Review Summary: The masterpiece LP of the legendary folk duo Simon and Garfunkel
Having recently bought a record player, a new hobby of mine has been to peruse the boxes outside used record stores of New York City’s East Village in the hopes of finding a gem. Having found only limited success so far, I was shocked to find a copy of the
Talking Heads record Remain in Light, arguably their best for the shocking price of $3, but only minutes later, and only one box over, I found this album and it’s been dominating my vinyl player ever since.
Because I’m a huge sucker for awesome harmonizers, it isn’t surprising that Simon and Garfunkel is one of my go to ‘60s bands. And Scarborough Fair is my all-time favorite Simon and Garfunkel track. Here they are at their deepest, pulling you along in two complimentary directions as their voices blend in such a way that makes it seem as though they destined to be used together.
This album has songs on it that bring a smile to my face no matter what (The 59th St Bridge Song and Homeward Bound), several sad tracks (Cloudy, Flowers Never Bend With the Rainfall, A Poem on the Underground Wall) and even a couple that you can rock out to (Patterns, The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine). And while For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her is an immensely personal track, they avoid making this an exceedingly introspective album with the eerie but crucial 7 O’clock News / Silent Night.
At only 29 minutes of run time, this record is done before you even know it, and if you aren’t paying much attention, this could get lost in that category of pleasant background music. But the depth behind what they are saying bumps them up to something far more and their harmonies are absolutely divine. This album marks the perfect balance in their recording career – before the fame began to get to their heads, yet with enough experience to have established their unparalleled camaraderie. This album is for anyone and everyone, easy to listen to yet deep, imaginative and with a beautiful sound — One of the all-time classics.
Overall 4.8/5
