Bookends

Frances McDormand used the album cover as a visual aid for young William Miller to suggest all rock stars were on dope, something obvious by simply looking at their eyes. Frankly, I don't see it. Paul is trying a little too hard for a look that a young David Schwimmer would perfect some 30 years later, and Artie was likely just caught in a moment scratching the back of his head, or maybe he was trying harder to hear out of his left ear. Second Simon and Garfunkel album I've had from the list so far. There are four solid classics on this album that alone could warrant a 5. The final rating comes down to your desire to be transformed into a Kellogg's Corn Flake, or your feelings on poor Artie being tasked with going out and recording voices of old folks just to get a song writing credit. The loud Moog/Clockwork Orange sound at the start of "Save The Life Of My Child" suggests maybe Frances McDormand was on to something. There are some folks who suggest the Bangles cover of "A Hazy Shade of Winter" is better than the original. Others offer a similar opinion about the Lemonheads cover of "Mrs. Robinson". Both camps are wrong, but the popularity of those covers helps underscore how Paul Simon is one of our greatest songwriters. This is the album when Paul really took perfectionistic control of things, as if to leave no doubt as to who was Tom and who was Jerry. Somehow the closing song "At The Zoo" works for me. The only thing I ever want to see at the zoo is the exit sign. What I'm saying is I don't like the zoo, but I really like this album.

i lost all melinin after listening to this

First off, I've no idea why I started this idiotic project when I've already got more things on the go than I have time for, but it was an impulsive click on a link from Popbitch that brought me here and before I knew what I was doing I'd signed up, so here we are. Right, first of 1,001 albums, hope it's something attention grabbing. Oh. A quick bit of background reading on Wikipedia confirms my worst fears: a Simon & Garfunkel concept album. Brilliant. Three hours of acoustic noodling about herbs and bridges. Better fire up Spotify and get on with it. Let's start with the positives: it's only half an hour long and the "concept" only stretches across side one, so it's a concept album in the same way that "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is a concept album, ie only because people keep saying it is. The supposed concept is the human lifespan, so presumably the 30 seconds of "Bookends Theme" are supposed to represent conception or birth. All it conjures up in my mind is a "Schools programmes follow shortly" countdown clock. 30 seconds in and already we're tackling the subject of suicide. "Save the Life of My Child" is the most arresting track on the album, all honking Moogs, sinister choirs and snatches of "The Sound of Silence". Still unclear how suicide fits in with the life cycle concept, but still. Unfortunately it's all downhill from there. Acoustic strum-along follows acoustic strum-along, punctuated by "Voices of Old People" which is literally just that, some old people talking for two minutes, completely derailing the listening experience. Then more acoustic strumming augmented by easy listening orchestra, another bit of the "Bookends Theme" and that's your concept over and done with. Side two deals with an entirely different concept: that of how to pad out an album by the hottest act on your label when they've only delivered quarter of an hour of music. It's a mish-mash of non-album singles and unused tracks from the previous year's soundtrack album for "The Graduate", including, bafflingly, "Mrs Robinson" which wasn't on the soundtrack album - at least, bits of it were but not its familiar single version. So we're on slightly more familiar ground here with "A Hazy Shade of Winter" and "Fakin' It" raising the album above mediocrity. So, not a great start. Like "Sgt Pepper", you probably had to be there at the time. At least "Sgt Pepper" had came with cut-out medals.

“Bookends” by Simon & Garfunkel (1968) Exhibit A in the art of album making, “Bookends” is a prototype of the ‘concept album’. Here we’re treated to a truly poetic treatment of life’s polarities, with images straining to burst through the bonds of beautifully unyielding metric structure. Paul Simon is a storytelling poetic genius (even if he’s a bit of a showoff). It’s too easy to love this album for the striking beauty of “Mrs. Robinson”, “Old Friends”, and “America” (which still makes me weep). But listen to the album from start to finish, and you’ll appreciate it as so much more than a collection of ‘tracks’. Simon’s performance on acoustic guitar is genre-defining, and Art Garfunkel’s tenor harmonies are angelic. Prepare yourself for shocks as you walk through this garden of delights, ending “At the Zoo”. This isn’t just a folk duo anymore. On this album, the excellence of S & G’s transition beyond their initial folk success surpasses Dylan’s. Those of you who know my love for Bob Dylan are welcome to pick yourselves up off the floor. And as an aside, the backing musicians, arrangements, engineering, and production on this album provide evidence for my reluctant acknowledgment that New York is indeed the greatest city in the world. Ever. Kleenex. 5/5

Fuck Simon and Garfunkel. A couple of low talent hacks. “Old people talking”!? Get the fuck out of here.

Really solid sound from these two assholes again. I hate myself more.

Look at them! They are high on pot! Great album!

A surprising forgettable album from Simon & Garfunkel. The concept of side A sounded interesting but is rushed and underdeveloped. 15 minutes worth of music cover an entire life cycle, with only one stand out track ("America") and 2 full minutes of no music at all. It might have been better if they'd fleshed out a full album for this idea. Side B is much stronger. "Mrs Robinson" and "A Hazy Shade of Winter" are the best two songs on the album. Unfortunately, there's really nothing new here, aside from one leftover track from The Graduate. The rest of side B are previously released singles. There's nothing wrong with that, but we're supposed to be rating the best albums ever made. A short concept for side A and a singles collection for side B is too low effort for artists of this level. It's fine for what it is, but hardly their best release in my opinion.

I do not wish I was a Kellogg's cornflake floating in my bowl. nor do I wish I was an English muffin.

random documentary in the middle?????

A great surprise of an album. If "A Day In The Life" was an entire album, it would be Bookends. The instrumentation, lyrics, and songwriting on this album are phenomenal. All the songs here are highlights and I would highly recommend this album to anyone who hasn't heard it. I love the experimental nature that is incorporated into this album as well. What a pleasant surprise! Highlights: 2, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.

Prob would be a desert island album, what a unique brand these two had. Before all the fluff and fireworks of pop

4.5*, but I can't quite round up to 5. America and Mrs. Robinson are, of course, excellent. Great cover of Hazy Shade, too. Maybe my favorite version. Several other songs I hadn't heard before that were quite good, too. But Voices of Old People, while it might be poignant, isn't something I want to listen to very often. Punky's Dilemma seems a bit silly, too.

There is a level of twee I can appreciate and then there's a level of twee that I find unbearable: this skirts the line between the two. You've got to grind through some gallingly sentimental tracks - weepy junk like 'Old Friends' and the Bookends reprise - to get to the palate cleansing power of 'Mrs Robinson' and 'A Hazy Shade of Winter'. I don't think it adds up to a good album, but it's not bad either. Mid 2*.

One of the surprising side-effects of this project has been my growing and active dislike of Paul Simon. Previously, I thought he was OK -- he wrote a bunch of pretty memorable songs both with S&G and solo (as showcased by his appearance on the Muppet Show), and Graceland was a great album, and he did occasional cameos in movies. But having sat through more than half a dozen of his records, I now find him an annoying and pretentious narcissist and unrepentant serial plagiarist. I am not inclined to give him a pass based on a few pretty tunes. Admittedly, there are some great tunes on this record (America, Mrs Robinson, Hazy Shade of Winter), but as a child of the 80s, I prefer the Lemonheads' version of Mrs Robinson and the Bangles' version of Hazy Shade. But there is also a lot of filler on this record, ranging from insipid and unmemorable songs through to Voices of Old People, which is the worst kind of time-wasting tape 'experiment'. Does anybody ever need to hear this more than once in their life? And the production choices on 'Save the Life of My Child' are not innovative and groundbreaking; they are just shitty. I would also like to discuss the ways in which _this specific album_ was a powerfully malign influence on the music industry. Simon & Garfunkel, realizing that their contract guaranteed that their record company would pick up all of their recording costs, disappeared into endless studio indulgence in the name of 'art'. Columbia Records, unhappy but reasonably confident of a big hit, indulged them. Not even the Beatles spent this amount of time and money recording their albums in 1967. But this high recording cost then justified increasing the album cost by $1 (over 20% of the usual retail price, to the equivalent of over $50 in today's money). For a 29 minute record! And they got away with it! It sold a bajillion copies while maintaining artistic cred, despite being artistic self-indulgence and a flagrant and merciless price gouge on the listening public. This price strategy was, unfortunately, successful and so helped establish the model of record companies screwing their customers at every opportunity, and for the ongoing indulgence of misguided artistic bloat. And I suggest that _this specific album_ is one of the first examples of record company greed being successfully leveraged against listeners. They happily did so for the next 35 years until file-sharing crashed the business model that delivered seemingly endless rivers of cash squeezed out of music fans. We all suffered as a result. Fuck you, Columbia Records, and fuck you, Simon & Garfunkel for being the record company's shills.

A pretentious mash of a half-baked concept record and leftovers from their score for The Graduate, not even the modular Moog on “Save the Life of My Child” can save Bookends from being ponderous and slothful throughout its 30 minutes.

Every time I get a S&G album on here, I think "this is the one that will get me into this band." I've come to the conclusion that I just don't like them. The first and second side of the album don't mesh at all. Other than "Mrs, Robinson," this album was a big miss.

Easiest 5 star so far. Continues to be a formative album for every generation. The longevity alone is incredible, all together the album is one of the greatest pieces of American culture ever. Perhaps most impressive of all is that this isn't even their best album!

Perhaps their best album. Like both sides of it. The side A song suite and the side B collection of looser and poppier material. Some incredibly iconic songs here. Grew up on this stuff.

Always been a fan of Simon & Garfunkle, and there is definitely alot of goodness on this album… Not entirely sure about the whole “concept album” thing that a number of people have commented on… Perhaps it was an attempt – but certainly not what I think of when I think about concept albums, as TRUE concept albums run start to finish, so classic albums that would fit that bill, would be – “Tommy” – The Who “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway” – Genesis “The Wall” – Pink Floyd Even if it was an attempt at a concept album, it seems like they only did one side – so what’s that??? I prefer to think of this a collection of individual songs – much like The Who’s album – “Who’s Next” that started off as a concept, but was abandoned somewhere along the way – but a stunningly good album regardless… Love the harmonies, and the unique sound on this album, and the best songs IMO are – “America” – 6-stars out of 7… “Fakin’ It” – 4-stars out of 7… “Mrs. Robinson” – 7-stars out of 7… “Hazy Shade Of Winter” – 5-stars out of 7… “At The Zoo” – 4-stars out of 7… Given how loaded Side 2 is, plus the fact that this album contains a couple of their most iconic songs in – “America” & “Mrs. Robinson” – this album clocks in at a solid 4 for me – and I would probably give it a 4.25 if I could…

Simon and Garfunkel is usually a little too twee, a little too choir-boy for me. This album avoids that, for the most part, for me. The arrangements are interesting without being bogged down with too much, and the songwriting is, as always, solid. Probably my favorite S&G, both solo and as a duo. Favorite tracks: "Overs", "Mrs. Robinson", "A Hazy Shade of Winter"

Honestly, I thought this album was overwrought. Too much instrumentation, too many odd sound effects, and so on. The couple of classic tunes on this record are tunes that don't have these distractions. Simon & Garfunkel are best when they are singer songwriters, not trying to be the next Jefferson Airplane acid freakout.

Yes, it's okay, I really don't see what the fuss is about

Kind of boring, not bad voices, just hardly even noticed it was playing

Bookends This is on the same level BOTW as my favourite S&G album, even if it feels slightly more piecemeal than BOTW despite the concept, but it does have the imperiously magnificent America and the fantastic Save the Life of My Child, Overs, Fakin’ It, Mrs Robinson, A Hazy Shade of Winter and At the Zoo. The Moog on Save the Life of my Child is pretty interesting and must be one of the earliest examples on a major pop record? The song itself is great, and the Moog sounds more modern than other contemporaneous uses, I like the little Sound of Silence interpolations and the whole thing mixes melody and experimentalism in a fantastic way. And crossfades superbly into the majesty of America, brilliantly taking the specifics of the first song into the wider picture and open narrative of the latter. Overs is great, the bluesy folky intro building up to Art’s ethereal entrance at 1.16. Voices of Old People does it’s job in the context of the concept of the first side, and I like the ‘an old person without money is ‘ line, but it does slow down the momentum into the delicateness and melancholy of Old Friends and the plaintiveness of Bookends a little. I’ve always loved Fakin’ It, it has a little vibe of those S&G and Paul Simon uptempo acoustic songs like Baby Driver or Keep the Customer Satisfied or Me & Julio Down by the Schoolyard, but with a more folky structure. Punky’s Dilemma is not a bad song, but does feel a little throwaway in comparison to the songs around it especially as its followed by Mrs Robinson, A Hazy Shade of Winter and At the Zoo. It’s an easy 5, some of their best songs, a concept done brilliantly on the first side and an overall sense of personal wistfulness and introspection against wider musings on contemporary society and culture, all tied together with Paul Simon’s slightly off kilter melodic brilliance and Art’s graceful and otherworldly vocals. 📚📚📚📚📚 Playlist submission: America

Замечательный и чувственный альбом. Очень лёгкий, приятный и простой, но в то же время и глубоко трогательный и личный. Тексты воспринимаются вполне легко, а в купе с таким же лёгким, но детальным инструменталом всё сливается в одну цельную и красивую картину. (9)

Really enjoyed it. S&G are very relaxing to listen to and at the same time I really enjoy the poetic and artsy quality of their music. I liked the first thematic half of the album (bookends), but liked the unthematic second half a bit better. For songs, Mrs. Robinson and Hazy Shade Of Winter are my clear favorites from this album. Great!

A collection of some of the most notable songs within the Simon & Garfunkel collection. Bookends, Old Friends, Overs, Fakin' It, At The Zoo, Hazy Shade of Winter, and Mrs. Robinson.

Oh man......this one! 30 minutes of pure joy! The glory of "America." The fantastic "Mrs. Robinson." The driving "Hazy Shade of Winter." The bizarre interludes. An album that remains sonically ahead of its time. And as Frances McDormand would say, "Simon and Garfunkel is poetry. Yes, it's poetry. It is the poetry of drugs and promiscuous sex! Honey, they're on pot!"

These guys are fucking dorks but god damn can they make a song about being a boysenberry jam sound good.

Nr. 175/1001 Bookends Theme NR Save The Life Of My Child 3/5 America 5/5 Overs 3/5 Voices of Old People 2/5 Old Friends 4/5 Bookends Themen - Reprise NR Fakin' It 4/5 Punky's Dilemma 4/5 Mrs. Robinson 5/5 A Hazy Shade of Winter 3/5 At the Zoo 4/5 Average: 3,7 More experimental than I would have expected from a Simon & Garfunkel album. I prefer their regular stuff.

Extremely modern sounding album for its time. Had to do a triple take that I wasn't listening to music in another tab for Save the Life of my Child, I can't believe this song was recorded in the 1960s, feels like it's a modern remix of an old S&G song. Incredible stuff. Voices of Old People is a skit that seems to set the template for contemplative skits on albums. I can't think of many skits from this era; I wouldn't be surprised if it was the first of its kind. Beautiful orchestral production on Old Friends; maybe my favourite song here? Second half lost me a bit despite the songs having more streams... interesting.

The sounds of a generation.

While I can appreciate the historical importance of this album and a tremendous side 2, side 1 doesn't quite reach up to the same heights. It tackles a fairly straightforward concept – ageing – and while it captures that idea pretty well, it's at the expense of the music's quality. The tracks on side 1 aren't very catchy, and musically they're very simple, often consisting of finger-picked guitars and odd, repeating melodies. America and Old Friends are my two favourites on this side. The Bookends Theme and its reprise are very forgettable, and Voices of Old People is obviously unnecessary. I will acknowledge that this would've been a pretty big stepping stone in the development of concept album culture. At least it's a more well-defined concept than Sgt Pepper (as another commenter pointed out). Side 2 is brilliant. Fakin' It, Punk's Dilemma, Mrs. Robinson, A Hazy Shade of Winter, At the Zoo... All of them put a huge smile on my face because of how goofy and fun-packed their melody and lyrics are. Mrs. Robinson, in particular, is pure 60s pop, and it's a masterpiece. 4/5 Key tracks: Fakin' It, Punk's Dilemma, Mrs. Robinson, A Hazy Shade of Winter

Can't lie, actually quite enjoyed this. Was far more varied and interesting than I expected and felt like it was over too soon. 29 mins seems a bit too short to be considered an album! Actually, when you then consider that there's also 2 mins of old people talking it seems they are taking the mick a bit. But I'll gladly take quality over quantity and despite it not really being my thing I would listen again.

Bookend’s theme - 7/10 Save the Life of my Child - 8/10 America - 9/10 Overs - 8/10 Voices of Old people - 7/10 Old Friends - 6/10 Bookend’s Theme Reprised - 8/10 Faking It - 8/10 Punky’s Dilemma - 8/10 Mrs Robinson - 9/10 A Hazy Shade of Winter - 9/10 At the Zoo - 8/10 TOTAL -105 /120

Great songwriting and very beautiful voices. Mrs. Robinson is a classic. I didn't like the interludes that much, but overall a very nice album.

I enjoyed this more than I expected to, especially the A side. They were more experimental than I think I gave them credit for.

Listening to this I didn't pick up that it was a concept album. "Voices Of Old People" serves that concept I guess but I didn't think that it should have been included. Maybe they relented so Artie could have a win. These two were meant to be together vocally and this is a pretty solid album. 3.5/5

A perfectly fine folk album that doesn't do too much for me. Not unpleasant to listen to, just didn't grab me in the way I might have expected. Surprised there is any bloat on an album under 30 mins. Some good tracks, but nothing groundbreaking. Top tracks: America, Old Friends, Mrs Robinson

I really have no idea what was going on in this album. It's all kind of a fever dream. I don't feel like any of the songs on here are real except for maybe "Mrs. Robinson" and "A Hazy Shade of Winter". Sure their harmonies are nice but I don't feel like they really did much on this album. It was short though so that was nice.

Why does Paul Simon get angry at me when I request Voices of Old People at his concerts?

A real mixed bag - Mrs Robinson remains one of my favorite songs ever - but other songs like Fakin it are very underwhelming.

Wholesome.

A side was hot garbage. B side pretty good. 2.5

Side A suite is excellent but the back half is hampered by its odds and ends nature. Simon had yet to find a lyrical voice that wasn’t bad college poetry (he wouldn’t get there until “Hearts and Bones”) and it really shows in those castoffs. Sometimes you have to kill your babies, even if it only leaves you with an EP’s worth of material.

Alvin, Simon, GARFUNKEL! Do, do, do, do, do, do

Boring

The album mostly passed my by in a blur of nothingness

Given the subject matter of many of these songs, how does it still manage to feel so white and wimpy? I found this one a bit boring, they've gotta have better albums than this because they have a handful of good songs and they aren't on here. A Hazy Shade of Winter is good but is cancelled out by At the Zoo (elephants aren't even dumb). Not enough good ones to justify a higher rating or a relisten.

Definitely an album in the 60s.

Mrs Robinson was okay and the rest was incredibly boring

I'm glad this was short. The duo tries to explore some weirdness here like on the track old people talking...which quite literally is just that. Didn't get it. Seems like the studio threw on Mrs. Robinson, which is the only good song, after the fact to get people to buy it.

Not perfect, but definitely a 5. America, Faking it, Ms. Robinson and hazy shade of winter are all amazing.

Great album by a great duo

lovely album folky and well written songs great to hear an entire album from two of the greats

Another classic. America and Mrs Robinson are god tier songs and the rest of the album holds up equally well. Beautiful harmonies, songwriting that paints magical sketches of life and delicate guitarwork elevate this to something special.

Now this is my shit.

My favorite Simon and Garfunkel album, with all the bells, whistles and moog synths that you love so much. Brave to have a song called America and single handily be the only best song in music history to be titled America. Not to mention the 3-track finisher with Mrs Robinson, A Hazy Shade of Winter and At the Zoo. How cruel.

Loved. I love Simon & Garfunkel. Bookends is one of my favorite songs of theirs. I also love America. I also knew and liked Mrs. Robinson and Hazy Shade of Winter.

This is the first Simon & Garfunkel record on the list, however I've already had two Paul Simon records and they both got confident five stars each. This is no exception. The songs are so great, and honestly sound ahead of their time to me - I can't believe this is 1968. Not even any favourite tracks; everything is fantastic.

Eliott : Super ! Eva : très dans son jus... Un jus de beatles subtilement mélangé à En fait ils ont un peu recopié les beatles mais bon... C'est super quand-même

An album for all time. Great duo. Music that has lasted, and will last forever. What more can you say.

An incredible surprise. This brisk 29-minute folk rock album is packed to the brim with both catchy melodies and heartfelt lyrics, and the whole package is down-to-earth and humble. The track "Voices of Old People" even captures arguably the spirit of folk in its purest form; just snippets of real conversations from the elderly. All in all, this is the real deal. Tender, heartfelt, and just the right length to get lost in - a complete experience.

Didn’t enjoy this as much listening with headphones but it’s always a 5 for me

Tough to dislike 70’s electronica that starts with a track heralding the areival of the future - we are the robots. Love the line we are programed to do anything you want us to foloowes by a minor chord sounding ‘we are the robots’. Quite menacing. This fills me with nostalgia for early video games, lasers, time travel, everything we thought the future could be both good and bad. But without the (oftwn endless and therefore meaningless) build up and drop beat type texture of later electronic music and remixes i do winder of this one will be a difficult listen all the way to the end. Track 2 and i think not. Synth and beat pointing the way for alt-symth pop bands of the 80’s like New Order. Stripped back, subtle, not ovwr layered. Theres a lot to like here. Considering this was late 70’s and third album i think its ahead of its time and harks back to early elwctronica that if you were amartwr than me could probably trace back through Jean Jaques Perrey, to Clara Rockmore and her theremin. I think i’d prefer a YMO album to this but then it probably depends on whether i am in a happy modd (YMO) or fewling a bit dystopian (KW). Some great writing here - shes a model and shes looking good, i want to take her home thats understood. Hilarious. Drags a bit at the second to end track but there are worse albums than this. Prefer their previous album Trans-Europe Express.

Perfect album!

Beautiful tracks

I had heard many songs from this album, but in other versions. I was surprised and impressed by the more experimental aspects, particularly the sampling, synths, and chamber music accompaniments.

In the past, this has been my favorite S&G album. I still think the A-side is the strongest stretch of their discography (yeah, I even appreciate "Voices of Old People", got a problem with that?), but it's started bothering me more how thrown-together the B-side is. But when you're throwing together "Fakin' It", "Mrs. Robinson", and "Hazy Shade of Winter", it's not like it's bad or anything! Maybe not quite on the same level as Bridge Over Troubled Water, but it's still an absolute essential to anyone who cares about the music of the 60s.

One of their best albums. Never gets old.

Best Song: America Another from my collection that I have had for some time. A great album for anyone who enjoys good lyrics to their music. 5/5.

Superb album. Not competently joined up as singles added to side two. Still great.

Still holds up

Favorite Songs: America, Overs, Old Friends Really good short album. Kind of feels like a time capsule. A lot of focus on later in life experience which is really interesting to me.

Like lots

C'est vrai que d'un certain point de vue c'est un bizarre d'album. Ça doit être celui que j'écoute le moins souvent car c'est le seul qu'on a pas en vinyle à la maison de S & G.

C'est quand même un album bizarre, un peu patché, 29 minutes, des extraits de personnes âgées en résidence. Des grosses tounes quand même avec America, Hazy Shade of Winter, At The Zoo et le thème Bookends. Mais je peine à voir le concept de l'album, et après lecture de l'histoire derrière, je n'ai pas de difficulté à croire que c'était un writer's block. Ça ne vaut pas un Bridge, Hearts and Bones ou Graceland.

Yeah that was pretty stunning

Brilliant

Always love some Simon and Garfunkel, courtesy of my mom.

Second Simon & Garfunkel album this week. I didn’t think much of them after the first one to be honest. But holy moly this album hit me somewhere I’d been craving to be hit. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this understood after listening to an album. First album out of this project so far that has made me cry. I loved it.

No good times, no bad times There's no times at all Just The New York Times Лирический портрет Большого Яблока с одним из самых интересных продакшенов, что доводилось слышать внутри фолк-рок альбома. Что Саймон и Гарфанкель натворили на открывающем триптихе треков с миксингом – не поддаётся словам, только эмоциям. Даже хочется закрыть глаза на то, что в какой-то момент альбом будто бы уходит от концепции и просто наваливает пачку хороших песен, потому что... Песни же и правда замечательные.

semen and gay uncle lol

Look at them! They’re on pot

I'm in the camp that thinks The Bangles cover of A Hazy Shade of Winter is much better than the original. But what elevates this album to a 5 is Mrs. Robinson, which is just an incredible song.

Somehow never heard this whole album. It’s a cohesive, single piece that’s even stronger than its parts. I knew, intimately, several of the big songs but never knew that they are essentially part of a suite. Clocking in at just under 30 minutes, “Bookends” is more experimental and creative than I expected, with a poignant theme of life’s stages. The tracks blend into each other as time does. Beautiful

Franny McDormand was right; devil's music.

A look back at 1960s Americana and the sentiments of the counter culture. A great album with some silliness and a whole lot of soul.

I've read that this was one of the first albums to be recorded on 16 track and it shows because the production is outstanding and the dynamics really add a sense of the majestic. It's a full sounding album but thanks to the arrangements, it's never overwrought. The duos vocals were the main strength and this contains some of their best songs ('America', 'Mrs Robinson', 'Hazy Shade Of Winter', 'At The Zoo' - that closing trio of songs is awesome, pretty much unbeatable). That said, there is also a nagging feeling that they didn't have quite enough material to fill the album (Voices Of Old People). But I do like it a lot and probably play it more than Bridge Over Troubled Water nowadays, so it's just about 5 stars from me.

Definitely an album of teo halves, as per the original vinyl release, (which gets lost in our current age of streaming). Side one, the bookends concept; side two, the crowd pleasers. I enjoyed this a lot.

Stone cold

Simon and Garfunkel are always a treat. I’m mostly familiar with Bridge over Troubled Water and enjoyed this equally.

Classic Simon & Garfunkel. Relaxing, mostly acoustic, mostly guitar, short songs. I was surprised by "Voices of Old People" – I did not expect non-music in this album, but it makes the transition to the next piece special. Beautiful string section. There's so much more in this album than just Mrs. Robinson. I particularily enjoyed A Hazy Shade of Winter, despite it being rather short.

Whoa!!! When that synth hit on Save the life of my child I thought my Spotify was glitching! Legitimately. I always enjoyed S&G when they were on, Bookends solidified my being a fan. What a phenomenal album.

Now this a worthwhile boomer rock rec. the confidence they had to keep Mrs Robinson and Hazy Shade of Winter for the end of the album!!

Love these guys so much. They can do no wrong for me.

Good shit

Oh wow. Everything I've gotten so far that is Paul Simon or Simon & Garfunkel has been okay at best or a total snooze-fest, was totally expecting to find this a bore and put it off while working partly because I figured it wouldn't be that good. But I found myself liking pretty much every song. This is genuinely excellent. Really stands out from everything else I've heard from them, what great songwriting.

Absolute classic, reminds me of hazy, late night adventures on Waldeck Road