|
Post by B.E. on Sept 17, 2023 19:39:31 GMT
The only song, or specifically recording, on this album that I'm familiar with is "The Sound Of Silence". It's one of my all-time favorite songs. It still gets to me. I especially like hearing it at night. While I like all of the Simon & Garfunkel versions of the song, this version might be my least favorite. Oh, it's good, but I especially like their live versions. The Old Friends: Live On Stage version is my favorite. I hadn't realized that there was an original acoustic version (on the debut album) and a remixed/overdubbed single version released about a year later (and included on their follow-up album). Having always thought of this track as a timeless classic it's almost odd realizing that it initially wasn't particularly successful. And listening closely to both versions now, I might actually prefer the original. There's a ton of reverb/echo applied to the remix (which I both like and don't like) but I'm noticing now that the instrumental overdubbing is actually pretty sloppy if you listen closely. Obviously, the single version ain't bad by any stretch of the imagination, I just find this all pretty interesting. Also, the fact that initially "The Sound of Silence" - nor any other track - were release as a single to support their debut. Perhaps that's because the album wasn't successful? Or was that not uncommon for a folk album? Either way, how do you not push "The Sound of Silence" right off the bat!? (I know, I know, hindsight is 20/20.)
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Sept 17, 2023 19:42:33 GMT
I'm noticing now that the instrumental overdubbing is actually pretty sloppy if you listen closely. Yep. And once you hear it, it's impossible to un-hear it.
|
|
|
Post by jk on Sept 17, 2023 19:43:29 GMT
I hadn't realized that there was an original acoustic version (on the debut album) and a remixed/overdubbed single version released about a year later (and included on their follow-up album). Having always thought of this track as a timeless classic it's almost odd realizing that it initially wasn't particularly successful. And listening closely to both versions now, I might actually prefer the original. There's a ton of reverb/echo applied to the remix (which I both like and don't like) but I'm noticing now that the instrumental overdubbing is actually pretty sloppy if you listen closely. Obviously, the single version ain't bad by any stretch of the imagination, I just find this all pretty interesting. Also, the fact that initially "The Sound of Silence" - nor any other track - were release as a single to support their debut. Perhaps that's because the album wasn't successful? Or was that not uncommon for a folk album? Either way, how do you not push "The Sound of Silence" right off the bat!? (I know, I know, hindsight is 20/20.) That's because the "Crew" had to follow S&G's erratic rhythm, which I can imagine was a Herculean task! I think they did fabulously well.
|
|
|
Post by B.E. on Sept 17, 2023 19:56:49 GMT
I wonder how many S&G fans have actually listened to this album? It's not Sounds of Silence or even Bookends. This is Paul and Art as folk singers, singing a lot of songs written by other writers - yes, even Mr. Zimmerman. It's fascinating in that respect. Kind of like Bob's debut - very few hints of what was to come. I think this one is maybe a little unfairly overlooked. While it’s not Simon and Garfunkel, fully formed out of the gate, it is at the very least a VERY strong performance. It’s the material that’s not quite so exciting. I'm finding these comments and perceptions very interesting. On one hand, I'm surprised that considering how big S&G got and how few albums they released that any of their albums could be overlooked. In other words, even if it weren't listened to much in late 1964 or early 1965 it would have been added to fans' collections and become very familiar shortly thereafter and for decades to come. On the other hand, if this is indeed a non-fully formed S&G (which also sort of surprises me, as it sounds almost exactly as I expected and my expectations for their vocal performances were sky-high), I could see this album being overlooked as a mere "folk album" or something. (And as a big fan of early Dylan, I'm not likely to fall into that crowd!) Anyway, as you can tell, I'm going into this with virtually no understanding of the history of it all.
|
|
|
Post by B.E. on Sept 17, 2023 22:17:37 GMT
I think this is a great album. I'm rating it an 8/10, easily. As expected, the singing is incredible and the highlight of the album, but the production is very, very good, too. It's hard to point to, or come up with, any criticisms. Maybe a few too many "joys" in the opener (of which, I don't love the lyrics either). I guess "Peggy-O" is a bit on the forgettable side, but the singing is really pretty. And...that's about all I can come up with. I'm definitely higher on the material overall than some of you seem to be. While I'd rank the upbeat Christian songs fairly low, they did provide nice energy, and guitar playing, balancing out the album. So many highlights, though, material-wise, with "The Sounds of Silence", "The Times They Are-A Changin'" (best cover?), "He Was My Brother", "Sparrow", "The Sun Is Burning", and "Bleecker Street". There's nothing here I'd rate lower than a 7.25. If this is far from their best, then they've got some incredibly great albums to come.
|
|
|
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 23, 2023 10:55:38 GMT
A recent interview of Paul Simon by Howard Stern:
|
|
|
Post by B.E. on Sept 24, 2023 13:28:34 GMT
Simon & Garfunkel's second album, Sounds of Silence, was released on January 17, 1966. The album's title is a slight modification of the title of their first major hit, "The Sound of Silence", which originally was released as "The Sounds of Silence" on their debut album, and later on the soundtrack to the movie The Graduate. Without the knowledge of Paul Simon or Art Garfunkel, electric guitars, bass and drums were overdubbed by Columbia Records staff producer Tom Wilson on June 15, 1965. This new version was released as a single in September 1965, and opens the album. "Homeward Bound" was released on the album in the UK, placed at the beginning of Side 2 before "Richard Cory". It was later released in the US on the following album, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. Many of the songs in the album had been written by Paul Simon while he lived in London during 1965. Solo acoustic versions of "I Am A Rock", "Leaves That Are Green", "April Come She Will", "A Most Peculiar Man", and "Kathy's Song" had appeared on The Paul Simon Songbook, released in August 1965 in England, as had another version of the title track. "Richard Cory" was based on the poem "Richard Cory" by Edwin Arlington Robinson, "Somewhere They Can't Find Me" was essentially a rewrite of the previous album's "Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.", "We've Got a Groovy Thing Goin'" had appeared on the b-side of "The Sound of Silence" a few months before and "Anji" was a cover of an instrumental piece by guitarist Davey Graham whom Simon had met in England. Hence the only brand new Paul Simon composition on the album was "Blessed". The album cover photo features the duo on a trail looking back towards the camera. It was shot at Franklin Canyon Park in Los Angeles, California. The secondary school scarves they are wearing were from The Campion School, Hornchurch, UK. This school was attended by the boys of the Brentwood family, where Paul lodged during his time in the UK. On March 22, 2013, it was announced that the album will be preserved by the Library of Congress in the National Recording Registry, calling it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." 11 tracks; 29 minutes 1. The Sound of Silence 2. Leaves That Are Green 3. Blessed 4. Kathy's Song 5. Somewhere They Can't Find Me 6. Anji 7. Richard Cory 8. A Most Peculiar Man 9. April Come She Will 10. We've Got a Groovy Thing Goin' 11. I Am A Rock
|
|
|
Post by lonelysummer on Sept 24, 2023 19:51:09 GMT
After finding out "Sound of Silence" had been overdubbed after the fact, I went back and listened to it again, and I could hear it. For example, at one point, it slows down slightly - a common thing among folk singers, when they want to emphasize a certain passage. So the overdub musicians have to slow down with Simon. The other thing that stands out about it is, it's the only S&G track I can think of with electric twelve string on it, very Byrdsy sounding. Stop. Wait. I think "Blessed" has the same sound. "We've Got a Groovy Thing Goin" is unlike any other S&G track. Sounds like typical teen rock of the mid 60's. Their performance on Shindig even shows Garfunkel playing electric guitar. I always felt like "Richard Cory" and "A Most Peculiar Man" were close cousins. "April Come She Will" is beautiful. Art does not get enough praise for his beautiful voice. "I Am a Rock" IMO is kind of juvenile. It's a good record, but the lyrics are kind of embarassing.
|
|
|
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 25, 2023 11:37:21 GMT
"The Sound Of Silence", "Kathy's Song", "April Come She Will", and "I Am A Rock" are special songs. Some Simon & Garfunkel's songs were able to walk that line of resonating with AM radio/singles fans, and at the same time "going deeper" as album tracks. In addition to being a brilliant songwriter and musician, Paul Simon was a great lyricist. He not only could get inside your head, he could get into your gut. He not only made you think...he moved you.
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Sept 25, 2023 19:18:20 GMT
Sounds of Silence is not one of my favorite S&G albums--and honestly, their albums were more potentially great than actually great, in my opinion, with exceptions--but like anything by these two, there is plenty to enjoy. One thing I wanted to call out is that Simon twice quotes a 1960 song by jazz trumpeter Nat Adderly, "Work Song." The first instance is in "Anji," which is itself a cover of Davy Graham's tune. That version does not include the quote. But you'll hear it in Simon's, cued up to about 1:34: Then a few songs later, "We've Got a Groovy Thing Goin'" opens more or less with the same riff. I wonder how it got into the tunes. It's possible Simon learned it from Wrecking Crew musicians who worked on the album, such as Larry Knechtel or Joe Osborn. Or maybe Simon--whose taste in music was broad even then--just knew the song. Or maybe, though I think this is less likely, he's not intentionally quoting it at all, and is just using a predictable little minor blues riff that works in both songs.
|
|
|
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 27, 2023 0:20:18 GMT
Artie talks about his love of "Kathy's Song" and performs it with Paul:
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Sept 27, 2023 14:12:29 GMT
"I Am a Rock" IMO is kind of juvenile. It's a good record, but the lyrics are kind of embarassing. I wouldn't go as far as to say the lyrics are embarassing, but this is a good introduction to the topic. Paul Simon can be a brilliant lyricist. I love a lot of his lyrics. But there is for me absolutely something about especially some of his early lyrics that can be really off-putting. They can come across as the clearly very gifted adolescent or young man (or woman, though this seems more common in men) whose intelligence can be a little too clever, a little too showy. The kind of person who carries around some weighty book in the hopes that you'll ask him about it. (And gawd, he can't wait to tell you about it.) The kind of person who, at age 22, is ready to lecture any- and everyone about politics, about religion, about the nature of the universe itself. ("I took a class once..." or "I read that...") The kind of person who has a lot to say, but is always trying to say it all. It's pretentious, basically. Now, I'd take a pretentious, young Paul Simon over some idiot spouting hatred or nonsense all day, every day. But nobody wants to be lectured, and especially not by someone whose wisdom of the world comes mostly from what he read last semester, or that overseas trip he took last summer. I prefer someone who learns to shut up every now and again, to be a little less certain of everything. That is, of course, simply a matter of growing up. I like to think most people do it. I do think Simon's lyrics got better in that respect as time went on (and plenty of them were plenty good from the beginning: this is just a minor issue I'm babbling about because, hey why not?).
|
|
|
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 27, 2023 18:30:39 GMT
Yes, I can hear some pretentiousness (I don't think I ever used that word before) in some S & G's songs, and maybe a little - just a little - in "I Am A Rock", but I still love the lyrics in that particular song. I think Paul nailed it (the lyrics) and I think they are just as important as the music. The setting, imagery, the loneliness, the resentment, the pain...come on, you can't say it (or sing it) any better than that!
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Oct 7, 2023 16:21:49 GMT
One interesting thing about Paul Simon is that he's musically restless, not just writing in different styles across time, but reinventing old songs for live performances to a degree that's pretty rare in pop/rock music. (Not unique, but rare.)
"The Sound of Silence" makes for an interesting case, of course, because this hit version was itself a reinvention, albeit one that didn't involve Simon at all! However, he fiddled with it plenty through the years himself.
1973, with the Jesse Dixon Singers
Mid-80s?, all alone
1999, with Bob Dylan
|
|
|
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Oct 7, 2023 20:55:53 GMT
Thanks for sharing those videos, Kapitan. I've never seen the one with Bob Dylan. And Dylan was into it! How it must have been to witness that, those two masters performing such a timeless classic. It was almost like they dug out an old folk song, an old chestnut, from the archives.
I wanted to post one. It's a little similar to the "only Paul" one from the 80s posted above, but it's also a little different. Obviously it is more recent and a much older Paul, but his singing style, the "talking/singing" style, is reminiscent of Dylan himself, and also that of Willie Nelson or the older, live-performing Brian Wilson. Paul's raspier, older voice and delicate phrasing adds to the emotion. It's another work of art.
|
|