ARTIST: Simon & Garfunkel
TITLE: Sounds of Silence
YEAR RELEASED: 1966
CHART ACTION: #21 US, #13 UK
SINGLES: Sounds of Silence (#1 US, #9 UK), I Am a Rock (#3 US, #17 UK)
OTHER SONGS YOU MAY KNOW: Richard Cory, April Come She Will, Kathy’s Song
LINEUP: Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, Fred Carter Jr., Glen Campbell, Larry Knechtel, Joe South, Joe Osborn, Hal Blaine
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: After a surprise hit when “The Sound of Silence” was electrified by Tom Wilson, the duo re-unites and assembles an album from Simon’s notebooks.
SOME WORDS, PHRASES AND CLAUSES ABOUT THIS RECORD: They made their album and they parted friends. Paul Simon was in the UK, even. Then “The Sound of Silence” was electrified and became a big hit. Well, now they had a reason to continue, re-formed, and recorded this album.
Most everything was already recorded by Simon on his solo UK album, A couple were from earlier sessions, and there was an instrumental even. While there was some pretty great tunes here, and Simon and Garfunkel sing great, the material seems rushed a bit, and the album seems a bit slight.
Still, with some classics here, it’s worth a listen just to hear the evolution of the electric Simon & Garfunkel, and to compare where they went later.
NOTES & MINUTIAE: The only true original that hadn’t been recorded or adapted before is “Blessed”. Everything else had been recorded by Simon or adapted from others.
IS THERE A DELUXE VERSION: Yes, extra tracks, not all from this era.
GRADE: B: There are some great songs, and they’re great to hear sing together no matter the material.