Bookends

4 good tracks. Rest is junk.

Something about the specificity of the lyrics is so moving to me, particularly in America. Obviously the harmonies are a highlight. Somehow I'd never heard Hazy Shade of Winter and added it to the roster of liked songs. A nice tight 32 mins, but I wasn't blown away. 3.5 rounded down.

I was excited to listen to this album, but was pretty disappointed. It was boring and weird. I am only giving it a 3 because it ended good.

I thought this was a very interesting album. I am indifferent. Wish I was a Kellogg’s Cornflake, floating in a bowl.

Not super familiar with their catalogue other than the main hits. Given that was a bit surprised with what they were doing sonically in some of the songs on this record (not in a bad way). Had a couple songs that i felt were quite good, but a few where i felt the production was a bit harsh (could just be the speakers i was listening on). Overall decent album with some highlights, but unlikely to come back to it much i think. Another 3/5.

Solid album overall. Never been a huge fan of them, but the duo did create some great & iconic songs, several of which are on this record. Standout tracks: Save the Life of My Child, America, Mrs. Robinson, A Hazy Shade of Winter

could i write poetry to this? n closer to 4 probably?

It was a cool singer-songwriter album. It came out in 1968, but sounds much newer. They were way ahead of their time! So good. Good songwriting and instrumentations.

‘America’ is a top tier tune. The rest of the album is good but doesn’t reach the same heights.

Interesting. Didn’t listen to a lot of Simon and Garfunkel outside of their hits. The old people talking song was a bit weird but everything else was pretty good.

Cool

You think you know someone... So many songs on this album I'd never heard before. "Save the Life of My Child" is wild. Sounds like something off Quadrophenia. And, generally, the production on this album is incredible.

I really prefer the Bangles version of "A Hazy Shade Of Winter" but the original here is o.k. too. And no doubt "Mrs. Robinson" is an all-time masterpiece. An album containing only two remarkable songs is a disappointing effort for such a prominent duo! 2,5

This albums has some undeniable all-time great bangers on it, including "America", "Mrs. Robinson", and "Hazy Shade Of Winter". But it also has some truly trash filler, and it's a strange record in that it starts as what appears to be a high concept album ("Bookends") complete with a narrative, opening, and symphonic orchestration - but it bails on that midway through and then simply pastes a bunch of (admittedly great) singles on the back end. As such, it's a bit of an incoherent listen, and doesn't strike me as a fully realized album.

This is both frustrating and brilliant: it’s uneven, but when it hits, it really hits.It opens with such gravity and beauty—tracks like “Bookends Theme,” “Save the Life of My Child,” and “America” promise a deeply reflective, even existential experience.Then you hit something like “Punky’s Dilemma,” and it’s… a guy imagining he’s a soft-boiled egg. There are some great tracks here though, “Old Friends” and “A Hazy Shade of Winter” still carry a lot of weight and musical sophistication, but some of the "filler" tracks stop it from being great. Between the "Bookends" you have a great album, after that there are a couple of great tracks.

america's a great song

This album feels like if the Beatles, Beach boys and pink Floyd were all fighting for creative control of an album. There are some tracks which feel like they don’t mesh together properly and some are too abstract

I really like Simon & Garfunkel, but this album isn't one that I listen to often apart from one song. "America" is one of my favourite songs from them. This album has some pretty weird sounds being from the 60s. There's some some drums and synths on a few tracks that would be more common decades later.

Me parece un álbum interesante pero no creo que lo escuchase por mi cuenta, un género que no suelo consumir, solo hubo un par de canciones que llamasen mi atencion

Some gems on here but also a lot of other random stuff...

A couple of really good ones. Interesting to hear what I know as a Bangles riff in its original (acoustic!) form. Not all the songs were great. 3.5/5

I do quite like S&G but didn’t really think this was one of their better efforts. Some of it was pleasant enough though in their usual gentle style. Just not enough songs that really grabbed you.

A few recognisable songs that elevate this album, but nothing of much interest in the rest of it.

Some good songs on here. Pretty solid album.

3.

A cup of green tea. I don't necessarily hate it, and sometimes I enjoy it. I prefer sweet tea, and could never hate on those who like green tea. It's healthier anyways.

Misses Robinsooon.. 3.5

Non male, slow pop classico che non mi ha ucciso

Норм

Has some classic songs on it, I can live without the others. Decent album

Decent album

First half was quite a compelling narrative, if not my type of sound, it still carried the emotion i look for in music. Second half (the b-sides) were fine.

Damn, è forse l’album meno forte del duo, e di loro ho chiara tutta la discografia Spiace dargli un voto un po’ basso, ma davvero a parte Mrs Robinson nessuna mi ha fatto gridare al miracolo La prima è curiosa però

It's our old friends, Garfunkel and Simon. This is okay. Mrs. Robinson is great and I like Garfunkel and Simon's better than The Lemonheads. The Lemonheads isn't bad. They rock it out. But when it comes to Hazy Shade of Winter, I think I like The Bangles better. I don't know wuzzup with mumbling old people. I didn't like this album enough to research why Garfunkel & Simon decided to put mumbling old people on their album.

Not my favorite but a few classics in there

Thematically sound if you like the sound of Simon & Garfunkel. Only have heard one song it is arguably their biggest and best song. 6/10

First half of this album is a bit of a slog. "America" is the only winner on the A side. The second half of this album is where the money is. Mrs. Robinson is the clear winner for the 1001 playlist. ~ 3 stars.

I don't know what to say about this album... The Side 1 concept album is kind of a drag. Side 2 is more interesting, but it's not great. Meh.

Stabilt och hyfsat mångsidigt album

The singles hold their own, but beyond that this feels a little too slight to feel truly great.

Like the other Simon & Garfunkel albums we've had, this is ultimately just so self-serious and also somehow so incredibly twee, that I just can't enjoy it. I kind of liked the poignancy of 'Old Friends' (I blame being older) but not enough to add to any playlists. & the Bangles cover is better.

album is a little short to have an entire track dedicated to old people talking Mrs. Robinson is a great track but most of the other songs--while good-- could've been written/performed by any dorm room folk duo in America

Not at all what I expected. A rich tapestry of musical styles and ideas. Snappy and bristling with creativity and detail.

Mrs Robinson redeems an otherwise dull album. What a classic! Hazy Shade of Winter is good, too. And At the Zoo. Really picks up near the end of the album.

I'm very surprised how different every Simon & Garfunkel album from this list sounds from one another. You'd think, because most of their songs are based on the two voices and acoustic guitar, everything would sound somewhat similar. But no, all three albums have a different mood. This is the short and sweet one, with touches of strings here and there, perfectly suited for a quiet summer evening. Very cozy. Key tracks: America Old Friends Mrs. Robinson

Not the best from them

Good, but Bridge Over Troubled Water is better.

I think this album is remembered mainly due to the names attached to it rather than the actual songs. “A Hazy Shade of Winter” goes crazy though.

I don’t know what to say. Some good, some not so good.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1001 ALBUMS- # 46 Bookends…loose ends 📚 The acclaimed duo of Simon & Garfunkel deliver an intriguing concept album of sorts, albeit mashed up with previously unfinished material. These guys were well before my time and although I consider them as overrated as most fawned over acts of this era, I try to put into perspective the cultural impact and influence they had on the aspiring songwriters that followed. From the albums opening theme I settled in relaxingly for what I assumed was going to be a nice comforting acoustic experience, and then WHAM! Enter ‘Save The Life of My Child’…such a jarring unexpected powerful surprise of a song, if only the rest of the album lived up to its promise. The subsequent tracks return to favor of S & G’s far less interesting trademark sound, well performed, just feels very let down afrer being teased with such a banger of a start. 🎧 Classic Track: Mrs. Robinson 🎧 Deep Cut Gem: Overs 🎧 Personal Favorite: Save The Life of My Child 🚫 Skip Track: Voices of Old People I really don’t understand how this record could be considered anywhere near as accomplished as Bridge Over Troubled Water, save for the clear standout here which should’ve been confined to The Graduate soundtrack. 🖼️ Album Artwork: Double take, is that David Schwimmer & Will Ferrell?!? Certainly not worthy of 5 singles (as I stated Mrs. Robinson should’ve even be present here), although the talented chemistry between these musicians along with the artful ambition (at least on the A dude) and beautiful melodies salvages it’s respect. Hit the Thumbs Up icon below if you enjoyed my take on the album :)

I did not use a private session for one. I used to have this on CD, but I gave it away as it is too folksy for me. I love Paul Simon's work, but Simon and Garfunkel is just to mellow, though I can not deny that some of the songs are classic.

Interesting album. It didn't make sense the whole time but when it did, it was great.

Bookends Theme was not what I expected of Simon and Garfunkel, with some loud percussions and synths. But it was a good way to start the album. America is a nice folksy change of pace, with Faking It a nice upbeat and catchy song as well. Punky’s Dilemma is delightfully weird. Mrs. Robinson is a classic. A Hazy Shade of Winter has a very satisfying composition of the bass, drums, and guitar.

It was chill and short

It’s S&G innit, like Derek and Clive without the smutty humour and more lyrical. What’s not to like.

6/10 i guessss Better than smash these three songs were bangers but rest were kinda misses 1) Mrs. Robinson 2) Fakin’ it 3) A Hazy Shade of Winter

Enjoyed most of this but not as much as their other work. Classic hits include “America” and “Mrs. Robinson” but I also liked “At the Zoo” and “Punky’s Dilemma”. A bit too try hard at times. Eg. Voices of old people.

Ok

I liked this album, but I can see why some wouldn’t. If you don’t particularly appreciate Paul Simon’s writing style or their voices and harmonies then I can see where this album could be super annoying for someone. I like all that stuff and so I enjoyed most of the songs. America is a favorite Simon and Garfunkel song of mine, and I like Bookends and A Hazy Shade of Winter too.

Was not expecting the synth on "Save the Life of My Child". Overall it's alright despite some classic songs. Favorites: America, Mrs. Robinson Would I listen to it again: Probably not

Beautiful music and harmonized singing but, frankly, a bit boring.

I like pretty much everything this duo does, but this was a pretty weak album for me. Nothing offensive or hard to listen to (except maybe old people talking), but just not as high quality as I think other albums of theirs are. This was headed towards a 5 star rating until I got to the second half ⭐⭐⭐

Not really my vibe but cool I guess.

Nothing special

Not for me.

Very very interesting album - but short.

Save the Life of My Child is way more experimental than anything I thought Simon and Garfunkel would ever do, that synth blast in the beginning is like a jump scare. Besides some interesting moments every now and then, this is just some more Simon and Garfunkel. I have never been a huge fan of them, but it is fine, short and sweet. High 3.

It's OK

Beginning scared the shit out of me. Great listen. Mrs. Robinson

I didn’t feel the whole “concept” of this album. “Side 2”…or the second half I enjoyed better than the first. “Hazy Shade of Winter” is the only one I’ll add to my playlist. It’s the star of this album. Mrs Robinson is pretty good. “Voices of old people” was pointless and annoying. 1001 album worthy: yes - 72/134

Such a beautiful album.

Interesting

good but i expected more

Bookends a very nice album. It’s definitely a mortality album, every song on Side A is like a snapshot of a time period in life. It’s sad but nice. That’s about all you can saw about it, until Mrs Robinson which is an all time greatest hit but anyone, anywhere, ever. A Hazy Shade of Winter is also great, also about aging. It’s a nice, sad album 6.4/10

Primer álbum que me toca escuchar del dúo folk-rock sesentero por excelencia. Un álbum dividido en dos mitades bien diferenciadas: La cara A es un álbum conceptual sobre la vida (sobre todo el hacerse mayor), con composiciones sencillas y letras muy poéticas. Las letras me han gustado especialmente, los temas van pasando sin darte cuenta. Los arreglos son simples, muy relajantes. La cara B es algo más animada, a veces rozando el rock psicodélico de su época, sin ceñirse a un tema en particular. Además, contiene la archiconocida "Mrs. Robinson". En general, no me ha gustado tanto como la primera mitad, quizá porque los temas no son tan conmovedores, aunque musicalmente es buenísima. Un álbum icónico y muy interesante.

Ok mais pas mon style

Nice easy listen.

Not a fan. Only decent tracks were Mrs Robinson and At the Zoo

Is there a better "greatest hits" band than Simon & Garfunkel? The best songs are incredible. The worst songs -- or "songs," if you include recording a bunch of retirees in a rest home -- are atrocious. It feels almost sacrilegious, but I can't give this more than three stars.

Kind of a mixed bag. Did not particularly enjoy the concept album comprising “side 1” of the album. But the mishmash of singles on “side 2” were solid, including “Mrs. Robinson” and “Hazy Shade of Winter”

he called elephants dumb.....

Half of these are dumb songs and the other half are Chad. 3.5

Not bad. Similar to the Jay Z album, I was hoping for more recognizable stuff to me.

ljúfur söngur og lög. ekkert mjög samhangandi en ekki leiðinlegt eða pirrandi. gefa annan, 3.5.

Also Much better than Coldplay

This is not as exciting as The Sound of Silence, but I guess Mrs Robinson is a really popular song as well. The rest of the songs in the album are a bit meh and nothing exciting really happens but it's overall alright, especially as a background listen.

Never really went down the Simon & Garfunkel rabbit hole. After listening to this, I think I'm okay sticking with just the hits.

Art Garfunkel might just be the Yoko Ono to Paul Simon’s John Lennon. It’s not bad but doesn’t do that much for me, although Mrs. Robinson was one of my favorite songs when I was a wee lad

Послушал два раза. Аккуратный, приглушенный, минималистичный альбом.

Back half of the album is better. The real intro song sounds too much like a bowie wannabe A hazy shade of winter is great

Enjoyed it more than I thought I would, reminded me of the Beatles. Genuinely quite good but probably wouldn't go back to it.

-this is interesting.. I have only been familiar with Paul Simon’s solo stuff up until now. he and Garfunkel go hard together -I was very intrigued by the direction some of this went… synths on that first song in 1968, wow. some songs were a bit underwhelming and we could’ve done without the old people talking interlude ig, but overall I did enjoy it. Hazy Shade Of Winter is soooo fucking good ugh -Favorites are Save The Life of My Child and A Hazy Shade of Winter

Harmonizing dudes Play tunes sad and peppy as Folk rock poetry

Mrs Robinson is a banger

Good in parts

3 years quaint little album that says a lot about aging, but like most s&g, lacks more than one or two standout songs

Up there with Bridge Over Troubled Water

Perfectly fine folk rock, would be good music to listen to while sitting in a cabin on a lake (which makes sense as I hear it's influence on Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago all over this record). Mrs. Robinson and Hazy Shade of Winter being the standouts. But overall, I'm just not a huge S&G fan. It's got its time and place to listen to for me, but not something I'd go back to regularly.

so so

Listenable.

This made me SO SAD Beaut tho Favs: America Old friends Fakin it Mrs Robinson

It didn’t hit the spot! I’m disappointed Standout track: - Mrs. Robinson

Simon & Garfunkel are storytellers. America is a great song. Popular folk music hit its peak right around this album's release in 1968. Paul Simon does breakup songs better than anyone. Come on Simon & Garfunkel, found sound? Voices of Old People has no business on this record. It's the lead in to Old Friends, but it brings the album to a screeching halt. Bookends Theme starts the album and ended the first side of the album....clever. Punky's Dilemma feels like the song that launched Flight of The Conchords. That, or Paul Simon was bored during breakfast one morning. Mrs. Robinson in its original context. It's hard not to picture Dustin Hoffman doing The Graduate things this song is so tied to the movie. The first side of the album is generally better but Mrs. Robinson is a great song and anchors the second side.

I was disappointed in this album in comparison to "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme". While there are some stand out tracks on here, overall I couldn't get into it. "Mrs. Robinson" feels like such a cultural touchstone that the album might be worth listening to just for that.

fine

interesting, decent quality for the time, some good dynamical parts

This album was way too overproduced. These songs were better performed live or acoustically. “Hazy Shade Of Winter” was really good, though.

Not the most exciting album by Simon and Garfunkel. We have Mrs. Robinson in here, but every other song is average at best, just not pulling its weight. Boring release, I definitely prefer other albums by the duo.

Mrs. Robinson 5 stars, voices of old people 1

Fun and charming, but didn’t feel like I needed to listen again

Legal

Not really for me. Nothing g bad and enjoyable just not for me.

Not bad but this didn't click with me as much as their other albums. I liked the more rock-influenced tracks on the second half more than the folk on the first half

legal

Some massive highlights but only OK overall.

I enjoyed this more than I expected to, just a really nice album and I appreciate that it wasn't unnecessarily long

The songs I know are great. The others, NSM — WTF is Voices of Old People? Maybe a 2, but America pushes it to a 3. You should listen to the Yes version of America. 11 minute version https://open.spotify.com/track/2PPRgRlrD2ZuDLCAL7yvNN?si=5d5IZ-6CTKSuFNRF6ws4FA&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A78tN6vBPHHyNk4sZYnS5X4 4 minute edit https://open.spotify.com/track/4krdwCrPRSTv1c44060izq?si=nDllko0lQNi4uinGP9p7bA&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A1WWIQYhFqD2IVbG2WLVaO1

America is great, Mrs. Robinson is great, and I thought the rest was meh. “At the zoo” maybe meh-plus. I had to restrain myself from throwing my phone across the room while Paul Simon was singing about being a boysenberry jam fan. He’s just the worst.

If you eliminate the two very short bookend themes and voices of old people, you’re left with nine songs and a really short album. However, of the nine songs four were played all the time on the radio. So I guess that means this was a good album, but it’s not my favorite Simon & Garfunkel album. It would rate 7 on a 0-10 scale, but alas only 3 stars here.

I haven't even rated 100 albums yet and I'm still thinking "wait, didn't we have this one already?". But I sure feel like I had this one already. Classic sweater cover. I was too tired to really focus on it, but this was pleasant. I liked the song about being a jam fan. And the hazy shade of winter one (don't tell me the title...). The zoo one is potentially good. Yep: pleasant.

Calm, chill and easy to listen to. Very familiar with this name, but can’t say I’ve ever listened to a Simon & Garfunkel record before now. A pleasant one.

Jaja, mrs robinson album hed natüli erwartuge usglösst. Es isch leider doch zu oft zu simon & garfunklig gsi, sprich too low. Gege schluss hends na bitz erhöht, aber muss bim ne 3er bliebe. Ha alles biz negativ formuliert, finde sie generel scho cool. 3 god bless you an superschönr miss robinson song

3 lieder glost aber denn schnell gmerkt, dass das keis album isch für de fritigs-noah, tschau simon und tschau garfunkel vilicht gsehds mer sich ja am mentig sali simon, sali garfunkel da isch de mentigs-noah, hetti ez wüki nöd dänkt aber schön gsehd mer sich wiedermal, hee cheibe cools album hender da us‘m ärmel gschüttlet, hebed en schöne und bis bald

I wish this actually was a finished concept album as they say, however it’s half a concept album and then a bunch of filler in the second half. Tracks like Overs and Old Friends really had me excited with fantastic production and instrumentation, but then the rest was way too poppy and bland. Good thing we still got Bridge Over Trouble Water out of them after this, but this one could have been a little more consistent with the “concept”.

Despite including three of my all time favourites (America, Mrs Robinson, Hazy Shade of Winter) and other familiar songs, as an album this is less than the sum of its parts.

i love a good concept album, it paired up well with my people watching at the park hour🙂‍↕️ 3.5/5

Punky's Dillemma is an old fave, but overall album is not

Listening notes: Sonically this album is really nice, it’s not over produced and the vocals sit nicely in the mix. The instrumentation is sweet and most of the songs are well written and arranged. As far as the first half being a mini concept album, I didn’t really get that on a first listen but I don’t think it takes away anything from the listening experience. At a crisp 29 minutes this album doesn’t overstay its welcome and the songs themselves are well constructed, not feeling unfinished. Some of the tracks are really great with the stand outs being: America with its excellent lyrics and delivery , Old Friends has some beautiful strings and accompanying instruments and Mrs. Robinson being the best song on the album and is pretty much a perfect song. However in some places the songs are a bit underwhelming such as Save the Life of my Child which has this weird inserted sample of Hello Darkness my Old Friend which really takes you out of the experience and sticks out like a sore thumb. Overall it’s pretty nice, I’m not getting the concept yet but it has some really strong moments with some pretty boring moments to go alongside it. 3/5

Good album. Some classic S&G songs. Very enjoyable.

cute

Some really good songs. America. Some strange bits but they didn't overstay their welcome.

Yes I’ve heard the brilliance of Simon and Garfunkel. Those harmonies. The songs. Yes yes. It’s a good album. But I’ve heard the other albums. The singles are strong particularly Mrs Robinson. But one in such a list from Simon and Garfunkel is enough. Even better a greatest hits. 3 because it’s too many.

The music arrangements are stripped back and soothing. Pleasant vocals. What you would expect from a Simon and Garfunkel album. Couple of tracks were moving but the majority of the album was nothing to talk about. Mrs Robinson is overplayed. The Zoo song was corny af. 6/10

I'm maybe not enough of a lyrics guy to appreciate this, but the songs are well written and the harmonies are nice :)

When this hits, it does really well. The issue here is that synth and the tracks that didn't go anywhere. It feels like a high school project.

More than I expexted

Great album! Like quite a few Simon and Garfunkel tunes but never listened to this album, the bit in the middle with the old people nattering is weird?? Dunno what that's all about - if it even has any deeper meaning? Nothing really stood out for me a huge amount, all the tracks were just pretty good :) Fav song: at the zoo 🦔🐒🦍🐸🐼🦝🐷🐮🐗🐭🐹🐲🐔🦄🐎🦌🦛🐶🐵🦒🦊🐁🦡🦨🦔🐢🐳🦖🦆🐣🦞🐦🦩🐌

Ja war jetzt nicht schlecht oder langweilig Einfach mir nur bisschen egal

Competently made album, but doesn’t make me feel anything

BEST SONGS: - Overs - Punky's Dilemma

A lovely lilting trail through old tunes - a couple of classic tracks with hazy shade and mrs Robinson

I enjoy the 2nd half is better than the first but I still find it an underwhelming album from Simon and Garfunkel

Probably my least favourite of Simon and garfunkels do far but still not bad.

Still not a fan, despite the bangers

Nice easy listen 3/5

Another paul simon- a lot of good moments but also a lot of songs that are a little airy/ethereal for me. Still- good album overall

it was just mid i have to say, few songs i liked

"America" might be my favourite Simon & Garfunkel song, but I think the album overall is quite uneven. High 3.5 stars

I think it's better than Parsley, but not as good as Bridge. "America", "Mrs. Robinson" and "Hazy Shade of Winter" are the highlights, but I do think it sags quite a bit in the middle. 3.5 stars.

Two great songs, one good song, the rest was a waste of time.

Judging by their pupils they do indeed appear to be on pot

You can tell many indie rock bands were most likely influenced by this album.

Kokoonaisutena ihan hyvä, pari erityisen hyvää kappaletta. 3-3.5

This wasn't bad. Seemed to have some filler sections, but overall an enjoyable listen with some darker lyrics than I expected. I really enjoyed Old Friends - its a beautiful take on lifelong friendship and aging. Fakin´It is great too - we've all felt like that.

I knew the popular song

LOVE how short this is. Very different from what I expected I'd say.

I liked this but the the old people talking creeped me out x

Was original at the time as a concept album but I think in the fullness of time this is a bit forgettable. The production is impeccable though, amazing clarity for an album from the 60s. 3*

Very good one

Some good songs and some ok songs. Mrs. Robinson is always a banger

Aranyos hangja van az énekesnek, meg a hangulata is tetszik az egésznek.

It should be a four musically. But a three for me

Some beautiful tracks, but genre I enjoy the most

Another record I've never listened to... Wow, get some South Africans, tone down the trippy production and that second track could be on Graceland. The old people thing is odd. Maybe it would be more meaningful if I were more focused.

Beautiful album...

Уже как родные Дон Симон и Гомункул со своим кантри-фолк акустическим веселым и одновременно унылым произведением

This was fine. Not blown away. I really don’t have much to say about this accept based on song credits Simon was the bread winner in this relationship.

Leave favorite of S&G albums on this list. America is beautiful but some of the tracks feel like filler.

Previously rated: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme (4/5) Bridge Over Troubled Water (5/5) ********************************************* Least of the three so far. Along with the good stuff (Mrs. Robinson and Hazy Shade of Winter (I like the Bangles version better), there are some downers and stuff that doesn't belong on a music album like Voices of Old People.

Excited to get into another S&G album. Front half was ok, voices of old people really took me out of it, like old trauma of hearing old folks rant. This one doesn't even touch bridge over troubled water. Highlights: mrs robinson

Some good tracks but not all of them are winners.

I'm so glad I got this album today because I've meant to listen to it for a while, which gave me a reason to. I liked the music but didn't totally fall in love with it.

relaxing background music.

few good songs, some odd

Обещание этой группы после известного хита про тишину сильно преувеличено в моем сознании. Альбом хороший, но без восторга. Лучшая песня - Mrs Robinson.

It's more varied than Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme. I think I like it more, but not by much.

The first half is largely unremarkable; a few good ideas but largely just filler. The second half is pretty good, but at times sounds uncomfortably like the Beatles.

ok

Meh. This was fine with a few good tracks. The tiny little bangs on the album cover are...something. 3.0

My second Simon & Garfunkel album. I think I'll stick with the greatest hits

Not their best. 6/10

Trippier than I expected. I enjoyed the spoken word portion.

Meget bra.

Was looking forward to this as I thought it would feature more of their hits. Think I was really looking out for “Bridge over troubled water” because this one didn’t really do it for me. Appreciate the music and their harmonies but it all fell a bit flat for me. Also, whilst Paul Simon having two first names would usually be a problem, Art Garfunkel has no first names, which balances them out and salvages a 3/5. Honourable mention to the album artwork, Garfunkel looks like the product of a Zoolander, Hansel and Mugatu three-way. And Simon looks like he had his haircut by a clumsy helicopter. It’s bold, but it’s certainly not bald.

Lovely twee little intro, with a nice little revisit later. Save the Life of My Child comes in with an urgent, western synth medley, it's so unexpected and draws you in. America greets you like a friendly vagrant at the end of the bar, pulling up a stool and slinging you a Harvey Wallbanger. Voices of Old People is completely pointless. Old Friends is a bit grandiose without much else going on. Faking It is pretty cool, it's a little meta before that was a thing. It reminds me of Scott Walker. Punky’s dilemma, again not a world beater of a song, but some fantastic vocals. Mrs Robinson is ace. The Graduate is ace. Wayne's World 2 spoofing The Graduate is ace. I don't even know what makes this song so triumphant, but it just has “it”. Between the melody and harmony, it's just a whole vibe, no one's come close to constructing a song quite like it. From that first little guitar fiddle, you can instantly picture young Dustin Hoffman watching those tights come off, and a warm feeling washes over you, like having a CT scan, but with no prospect of a gnarly diagnosis. At the Zoo is a fun ending to an endearing album. With a couple of mediocre songs, and it perhaps being a bit too brief, Bookends gets a 3.

Probably my least favorite effort from Mr. Simon thus far but still has some really great tunes. He knows how to write em and Garfunkel knows how to sing em!

Album art:1

Ok, so this doesn’t work as a cohesive album which is a bit odd given the supposed concept. I mean there are some absolute bangers on here - ‘America’ gives me goosebumps. But I’d rather listen to them independently or as part of a hits package than listen to this as a whole

Tender listen.

A decent album but very much of its time

3⭐️/5 [11.25.2024] 01.06.2026

Underwhelming, to be honest. Can't really do a concept album in 15 minutes. "Mrs Robinson" is great though. So was "Save the Life of My Child" - that one's like 10 years ahead of its time. Weird (in a good way) to hear a Moog synthesizer and sampling in a '68 folk album.

It's sounds old but it's ok I guess

Honestly a little disappointing. Granted, I have high standards for Simon and Garfunkel, but I don’t think they shined as much here as they do in other records.

A nice album that is a bit uneven at times.

Bit boring

Gear: Abyss DIANA MR Artwork: 📸😐😏 Production: 🔊🥴🔊 Music: 📖[👶➡️👦➡️👨‍🦳➡️⚰️]📖 Rating: 📕📗📘(📙)/5

If Bookends is on the list, I hope a couple more are ranked higher. I o ly like about 1/2 the album. The rest just seemed like useless filler.

Some good tunes

Ugh overplayed to death. I'd love to just this the the very first time ever, today..3 stars for it's brilliance

There’s a few good songs on here but ehhhhh

It was okay but I did not enjoy it as much as their earlier releases. It's very New York City and pretentious.

Hmm, reading the wiki during the opening of Save the Life of My Child got my interest but it's such a short album that it's all over before it really gets going. On top of that it's a bit of a mish mash. Still, it's ok and continues my tradition of 3 stars for these guys. Faves: Save the Life of My Child

Just not as good as 'Bridge Over Troubled Water.' 3/5

So many good Simon & Garfunkel songs... To the album itself: the first side was meant to be a concept album (part). This may have worked if they had used both sides of the LP. 15 minutes is just too short and to fill it with some recorded voices is a bad idea. It seems that they liked the idea but lacked enough recorded material so they just filled the first side and used the second side for older hit singles. Long story short: this has failed as an album, but the music on it is great.

Bookends Theme - 1/5 Save the Life of My Child - 4/5 really like the bassline especially America - 3/5 Overs - 1/5 Voices of Old People - 0/5 Old Friends - 1/5 Fakin' It - 3.5/5 Punky's Dilemma - 2/5 Mrs. Robinson - 4.5/5 A Hazy Shade of Winter - 3.5/5 At the Zoo - 3.5/5

217/1001

Not bad but did have me falling asleep on the train

Might have been a four but “Voices of Old People” perplexed me.

Relaxing artistic vibe. It’s solid.

I will not respect your concept album if the concept doesn't have enough substance to constitute a full album, so you have to have this awkward second side to justify it even being an album in the first place. That said, I like Mrs. Robinson doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo

Interesting. Not as great as later Paul Simon, but a nice juxtaposition of super sweet melodies and weird stuff weaved in.

Know the name, know the cover, but before my time. Of course I know songs like "America", "Mrs Robinson" and "A Hazy Shade Of Winter" from the radio, tv and movies. Overall it's got a chill vibe, good songwriting, an uplifting tone and peeks into who Paul Simon would eventually become when he ventured out on his own. All the songs have a certain charm. "Save The Life...", "Fakin' It", & "At The Zoo" all have spunk but don't sound super dated. There are a few clunkers in "Overs" and "Old Friends", maybe they fit the times. I'm glad I gave it a solid listen. Wouldn't make my Top 1001 but I respect that it's on this list. They were super influential, there are a handful of hits that have stood the test of time (and have been covered countless times), and you can still hear this album on the radio today.

I had two Simon & Garfunkel albums within a few days of each other, and going back and rating them, they kind of blend together. As I said in my other review, I want to like Simon & Garfunkel more than I actually do.

tja, simon and garfunkel. gitarren, einfaches arrangement, gute songs. aber irgendwie gealtert. highlights America und Mrs. Robinson. und dann nach einer halben stunde durch - gut so.

Kurz. Und obwohl eine Themen Platte, für mich ein Sammelsurium an Lieder.

Utrolig solid 3er, meget tæt på 4. Jeg frygtede det eller da første nummer gik igang. Fremhævet: A hazy shade of winter.

is it just me or was this kind of a nothing album? aside from mrs. robinson, i wasn't really bowled over by anything else on here. i did appreciate that it was a tight sub-30 min album though. idk! am i just a hater?

not a lot of meat on these bones... the "concept album" designation is tenuous at best, though maybe that's more on the critics and listening public than S&G themselves. many of these songs were just middling and uninspiring, somehow saving the best tracks for the end of side B. at least it was mercifully short, but the two minutes of old people talking is all I'm gonna remember from this. why... favorites: bookends theme, mrs. robinson, a hazy shade of winter

3.5/5. I refuse to elaborate.

Artsy

Rating: 5.5/10 Two great songs, did not care for the rest. Choice cuts: Mrs. Robinson, A Hazy Shade of Winter

I like Bridge over troubled water a lot. In comparison with bookends i gotta say i really lost all my melanin while listening. It has it huge songs and moments but overall underwhelming experience to me at least. 2.5/5.0

***An ok album

This is some dependable stuff.

Usually not a fan, but this one resonated with me some. Still not anything I'd reach for to listen to often but seemed to go well beyond the folksy acoustic material I've come to expect from this duo.

2 great songs don't make a great album.

It was ok. Few good songs, few odd ones. Pretty much exactly what you'd expect.

America and Mrs. Robinson and basically nothing else.

I like it. Its quite short, and not all of them are bangers, but it's a nice listen. The zoo one is fun in particular.

Sgt. pepper rip off in the first song. The rest of the album was ok, the white bread of music

Started pretty strong, I felt it kind of flagged in the center, but pulled back up at the end. A Hazy Shade of Winter brought it back for a solid end.

Honestly a very good album with some standouts

Pleasant enough, but the only song I actually knew and enjoy is Mrs. Robinson.

Surprisingly experimental, varied, poignant.

1/2 good

3.5

A really good album. Fantastic musiciansship on this. The singing is brilliant. Some real american classics on this, however uneven standard on the songs. I've listened to it three times and will rate it with 3. My grading is 3=really good, 4=fantastic, 5=Masterpiece.

This isn't as interesting as some of there other work.

i was not prepared for the moog

Noteworthy songs - 808080808 Magical Dream - Kinda catchy synth, but the rest is bland. Ancodia - Good background noise. Cobra Bora - Actually kind of cool, reminds me of Bomberman Hero. Pacific 202 - N64 vibes, but melody isn't great. Donkey Doctor - Nothing too special, weird ending. 808080808 - Really cool beginning. A little slow in the middle but stays interesting enough. Sunrise - Nothing remarkable. The Fat Shadow - Eerie. Very short.

It was fine.

I liked most of this but felt it was a little odd with a sharp distinction between side A and B. It's a concept album... with extras? Anyway, I liked the old people spoken track, and the two soft ballads at the end of side A the most. Side B was a decent, Beatlesque collection of pop hits—I just don't see how it connected to the Bookends concept. If it did, it was a very light connection that I missed. 3.5 stars

Interesting. I've heard of Mrs. Robinson before, didnt know it was these two or that it was from the film The Graduate. I really like the spoken word track Old people talking. Liked that it was short and pleasant.

Hermoso

Holy shit look at these studs. Perfect haircut paul. Voices of Old People was of course Art’s weird ass idea. Some good stuff on here but a bit soft and slow my taste

I don't know why, but when I think about a concept album involving the growth from a child to an adult, I feel like Simon & Garfunkel are the perfect duo to convey such a concept. That said, I am not sure if I just wasn't in the mood or what, but I mostly just found this album to be okay. The songs were good, but most of them felt forgettable to me. Either way, I did enjoy it, so we will split the difference with a 3.

Never heard this album before. America, yes. Mrs. Robinson, a classic. Hazy Shade of Winter, gem in the rough. Bookends Theme (Reprise), maybe? But what the hell is the rest of this album. Feels slapped together. The "concept album" of the first half is laughably poor. Giving it 3 stars for the hits, but I won't be listening to this album again. I guess the first side is a "concept album", about the life of one person.

This one was a little disappointing. America is a really great song but the rest of side 1 didn’t grab me. Mrs. Robinson is also great, but wasn’t really composed for this album.

voices of old people was a weird yet interesting part of the album but slides into old friends very nicely, chilled, relaxing album

S&G on back to back days! I struggle to understand why they’re so esteemed. There are a couple of tracks on here that are okay, one of which would be covered better 15 years later, and one truly great track; the rest is meh to bad. They put this out a year after the Beatles released Sgt. Pepper - I mean, could you be more irrelevant?

Don't know if I like this a lot more or if I was just in a better mood than for their previous album.

Don't feel it's their strongest album but it is enjoyable

Very peaceful. 3/5

This is not a good Simon and Garfunkel album. Honestly probably their worst. Mrs Robinson is of course a stone cold classic. But that's all there is to see here. 7/10 Disappointing

Great songs, but the weird "remix/spoken word" songs from the first half really affect the overall experience.

Sorry but I cringe when I hear some of their songs...while Mrs Robinson is an all time fav. It's hard to be in the right state of mind to find all of this album enjoyable. 2.5 & they are some lucky dudes to get a 3 out of me.

Better than I thought it be.

An odd album--side 1 is like a concept album with the songs flowing together, side 2 is previously released material and songs recorded for (but not used in) The Graduate. Highlights: "America" (a more traditional S&G song), "Fakin' It" (nice fingerpicked guitar, harmonies, and horn riffs), "A Hazy Shade of Winter" Notable: "Save the Life of My Child" (wow, this is a mess of Renaissance flavored Dylan, psychedelia, and weirdness. *This* is the song opening of the album‽

I appreciate what they were attempting with this album... but there are better S&G albums for sure.

America and Mrs. Robinson are absolute monsters. A Hazy Shade of Winter was wonderful as well. But WTF was Voices of Old People? The rest was ok to good, but not as great as I was expecting.

Tunes: America, Faking it and mrs robinson. Mrs R is a classic obviously. I didnt really dig the album. It was OK but i was expecting more out of my first S&G album.

It was alright. I like Paul Simon’s music , even though if this genre is not really my style, and I found this album to still be just okay. Besides Mrs Robinson, maybe 2 other songs stood out for me

Good album. Mrs. Robinson is a great track.

Mostly enjoyed this but there are a few lows that bring it down - the old people chatting bit is weird, and the song about wanting to be a muffin is a bit of an oddity. Some good songs (Mrs Robinson of course is a classic) and some less good so 3* feels fair

It's okay. Good even, I think I enjoyed the other album more and as always I prefer solo paul simon America is an amazing tune It's somewhere in the 3 range

pretty good... voices of old people was the best song hands down

got this album on the filter last time hazy shade of winter was a banger

Good old Simon Garfunkel. 3.5

track 3 america is so good

I generally love Simon & Garfunkel, but this album is a bit disappointing: very short and really too much fillers for such a short album. It is saved by its hits, but I was expecting better from them.

I like it enough.

Fairly solid but not very cohesive

Not their best album.

Paul brings the library, Art haunts it, a unique recording.

I love them, but I didn’t love this. Only really 2 amazing tracks and the rest of some of it feels a bit lazy or silly.

3 stars

Bit of a mish mash

It was definitely not their greatest hits. Some good stuff, some stuff I didn't care for.

OK. Prefer their later stuff

The songs I knew are classics. The others are not.

Folksy.Hello Mrs. Robinson and A Hazy Shade of Winter. 3/5

Really like the guitar in this one. Otherwise it was pretty nice but nothing to write home about.

it's okay, couple of good songs, rest is meh

The last three tracks are great (i.e., Mrs. Robinson, A Hazy Shade of Winter, and At the Zoo). The rest I found boring. 3.3 stars rounded down.

Kinda weirdly wavery but still good 7/10

Everyone knows the tracks America, Mrs Robinson, and Hazy Shade of Winter from this album, but Save the Life of My Child was the surprise favorite on the album for me, especially having never heard it before. Voices of Old People felt a little out of place with the rest of the album, especially being in the middle of it.

A 3rd S&G album! I like it, not as solid as the other 2.

Em sap greu perquè aquest àlbum té dues de les meves cançons preferides, però alhora crec que no funciona tan bé com hauria

Pretty and mellow. A quick listen

I have never really been a fan of Simon and Garfunkel. I find the music slow with no build overall. This album was different and all over the place, save the life of a child was different from what I was expecting, and Mrs Robinson is clearly a classic. Voices of old people was not really needed but I guess it led into old friends nicely. Favourite song: Mrs Robinson feels like an easier answer to this but it’s the right answer!! Least favourite: Voices of old people and old friends Album artwork: Great cover

For the first time in my life, I put on a Bangles album today. I needed to hear their cover of Hazy Shade of Winter because it is so much better than the version on Bookends (those tiny trumpets!). This album cover is a classic I would love to parody sometime. The material here is a bit uneven and gets pretty random after a bit and the production feels haphazard and dated in many respects. The highs are quite high (America) and the lows are low (whatever the name of the second tune is).

It’s fine. It might’ve been better if I listen when I was a kid

Curate’s egg.

Mrs. Robinson carried wel

Kinda feel like this album is carried by how good Mrs. Robinson is. The rest isn’t nearly as memorable.

Warm., beautiful, and well, mostly dull. I dig S&G overall, though I preferred the 8 track that was in my childhood home, Bridge Over Troubled Water.

Short and sweet - feels a little like a holding album with odd snippets and random tracks (despite being conceived as a concept album of sorts) and some interesting psych influenced production; certainly not their best work when the duo would return strongly with their follow up and final album Bridge over Troubled Water, but hard to quibble with singalong classics Mrs Robinson and A Hazy Shade of Winter. I could do without the cornflake analogy but I kind of goofed on the zoo stuff.

I swear, I do really enjoy Simon and Garfunkel, I just think their best moments are individual songs and not full projects (outside of Bridge). This album hosts two of my favorites from them, the ever-popular Mrs. Robinson and the underappreciated A Hazy Shade of Winter. Besides that, though, nothing ever hooked me here. It's just a bit too slow for my taste.

It's not a popular opinion, but this is not one of my favorite Simon & Garfunkel albums. However, it is very good; and it does contain my favorite Simon & Garfunkel song: America.