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Bridge Over Troubled Water

Simon & Garfunkel

1970

Buy At Rough Trade
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Album Summary

Bridge over Troubled Water is the fifth and final studio album by American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, released in January 1970 on Columbia Records. Following the duo's soundtrack for The Graduate, Art Garfunkel took an acting role in the film Catch-22, while Paul Simon worked on the songs, writing all tracks except Felice and Boudleaux Bryant's "Bye Bye Love" (previously a hit for the Everly Brothers). With the help of producer Roy Halee, the album followed a similar musical pattern as their Bookends LP, partly abandoning their traditional style to incorporate elements of rock, R&B, gospel, jazz, world music, pop and other genres. It was described as their "most effortless record and their most ambitious".Bridge over Troubled Water was released on January 26, 1970, and several re-releases followed. The album was mixed and released in both stereo and quadraphonic. Columbia Records released a 40th Anniversary Edition on March 8, 2011, which includes two DVDs, including the politically themed TV special Songs of America (1969), the documentary The Harmony Game, additional liner notes and a booklet. Other reissues contain bonus tracks, such as the 2001 version, which covers the demo tapes of "Feuilles-O" and "Bridge over Troubled Water". Contemporary critical reception to Bridge was initially mixed, but retrospective reviews of the album have been laudatory, and it is considered by many to be the duo's best album.Despite numerous accolades, the duo decided to split up, and parted company later in 1970; Garfunkel continued his film career, while Simon worked intensely with music. Both artists released solo albums in the following years. Bridge includes two of the duo's most critically acclaimed and commercially successful songs, "Bridge over Troubled Water" and "The Boxer", which were listed on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Critically and commercially successful, the album topped the charts in over ten countries and received two Grammy Awards, plus four more for the title song. The album sold around 25 million records; making it at the time of release the best-selling album of all time. It has been ranked on several lists, including at number 172 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Wikipedia

Rating

3.96

Votes

12287
Genres
Rock
Folk

Reviews

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Thu Oct 22 2020
5

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

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Mon Jun 21 2021
5

“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

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Sun May 23 2021
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.

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Fri Mar 05 2021
5

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

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Tue Dec 22 2020
5

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.

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Fri Mar 12 2021
5

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

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Mon Aug 23 2021
5

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.

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Mon Mar 22 2021
5

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

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Tue Feb 09 2021
5

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

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Wed Jul 21 2021
5

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.

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Sat Feb 05 2022
5

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.

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Sat Jan 08 2022
3

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

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Mon Feb 22 2021
5

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

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Tue Sep 14 2021
5

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.

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Thu Oct 21 2021
5

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.

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Fri Nov 05 2021
5

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.

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Sat Nov 13 2021
5

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.

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Sun Sep 27 2020
5

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.

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Tue Apr 06 2021
5

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

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Wed May 05 2021
5

One of the best albums of all time.

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Thu Apr 29 2021
5

A near-perfect album. So good.

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Thu Feb 25 2021
5

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.

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Sat Feb 20 2021
5

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.

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Wed May 12 2021
5

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

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Tue Oct 19 2021
5

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

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Wed Nov 17 2021
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.

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Tue Nov 23 2021
5

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

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Tue Feb 08 2022
5

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.

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Sun Apr 03 2022
5

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.

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Tue Jun 08 2021
2

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

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Tue Feb 23 2021
2

Ultra sappy. Painful to listen to.

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Fri Jul 15 2022
2

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.

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Mon Sep 14 2020
5

Love this album, it's been a favorite of mine for years

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Mon Apr 05 2021
5

I sensed some kind of religious undertone from the jump. That promise was fulfilled, and well, with string arrangements galore and a disarming, beautiful, succinct closer. I've mentioned the striving for a religious experience before; Here the album succeeds at it. The songs are not yet sticky in my brain, but it's the kind of project I can see myself considering perfect.

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Tue Dec 29 2020
5

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

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Thu Apr 29 2021
5

Lots of great hits, including the title song, "The Boxer", "Cecilia". Love it.

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Fri Jan 15 2021
5

Well that was an absolute joy from start to finish. Haven't listened to this album since schooldays and it hasn't aged or waned an iota. Stunningly beautiful.

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Fri Jan 15 2021
5

It's 50 years old and I could still listen to it anytime.

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Fri Feb 05 2021
5

Iconic, important, wonderful

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Fri Feb 19 2021
5

"Bridge Over Troubled Water" es una obra de arte apenas manchada por las exageraciones al final de la canción. Pero además están "The Boxer", "Cecilia", y "Baby Driver" que también rifan. Y me animo a darle las 5 estrellas aunque "El Condor Pasa" no es lo mío, pero incluso en esa el arreglo musical es una chulada.

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Mon Jan 18 2021
5

All good songs on the album. Favorite Song: The Boxer.

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Fri Jan 29 2021
5

I liked every song on this album, and I think the organization of the album was really good, too.

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Fri Jan 15 2021
5

Loved it. One of my dad's favorite albums. I remember him blasting Cecilia from the back of his van. I'm happy to hear it again.

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Mon Apr 12 2021
5

The end of an era. Dream is over. And the record is brilliant

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Tue Mar 16 2021
5

what a pleasure to listen to this through again. i think there's only 1 song i don't like but even then, just songwriting at it's best. 9/10

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Tue Mar 16 2021
5

Amazing songwriting. Genius.

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Wed Jan 27 2021
5

I liked it. I liked it. A lot.

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Thu Feb 25 2021
5

Mooie harmonieën. 'The Boxer' is een prachtnummer. De blazer hier en daar in de nummers zijn fantastisch. De 3e verrassing op rij!

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Thu Feb 18 2021
5

Classic. Search the hard drive of anyone who says otherwise

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Thu Feb 25 2021
5

Een voor een allemaal fantastische nummers.

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Fri May 14 2021
5

Mellow album with their best songs on it

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Mon Jun 14 2021
5

Amazing. So good. The Boxer is one of the GOATs.

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Mon May 24 2021
5

The piano in bridge over troubled water is beautiful wow. The chords are great. I used to not really like Simon and Garfunkel but I recently listened to bookends and I really loved it. I’m glad I’m listening to another album of theirs. I loved that album.

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Thu Jul 22 2021
5

Definitely deserves a spot on this list

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Wed Jun 16 2021
5

Absolutely fabulous album from start to finish

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Tue Jul 20 2021
5

Not only does this album represent the best of Simon & Garfunkel, it also looks ahead to Paul Simon's later work in exploring Latin American and African music. As always, the harmonies are tight, and Simon's lyrics are among the best in the American songbook. On a personal note, Simon & Garfunkel always make me feel nostalgic in a way I can't quite put my finger on. One of the greatest duos of all time.

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Wed Jun 23 2021
5

What a great album; choc full of songs that have become "standards" The Boxer competes with The Sound of Silence as my favorite S & G song. What always takes me aback is how these guys can ROCK, as they are known as siger-songwriters/folk stars. But to me bands like Wilco and the Shins owe them a huge debt. Favorite tracks; El Condor Passa Celia The Boxer The Only Living Boy in New York ...and of course the title track. 5 🌟

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Sat Jun 26 2021
5

Loved them since I was a kid. Never in life have I gotten tired of listening to Simon & Garfunkel. Bridge Over Troubled Water is one of the best songs in history. Huge fan of The Only Living Boy in NY, The Boxer, and El Condor Pasa. Easy 5 stars for me. If you don't like this album, I can't hang out with you.

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Fri Jul 02 2021
5

4.5 / 5. Bye, Bye Love is a horrible addition to this album. Everything else is great.

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Wed Aug 04 2021
5

Gorgeous, heartbreaking, one-of-a-kind...this and Bookends are my favorite S&G works ever!!!

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Thu Aug 19 2021
5

My parents had this album in the house and I have since inherited it. It will always have a place in my rotation.

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Tue Aug 24 2021
5

Who doesn't love a little S&G?

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Sun Aug 29 2021
5

Did not expect to get a 5 star album so quick. Happy memories combined with amazing harmonies, songwriting and music.

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Tue Sep 07 2021
5

9/10. Had a few very good songs, and then some others that just blended into a pleasant background. I especially liked The Boxer.

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Tue Sep 07 2021
5

What an album. Excellent pacing, loved how it swapped between silly and poignant. 10

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Tue Sep 07 2021
5

ok i've got my nostalgia goggles on for sure but this is great, full of stellar songwriting. this album features some of the best s&g songs period. i never noticed how cool the chords in so long frank lloyd wright are. even though i love it, can't give it a perfect score bc it has some more forgettable tracks and i've always found El Condor Pasa to be a little heavy handed. 9/10

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Tue Sep 21 2021
5

Best S&G album and just one of my favorites

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Wed Sep 29 2021
5

listened to it twice! wonderful

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Thu Sep 30 2021
5

I forgot how SHORT this album is. Clocking in at under 40 minutes and that includes a live track. Not to be missed.

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Wed Oct 13 2021
5

Opens with an absolute banger, so many songs on this album I didn't realise were them. It's incredible on first listen, will be listening again

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Wed Oct 13 2021
5

It's a 5 star from me. Every song is so beautiful in it's own way. Definitely one of best albums of all time

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Sat Oct 23 2021
5

I am humming the songs even before listening to the album.

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Tue Oct 26 2021
5

Good stuff better than i expected

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Mon Nov 15 2021
5

Amazing, bringing back memories

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