Album: Bridge Over Troubled Water
Many of the songs are autobiographical or specifically about the imminent break-up of the duo, with Simon reminiscing about the early days of their partnership in New York on So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright (the title is deliberately misleading). The Only Living Boy In New York also highlights the growing separation between the two, and the singing recorded in an echo chamber helps to underscore the sense of loneliness. The Boxer is my favourite song on the album musically, and it was interesting to read that the "lie-la-lie" chorus was initially intended as a place holder before finalising the lyrics, but it stuck and worked. Beck apparently did a similar thing with Odelay. There are some pretty terrible moments on the album too, notably Why Don't You Write Me, but that hasn't detracted much from my enjoyment of the album over the years. I also really like the modesty of the final track on the album, "Song For The Asking". When you're weary, feeling sad, some records are comforting and provide solace, and that's no bad thing.
Artist: Simon & Garfunkel
Born: Queens, New York
Released: January 1970
Genre: Folk rock
Influenced: Elliott Smith, Belle & Sebastian, Sufjan Stevens
Here come the 70s! Oh wait a minute, listening to this, maybe not. Just as rock was about to get very hard, the decade started with the success of some of the softest music ever made. There are some albums you love so much though, you care little if they're cool or edgy. Bridge Over Troubled Water reminds me of my childhood, family car trips, more innocent times; like Frank Sinatra, Simon & Garfunkel is one of the few entries on this list where my musical tastes overlap with my Nan's. Three of the songs on this album -- title track, Cecilia and The Boxer -- had already been Top 10 hits in 1969, so when Simon & Garfunkel parted ways after this album, they went out at the top. Among their earlier albums, I'm a fan of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme, which has some great songs like Homeward Bound, and Bookends, but this album will always be the most evocative for me.
Here come the 70s! Oh wait a minute, listening to this, maybe not. Just as rock was about to get very hard, the decade started with the success of some of the softest music ever made. There are some albums you love so much though, you care little if they're cool or edgy. Bridge Over Troubled Water reminds me of my childhood, family car trips, more innocent times; like Frank Sinatra, Simon & Garfunkel is one of the few entries on this list where my musical tastes overlap with my Nan's. Three of the songs on this album -- title track, Cecilia and The Boxer -- had already been Top 10 hits in 1969, so when Simon & Garfunkel parted ways after this album, they went out at the top. Among their earlier albums, I'm a fan of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme, which has some great songs like Homeward Bound, and Bookends, but this album will always be the most evocative for me.
Many of the songs are autobiographical or specifically about the imminent break-up of the duo, with Simon reminiscing about the early days of their partnership in New York on So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright (the title is deliberately misleading). The Only Living Boy In New York also highlights the growing separation between the two, and the singing recorded in an echo chamber helps to underscore the sense of loneliness. The Boxer is my favourite song on the album musically, and it was interesting to read that the "lie-la-lie" chorus was initially intended as a place holder before finalising the lyrics, but it stuck and worked. Beck apparently did a similar thing with Odelay. There are some pretty terrible moments on the album too, notably Why Don't You Write Me, but that hasn't detracted much from my enjoyment of the album over the years. I also really like the modesty of the final track on the album, "Song For The Asking". When you're weary, feeling sad, some records are comforting and provide solace, and that's no bad thing.
Comments