Artist – Album: Simon and Garfunkel – Bridge Over
Troubled Water
Released: 26th January 1970
Sounds Like: A bridge too far
Bridge Over Troubled Water was the album that spelled the end
of Simon and Garfunkel as a duo. That’s clear from the couple of songs that are
explicitly Paul Simon’s farewell to his buddy: ‘So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright’ and ‘The Only Living Boy in New York’. It was clear when Art Garfunkel skipped
sessions to act in the forthcoming movie version of Catch-22. It was clear from
the reported strain that the meticulous production put them under. I mean, just
look at those impressively receding hairlines on the album cover: they had to
be under a serious amount of stress.
Those two aforementioned tracks aside, this breakdown does
not exhibit itself to any great deal on the finished product. The boys sound
like they’re having a right laugh on disposable pop songs like ‘Cecilia’ and ‘Baby Driver’, whilst ‘The
Boxer’ and ‘Song for the Asking’ sit
amongst the very best of the couple’s entire back catalogue. Further, the title
track has gone on to become their signature tune, an absolute monster of a song-hymn
that still pops up on all time best of lists and crappy TV talent shows. The
song finishes on such a crescendo that it almost feels like it should close the
album, but the genius of placing it first means that it’s out of the way,
and the listener can concentrate on the softer, less dramatic rest of the set.
For all that works on this album, the guys were going to
split sometime. Garfunkel wanted to be an actor and Simon had already released
one solo album and had written all but one of the tracks here. They were bound
to part ways sooner or later. This album just made a fitting epitaph for their
partnership.
Albumaday... rating:
8/10
1. Bridge
Over Troubled Water – 4:52
2. El
Condor Pasa (If I Could) – 3:06
3. Cecilia
– 2:55
4. Keep
the Customer Satisfied – 2:33
5. So
Long, Frank Lloyd Wright – 3:41
6. The
Boxer – 5:08
7. Baby
Driver – 3:14
8. The
Only Living Boy in New York – 3:58
9. Why
Don’t You Write Me – 2:45
10. Bye
Bye Love – 2:55
11. Song
for the Asking – 1:39
Listen to ‘The Only
Living Boy in New York’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJGSHMgbB0E
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Also released on the 26th January:
2010: Beach House – Teen Dream
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