Simon & Garfunkel – But Is It Any Good?

ARTIST: Simon & Garfunkel soundssilence

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.

ARTIST: Simon & Garfunkel Simon_&_Garfunkel,_Wednesday_Morning,_3_A.M._(1964)

TITLE: Wednesday Morning, 3AM

YEAR RELEASED: 1964

CHART ACTION: #30 US, #24 UK

SINGLES: They didn’t release a single from this.

OTHER SONGS YOU MAY KNOW: The Sound of Silence (acoustic version), some folk covers.

LINEUP: Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: Folk album originally released to crickets except in the hard-core folkie community, and then hit big when the producer electrified one famous song.

SOME WORDS, PHRASES AND CLAUSES ABOUT THIS RECORD: Many of you know the story: “The Sound of Silence” was a pleasant acoustic number, and producer Tom Wilson added a band behind it without telling the band after they dispersed to parts hither and yon, and well, there’s your hit and career.

The original album that the song came from is a pleasant 60’s folk exercise. There’s nothing particularly special about it. Simon’s original songs are OK, but he’s definitely got some Dylan-aping going on. There’s a religious overtone in some of the songs (they cover “Go Tell it on the Mountain”).

I don’t think many listening in 1964 to this album would have predicted the magnitude of success this duo had, especially since Simon only wrote four of the 12 songs. They sing nicely together, though, and that was enough for Wilson to take a chance.

NOTES & MINUTIAE: When the duo started to hit, Garfunkel was back at Columbia and Simon was in London trodding the folk singer circuit threre.

IS THERE A DELUXE VERSION: A demo and alternate takes.

GRADE: B-: A nicely sung competent folkie album.