Bridge Over Troubled Water

5: The moustache that appear on Art if you put your thumb on Pauls face on the album cover. 5: The songs.

“Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon & Garfunkel (1970) There are no dull moments in this musical smorgasbord of aural delights; and no serious listener of recorded music should fail to become familiar with this well constructed album. One would be hard pressed to come up with any other album in the history of recorded that has such a universal scope. Styles include gospel, reggae, rockabilly, Latin jazz, Andean folk, and a superbly recorded live cut (Ames, Iowa) in which the audience actually knows how to clap. The engineering/mixing alone cements this work as a classic. The leadoff title track “Bridge Over Troubled Water” is a powerful lyric of love. Its selfless, giving message is rendered in perfectly pitched angelic tones by Art Garfunkel, and energized with an ever-expanding intensity, utilizing echo-enhanced percussion and a superlative orchestral arrangement. The recording of the bass lines is unequalled. Play it loud. The second track, “El Condor Pasa” invites the listener to take a (needed) deep breath, becoming entranced by the ethereal, wooden sounds of Peruvian instrumentals (performed by Los Incas, or “Urubamba”). Carango and dueling quena flutes never sounded so good on an American album. Next, for a shift in mood, “Cecilia” raises silliness to art, taking heartbreak to a comic level through the ingenious use of percussive sounds that defy identification. The only thing it’s missing is cowbell. Great song. On the rockabilly pot-dealing lament “Keep the Customer Satisfied”, pay attention to the nonstop build. And prepare yourself for the bombastic horns on the outro, splayed out before your ears from stomping bass trombone to the sky high wailing of the lead trumpet. Wonderfully mixed. Then just when you need to rest your hands from clapping, bossa nova slides in with the weirdly evocative “So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright”, a moving eulogy to a genius (in architecture, of all things). Is there any genre Paul Simon can’t creditably perform on acoustic guitar? Bongos, jazz flute, and string quartet flavor this mellow reflection. Obituaries don’t get any better than this. Side two (remember, this is an album) begins with “The Boxer”, in the ‘old’ Simon & Garfunkel vocal/guitar style of folk duo, flavored with sultry baritone sax and muted bass drum providing an anxious heartbeat—and that shudder-inducing snare crash in the chorus. The orchestral arrangement and recording technique on the first part of the extended outro are paralyzing. Simon presents here a dramatically poetic first person ballad that transitions to the third person in the final verse for the knockout punch, the surprise of which I will not spoil. The comical “Baby Driver” is up next, which rivals anything The Beach Boys put on vinyl, with stepping, thumping bass and a swingin’ baritone & tenor sax duet in the bridge. Here, at the age of 16, I discovered the synthetic nexus between sex and drag racing. Vroooom! Then we settle in again to a quietly reflective “The Only Living Boy in New York”, the first song I chose to learn to play and sing for performance (in a bar in Subic City, Philippines—There’s a story there that I won’t go into). “Hey, I’ve got nothing to do today but smile”is a line everyone needs to hear more often. (By the way, “Tom” is Garfunkel, who had gone to Mexico to film “Catch-22”, a career move that contributed to the split up of S&G later in 1970.) “Why Don’t You Write Me” is back to more musical whimsy, with teasing internal rhyme and the cleverest baritone sax duet in the bridge you’ve ever heard. A wild and live cover of the Everly Brothers hit “Bye Bye Love” follows, with deft mix of electric bass and muted drum, segueing into the all-too-brief “Song for the Asking”, with Paul Simon closing out the album with his signature acoustic stylings accompanied by delicate Garfunkel harmonies and tasteful strings in the background. Makes you want to play the album over again, which I just did. Twice. If you can’t fall in love with this album, you should give your heart to someone who can make better use of it. 5/5

Close to a perfect album. The Only Living Boy In New York and The Boxer are two of my all time favorite songs. So good it doesn't even lose points for being my ex-mother-in-law's favorite album. Art of course was given his moment to shine on the title track. This is a surprisingly easy 5.

If you don’t like this. It’s because you don’t have ears

Some of the all-time best pop songwriting of all-time. Lovely and gentle lovely Paul. I love it, so sue me.

I don't need to listen to this album (for the 5 millionth time) to give it 5 stars. Every song is a winner.

What a monster of an album. So many huge tracks. Bridge Over Troubled Water, The Boxer, Cecilia, The Only Living Boy in New York, Baby Driver... Huge. There's one weird duck in the mix (So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright is SUPER weird) but, other than that, it's pretty much folk-banger after folk-banger.

My dad and I have spent a generation fighting about this album, most particularly whether Cecilia is a good song (I say it’s fucking great; he hates it); whether Art’s solo vocals on Bridge or the harmony part is better; and which song is better, The Boxer or Only Boy Living in NYC. Honestly, we’re both right on all of. I am undeniable biased on this album, which is great, but my memory of it is even better.

My god, I get goose bumps every time I hear Garfunkel’s soaring, angelic vocals over the swelling orchestra in the crescendo of the opening track. Not many albums can do that from the get go. And whilst nothing quite matches the title track, there are some pretty, entertaining, witty and lyrical songs here to enjoy and luxuriate in the harmonies.

The title track is one of the most beautiful songs ever written with one of the best vocal performances, and all of the songs are great too.

“Everywhere I go I get slandered, libeled, I hear words I never heard in the Bible” is getting incorporated into my vocabulary.

This made me feel like frolicking through the forest like a lil garden nymph. I was into it heavily.

Not bad, but not really my cup of tea tbh.

A classic, no doubt about it. Simon and Garfunkel's last album before the tension was too much and they went their separate ways, lending an atmosphere of melancholy, hurt and reconciliation (which ultimately wasn't to be) to the lyrics. It makes for therapeutic, cathartic listening, and that's saying nothing of the music itself: some of the most gorgeous songs recorded. The title track fully deserves a place in the pantheon of 20th century pop standards, "The Only Living Boy in New York" sends waves of gorgeous harmonies crashing against the shore, and "The Boxer" would be a career highlight for any folk singer-songwriter: here it's just one of many killer tracks. It's not all melancholy separation music, though: one of my main surprises first hearing this was how S&G continued to develop right to the end, pushing the envelope further from their rule-book in genre and sound. "Keep The Customer Satisfied" is a driving, brass-laden slice of soul-pop that shoots for Motown. "Baby Driver" is the most engaging, carefree Beach Boys homage since "Back in the USSR." There are exercises in Peruvian folk, bossa nova and the giddy joy of "Cecilia." If I had any quibbles, it's that the album threatens to tail off at the end: "Why Don't You Write Me" doesn't come on as strong as the wave of excellency before it, and "Bye Bye Love" is a head-scratching live addition with intrusive crowd noise. However, the plaintive "Song for the Asking" redeems it, giving a tender send-off to the pair's partnership. Above all, this is a winning combination of intricate, wry lyrics, inspired and varied arrangements, and accessible melodies beautifully sung. I'm so glad to have it in my collection.

Don't hate it, just don't care and have heard some of these songs too many time in 55 years

Love it so much. One of my favorite folk albums. My favorite Simon album for sure. I love the harmonious yet natural vocals, the beautiful and often dramatic accompaniment, and the insane songwriting that beats anything anyone was able to come up with until then. Insane to think Simon pretty much wrote it all alone. Half the album is full of insane strongs that define the era... The Boxer, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Cecelia... I don't want to imagine what music wouldn't exist if these tracks never existed. El Condor Pasa and The Only Living Boy in New York are two other masterpieces, albeit not as essential. The other three tracks up to that point are also really good. Only complaint is that the last 3 songs are kinda weak, but I still sorta like them. Making the cover "Bye Bye Love" live was an interesting choice. "Song for the Asking" is such a serene, quiet, and snappy closer you don't even notice until it's over. Regardless, those last 7 minutes isn't enough to deduct from a full score.

One I can listen to on vinyl today! So you can imagine that I already have quote a strong bias towards it. I can't really approach something I love like this with a critical eye. So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright is the weakest track, I guess? It has Bridge, Cecilia, The Boxer, Baby Driver, El Condor Pasa, The Only Living Boy and Baby Driver. 7 of the 11 tracks would make a best of. That kind of hit rate is ridiculous.

Up until the second to last track this would be a perfect 5/5. The songs and arrangements (especially the lovely instrumental details in the arrangements) are fantastic and the title track as well as The Boxer are masterpieces of songs, with El Condor Pasa not far behind. The perfect score is only marred by the live track Bye Bye Love which would already easily and by far be the worst song if it were not a live arrangement. The audience noise is a jarring contrast to the rest of the album's serene beauty and crystal clear production. I'll still round it up to a 5, but I really wish that track weren't on there.

A near-perfect album. So good.

This album has a lot of old favorites. I love singing Bridge over Troubled Waters and frankly everything else.

Fantastic album, had not listened I. A while. Will again very soon.

I know this is considered a classic, but for me, it just feels too all over the place. Sure, there are a few standout tracks, but as a whole, the album doesn’t really come together for me. It’s just not my thing.

Ultra sappy. Painful to listen to.

An absolute classic. This album is very much of its time, but the songs are SO good. Some of the songs sound better in subsequent live versions. I found myself watching The Concert in Central Park after listening to this - Garfunkel singing Bridge Over Troubled Water in that concert was possibly his crowning moment. Similarly, The Boxer is one of my favorite songs of all time (I love playing it on guitar), but I prefer subsequent live versions (check out the Concert in Hyde Park for a great version). Regardless of version, I get chills every time I hear "In the clearing stands a boxer, and a fighter by his trade/and he carries the reminders/ of every glove that laid him down or cut him till he cried out in his anger and his shame/ "I am leaving, I am leaving" but the fighter still remains." What a moment. Plenty of other great moments: El Condor Pasa takes you somewhere else. This is the first time I listened to the original version by Los Incas which sounds almost identical except the Los Incas version is an instrumental and has a bit of craziness in the last minute. Cecilia is a classic and Keep the Customer Satisfied is a fun little rockabilly song. Baby Driver is a fun classic-sounding rock n roll song (I even originally thought it was a cover, but it's not). The Only Living Boy in NY is a good track - I like the overlaid vocals in that one. The only tracks I find (relatively) weak are So Long Frank Lloyd Wright and Why Don't You Write Me. They could have ended with the live version of Bye Bye Love since it's a callback to their early days and the influence of the Everly Brothers. But Song for the Asking is a nice touch and perhaps it's poignant that the last Simon & Garfunkel album ends on a song that almost sounds like Simon is singing alone (I can barely hear Garfunkel in it). In fact, that's consistent with the cover - Paul Simon appears to be eclipsing Art Garfunkel. It makes sense...Paul Simon wrote pretty much all the music for Simon & Garfunkel and it was time for him to move on, leading to an amazing career. Great album.

Absolutely one of the greatest albums of all time. The songwriting, the harmonies - a stunning piece of work

One of the best albums of all time.

I've never heard any song from this album, but seeing the words "folk rock" is enough for me to know that I probably won't like it. Yeah, after listening, not a huge fan. There were some good moments - I'm a sucker for the flute so I enjoyed "El Condor Pasa". The "la la la" part of The Boxer also tickled my brain in a fancy way. That's it though. The rest was really generic, uninteresting folk music. I can definitely see this being enjoyable if you like this type of music though.

my second favorite album of all time. having cecilia, the boxer, and the only boy living in the new york is something one could only dream of. keep the customer satisfied is an underrated banger, and there’s nothing as close to poetic mastery as the title song. this is perfect in every way, and a true testament to how good of a songwriter paul simon is. i don’t think there’s anyone better. i’ve was that kid growing up who loved older music and had the other kids confused on why i liked it. this is what music should be.

So many classics on this one. I'd never heard their version of BOTW, and it gave me chills, and I was only 2/3 through the song. As I continued listening to this album, almost every song was excellent, and I feel like the ones I didn't love right away would just take a few more listens. Top to bottom wonderful. Highlights: bridge over troubled water, el condor pasa, cecilia, the boxer, the only living boy in new york (harmonies!)

I love Simon and Garfunkel. The piano goes hard. The music is grandiose, and the vocals compliment each other beautifully. I love any time traditional instruments are used (pianos, violins, trumpets, oh my!) The boxer is a classic, it's really sweeping and comes to a massive climax. I really liked the inclusion of 1 live song that wasn't just a repeat of a previously played song - it added some energy and excitement towards the end of the album. Top songs: Bridge over troubled water Keep the customer satisfied The boxer The only living boy in new york Song for the asking

Can’t believe this isn’t a greatest hits album.

Without this site I definitely wouldn’t have listened to it ( not that i hate it it’s just not my normal kinda thing i go for). I am so grateful that I herd it though cause it’s a really good folk rock album I recommend it to anyone really: Side one is my favourite starting with the title track what a song! I really like that the album starts with the only piano centric song, also it has to have one of my favourite chorus’s and those explosion sounds at the end are good as well. El condor pasa is my least favourite from this for me having a better intro then actual song. The three next songs Cecelia to so long frank loyd wright are great more specifically; Cecelia is a really well placed single and I love all the hand claps at the start. Keep the customer satisfied has great orchestral instruments ( sorry i’am bad at naming these bits) and So long frank loyd wright is a great pace changer and a great closer to side one ; but when side two starts the boxer comes on you know you’re in for a treat! Everything from the lyrical highs of the verses and the simple but effective chorus just show brilliance a definite favourite for me. I like the lyrics and the samples on baby driver but musically it’s really not a favourite of mine. The only living boy in New York sounds a lot more gloomy in the verses and I like how it briefly explodes into the more optimistic chorus. Why don’t you write me isn’t my least favourite on here but its the only one I would call a little bit filler-ish and i do like the horns on it and the fade out works for bye bye loves live cheering. Speaking of… i’am not huge on bye bye love as a song but I like that they used a live version which makes the handclaps sound so much better. I love how bye bye loves cheering goes into song for asking which is good but its short length makes it quite unsatisfying for me.

Of course I liked it. Fucking assholes. And on my final class for my Master's? Irritatingly great, douchebags.

Did not expect to get something I've already known so soon as the thrid in the journey! Bridge over Troubled Water itself is one of my all-time favourites since 2007, although it was introduced to me in 2005 and was not a "love at the first sight". Words are touching, music is full of love and expanding energy. Learnt all the words by heart and was encouraged by it numerous times. For this song itself this album deserves a 5. Love the duo all the time since teenage years. Other songs in this album were no strangers nor disappointments. Elegant, witty folk songs.

+100 for every word I never heard in the bible.

I hate most 60s folk rock but I'll throw them a bone for The Only Living Boy in New York. My dad had this record when I was a kid. I remember looking at it and thinking Paul Simon was such a tiny little man.

Very slow and a bit depressing for listening to whilst driving Cecilia is a good track I recognised

This is a classic album by highly influential musicians and absolutely deserves its place on this list. I’m glad that I got to explore it in its entirety. I appreciate the beauty of the harmonization of Simon and Garfunkel music. However, that has never been enough for me to select their music because there is nothing else in the music that I personally find interesting or engaging. There is nothing to hate here though. Undeniably a lovely album, just not for me and that is what personal taste is all about.

Boring folk music Would probably enjoy more if i was an elf living inside a comically large mushroom

This is an album that is so good, it's almost hard to write a review. If you've never heard anything from it before, yes you have. It's music that's so thoroughly percolated through western popular culture in the late 21st century that anyone with a passing interest in movies, television or music that isn't limited to the past couple of years will know a few songs from the record, and if they're anything like me, those songs will carry emotional weight and sensory memories that pull you straight out of your slipstream and up into the cognitive winds. For any album to start with Bridge Over Troubled Water is, quite frankly, astonishing. It's an emotional tsunami for which you would expect at least half an hour of warning. If you're going to squeeze me till the tears come out at least let me know so I can go to the bathroom first. Even more impressive is how the record continues and doesn't feel anticlimactic. By all rights it should. But it's full of songs which continue to tower and glitter, Cecilia, Keep The Customer Satisfied, The Boxer, Baby Drive, The Only Living Boy In New York. Are you kidding me? All needle drops in some of the biggest movies of our time and times gone by. Another reason it manages to bring us back from the edge safely is El Condor Pasa (If I Could) delicately manages to build up from nothing after the climax of Troubled Water, and delivers something reminiscent of their earlier hit Sound Of Silence. This helps wipe the slate and ease us into the idea of listening to some folk pop with Keep The Customer Satisfied throwing in a brass section. So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright is easily the most moving song you'll ever hear about an architect. The Boxer delivers Simon and Garfunkel at their finger pickiest, folk harmoniest, heights and the refrain of "lie-la-lie" manages to go from a soothing hum to a haunting chant over the course of the track with the impeccable and unexpected harmonic choices they make along the way. Baby Driver is so iconic it got a film named after it. The Only Living Boy In New York so full of loneliness and contentment, yearning for self actualisation, and the bitter sweetness of the smallness of living in a big world drifting in introspection. The stand out lyric tugs at my soul every time I hear it, "half of time we're gone, but we don't know where, and we don't know where. Here I am." Don't ask me to explain it any further, just dry your eyes. The funny thing is that "Why don't you write me?", which features a much more obviously painful subject matter, deals with it in such a silly way that you can't help but grin a little listening to it. Aside from that it's probably the least integral track of the record. It's followed by a fantastic live cover of the Everly Brother's "Bye Bye Love" which fits so easily with S&G's writing that you'd be forgiven for not noticing. It provides some more light relief, and doesn't force you ask any hard questions of yourself, just to smile through a heartbreak. This comes right before the closing track says farewell so delicately offering up the record with a gentle honesty that leaves you feeling like a dear friend just wrote you a letter, and offered to write you again, whenever you need.

This album is fantastic. It is such a delight of a record. So melodic and warm, and with so many different elements and sounds. It's definitely great. The songs are all amazing, and they grow and elvolve into beautiful pieces with strings arrangements and other delicate touches that make them even more powerful and sonically interesting. The first song kicks off really strong, but it is surely an anticipation for such a wonderful record.

Oh duck yeah

Side 1 is definitely stronger than Side 2, but this is a fabulous album. There are some all time worldies on this It has to be 5 stars

This has to be one of the greatest albums of all time.

My first memory is being 2/3 yo with my dad and the ‘Lai Le Lai’ part of the Boxer playing. By default this record get a 5 as it was my musical introduction into consciousness. A staple of my upbringing…In grown up years, I became quite partial to ‘only living boy in NY. Time wears on the grooves of this album but it still stands up.

genuinely one of my favorite albums of all time, bar none. i think it's as close to a perfect album as you might find. paul simon's songwriting is at its peak, the arrangements and production are fantastic, art garfunkel's voice soars like it never has before. i could go on about the title track for a long time, but it truly is one of the most beautiful songs put to tape of all time. the way it builds and soars. it is an achievement. everything else on here is also great, from paul simon's first toe dip into world music with 'el condor pasa' to some fun and poppy tunes (with innuendo too!). my only qualm is the live track feels phoned in and feels like they put it there because they didn't have enough material. but the rest of the album is terrific. there's a reason it is held in such high regard.

The title track is one of the rare perfect songs created in this world. "Only Living Boy" is also an intensely gorgeous track. I love this album. Timeless.

Can you believe the title track is the first track rather than the closer. They didn't even know what they had, did they? One of the greatest songs of all time. I had the privilege to hear Mr Simon play it on his 'farewell' tour some years ago. Anyway. 5/5 absolutely legendary.

Such a great album. Hurt me a little when my youngest didn't particularly care for it when we were listening. I think I can turn her around, eventually.

Hard to not give one of the rare seminal albums in our American music history anything less than a 5. Many of the songs can alone be considered Standards. They have lead to many musicians careers through the years. Hats off -

Very familiar with this album, but would never turn down an excuse to listen again. Easy 5 stars; just banger after banger.

El condor pasa is PTSD but other than that it’s a great album

One of the best albums probably? I mean, it's full of the most iconic songs from S&G, just beautiful

Simon & Garfunkel's most musically ambitious work, this album is lush with angelic vocals and piano-driven arrangements, blending elements of rockabilly (influenced by the Everly Brothers' "Bye Bye Love"), gospel ("Bridge Over Troubled Water"), and jazz (“So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright”), marking a departure from their earlier, acoustic style. The album features terrific drum work and the inclusion of horns. The title track is deeply moving and concludes with a powerful, almost gospel-like tone. "El Condor Pasa (If I Could)" stands out as my favourite Simon & Garfunkel cover, particularly with its catchy chorus ("Away, I'd rather sail away like a swan that's here and gone"). While I find Side B to be somewhat weaker overall, the songs, like "The Only Living Boy in New York," are still beautiful. What a stunning way to end their discography!

10/10 Straight up banger 1-23-2025

Love it from beginning to end. This is like returning to the womb.

I still have the Old Friends box set with their entire output even though I haven't listened to a CD in...17 years? Anyway, this album is classic and has many of their best work. In my imagination, once Simon got Garfunkel to sing Bridge he knew it was the pinnacle of their paring and they'd never top that song. They had to break up. I saw them at their Old Friends reunion tour in 2003, and I'm pretty sure Simon was deeply, deeply, stoned and Garfunkel inexplicably didn't change Bridge to a key his much older vocal chords could handle. It was an experience. I look forward to Simon's solo stuff popping up here.

Paul! Paul, Watch out!! He's right behind you, Paul! Oh my god, he's got his airpods in, he can't hear us!

just a classic, in every way. Poor garfunkel always having to stand in simon's shadow.

Fun fact: Bridge over trouble waters was the first song I learned how to play on saxophone and my band teacher always had this vinyl hanging up in the classroom. For that reason alone I have no choice but to Stan. Keep the Customer Satisfied, Baby Driver, and Bye Bye Love were some of my other favorites.

So good, basically the folk-songwriter "Rumours" in both banger content and hurt feelings. An album with "The Boxer" that also has not one but *two* songs that are perhaps even better ("..Customer.."/"..Living Boy..") - remarkable!

Clearly one of the best albums of all time and well worth a listen 5 stars

Paul Simonis one of the great American songwriters of the 20th century. And this is one of his best pieces of work. Just the title track and "The Boxer" secure a 5/5 for this one, but there's so much more. 8x Platinum in US, 11x Platinum in UK, it was certainly successful. Besides the hits, there's several great deep cuts, including one of my favorite S&G songs "The Only Living Boy in New York". That said, there are a couple of throwaways. The only head scratcher is thecover of "Bye Bye Love", which is a live recording with the vocals too low in the mix, and the crowd too high. It is jarringly out of place. But not nearly enough to drop the score. Yep, this is an album that everyone should listen to before they die. 5/5

Very pleased to see this album show up today. I usually listen to Bookends, but absolutely love me some Simon and Garfunkel. Aw heck and now I want to give the Graduate yet another re-watch. Gotta be 5/5 for me every time.

Classic, but surprised at the number of songs I didn't recognize. And what's with that Frank Lloyd Wright one?

In simulated reality created by sentient machines, A program designed to investigate the human psyche once said “Everything that has a beginning has an end” and when the end”. This was the end of some of musics most iconic hairstyle silhouettes partnership, but when the ends comes the best we can all hope for is that it is on a high. Just like a suit from Savile from, this album is tailored to near perfection, Head to toe, Start to finish. An album that “suits” any occasion any emotion and any slow motion montage of performing artist we have lost this year. As a new decade begins,A cry of the British capital is calling in the distance with teenagers getting there kicks all thinking they can be hero’s. The 60s sound is starting to look for property’s on the coast, Leaving us with this one last gift. Safe in the knowledge that for many years to come Frank Sinatra will have competition for the most played song at a cremation.

These songs, every single one of them, they're great. Just great. Song for the asking is such a nice ending to a beautiful album. Almost sad that the album's title is a reference to only one song on it since there's so much more on offer. I'd give it 6 stars if I could.

Quando eu vi a capa do album do dia meu cérebro fez "yessss". Metade dele já estava na minha lista.

A stone cold classic. I almost gave a demerit for the horrific live song, but the rest of the album is perfect. Best track: The Only Living Boy in New York

Sounds more like a collection of songs than an 'album'. But the songs! Besides the all-timers, Keep the Customer Satisfied and Only Living Boy are additional standouts.

9/10

I'd say 4 out of 5. Personal fav song is "The only living boy in New York"

Amazing harmonies on here and tremendous songwriting, what an album to get first. I love these guys' music, it's always really lovely. Paul Simon is one of my favourite songwriters.

This is a great album. Every time I think ‘oh this is not for me’ another great song brings me back in. A couple songs I could skip but The Boxer is an all time great.

feels beautiful, melancholic and like it was recorded in a church. it’s a kind of agony that gets stuck in your heart

I think this album is significant proof that Paul Simon is the superior member of this duo. It’s a beautiful folk record that hits on tons of different styles, but it does so in a way that feels natural and not at all forced. My only complaint here is that it’s not a Paul Simon solo record. Favourite song on the record: “The Boxer” Least favourite: N/A There’s really not a lot left for me to say that hasn’t been said. It’s Paul Simon’s world and we’re just living in it. 4*

I love me some Baby Driver.

S&G are despised by many for the sentimentality, the bold lunge towards the middlebrow, and for Paul Simon being a bit of a prat. These criticisms all seem fair to me, and this album still triggered several flashes of weeping for me today. There’s a degree of nostalgia there from hearing much of this in the car as a child, but Simon’s hooks and feints have some innate power that has me wanting to bawl. Maybe a couple of placeholders on this, but the hits smash me.

Un très bon album bien que la nonchalance de Garfunkel et son manque de motivation commence sérieusement à bien faire. Celui-ci passera son temps à souffler, traîner les pieds, et oubliera parfois même que c'est à son tour de chanter. On aurait aimé le sentir plus impliqué.

Cet album nous présente un Garfunkel au bord du gouffre émotionnellement. En effet, ce dernier ne supporte plus de vivre dans l'ombre de Simon. Il refusera d'ailleurs dans un premier temps d'enregistrer l'album avec Simon, mais après de nombreux pourparlers, il accepta de se rendre au studio en traînant des pieds. C'est à ce moment précis que la photographie figurant sur la couverture d'album a été prise.

The Boxer, and Cecilia. Good. The rest, not so much. Title track is corny as hell to my 2026 ears and I didn't find much to like about the rest. Not being a Paul Simon hater here but I just don't find this aged very well. I'll give it a 3 on the strength of those 2 singles but it's absolutely a weak 3.

This is definitely a list worthy album, from a genre I do not like in heavy doses. So a few quality songs with the rest being a bit dull when played in succession.

Pretty fine. A lot of it is pretty boring but some songs really hit for me.

Wait so who's Al?

***An ok album, easy listening

Gonna be honest. I can certainly see how people like Simon and Garfunkel. They are very melodic and a lot of the songs were upbeat. Not my exact cup of tea. I like higher energy. However, I will say El Condor Pasa was a nice song to listen to. I liked the flute, nice touch!

A nice album to listen to, with more songs than I thought I knew. Definitely the resson I’m doing g this as I’m happy I listened to it… but I don’t know that I’d rush to listen again.

I honestly don’t k ow how to rate these albums that are kinda bland but there’s nothing necessarily wrong with them. This just felt like such generic music. There were some songs that were highlights though and I’ll give them that. But maybe this music just ain’t for me.

Way back when, we used to visit my uncle and this was one of the albums that he would regularly put on to show off about how good his expensive hi-fi system was. For me, this album evokes rainy Sunday afternoons and an air of almost unbearable sadness at the prospect of Monday morning and school. The songs all feel mawkish and self pitying, and a lot of the lyrics make no sense when you stop to think about them. Ok, I can understand why you might prefer being a sparrow to being a snail but this is not a choice that’s likely to arise in the real world, is it? Also, how do you lay down like a bridge? Babies can’t drive! Nonsense nonsense nonsense! The Boxer is good though, mainly for those booming drum crashes in the chorus. Objectively this is a classic album, but I’ve listened to it enough times in my life.

Well, it has a few drop-dead classics on it (title track, The Boxer, Cecilia), but is it generally just well-produced filler? Not so deep as it seems? Certainly not as deep as it thinks it is! It's not a surprise that it sold 25 bazillion copies, 'cause there's not much here to offend. Great melodies, wonderful lead singing by Art Garfunkel, terrific harmonies, fantastically produced album. But I think I agree with Robert Christgau who remarked that "its flawless, rather languid loveliness is ultimately soporific". I also feel that Paul Simon is over-represented on this project. Dimery clearly has a major love of his oeuvre, but I just feel he's a bit over-rated, and certainly not worthy of six albums' inclusion. We also see here a few examples on this album of Simon's willingness to take credit for other people's work (El Condor Pasa, originally credited as 'Trad.', and Bridge Over Troubled Water, based on the Swan Silvertones' Mary Don't You Weep). Considering his repeat offenses over the course of his career, some might go as far to accuse him of serial plagiarism. Glad I listened, but I feel no need to own.

eh, iont rlly like simon garfunkle

Even though I know they are important for the music history. I don’t like their music. I do not connect with them. It is a bit boring and their voices are nothing special for me.

Slow and sappy Folk Rock.

Love this album, my father had it when we were kids, I still love it today

The first song means a lot to me personally and the whole album is just goated overall. I love the tonal journey you go through with each track.

this was another album that was on steady repeat during my senior year of high school. i will always have incredibly fond feelings for it. when i got done at my stupid job at GameStop (horrible, terrible, truly very bad) i would start the album halfway (because i like the second half more) on my little cassette adapter while i drove to this friend's house or that friend's house to hang out for the rest of the night. love love love these two and love this album. for that reason it became kind of a nighttime album for me. favorites will probably always be "The Boxer" and "The Only Living Boy in New York", although "El Condor Pasa (If I Could)" is up there as well. really special album from two of my favorite singer/songwriters from the 60s/70s. i'd have to think more about this, but I might rate this, Sound of Silence, and Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme about the same. This is the first album I wish I could give like a 4.8, but whatever, let's round up, who fucking cares

Listen, I've never listened to this whole album before. Keep the Customer Satisfied for the first time was an incredible experience and it almost brought me to tears I was so overwhelmed with fun.

top tier album, one dud at most among absolute legends

In grade school, our music teacher organized a music show with young students singing to various degrees of success. Unfortunately I was amongst the failures, mostly because my voice was changing and breaking. I couldn't hit the high notes as I did 6 months earlier. So, our version of Bridge is, for me, a still uncomfortable memory. Amazingly, I still sing it in the shower without shame. 5 "cracking notes" stars.

Удивительной красоты заглавная песня и ещё множество замечательной музыки на этом альбоме. Пока не удалось поближе познакомиться с лирической составляющей в альбоме, но уверен, она не подкачала. По сути, альбом - лебединая песня этого дуэта, последняя работа, после чего их жизненные пути разошлись. Обязательно буду переслушивать его и дальше.