on the music, but had yet to get down the lyrics. On February 15, 1964, the lyrics apparently coalesced, and Simon showed the new composition to Garfunkel the same day. Shortly afterwards, the duo began to perform it at folk clubs in New York, and included it on their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., released that October. The album flopped upon its release, and the duo split up, with Simon going to England for much of 1965. There he often performed the song solo in folk clubs, and recorded it for a second time on his solo LP in May 1965, The Paul Simon Songbook. In the meantime, Simon and Garfunkel's producer at Columbia Records in New York, Tom Wilson, had learned that the song had begun to receive airplay on radio stations in Boston, Massachusetts and around Gainesville and Cocoa Beach, Florida. On June 15, 1965, immediately after the recording session of Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone," Wilson took the original track of Simon & Garfunkel, and overdubbed the recording with electric guitar (played by Al Gorgoni), electric bass (Bob Bushnell), and drums (Bobby Gregg), and released it as a single without even consulting Simon or Garfunkel. The song entered the U.S. pop charts in September 1965 and slowly began its ascent. Simon learned that it had entered the charts minutes before he went on stage to perform at a club in Copenhagen, Denmark, and in the later fall of 1965 he returned to the United States. By the end of 1965 and the first few weeks of 1966, the song reached number one on the U.S. charts. Simon and Garfunkel then reunited as a musical group, and included the song as the title track of their next album, Sounds of Silence, hastily recorded in December 1965 and released in January 1966 to capitalize on their success. The song propelled them to stardom and, together with two other top-five (in the U.S.) hits in the summer of 1966, "I Am a Rock" and "Homeward Bound," ensured the duo's fame. In 1999, BMI named "The Sounds of Silence" as the 18th-most performed song of the 20th century. In 2004 it was ranked #156 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, one of the duo's three songs on the list. Paul Simon was a Brill Building demo singer as a teenager and, like the Beatles, was heavily under the spell of the famous harmonies of the Everly Brothers. Simon and his high school buddy, the classically trained musician Art Garfunkel, even formed a teenage duo, Tom and Jerry, that was modeled after the Everlys. But like a lot of other ambitious songwriters in the '60s, Simon soon fell sway to the remarkable abilities of Bob Dylan. And again, like the Beatles, Simon sought to merge his Brill-trained classic rock & roll and pop tendencies to the newly wide-open lyrical scope of Dylan. And Dylan himself met the popsters halfway, famously going electric soon after seeing the Fab Four and watching the Byrds score even bigger hits than he did with electrified versions of his songs. It was a heady era for pop music; soon anything and everything was fair game for subject matter and rock & roll songwriters were starting to be taken seriously as artists. While we all would agree that this was mostly a good thing, the charts soon became littered with overly ambitious and ill-informed protest songs and self-consciously "literate" clunkers that fell short of the mark. While "Sound of Silence" is ultimately saved from being among the latter, Simon does seem to be reaching like a college freshman English major with "hey, look at me!" lines like, "the words of the prophets were written on the subway walls," and "but my words, like silent raindrops fell." Simon seems to desire the same prophetic voice of authority that Dylan confidently exhibited in songs like "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall." But as a great song should, "Sound of Silence" starts with the microcosmic world of a relationship and the inability for two to communicate, and in the larger context of the tumultuous '60s takes on a greater significance. The lyric, while a bit sophomoric at times, showed the promise of a writer with talent that would develop over time. And certainly the narrator as the lone voice of reason and understanding and the alienated cry in the urban wilderness are themes that Simon would later refine with more subtlety and greater depth on songs like "The Boxer." The original recording was from the pair's debut, Wednesday, 3 AM (1964), an album they recorded for Columbia after they first felt the influence of the burgeoning folk revival movement. The two were aware of what they had, Garfunkel noting in the album's liner notes that the song "...is a major work. We were looking for a song on a larger scale, but this was more than either of us expected." They recorded it with just the voices and a lone acoustic guitar, and, after little interest was shown in the record, disbanded while Garfunkel attended Columbia University and Simon went off to live in London, where he recorded and released a solo record and toured European coffeehouses and pubs. Meanwhile, the song started to find a modest amount of radio play. Columbia Records, experiencing success with Dylan's electric-acoustic forays, employed Dylan's producer, Tom Wilson, to give "Sound of Silence" a similarly electrified treatment -- employing the same band from the Dylan sessions -- never bothering to consult Simon and/or Garfunkel. According to Patrick Humphries' biography of Simon, The Boy in the Bubble (1988), the singer/songwriter was on tour in Denmark when he happened upon a copy of Billboard and saw that the song was charting. Humphries notes that Columbia mailed Simon a copy of the electrified version and that Simon was "horrified when he first heard it. In fact, if you listen to that original version, you can hear the rhythm section slow down at one point so that Paul and Artie's voices can catch up." But it went to number one in 1966. The duo agreed that it was time to regroup. They quickly went into the studio with a few more songs, some from Simon's solo record, to record a full album ( Sounds of Silence, 1966) to capitalize. As Simon recounted -- quoted on the Simon & Garfunkel website ( /http://www. medialab. chalmers. se/guitar/index. tml#S&G): "I had just come back from England, and Art was still living at home, he was still at college and we were sitting in my car...smoking, and "Sound of Silence" came on and they said: 'Number one record, "Sound of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel,' we were just sitting there at night, we hadn't anything to do, and Artie turned to me and he said: 'those guys must be having so much fun!'." The duo harmonizes sweetly on the incredibly haunting melody, over a driving, minor-key acoustic guitar rhythm, also indebted to the Everly Brothers, singing images of urban apathy and desensitization. Even the acoustic original starts with the soft, dark introduction and grows more intense and harder, with the wispy voices gaining an edge and wavering with emotion while Simon abandons the fingerpicking style and goes for the Everlys' strum. In an interview in Playboy, Simon recounted the germination of the song: "The main thing about playing the guitar, though, was that I was able to sit by myself and play and dream. And I was always happy doing that. I used to go off in the bathroom, because the bathroom had tiles, so it was a slight echo chamber. I'd turn on the faucet so that water would run -- I like that sound, it's very soothing to me -- and I'd play. In the dark. 'Hello darkness, my old friend/I've come to talk with you again'. I've always believed that you need a truthful first line to kick you off into a song. You have to say something emotionally true before you can let your imagination wander." The electrified version is the one most are familiar with, from the hit single and its crucial and influential role on the soundtrack to the 1967 film The Graduate. The added musicians don't pound as hard as they often do on those Dylan records, instead opting for a more jangling West Coast folk-rock treatment. The soundtrack makes great use of the song's plaintive opening arpeggios and first line. The song gives voice to the film's frustrated, Holden Caulfield-esque hero, Benjamin Braddock. This was one of the songs Simon & Garfunkel performed in 1964 when they were starting out and playing the folk clubs in Greenwich Village. This was their first hit. Simon was in England when he found out this had been remixed and was a #1 hit in The States. This was used in the movie The Graduate. The film's director Mick Nichols put it on as a work track and was going to replace it, but as the film came together it became clear that the song was perfect for the film. Nichols didn't just use this song, but felt Simon & Garfunkel had a sound that fit the tone of the movie very well. They commissioned them to write "Mrs. Robinson" specifically for the movie, and also added "Scarborough Fair" and "April Come She Will" to the film. This has a lot of meaning in the movie The Graduate. The lyrics refer to silence as a cancer, and if people in the movie had just been honest and not afraid to talk, all the messy things would not have happened. Problems can be solved only by honesty. (thanks, Stefan - winona, MS) Simon & Garfunkel did not write this about the Vietnam War, but by the time it became popular, the war was on and many people felt it made a powerful statement as an anti-war song. In the US, this hit #1 on New Year's Day, 1966. Simon & Garfunkel performed this at Neil Young's Bridge School Benefit in 1993 with Eddie Van Halen backing them on guitar. On February 23, 2003, Simon and Garfunkel reunited for the first time in 10 years to accept a lifetime achievement award and perform this at the opening of The Grammys. At the time, the US was preparing to invade Iraq, and while this could be heard as a political statement, Simon said it wasn't. He explained that they wanted to play this because it was their first hit. At the Grammys, they were introduced by Dustin Hoffman, who made a name for himself when he starred in The Graduate. There was no host at The Grammys that year, so Hoffman was the first person seen when the show opened. Despite its great popularity, Blender magazine voted this the 42nd worst song ever, remarking sardonically that "If Frasier Crane were a song, he would sound like this." The magazine's editor, Craig Marks, defended Blender's decision to include this much-loved song on their list, stating: "It's the freshman-poetry meaningfulness that got our goat, with self-important lyrics like 'hear my words that I might teach you', it's almost a parody of pretentious '60s folk-rock." The brief article on the song corresponding with this called the "hear my words" line "the most self-important... in rock history," and elaborated on Mark's remarks with: "Simon and Garfunkel thunder away in voices that suggest they're scowling and wagging their fingers as they sing. The overall experience is like being lectured on the meaning of life by a jumped-up freshman." FOR EMILY, WHENEVER I MAY FIND HER This short song is one of the duo's most romantic ballads. A man looks for the love of his life, wondering what it will be like when they meet again. It's very simple and brief, but very heartfelt. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Simon & Garfunkel - Live From New York City 1967 (EAC-CUE-FLAC) [RePoPo]

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:33:19

Simon & Garfunkel - Greatest Hits (1972) [EAC - Lame V0]

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 23:24:32

------------------------------------------------------------------- Simon & Garfunkel - Greatest Hits ------------------------------------------------------------------- Artist...............: Simon & Garfunkel Album................: Greatest Hits Genre................: Folk Source...............: CD Year.................: 1972 Ripper...............: Exact Audio Copy (Secure mode) Codec................: LAME 3.98 Version..............: MPEG 1 Layer III Quality..............: Extreme, (avg. bitrate: 234kbps) Channels.............: Joint Stereo / 44100 hz Tags.................: ID3 v1.1, ID3 v2.3 Information..........: http://thepiratebay.org/user/Dingo_RG Ripped by............: Dingo_RG on 02/11/2008 Posted by............: Dingo_RG on 02/11/2008 Included.............: NFO, M3U ------------------------------------------------------------------- Tracklisting ------------------------------------------------------------------- 01. Mrs. Robinson 02. For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her 03. The Boxer 04. The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) 05. The Sound of Silence 06. I Am a Rock 07. Scarborough Fair / Canticle 08. Homeward Bound 09. Bridge Over Troubled Water 10. America 11. Kathy's Song 12. El Condor Pasa (If I Could) 13. Bookends 14. Cecilia Playing Time.........: 00:44:19 Total Size...........: 74,15 MB -------------------------------------------------------------------

Simon & Garfunkel - Greatest Hits (1972) [EAC - Lame V0]

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 23:08:36

Simon & Garfunkel - Greatest Hits (1972) [EAC - Lame V0]

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 22:18:53

Simon & Garfunkel - Greatest Hits (1972) [EAC - Lame V0]

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 22:18:01

[UT-Promo]Simon And Garfunkel Discography

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 01:18:20

Simon & Garfunkel - Old Friends [RePoPo] [EAC-FLAC]

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 20:21:17

******************************************************************************* Simon & Garfunkel - Old Friends ******************************************************************************* The rip on the CD was made using EAC, and dbPowerAmp to convert it into a FLAC file. One single audio file keeps the original CD structure. To extract individual tracks, look for some software like Medieval Cue Splitter. Review Old Friends is a boxed set of Simon and Garfunkel songs, released in 1997. The three-disc anthology collects most of the duo's best-loved works, adding several then-rarities for good measure. The cover features a photo of the artists in their heyday. Paul Simon appears in a curious pose, with his hand appearing to pinch the air in front of his face. The reason for this is that Simon was actually smoking a cigarette at the time, neither he nor the record label were in favor of promoting this habit in 1997. It should be noted that most (but not all, curiously) of the rare tracks included on Old Friends subsequently appeared on both the reissues of Simon and Garfunkel's five studio albums as well as the later boxed set The Columbia Studio Recordings (1964-1970) (a collection whose title only implies completeness). Track listing Disc 1 1. "Bleecker Street" (Demo) 2. "The Sound of Silence" 3. "The Sun Is Burning" 4. "Wednesday Morning, 3 AM" 5. "He Was My Brother" 6. "Sparrow" 7. "Peggy-O" 8. "Benedictus" 9. "Somewhere They Can't Find Me" 10. "We've Got a Groovy Thing Goin'" 11. "Leaves That Are Green" 12. "Richard Cory" 13. "I Am a Rock" 14. "The Sound of Silence" (Single Version) 15. "Homeward Bound" 16. "Blues Runs the Game" 17. "Kathy's Song" 18. "April Come She Will" 19. "Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall" Disc 2 1. "Patterns" 2. "Cloudy" 3. "The Dangling Conversation" 4. "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" 5. "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" 6. "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her" 7. "7 O'Clock News/Silent Night" 8. "A Hazy Shade of Winter" 9. "At the Zoo" 10. "A Poem on the Underground Wall" (Live) 11. "Red Rubber Ball" (Live in New York City, 1967) - appears only on this collection 12. "Blessed" (Live) 13. "Anji" (Live) 14. "A Church Is Burning" (Live) 15. "Fakin' It" 16. "Save the Life of My Child" 17. "America" 18. "You Don't Know Where Your Interest Lies" 19. "Punky's Dilemma" 20. "Comfort and Joy" - appears only on this collection 21. "Star Carol" - appears only on this collection Disc 3 1. "Mrs. Robinson" 2. "Old Friends/Bookends" 3. "Overs" 4. "A Most Peculiar Man" (Live) 5. "Bye, Bye Love" (Live) 6. "The Boxer" 7. "Baby Driver" 8. "Why Don't You Write Me" 9. "Feuilles-O" (Demo) 10. "Keep the Customer Satisfied" 11. "So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright" 12. "Song for the Asking" 13. "Cecilia" 14. "El Condor Pasa (If I Could)" 15. "Bridge Over Troubled Water" 16. "The Only Living Boy In New York" 17. "Hey, Schoolgirl/Black Slacks" (Live) 18. "That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine" (Live) 19. "My Little Town" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Simon & Garfunkel Tom &Jerry

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 11:19:12

Simon & Garfunkel - Old Friends [RePoPo] [EAC-CUE-FLAC]

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 11:19:11

Simon & Garfunkel - The Concert In Central Park [RePoPo] [FLAC]

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 09:21:39

Simon & Garfunkel - The Concert In Central Park [RePoPo] [CUE-FLAC]

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 09:21:10

Simon and Garfunkel - The Concert In Central Park (1981) [DVD-ISO-PAL] (oan)-[rarbg com]

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 22:18:38

Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water (Remastered) [ReP

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:18:39

Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water (Remastered) [RePoPo]

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:18:20

Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends (Remastered) [RePoPo]

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:18:20

Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends (Remastered) [RePoPo]

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 07:21:30

******************************************************************************* Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends (Remastered) ******************************************************************************* Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends 01.- Bookends Theme (Instrumental) [00:32] 02.- Save The Life Of My Child [02:48] 03.- America [03:35] 04.- Overs [02:19] 05.- Voices Of Old People [02:07] 06.- Old Friends [02:35] 07.- Bookends Theme [01:24] 08.- Fakin' It [03:22] 09.- Punky's Dilemma [02:17] 10.- Mrs. Robinson [04:07] 11.- A Hazy Shade Of Winter [02:17] 12.- At The Zoo [02:32] 13.- You Don't Know Where Your Interest Lies [02:19] ** 14.- Old Friends (Demo) [02:11] ** ** = BONUS TRACKS, exclusive to this release Originally Released on March, 1968. This remastered version, which includes two bonus tracks was released on August 21st, 2001. Ripped with EAC, creating a .cue/.wav audio file, preserving the CD structure, gaps and volume levels as in the original CD. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Album Review by Bruce Eder In March of 1968, Robert Kennedy was still alive and offering a vision for a way out to the America that had deeply entrenched itself in the Vietnam War. The inner-city rebellions in 1967 had shaken the youth culture's image of their own summer of love in that year. The beginning of America's crippling identity crisis had begun to shudder through the culture that would erupt with the death of Kennedy later that spring and the tragedy of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago later that summer. Before it was all over, Martin Luther King, Jr. had also lost his life. In pop culture, rock was exploding everywhere in Western culture. The impact of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band and the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds -- both made in 1966 -- and the appearance of Jimi Hendrix on the pop scene in 1967 had ushered in a new way of making records, a way that not only referred to and portrayed everyday life but was part of its acceptance for what it was before attempting to transcend it. Earlier that spring, Simon and Garfunkel had slipped their fourth album into the bins with a whisper, the confoundingly literary, profoundly poetic and stunningly beautiful Bookends. Columbia Legacy has presented us S&G's entire catalog painstakingly remastered with extra tracks. The sound on these discs -- and Bookends in particular -- is amazing. It is literally true that there are instrumental passages and studio atmospherics that have never before been audible. As a pair, the two were seemingly equal collaborators with producer and engineer Roy Halee on a highly textured, multi-layered song cycle that offered observations on everything from urban crises that were symptomatic of larger issues, the prospect of old age and death, the loss and dislocation of those who desperately wanted to inherit an American Dream but not the one offered to them, surreal yet wistful reflections on youthful innocence lost forever to the cold winds of change. Bookends is a literary album that contains the most minimal of openings with the theme, an acoustic guitar stating itself slowly and plaintively before erupting into the wash of synthesizers and dissonance that is "Save the Life of My Child." The uneasy rock & roll that carries the song through its disaster and the revelation of "Oh my grace, I've got no hiding place," which is the mere hint of what is to come in this wide open terrain of the previously familiar but completely unknown. The classic "America" is next, a folk song with a lilting soprano saxophone in the refrain and a small pipe organ painting the acoustic guitars in the more poignant verses. The song relies on pop structures to carry its message of hope and disillusionment as two people travel the American landscape searching for it until it dawns on them that everyone else on the freeway is doing the same thing. Its sweetness and sophisticated melodic invention are toppled by the message of the song and it becomes an ellipsis, a cipher, turned back on itself into disappearance, wondering what question to ask next. The sound of a lit cigarette is the opening of "Overs," a balladic study in the emptiness at the end of the relationship. The sound of inhaling and exhaling of the smoke tells the entire story. Also woven into the mix is a two-minute field recording of the voices of old people made by Garfunkel, collected from nursing homes and centers for the aged. The disembodied voices are chilling and heartbreakingly beautiful in their different observations, entire lifetimes summed up in a few seconds. This interlude leads into "Old Friends," which carries the message deeper as the image of two old men sitting on a park bench in languid statements of life lived ordinarily but poetically share not only their memories but also the commonality of their fear. A horn section threatens to interrupt the reverie, carrying the chaos they feel, their lack of control over current events, but is warded off as denial and the gentleness of the melody returns and fades into the album's opening theme, suggesting that we preserve our memories. As "Fakin' It" kicks to the fore, we feel the separation inherent in Simon's generational view of the unconscious separation of heart and mind. The tune is as full of hooks as a fishing boat and Halee swipes a bit from the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows" and eases orchestral layers into the mix, subtly of course, but ever-present and recognizable nonetheless. With "Fakin' It," the depth of the album's meditation presents itself in earnest. Synth lines and handclaps give way to snare drums and acoustic guitars, and the first appearance of loss shows itself for what it is, the passing of life, moment by moment, memory by memory so quickly, that pretending is somehow preferable to the reality of everyday life. When the horn section and strings bring the crescendos and the lyric asserts, "This feeling of fakin' it/I still haven't shaken it/I know I'm fakin' it/I'm not really makin' it." Even Leonard Cohen's dark prophecies never stated the case so plainly -- in a folk-rock tune. The identity crisis inherent in the jazzy "Punky's Dilemma" melds the loss of innocence and childhood with the cynicism of present-day living. The final four tracks of the original album, "Mrs. Robinson," the theme song for the film The Graduate, "A Hazy Shade of Winter," and the album's final track, the George-influenced "At the Zoo," offer as tremblingly bleak a vision for the future as any thing done by the Velvet Underground, but rooted in the lives of everyday people, not in the decadent underground personages of New York's Factory studio. But the album is also a warning that to pay attention is to take as much control of one's fate as possible. The bonus tracks, a different take of "Old Friends" and "You Don't Know Where Your Interest Lies" -- which ended up as the B-side of "Hazy Shade of Winter" -- add dimension to what was easily the most ambitious recording of Simon & Garfunkel's career. Its problematic themes, spare yet striking arrangements, and augmented orchestral instrumentation created a backdrop for the sounds of a generation moving through a workaday world they no longer accepted as real, a world they never understood in first place. That S&G never overstate the case here, never preach to the converted but instead almost journalistically observe the questions in the process of their being asked is a monumental achievement. That they did so in three- and four-minute pop songs is almost inconceivable for the time. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AllMusicGuide Track-by-track Review ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOOKENDS THEME Appearing twice on the Bookends album, this piece was used as a link and helps to create a sense of unity in this classic record. The first (and very brief) instrumental version is a simple, acoustic guitar reading of the melody, stating its theme and feel. The second version features the vocals of Simon & Garfunkel and has been used in countless films and television shows that are set in the 1960s. Capturing the innocence of the era perfectly, the lyrics also have the distinction of looking back with a sense of wistful melancholy. This is most interesting when you consider that the song was written in 1967. Simple, effective, and wholly effecting, its one of Paul Simon's classics. AMERICA The pivotal use of "America" in the soundtrack to the film Almost Famous (2000) continued a trend that was started in part by Mike Nichols' use of Simon & Garfunkel songs as a plot device in the 1967 film The Graduate. The former film uses "America" -- released originally on the 1968 LP song cycle Bookends -- in the context of a young person leaving home in the restless late '60s, a microcosm of a whole societal shift. And this is also kind of how the song itself works, with the blank-verse lyrics open, offering small, personal details, almost in jokes: "Let us be lovers we'll marry our fortunes together/I've got some real estate here in my bag/So we bought a pack of cigarettes and Mrs. Wagner pies/And we walked off to look for America/'Kathy,' I said as we boarded a Greyhound in Pittsburgh/'Michigan seems like a dream to me now.'" It seems like a recollection of a pleasant trip taken by young lovers, an apparently fictional trip with Simon and his girlfriend from his time in England, Kathy Chitty ( Simon has explained that, contrary to popular myth, the trip never occurred). But with a grandiose line like "to look for America" and the grand-scale musical arrangement, "America" is quite obviously something more ambitious than a personal postcard; Simon was observing the trends of his generation -- the physical restlessness and spiritual bankruptcy that the wanderlust signified. Simon, having received training in Brill Building songwriting as a young demo-singer-for-hire, merges -- in the song's masterful third verse -- his Bob Dylan-spurred ambition as an "important" songwriter with his commercial and traditional pop songcraft: "'Kathy, I'm lost,' I said, though I knew she was sleeping/I'm empty and aching and I don't know why/Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike/They've all gone to look for America." The first line seems like yet another bit of innocuous dialogue between fellow travelers. But with the next line, the song climaxes lyrically; it might simply be a tinge that a relationship is coming to an end, but on a larger scale, Simon feels an emptiness, realizing -- in the depressing light of the New Jersey Turnpike -- the pointlessness of his travel and his search, which is not fulfilling his inner ache. He might even possibly be predicting a similar dead end for his peers. But it is not just a personal disappointment; the narrator goes looking for an America that Walt Whitman and Jack Kerouac have found before him, and he finds no such place; tritely speaking, there is no "there" there. Perhaps not coincidentally, the cinematic song came out the year after The Graduate, a film which explored similar themes: alienation, emptiness, disappointment, and so on. The lyrical deftness that Simon demonstrates is almost overshadowed by the orchestrated arrangement, a 6/2 folk rhythm that contains the lovely, lilting, sing-song melody. It begins softly, with a rhythm, tempo, and melody that Elliot Smith seems to have taken as a template for much of his songwriting -- though certainly the antecedent came from the later Beatles records (especially the drum fills). In fact, "America" can be taken as a "bookend' of the Beatles' "She's Leaving Home," which offers a brilliant look at the grown-child-leaving-parent paradigm from the point of view of the parents. We imagine their daughter going off and finding happiness and success in a bigger world than the one she shared with her parents. But that loss of innocence, an innocence which cannot be regained, is a common theme shared with "America," as well as other Simon songs like "Mrs. Robinson" in its lines: "Where have you gone Joe Di Maggio?/Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you." By the time "America" reaches the second chorus, and again for the final chorus, the arrangement stokes up into something approximating a robust sea shanty -- with cymbal crashes and layered harmonies -- thus forming a second template for '70s singer/songwriters; this time one with less subtlety by Neil Diamond on songs like his "America" and some of Billy Joel's early, folky moments, like "Piano Man." OVERS A simple yet very effective track from Bookends, "Overs" continues the theme of aging and the passage of time that fills the first side of the album. In this case, Paul Simon is singing of a love affair on the verge of disintegration. Some exquisite, fugue-like passages from Art Garfunkel highlight the mood and arrangement, which is one of the most subdued and elegant on the album. Musically, it is based in a folk-blues style, with Simon's guitar taking a few blues explorations that allow the piece to breathe melodically. In some ways, this song is a signpost to some of his 1970s solo work. VOICES OF OLD PEOPLE More of a spoken word audio collage than a "song," this piece, which was taped at convalescent homes in Southern California, helps to underline the feeling of aging and the passage of time, themes that are indeed paramount. Sometimes sad, as well as comical, the voices on the record are touching, especially when you consider the fact that they probably died a few years from the date of recording. OLD FRIENDS Perfectly seguing out of "Voices of Old People," "Old Friends" -- which makes references to "Bookends Theme" -- is a unifying link on the Bookends album. The lyrics look into old age and the changes that may come to be. An elegant and ornate classical string section dominates the melody along with Paul Simon's acoustic guitar. There is also a frightening, dissonant passage, which is very reminiscent of Van Dyke Parks' Song Cycle orchestrations, which in turn were influenced by Charles Ives. This is not the only reference to Parks on the album (see "Punky's Dilemma"). FAKIN' IT Easily Simon & Garfunkel's most ambitious piece of music to date (1967), "Fakin' It" is a precursor to several other studio masterpieces that would follow, namely "The Boxer" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water." A virtual suite, the song opens and closes with a nod/tribute to the Beatles, with its high-pitched note (sounding like bagpipes) backed by marching drums, which is a dead-ringer for the end of "Strawberry Fields." The first main section of the song is built on a jazzy- blues acoustic guitar figure from Paul Simon that leads the listener into a casual atmosphere. The lyrics in this section are an autobiographical account of a relationship, and Simon conceived this while in a "hashish reverie." The buoyancy of the music neatly juxtaposes feelings of doubt and insecurity, which is some of Simon's funkiest pop. There is a striking interlude that features the voice of Beverly Martyn, a singer/songwriter that was befriended by the duo during the 1967 period. Like a fantasy cameo in a film, it presents a portrait of a man in a past life as a tailor in Europe, named " Mr. Leitch" (a reference to Donovan). Oddly, after recording the song, Simon learned that his grandfather -- also named Paul Simon -- was a tailor in Vienna. The song returns to the main theme before the Beatles/ "Strawberry Fields" closing. All of this is less than four minutes; it's one of the most striking recordings and songs of the limit-smashing 1967/1968 period. PUNKY'S DILEMMA On the surface, "Punky's Dilemma" is one of the lighter, nonsensical songs on the Bookends album. The casual, almost jazz/ bubblegum feel of the music and arrangement is almost juvenile, but this is deceptive. Lyrically, part of the song is about a draft dodger and his moral "dilemma." This is neatly and innocuously set against the pleasures of breakfast food and contentment. But perhaps more important are the references to both Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, who had just been working on the (never completed) Smile album project. Specifically, the references to relationships to food are probably from the song "Vegetables." The sunny, casual, and almost comedic feel of the music and arrangement were indeed themes of the Smile project, and "Punky's Dilemma" comes across as a tribute rather than a parody. A HAZY SHADE OF WINTER "Hazy Shade of Winter" was a sizable hit for Simon & Garfunkel in late 1966, reaching number 13, although it's not quite as frequently played or famous as their biggest smashes. That's unfortunate, as "Hazy Shade of Winter" was one of their best songs, and certainly one of the toughest and more rock-oriented by a duo more noted for being relatively mild and dignified. A brusque, stiff drum rhythm sets the pace on the opening instrumental section, built around an edgy, up and down guitar riff; the melody and arrangement of the instrumental section are duplicated on the track's subsequent vocal choruses. The lyric is one of Simon's more downbeat early ones, particularly on the chorus, with its images of leaves turning brown (perhaps subconsciously influenced by the brown leaves in John Phillips' slightly earlier "California Dreamin'"?) and the sky looking like a hazy shade of winter. Though the verse is less melodically memorable than the chorus, it's commendably urgent and well-arranged, particularly in the lonely bleats of trumpet after some of the lines, and the part at the ending where the bass and a bassoon busily bring the verse to a climax. There's only a brief bridge here -- and we're not talking about the 59th Street bridge! -- which, though not as vital a part of the song as the main courses, does serve the purpose of adding a little bit more of a dark clouds gathering feel. It's also nifty how the song comes to an unexpected dead, final stop on the last chorus, after the line about a patch of snow on the ground. In the 1980s the song was revived from an unexpected quarter, when the Bangles put it on the soundtrack of Less Than Zero. AT THE ZOO Like many of Simon & Garfunkel's songs of their later period, "At the Zoo" is a multi-leveled piece, combining childish whimsy with serious, poignant social statements. On the surface, the song is a simple take on the pleasures of going to the New York City Zoo, complete with a description of the journey there. However, the lyrics in the final verse describe the dispositions of the different animals ("zebras are reactionaries/Antelopes are missionaries"), which draws a parable of human behavior. All of this adds up to the civilized "human" world as the real zoo. Musically, it's a fun and funky romp. Opening with a delicate acoustic guitar pattern, it slips into a walking piano and bass guitar pattern and also features some excellent studio performances, most notably Hal Blaine's drum work. The final section of the song finds the momentum escalating, culminating in a neo-African chant from Garfunkel, which foreshadowed the group (and Paul Simon's) later forays into what would be called world music. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends (Remastered) [RePoPo]

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 02:19:44

Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends (Remastered) [RePoPo]

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 02:19:13

Simon & Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme (Remastere

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 01:21:48

******************************************************************************* Simon & Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme (Remastered) ******************************************************************************* Simon & Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme 01.- Scarborough Fair / Canticle [03:14] 02.- Patterns [02:49] 03.- Cloudy [02:25] 04.- Homeward Bound [02:32] 05.- The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine [02:51] 06.- The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) [01:58] 07.- The Dangling Conversation [02:41] 08.- Flowers Never Bend With The Rainfall [02:13] 09.- A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara'd Into Submission) [02:22] 10.- For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her [02:08] 11.- A Poem On The Underground Wall [01:56] 12.- 7 O'Clock News / Silent Night [02:12] 13.- Patterns (Bonus) [02:55] ** 14.- A Poem On The Underground Wall (Bonus) [01:51] ** ** = BONUS TRACKS, exclusive to this release Originally Released on September 1966. This remastered version, which includes two bonus tracks was released on August 21st, 2001. Ripped with EAC, creating a .cue/.wav audio file, preserving the CD structure, gaps and volume levels as in the original CD. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Album Review by Bruce Eder Simon & Garfunkel's first masterpiece, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme was also the first album on which the duo, in tandem with engineer Roy Halee, exerted total control from beginning to end, right down to the mixing, and it is an achievement akin to the Beatles' Revolver or the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds album, and just as personal and pointed as either of those records at their respective bests. After the frantic rush to put together an LP in just three weeks that characterized the Sounds of Silence album early in 1966, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme came together over a longer gestation period of about three months, an uncommonly extended period of recording in those days, but it gave the duo a chance to develop and shape the songs the way they wanted them. The album opens with one of the last vestiges of Paul Simon's stay in England, "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" -- the latter was the duo's adaptation of a centuries-old English folk song in an arrangement that Simon had learned from Martin Carthy. The two transformed the song into a daunting achievement in the studio, however, incorporating myriad vocal overdubs and utilizing a harpsichord, among other instruments, to embellish it, and also wove into its structure Simon's "The Side of a Hill," a gentle antiwar song that he had previously recorded on The Paul Simon Songbook in England. The sonic results were startling on their face, a record that was every bit as challenging in its way as "Good Vibrations," but the subliminal effect was even more profound, mixing a hauntingly beautiful antique melody, and a song about love in a peaceful, domestic setting, with a message about war and death; Simon & Garfunkel were never as political as, say, Peter, Paul & Mary or Joan Baez, but on this record they did bring the Vietnam war home. The rest of the album was less imposing but just as beguiling -- audiences could revel in the play of Simon's mind (and Simon & Garfunkel's arranging skills) and his sense of wonder (and frustration) on "Patterns," and appreciate the sneering rock & roll-based social commentary "The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine." Two of the most beautiful songs ever written about the simple joys of living, the languid "Cloudy" and bouncy "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)," were no less seductive, and the album also included "Homeward Bound," their Top Five hit follow-up to "The Sound of Silence," which had actually been recorded at the sessions for that LP. No Simon & Garfunkel song elicits more difference of opinion than "The Dangling Conversation," making its LP debut here -- one camp regards it as hopelessly pretentious and precious in its literary name-dropping and rich string orchestra accompaniment, while another holds it as a ... Read More... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AllMusicGuide Track-by-track Review ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PATTERNS Led by a slightly bluesy, raga acoustic guitar riff, "Patterns" is a very interesting rhythm exploration for Paul Simon. A vaguely African feel drives the song, and in this way it's not at all unlike some of the rhythm trips that he utilized on "Cecilia" and, more importantly, his Graceland album in the late '80s. Lyrically, it's one of Simon's psychological explorations into his own consciousness, sounding like a self-therapy session. CLOUDY Paul Simon wrote this song in early 1965, and aside from the Simon & Garfunkel version, he recorded a solo demo version with Bruce Woodley, a member of the Seekers, much earlier. One of the more obvious pop tunes from Simon (aside from "Red Rubber Ball" by the Cyrcle), it shows Simon's ability to fuse folk and Broadway pop with extreme ease and craftsmanship. The song's lyrics are a simple celebration of life and great moods, and in this is sort of a cousin of "59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)." According to Simon, the song is "not a Simon & Garfunkel tune. They'd never do It." HOMEWARD BOUND Few songs in pop music have captured the melancholy ache of homesickness as well as Paul Simon's poignant "Homeward Bound." The song also goes a long way to dispel the glamour myth of a musician on tour. Simon even turns the lyric on himself, taking the romantic troubadour-poet image down a notch, capturing the self-doubt and insecurity that accompanies such intense loneliness: "Tonight I'll sing my songs again/I'll play the game and pretend/But all my words come back to me in shades of mediocrity/Like emptiness in harmony/I need someone to comfort me/Homeward bound/I wish I was/Homeward bound/Home, where my thought's escaping/Home, where my music's playing/Home, where my love lies waiting/Silently for me." The myth has it that the song was written by Simon in a train station in Widnes in Northern England; in fact, there is apparently a plaque at the station commemorating this. But it is true that Simon wrote it sometime during a 1965 solo tour of England, while he had been based in London. He told writer Paul Zollo that the song "was written in Liverpool when I was traveling. What I like about that is that it has a very clear memory of Liverpool station and the streets of Liverpool and the club I played at and me at the age of 22." He has also told other interviewers that it reflects the whole feeling of being on that tour, one that he certainly felt sitting in the station at Widnes, as well as telling Hit Parader magazine, "I missed my girl and my friends. It was kind of depressing. I was living out of suitcases, getting on trains every day and going to the next place...I got very homesick for London." The arrangement builds each line: the first verse lines beginning softly on descending half-step chords; the melodies and chord progressions on the second lines rise, growing more powerful and tense as they ascend into the almost bouncy, country-ish chorus. The original studio version, from their third LP, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, & Thyme (1967), is still based around the acoustic guitar that was the staple of their Dylan-influenced folk sound prior to their first acoustic/electric hybrid, Sounds of Silence (1965). But like Dylan, the duo was also under the spell of the Beatles, and they flesh out their arrangements with a full pop-band instrumentation, with the aid of Dylan producer Bob Johnston. The bass was played by the legendary Carol Kaye. And, as usual, the harmonies are the thing on "Homeward Bound"; the two longtime Everly Brothers fans blend their voices seemingly effortlessly, with Simon's soft voice layered and intertwined with the even more angelic-voiced Art Garfunkel's high harmony. The live, non-band versions of the song offer an even more sensitive reading of the song, the voices remaining quiet for the chorus. Even the quiet instrumentation on Concert in Central Park treats the song a little more gently than the original. THE BIG BRIGHT GREEN PLEASURE MACHINE A great putdown song about the effect of television, this song (like Marty Blain's "Plastic Fantastic Lover") succeeds precisely because the overall sound of the record conveys the over-saturation and ridiculous nature of the medium. Set in the folk-rock idiom, the song is a silly, simple, and downright stupid (and that means effective) slice of Americana. The song was later used very effectively in the film The Graduate, as well as on the soundtrack. THE DANGLING CONVERSATION "Dangling Conversation" is a classic example of a good song and a better arrangement that tried to do too much within the context of popular music. The first of Paul Simon's major songs after "The Sounds of Silence" that did not capture the imagination of the public. In that sense, it's usually regarded as a failure for not making the Top Ten. In fact, it was the last of Simon's attempts at " literary rock" -- as a follow-up to "Richard Cory" and "I Am a Rock," it was also the most subtle of them, a single acoustic guitar backed by a string section and a single drum that may have been too sophisticated for the AM radio of its period. The song's references to " Emily Dickinson" and " Robert Frost" were not only non sequiturs when juxtaposed, to anyone who was familiar with the two literary figures, but also alienated teenagers and adults who might not have paid attention in their high school or college English classes. In the end, sophisticated listeners tolerated it without embracing the song, and casual audiences kept it at arm's length, where its literary conceits seemed to be keeping them. The song was part of Simon & Garfunkel's concert sets in late 1966 and 1967, but was quickly dropped once they had more new repertory established. FLOWERS NEVER BEND WITH THE RAINFALL An almost dead ringer for "Red Rubber Ball," a Paul Simon song never recorded in the studio by Simon & Garfunkel (it was a hit by the Cyrcle), "Flowers That Never Bend With the Rainfall" is a simple yet very likeable slice of pop confection. As with many of Simon's songs, this is a simple yet insightful self-analysis, filled with pathos and humor. Musically, it showcases Simon's pop instincts in a very powerful and charming way. There are many other songs of his from this period that are indeed better, but the sense of craftsmanship easily puts it on the level of Simon's other, more ambitious creations. A SIMPLE DESULTORY PHILIPPIC (OR HOW I WAS ROBERT McNAMARA'D INTO SUBMISSION) A virtual parody of Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues," "A Simple Desultory Philippic" livened up side two of Parsley, Sage with a great sense of humor. Aiming targets at the media, war machinery, and the U.S. government, Paul Simon protests "protest music" here, and the effect is hilarious. Utilizing the then-vogue folk-rock style, it works like a rock & roll song, yet at its heart can easily be called a novelty song. A POEM ON THE UNDERGROUND WALL One of the most effective songs from the Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme album, "Poem on an Underground Wall" is, quite simply, Paul Simon's finest piece of musical cinema from this period. A simple, very brief, and colorful narrative of a subterranean graffiti artist, the sense of drama in Simon's lyric is positively devastating. Musically, the song rises and falls with a powerful sense of flow, again, like a great film. The duo's unison vocals also get top marks here, being one of their finest performances on the album, which in itself is wholly striking. 7 O'CLOCK NEWS/SILENT NIGHT The closing track on the Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme album is one of the more unique and effective studio creations of the limit-smashing 1966-1967 pop era. The backdrop of the piece is a piano-backed version of Simon & Garfunkel singing an immaculate and tender version of the classic Christmas hymn "Silent Night." Yet, as the carol fades (barely) into the background, there is a wholly dramatic, dry reading of a news broadcast. As the events of 1966 such as civil rights marches, the death of Lenny Bruce, the escalation of the Vietnam War, and other horrifying events are read, the heavenly Simon & Garfunkel singing again gradually takes over. The effect is positively chilling, and creates an organic daydream nightmare that is scary, real, and undeniable. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Simon & Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme (Remastered) [RePoPo]

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 01:21:20

Simon & Garfunkel - Sounds of Silence (Remastered) [RePoPo]

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 20:21:40

******************************************************************************* Simon & Garfunkel - Sounds of Silence (Rematered) (1964) ******************************************************************************* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Release Notes ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Simon & Garfunkel - Sounds Of Silence 01.- The Sound Of Silence [03:09] 02.- Leaves that Are Green [02:24] 03.- Blessed [03:17] 04.- Kathy's Song [03:21] 05.- Somewhere They Can't Find Me [02:38] 06.- Angie [02:18] 07.- Richard Cory [02:59] 08.- A Most Peculiar Man [02:33] 09.- April Come She Will [01:52] 10.- We've Got a Groovy Thing Goin' [02:00] 11.- I Am a Rock [02:59] 12.- Blues Run the Game [02:55] 13.- Barbriallen (Demo) [04:06] ** 14.- Rose of Aberdeen (Demo) [02:02] ** 15.- Roving Gambler (Demo) [03:03] ** ** = BONUS TRACKS, exclusive to this release Originally Released on 1966. This remastered version, which includes three bonus tracks was Released on August 21st, 2001. Ripped with EAC, creating a .cue/.wav audio file, preserving the CD structure, gaps and volume levels as in the original CD. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Album Review by Bruce Eder Simon & Garfunkel's second album was a radical departure from their first, owing to its being recorded in the wake of "The Sound of Silence," with its overdubbed electric instrument backing, topping the charts. Paul Simon arrived with a large song-bag, enhanced by his stay in England over the previous year and his exposure to English folk music, and the duo rushed into the studio to come up with ten more songs that would fit into the folk-rock context of the single. The result was this, their most hurried and uncharacteristic album -- Simon and Art Garfunkel had to sound like something they weren't, surrounded on many cuts by amplified folk-rock-style guitar, electric piano, and even horns. Much of the material came from The Paul Simon Songbook, an album that Simon had recorded for British CBS during his stay in England, some parts of it more radically altered than others. The record was a rushed job overall, and apart from the title track, the most important songs here were also, oddly enough, among the least enduring, "I Am a Rock" and "Richard Cory" -- the former for establishing the duo (and Simon as a songwriter) as confessional pop-poets, sensitive and alienated post-adolescents that endeared them to millions of college students going through what later came to be called an "identity crisis"; and the latter for endearing them to thousands of high-school English teachers with its adaptation of Edward Arlington Robinson's poem. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AllMusicGuide Track-by-track Review ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE SOUND OF SILENCE Paul Simon was a Brill Building demo singer as a teenager and, like the Beatles, was heavily under the spell of the famous harmonies of the Everly Brothers. Simon and his high school buddy, the classically trained musician Art Garfunkel, even formed a teenage duo, Tom and Jerry, that was modeled after the Everlys. But like a lot of other ambitious songwriters in the '60s, Simon soon fell sway to the remarkable abilities of Bob Dylan. And again, like the Beatles, Simon sought to merge his Brill-trained classic rock & roll and pop tendencies to the newly wide-open lyrical scope of Dylan. And Dylan himself met the popsters halfway, famously going electric soon after seeing the Fab Four and watching the Byrds score even bigger hits than he did with electrified versions of his songs. It was a heady era for pop music; soon anything and everything was fair game for subject matter and rock & roll songwriters were starting to be taken seriously as artists. While we all would agree that this was mostly a good thing, the charts soon became littered with overly ambitious and ill-informed protest songs and self-consciously "literate" clunkers that fell short of the mark. While "Sound of Silence" is ultimately saved from being among the latter, Simon does seem to be reaching like a college freshman English major with "hey, look at me!" lines like, "the words of the prophets were written on the subway walls," and "but my words, like silent raindrops fell." Simon seems to desire the same prophetic voice of authority that Dylan confidently exhibited in songs like "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall." But as a great song should, "Sound of Silence" starts with the microcosmic world of a relationship and the inability for two to communicate, and in the larger context of the tumultuous '60s takes on a greater significance. The lyric, while a bit sophomoric at times, showed the promise of a writer with talent that would develop over time. And certainly the narrator as the lone voice of reason and understanding and the alienated cry in the urban wilderness are themes that Simon would later refine with more subtlety and greater depth on songs like "The Boxer." The original recording was from the pair's debut, Wednesday, 3 AM (1964), an album they recorded for Columbia after they first felt the influence of the burgeoning folk revival movement. The two were aware of what they had, Garfunkel noting in the album's liner notes that the song "...is a major work. We were looking for a song on a larger scale, but this was more than either of us expected." They recorded it with just the voices and a lone acoustic guitar, and, after little interest was shown in the record, disbanded while Garfunkel attended Columbia University and Simon went off to live in London, where he recorded and released a solo record and toured European coffeehouses and pubs. Meanwhile, the song started to find a modest amount of radio play. Columbia Records, experiencing success with Dylan's electric-acoustic forays, employed Dylan's producer, Tom Wilson, to give "Sound of Silence" a similarly electrified treatment -- employing the same band from the Dylan sessions -- never bothering to consult Simon and/or Garfunkel. According to Patrick Humphries' biography of Simon, The Boy in the Bubble (1988), the singer/songwriter was on tour in Denmark when he happened upon a copy of Billboard and saw that the song was charting. Humphries notes that Columbia mailed Simon a copy of the electrified version and that Simon was "horrified when he first heard it. In fact, if you listen to that original version, you can hear the rhythm section slow down at one point so that Paul and Artie's voices can catch up." But it went to number one in 1966. The duo agreed that it was time to regroup. They quickly went into the studio with a few more songs, some from Simon's solo record, to record a full album ( Sounds of Silence, 1966) to capitalize. As Simon recounted -- quoted on the Simon & Garfunkel website ( /http://www. medialab. chalmers. se/guitar/index. tml#S&G): "I had just come back from England, and Art was still living at home, he was still at college and we were sitting in my car...smoking, and "Sound of Silence" came on and they said: 'Number one record, "Sound of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel,' we were just sitting there at night, we hadn't anything to do, and Artie turned to me and he said: 'those guys must be having so much fun!'." The duo harmonizes sweetly on the incredibly haunting melody, over a driving, minor-key acoustic guitar rhythm, also indebted to the Everly Brothers, singing images of urban apathy and desensitization. Even the acoustic original starts with the soft, dark introduction and grows more intense and harder, with the wispy voices gaining an edge and wavering with emotion while Simon abandons the fingerpicking style and goes for the Everlys' strum. In an interview in Playboy, Simon recounted the germination of the song: "The main thing about playing the guitar, though, was that I was able to sit by myself and play and dream. And I was always happy doing that. I used to go off in the bathroom, because the bathroom had tiles, so it was a slight echo chamber. I'd turn on the faucet so that water would run -- I like that sound, it's very soothing to me -- and I'd play. In the dark. 'Hello darkness, my old friend/I've come to talk with you again'. I've always believed that you need a truthful first line to kick you off into a song. You have to say something emotionally true before you can let your imagination wander." The electrified version is the one most are familiar with, from the hit single and its crucial and influential role on the soundtrack to the 1967 film The Graduate. The added musicians don't pound as hard as they often do on those Dylan records, instead opting for a more jangling West Coast folk-rock treatment. The soundtrack makes great use of the song's plaintive opening arpeggios and first line. The song gives voice to the film's frustrated, Holden Caulfield-esque hero, Benjamin Braddock. LEAVES THAT ARE GREEN A sprightly folk-pop tempo and feel highlight this song, which is one of the earliest tunes in the Simon & Garfunkel canon that shows the duo embracing the then-current folk-rock style. Buttressed by some inventive percussion and harpsichord, the shiny quality of the melody is highlighted throughout this fine pop confection. Lyrically, it's a sad, almost melancholy song of lost love that utilized the changing seasons to convey the feelings at the disintegration of a romance. This is indeed something that Paul Simon would utilize again in the very near future. BLESSED Written by Paul Simon while he was in the Soho district of London in early 1965, "Blessed"'s inspiration came to him when he went into a church during a downpour and was impressed by the sermon about the meek inheriting the earth. Simon realized that the meek didn't have anything, so, therefore, what would they inherit? It's a powerful document, and musically it shows him to be quite capable of writing in the rock style of the day. A droning, waltz-time tempo is a great example of what was soon to be called raga rock in the hands of the Byrds in early 1966. SOMEWHERE THEY CAN'T FIND ME Utilizing the opening guitar lick to "Anji," which would appear later in the Sounds of Silence album, "Somewhere They Can't Find Me" finds Paul Simon stretching his songwriting chops to great degrees. Almost jazz-based in nature, this minor pop masterpiece was one of the standouts on the album. A complex little take on isolation and loneliness, the sense of escapism is paramount here. Paul Simon was soon to be known for his psychological meditations on the subjects mentioned above, and this is one of the first examples of this style. Some excellent string and horn arrangements highlight the recording; this was one of the duo's most ambitious to date. RICHARD CORY Written by Paul Simon in early 1965, "Richard Cory" is based on a poem written in the 19th century; the original poem (by Edwin Arlington Robinson) concluded: "And "Richard Cory," one calm summer night/Went home and put a bullet through his head." A classic, dark murder ballad, it is loaded with all of the drama and suspense of a mid-'60s art film. Buttressed by a simple but engaging minor-key folk melody, this song was not only one of the most popular album cuts on the Sounds of Silence album but was also covered masterfully by Denny Lane during his stint in Paul McCartney & Wings. It eventually appeared on the Wings Over America live album. A MOST PECULIAR MAN Written in mid-1964, this song was written by Paul Simon and inspired by a newspaper story about a man who committed suicide. This incident may also have inspired Sounds of Silence's other suicide song, "Richard Cory." A different solo version on the song appeared on the Songbook album, a Simon solo demos album. A strong Broadway feel is juxtaposed by the folk-based melody, and the lyrics are in a literate, narrative tone, which would soon become a Paul Simon trademark. APRIL COME SHE WILL Utilizing the changing seasons as a metaphor for the capriciousness of a girl, "April Come She Will" was used very effectively in the film The Graduate and its soundtrack. Written in England in 1964 following a brief affair that Paul Simon had during his stay there, the lyrics were inspired by a nursery rhyme that the girl in question recited. The sense of yearning in this song would later be beautifully echoed in one of the Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme masterpieces, "For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her." Like that song, it is very brief, yet the shortness of the song adds to the effectiveness and economy of both the lyric and melody. I AM A ROCK Continuing the alienated-young-man theme that seemed to preoccupy Paul Simon in his early songwriting career, "I Am a Rock" also follows the successful acoustic-electric, pop-folk formula that Simon & Garfunkel happened upon almost accidentally with their 1964 breakthrough hit single "Sound of Silence." The latter song was originally recorded with only acoustic guitar accompanying the duo's pristine harmonies. It was turned into an electrified pop recording without the pair's knowledge by producer Tom Wilson -- who was having success with similar arrangements for Bob Dylan -- on order of Columbia Records. When "Sound of Silence" resulted in a number one record, Simon & Garfunkel recorded a number of other songs with electric bass, guitar, organ, and drums to round out the album Sound of Silence (1966), capitalizing on the success of the title track. Like "I Am a Rock" from the album, the sound was usually closer to the jangly West Coast folk sound of the Byrds and the Mamas and the Papas than to Dylan's often raucous and hard-driving blues treatments. Simon & Garfunkel's sweet harmonies always take off a bit of edge, even when turning it up a notch with harder, Louvin Brothers-via- the Everly Brothers singing. "I Am a Rock" was also a hit for the duo. As with "Sound of Silence," "I Am a Rock" starts softly, with a lilting, triplet folk-guitar lick and Simon's gentle, almost whispered voice setting the scene: "A winter's day/In a deep and dark December," the band kicking in for, "I am alone/Gazing from my window to the streets below/On a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow/I am a rock/I am an island." His lyrics tread the same introspective teenage/young adult ground as Brian Wilson's 1963 classic "In My Room," though Simon has not quite yet developed the subtlety demonstrated by Wilson and his co-writer, Gary Usher. But Simon does strive for greater depth: "I've built walls/A fortress deep and mighty/That none may penetrate/I have no need of friendship/Friendship causes pain." His lyrics sound a bit labored and self-conscious as he finishes the verse with the plodding, "It's laughter and it's loving I disdain." What Simon does exhibit, however, is a well-developed sense of irony: With the final verse, he seems to be either deflating his sense of self-important misanthropy or poking fun at a distrustful, emotionally frustrated narrator, as if it was not Paul Simon singing the song confessionally after all, but a singer giving voice to a character: "I have my books/And my poetry to protect me/I am shielded in my armor/Hiding in my room, safe within my womb/I touch no one and no one touches me/I am a rock/I am an island," capping it with the sad-sack lament, again singing in a quiet voice, "And a rock feels no pain/And an island never cries." The narrator, after trying to disprove John Donne's Meditation 17, "No man is an island," finally succumbs and seems to ultimately agree. And the reprised folk-guitar riff finishes the frame. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Simon & Garfunkel - Sounds of Silence (Remastered) [RePoPo]

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 20:20:58