Saturday 21 May 2022

Greatest Hits - SIMON & GARFUNKEL*****

Mrs Robinson/For Emily Wherever I May Find Her/The Boxer/The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)/The Sound Of Silence/I Am A Rock/Scarborough Fair-Canticle/Homeward Bound/Bridge Over Troubled Water/ America/Kathy's Song/El Condor Pasa/Bookends/Cecilia

First of many Simon & Garfunkel compilations and of course the tracks are all superlative. However, their studio albums are really just as good and would make a better purchase. Four of these songs are live versions. (US:5 UK:2)

“Every single song here is perfect, and magical in its atmosphere and unparalleled vocal harmonies. Most of them are quite complex, despite their undisputed pop potential. The reason why they sound so elegant and charming, and timeless, and pure is precisely that they are so complex and finely structured.”

“Simon and Garfunkel are easily my favourite folk music group. They obviously spent a great deal of time working on intonation, timing, balance, and blending their voices. Each song flows so well, it is almost effortless. They have four legendary albums condensed into five short years. Deciding on their best music and jamming it on one record is an ambitious project to say the least.”

“Though I had grown up listening to the music of Simon and Garfunkel, it is in listening to this LP that I realized how prolific they have been and how beautiful were their harmonies. This is a timeless collection, a wonderful compilation of their music which can best be described as mellow folk-rock. It runs the gamut from the upbeat, to the poetic to the unusual. Every cut is a winner.”

“Four of the songs on here aren't the original studio versions, rather they're previously unreleased live takes; but they don't actually interrupt the album's flow as much as I expected them to, and they're just about as good as the originals.”

“It is such a flawless album I've never felt the need to look for anything else by the duo. Nothing more than mellow folk rock, it nevertheless transports the listener onto a higher plain of perception - adjectives like wistful and haunting immediately spring to mind. Whilst many may disagree given Simon's songwriting talents, they were a team, with Garfunkel's beautiful voice a perfect counterpoint to Simon’s quieter tone.”

“Many of the songs are represented by live versions. In this case the gamble paid off, as the alternate versions are all stellar.”

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