Bookends

4 well known classics in America, Old Friends, Mrs Robinson and Hazy shade. A few ok songs and some decidedly iffy filler. What were they thinking opening the album to such cacophony after the mutual gentle intro?! A low 3 - it’s clearly no Bridge or Sounds

Pop tranquilo y melodioso entre un dúo sincronizado clásico

3/5 there are some good songs, but also some awful ones.

Simon > Simon & Garfunkel > Garfunkel. What does Garfunkel even do, anyway? :) On a serious note, this is a good album - deserving of being on the list. They had a unique sound and some deserving commercial success. Still - albums like this make me feel like I don't listen to music right. I always approach an album with a "how many good songs are on here?" attitude, which is - perhaps - unfair to albums like these that are build more like a soundtrack or a movement. It has old people talking and weird interludes in there that make it seem like a story is people told, but I don't know what it is. It's weird.

Big ups for a 29 minute album

Enjoyable listen. A couple of dud tracks but the rest was good.

Genre: Folk Pop 3/5 While I'm familiar with the duo, I had never done a deep dive in their discography as this sort of folk thing, while enjoyable to listen to, just never really did it for me. Some of their songs are timeless, but amongst the songs of their contemporaries, they're left mostly unremarkable in comparison. This album in particular does a good job of highlighting my issues with the genre. The songs are pretty and all serve their purpose in what is supposed to be a concept album (except for Garfunkel's Voices of Old People which seems like utter nonsense compared to the rest of the tracklist), but it's all together a bit uninteresting. Paul Simon does a nice job on this, with both singing and songwriting, as he was apt to do back in those days, but it's a little too formulaic. To quote a contemporary review of the time, it's nice enough, it's slick, but nothing too much happens.

I like many songs of Paul Simon but not familiar with this album. It actually sounds quite good, but also not as poppie as I would expect. Bit boring actually. ***

Sinatra and The Kinks had me insecure for a moment that there’s something broken in me that’s incapable of enjoying music below a certain bpm, but this was totally pleasant!

mislin da bi nakon još jednog slušanja bilo bolje

Pretty much what I expected. It’s Simon and Garfunkel noodling on acoustic guitars and reciting poetry. Great music, classics, but pretty bland.

Not bad

1st February 2022 Listened while working at the table. Went to watch Cheltenham at Wimbledon in the evening with Pates lot. Enjoyed the homely, down to earth comfort that S&G excel at. There’s a humanity and lived in recognition to their music. 3.5 if I could.

There are quite a few Simon & Garfunkel songs I truly love, so I'm a fan. I had not listened to this album before so was unfamiliar with most tracks. It's a mix for me. Some grab me, some don't. It occasionally gets a little similar-sounding to itself, you know? I do like that they wrote and produced this is as a concept album. They were talented enough to just keep churning out pop hits forever, so I'm glad they did some exploring.

Not my favourite Simon & Garfunkel album. I like some of the songs, but there were also a few I would have rather have not on the album. Favourite songs: - America - Fakin’ it - Mrs. Robinson

This is fine, but, I dunno, maybe I’m not deep enough for this shit. Strong finish tho

Disco tranquilo, agradable, lo escuché mientras me ocupaba en la cocina. Supongo que Belle and Sebastian le debe bastante a ellos (?). 7/10

A lot more interesting than I thought it would be! Very enjoyable, quick listen.

Alltså det är ju helt okej? Men känns som att det är ett par bangers omgivna av en del låtar som är ”okej”. America är kanon, men Yes gör den bättre O:)

Its a bit gentle for my taste and a bit background

Good album No skips more background music throughout Good vary of slow/upbeat Best song a hazy shade of winter. 5 songs added to liked songs

Dreamy rock with some catchy tunes

Average

Such a easy listen. Very enjoyable. 3/5

Taustamusaa parilla hyvällä kipaleella varustettuna. Kolmonen on vähän yläkanttiin, mutta menköön

2 frægustu lögin fín... ekki fyrir mig America og Mrs Robinson

Supposedly a concept album, but I can't discern the story because the shadow cast by the singles is too long. Yeah, it's about "age", I guess, but that's some broad brush strokes. Still, some excellent songwriting on display. Unsurprisingly, really.

The duo have undeniable pop chops, but this record is far from Bridge's heights. The songs are polished and precious stones, but so is the package they come in: Hits do not a transcendent work make.

Sure, there are better S&G albums… Wednesday Morning 3am, The Sounds of Silence, Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme, Bridge Over Troubled Water…. but… I guess I’m not sure where I was going with that.

Um álbum agradável com musicas cativantes. Mas não é bem o meu estilo, deve ser da Mrs. Robinson, infelizmente não é o meu. Nota:6/10

Starts a bit experimental then turns into a great nostalgic album.

It's just ok. I almost feel guilty for not liking it more; people I respect rave about Simon & Garfunkel. I've tried, and I just don't get it. Even in their best songs there are awkward segments that just don't do it for me. The sweeping majesty of America pauses to add some woodwind noodling at one point. It's just not that impressive to me.

Really liked the song Fakin' It

Fav tracks: Old Friends, Bookends (reprise), A Hazy Shade of Winter, America, Overs Worst tracks: Fakin it Algunas canciones me recuerdan a los Beatles y Bowie. Ms. Robinson ya la había escuchado en el soundtrack de Once upon a Time de Tarantino (aún no lo perdono). A Hazy Shade of Winter fucking slaps

This is an okay album. Some recognizable classics. Probably won't seek it out to listen to.

hello darkness my old friend

Honestly better than I expected. I was worried it would be a little bland and uninteresting at times, but it had a lot more feel than I expected. Head bopping was much more prevalent than I thought it would be, and I mostly enjoyed the slower parts as well. Overall really good.

I was not on enough drugs to fully enjoy this.

Definitely suffers from following up Revolver. I think S&G will always be a greatest hits band for me. America, Mrs Robinson, Hazy Shade Of Winter are all fantastic, but some of the slower tracks just feel really insipid.

Pleasant to start then lost its way with atonal noodling in the middle!

They're on pot.

"Fakin' It," "Hazy Shade of Winter," and "At The Zoo" are great tracks. The rest were kind of boring.

3.5

one good song

Fine folk

weird

its alright album, i guess it has a theme but the old people 'track' is a little bit odd

I'm torn on this one. Whilst not wanting to play it again, I did enjoy the second half quite a bit. The first half was certainly experimental, and unfortunately, some of those experiments didn't seem to work. Saying that, it was a lot better than the Simon solo album I had to listen to 2 days ago!

Buen disco, esperaba más

All of the classics are at the end of the album. One track is just recordings of old people. Basic stereo used and often feels unbalanced. I can understand why people take comfort from these songs and best of all they don't just sing about love.

Not really a big fan of Simon & Garfunkel. Mr Robinson is great and I recall liking some other stuff on the Graduate soundtrack but otherwise I find them kinda boring. I can understand why this record is important and probably loved by many but for me there are too many strings and things are generally just too sweet and meandering. Though it does get a bit more uptempo on side 2. Just my preference, but I prefer folk music (and music generally) with a bit more of an edge (regardless of tempo).

Well, I like a lot of S&G hits, but this album doesn’t do it for me. Simon himself says that the second side is full of throwaway tracks and that seems obvious to me, even if I like them more than the first side. I like the two big singles America and Mrs. Robinson of course. Fakin it and A Hazy Shade of Winter are ok, but not enough. No better than a 3/5

Nice album but not great. 3 great songs ("America", "Mrs. Robinson", "A Hazy Shade of Winter") and the rest were ok. Can't really call this a good album even though I'm a big fan of Simon & Garfunkel.

3.5 | Se me hizo un disco muy extraño, primero lo escuche sin leer nada sobre él y me dejó dudoso sobre como inicia y termina lo que sería el lado 1 y como había una pista de gente hablando... leí y vi que la idea es el album concepto de una persona desde su nacimiento a la muerte. No creo que el concepto esté muy bien centrado o cuajado. Sí, tiene los Bookends, que son agradables y dan medio ambiente, esas pistas de personas hablando y todo... pero las canciones como tal se sienten desconectadas, inicia con una canción que por un lado suena refrescante a algo que no se espera de S&G mucho más fuerte y luego pasa y regresa a una balada tal cual de guitarra lo más clásico de ellos, y de ahí no sale mucho y algunas suenan bien otras normal... las letras al poner atención sí medio hablan de cuando nace... y cuando crece y muere pero la verdad nada espectacular. Como disco concepto no me convence nada. Ahora... el Lado B, ese lado que está de sobra y se supone es música de la película El Graduado... maravilloso, clásico con las verdaderas canciones grandes de ellos que vienen en el disco... El lado que pusieron como de extra para rellenar termina a mi gusto siendo el lado mucho más relevante y su lado de disco concepto podría saltarlo sin cuidado. “Mrs. Robinson”, “A Hazy Shade of Winter” y “At the Zoo” una tras otra, maravilloso. Lo mejor del disco eran las "sobras." Buenas canciones en ese lado, como disco se siente disparatado y sin cohesión.

Por qué querer hacer un disco conceptual sobre la vida, obra y muerte a los 25 años? Si siento que está bien el disco pero el lado B está mejor estructurado y pues era el relleno.

I went in not expecting much and I was right for most of the album. However, the last three songs were really good and unlike the rest of the album. Overall it wasn't the most interesting of albums, but the last three songs saved it for me. Favorite track: A Hazy Shade of Winter

Nice and chill, just not my thing.

Only 29 minutes long, so might as well be an EP. Still it felt like there was too much filler. The first half is a concept 'suite' and is mostly twee folksy numbers. The second half is a collection of short folk pop, ending with Mrs. Robinson, A Hazy Shade of Winter and At the Zoo, all of which are amazing. Good enough to bring my rating up to 3 star, just.

beautiful, happy, mixture of mellow and energetic songs, concept album representing life

Alvin i Teodor >>> Simon ovdje

Takes a while to get going (America aside) but there’s enough hits here to make it worthwhile.

Nice melodies

I don't think I like this album very much, too "artsy" for me. Liked a couple tracks tho.

Some classics in this album.

Concept album that sounds like a movie soundtrack. The familiar tracks are era-defining, but overall the whole didn't impress me. I guess you had to be there.

some classic songs - not totally convinced how it all hangs together as an album

Behalve Mrs. Robinson voor mij geen echte uitschieters; genietbaar album, maar ook niet veel meer dan dat.

Kinda weak, didn't care much for this

{shrug}

Fine

Zij weer. Best een paar goede nummers maar ook erg ziijg.

Sympa et chillax

Klasyczny material od duetu simonowo grafunkelowego, ale nie az tak klasyczny jak sounds of silence czy bridge over troubled water, jak ostatnie sluchowisko bylo 2 godzinnym maratonem, tak tutaj zaledwie 27 materialu, z czego jeszcze b side to resztki z soundtracka graduate, wiec motywy mlodosci, glupoty, rozczarowan, natomiast a side ma praktycznie tracki tylko z akustykiem bez zadnych fanaberii, ciekawy jest rowniez kawalek voices of people, ktory pelni role skitu wprowadzajacego do zakonczenia pierwszej czesci albumika, na plejke wrzucilem oczywiscie mrs robinson, jako jeden z najbardziej hitowych kawalkow duosa, oraz america, czyli liryczne poszukiwanie hameryki ktorej juz nie ma

Good album

Somber, very humbling music. Whole albums about death.

Mrs. Robinson is on this. Folky and easy to listen to. 6/10.

America, Mrs. Robinson and A Hazy Shade of Winter are amazing songs. Definitely some weird stuff in the album as well like Voices of Old People. Overall, I liked the album.

Folk

Mrs. Robinson is always fun, but the song that stood out to me listening to the album all the way through was A Hazy Shade of Winter with its foot-stomping energy. The Zoo was one that I hadn't heard before, but I enjoyed the lyrics a lot. Had a lot of similarities with Paul Simon's songs after he left. Had some duds though, I feel like this album is a good example of how the best songs from old artists trickle down through history while the less-than-great songs are pretty much forgotten. Would do 3.5/5 if I could for this variance in my enjoyment.

Prefer their other stuff. This felt like an odd mix.

They surprised me a little in a good way - more experimentation than I am used to thinking of them. For example I was NOT expecting for that synth to drop in Save the Life of My Child. Of course Mrs Robinson is an absolute classic. The end seemed abrupt, the way the last words of the album were "at the zoo..."

Good album, classic songs and songwriting.

Has some of their best songs on it. I can see why its a classic. But its less than 30 minutes, kind of jarring when it just ends so quickly.

3.5/5 Good folksy rock sound, little disjointed

Bit tepid at points but it's a nice piece of late 60s American innocence

enjoyed

Is Simon and Garfunkel that good where I've had to listen to 4-5 albums out of 1001?

Mielikuva Simon & Garfunkelista oli hyvin akustispainotteista fiilistelyä, mutta tämähän olikin välillä aika rokkaavaakin menoa. Kakkosbiisin aikana oli tarkistettava että onkohan nyt ihan oikea levy soimassa. Tykkäsin, mutta en niin paljoa kuin ennen kuuntelua olin olettanut.

Pretty good. I really like the songs America and Mrs. Robinson. Not one I'd listen to repeatedly, but it's not bad.

Good ol S&G. Didnt really care for it. Not good, not bad. Just not my type. Didnt know any songs on this one but won't listen to it ever again 🤷‍♂️ 3 stars

weird and folky

Was alright. Not my kind of music

It has Mrs Robinson and Hazy Shade of Winter

Again, just not my thing.

Love some tracks but the album is a bit hard to listen because some songs are quite unusual

Fairly good. Much preferred the B Side over A Side, namely because of ‘Mrs. Robinson’. Most of the album didn’t really grab my attention but that song and ‘A Hazy Shade of Winter’ were memorable.

2.5

tem algumas músicas que eu gostei, mas, no geral, um album estranho

Meh.

..

I dunno man maybe they have lost some of their spark but I found this so boring. My first DNF in a while

A pabulum of music.

Фолк дуэт Саймона и Гарфанкеля мне симпатичен их главными хитами типа Sound Of Silence или Bridge Of The Trouble Water. Мне кажется их творческий дуэт хорош и без концептуально-психоделических номеров коим является Bookends. Отдельными треками это все те же добрые и атмосферные 60е, но со второй стороны они пытаюсь быть чуть большим, чуть более масштабным чем просто умные и литературные фолк песни. Мне кажется это им не идет и из за таких вот вставок и филеров типа «Voices Of Old People” альбом начинает разваливаться. Но отдельные треки типа “America”, “Save The Life of My Child” и “A Hazy Shade Of Winter” действительно хороши.

Fine, it’s weird their biggest song is about how an old women is loved by Jesus. Are they super religious ?. Lots of Beatles influence, soft voices.

I mean... it's fine...

mag die 2. Seite deutlich mehr als die erste, fühlt sich generell chaotisch an fav tracks: A hazy shade of winter, Mrs. Robinson, Fakin' It

Too slow and boring for me.

I am always left wanting by S&G. I think I should love this, but I often finding myself wishing they'd just get on with it. Sadly low score from me on this album, which I've tried many times to love.

These two goobers set back musical duos by decades.

Didn’t do much for me 2.5

Didn't enjoy this at all.

Ik ben niet zo'n grote fan van Simon & Garfunkel. Een aantal nummers, zoals "save the life of my child" verraste me wel. Een aantal andere nummers op het album, zoals "voices of old people" (wat eigenlijk ook geen nummer was) spraken me absoluut niet aan. Ik voel niet de behoefte om hier vaker naar te luisteren.

Most of the album felt like beautifully made background music—pleasant while it was playing, but difficult to remember once it was over. The lyrics also didn't resonate with me. Many of the songs felt abstract, and even after three complete listens, I struggled to connect with what Simon was trying to communicate. The folk sound was pleasant but rarely memorable, and aside from "A Hazy Shade of Winter," very little stayed with me after the album ended. I only saved one of the twelve tracks, and I don't see myself returning to the album. It's a respected classic, but not one that speaks to my tastes. 2/5

Meh

It was alright. I do not think it holds up in 2026. Becuase I already heard albums like these many times. Will I listen to the album again? Probably no

This is my second, maybe third, Simon and Garfunkel album on here. Despite them being pretty much the most boomery of the boomery groups, I generally have enjoyed what I’ve heard. Their sense of melody is exceptional. This album has them branching out sonically, and it largely falls flat. The synths on “Save The Life of My Child” feel like they’re there just because it was new technology at the time, so why not use them. It’s not an interesting use of the instrument and it doesn’t bring anything to the song either. Simon and Garfunkel had incorporated sound collage into their songs prior of this, such as on “7 O’Clock News” on their previous album; “Voices of Old People” does the same but without the music and brings nothing to the album. At thirty minutes this album is too short for throwaways. This isn’t exactly the experimentalism of The Beatles, though I’m sure it was in response to it. When they stick to their more folky roots there are some high moments. “America” is a brilliant song, as is “Mrs. Robinson”. Overall though this wouldn’t make my personal 1001 albums list.

Temazo Mrs. Robinson. El resto del disco la verdad es que sin más, no me ha dicho nada.

No soy especialmente fan de esta gente y además el disco este quitando un par de canciones es aun menos de mi gusto. Entiendo igual lo experimental y artístico de tener 2 minutos a viejos hablando sin mucho sentido pero no me ha convencido.

First half is tough to listen to. 2nd half is a mix of hits that were previously released.

не моё + не понял

Just way too boring for me 1,5/5

This is whack. Sorry Simon

I know they’re icons, but I’ve realized that I only like a few of their greatest hits. Too slow for me.

Meh. Slow

It's all very flowy and dreamy, except Mrs Robinson, which really doesn't belong on this album.

Vas y c'est ok tier

Что-то непонятное, но не бесит

Pretty dull. Some nice melodic songs but I wouldn't listen again. I'll give a 2

Smooth and soft vocals Great instrumentals Songs are too short but nice and chill vibes More so background music Good transitions in between songs but "Old People talking" ruins the entire listening experience imo. Not any memorable tracks. Great if you want something to put you to sleep. "America", "Mrs. Robinson" only good tracks It being 30min boosted it from a 1.5 to a 2

No. 2.3

Forgive me, Simon and Garfunkel. This just isn't doing it for me.

I love Simon and Garfunkel, but this album just isn't very good. The concept doesn't really work, and there are only about 2 and a half good songs on the album. And one of them is Mrs. Robinson, which is from a completely different album and was only included, I'm assuming, due to sales. I was very dissapointed listening to this album. On the plus side, I heard A Hazy Shade of Winter for the first time, which is a top 5 song of theirs in my opinion, so it wasn't a total loss.

I can hear the talent but apart from the obvious Mrs Robinson this album did nothing for me really

"oh hey it's got Mrs. Robinson" And that was all it had

good tunes but a bit too old for me

There were a couple tracks that stood out to me, “Old Friends” and “Punky’s Dilemma”. But nothing else was very noteworthy about the album.

Apart from the song that accompanied 'The Graduate' ('Mrs Robinson'), which is a classic and maybe 'America', this album has little to keep you occupied. I prefer 'Sounds of Silence' or "Bridge Over Troubled Water' or even 'Wednesday Morning, 3AM'.

Nicht meins

instrumental part is great but feels messy

How is this considered a great album, let alone one of S&G's best? The last 3 songs redeem it somewhat, but that first 20 minutes or so is a SLOG to get to Mrs. Robinson and Hazy Shade of Winter. Hard pass.

A random collection of snippets and tracks, that doesn't convince at all.

Boring

Not my cup of tea.

Not really my thing outside of Mrs. Robinson tbh. It's so 60's and so soft and I'm not really here for that? The synth at the start of Save the Life of My Child is kinda amazing though, I almost want to sample that in some kind of heavy electronic way. This being a concept album is also really fascinating! I think if I listened to it as a teen I would have been much more into it, but as it is it's a solid album that isn't really for me.

When young people were getting into rock and roll, oldies looked upon their music and found it dreadful. I imagine this album is one of the exceptions. It's calm and agreeable folk pop music with a bit of a poetic throughline. The skits really stretch out what would be a very tight album. Ultimately I didn't care for it. I wasn't in a good mood going into it and even Mrs. Robinson wasn't enough to hold this album up. There's a lot to appreciate here, but I'm not going to pretend I had a fun time, this was pretty boring. This album is best listened to very quietly in a silent room with a warm cup of cocoa.

Like when Adam Driver said Outer Space but it's the whole album

I don’t see what’s so amazing about this album. Mrs. Robinson is an all time classic but I wasn’t impressed by anything else

This sounds too dated for me to really enjoy.

Too dry and melancholic for me. Music and melody didn't quiet pick me.

Algo diferente a lo que se escucha jo. muchos sonidos, me pareció un poco aburrido. Algo corto. pero original

New york Nostalgia back and journeying across america.

Thanks to this project I am getting down on Paul Simon. It's what beige sounds like. I compared it to a mouthful of mayonnaise. I do like Mrs Robinson and a Hazy Shade of Winter but otherwise pass.

Album#5 ----------- 1) 3/5 2) 2.5/5 3) 2.5/5 4) 2/5 5) 2/5 6) 2.5/5 7) 2.5/5 8) 3/5 9) 2.5/5 10) 3/5 11) 3.5/5 12) 2.5/5 ----------- This was another rough one. I either am not in the mood to listen to Folk music or I just don't like it. Might comeback to it if someone I know says they like it.

One good original song.

Never heard this album, expected to like it, since it's got some real classics, but the stuff I hadn't heard was really not good. All those concept album strings are groaning. It's ok, but I'd rather hear all its best songs in a Greatest Hits sequence then here.

otros beatles. siguente album

THIS ALBUM IS PRETTY GOOD! I loved the old friends song, while it’s not my style completely I can admire some of the lines and guitar in it!

fakin'it, mrs robinsoon, at the zoo, a hazy shade of winter

I was never gonna like this, really, but I was a bit surprised by the cool tape effect stuff on "Save the Life..." And "Voices of Old People" was kind of a cool idea if Rob Reiner hadn't stolen it for When Harry Met Sally. "Mrs Robinson" is a kinda cool song, as is "Hazy Shade," though The Bangles made it better.

The great songs can’t save this one.

The songs here are really the same thing again and again I still really enjoyed “Old Friends”, the rest were just boring. What was with the english muffins and the old people talking? I wouldn't listen to the album again, I could only fall asleep to it.

The vocals are nice and convey very well the nostalgic or melancholic feelings of the story the first half of the album is telling. Overall that story is ... endearing? I can at least say that I liked Voices of Old People. In terms of music, or instrumental music, it was really simple, and I was not satisfied or impacted by what the songs were trying to say. Idk if it's just not my style, that what I'm looking for can't be found in this type of music, or if maybe it was really that weak of an album.

Un tema muy mítico

Surprised to have found brilliant lyrics such as “wish I was an English muffin” haven’t give s&g a real go and look prob won’t again

Punky's Dilemma

I dunno, weird. Mrs. Robinson good

not really a huge fan because im not too into this kind of old music but actually not as bad as expected :)

Blah.

Many of the songs on this album are great songs. Their presentation here is less than ideal. I would say that most, in fact probably all, of the enjoyable songs on this record are far more enjoyable in cover versions and/or live versions recorded years later. It surprised me how much I disliked the production on this LP. And also how grating I found Art Garfunkel's presence. Listening to the album I just kept thinking how much better Paul sounds on his own. The bonus track "At the Zoo" was my favorite, maybe because I wasn't familiar with it so it felt fresh.

Yeah, I don't know. It was all over the place. Every time I heard something that I liked, they changed it up immediately. Not for me.

I struggled through this one. Everything that made their previous album so amazing seems to be missing here and all you are left with is what feels like stuff that didn't make their previous album. There's a fine line between experimentation and craftsmanship, and this just feels like experimentation. Nothing really memorable and I found myself zoning out during a lot of the songs.

I remember listening to this prior to here because I really liked the songs "America" and "Mrs Robinson." I vehemently understood then why just because an album has some killer singles does not mean the rest is great and this is a exceptional example. Just mind numbing material, that's what it is. A 30 minute album dragging hard is completely crazy to me but It can happen I suppose. I also think Simon & Garfunkel stuff isn't for me, just to add to the negativity train. My reasoning is that because this album and the critically-acclaimed Bridge Over Troubled Water was miss. Some positive things to leave on a semi-good note is that, the aforementioned "America" Is a god-tier song. I first listened to that song from the Yes cover, which I didn't like, I then stumbled across the original not knowing at first it was the same song, and fell in love with it. Oh and "A Hazy Shade of Winter" isn't half-bad I s'pose. AND last but not least of the note-worthy songs is "Mrs. Robinson" which I don't need to state how good that classic is because it's just THAT good. Highlight Song/s: "America" and "Mrs Robinson"

Not really a fan. Wanted to like it but found it kind of boring. Favorites: old friends, fakin it, Mrs Robinson. Good harmonies, guitar playing, song dynamics (I liked when old friends built and reached a climax). Glad I listened but just didn't love it

This album sure feels like an odd mix that doesn't go together. Which is weird, because half of it is a 'concept' (which I never grasped onto), so you'd think it'd flow better. I don't know how to rate this. On one hand, you have some fantastic tracks like "America", "Mrs. Robinson", and "Hazy Shade of Winter". And then theres "Save The Life Of My Child", which is a odd sounding experiment mixing folk with Moog synthesizers and a vocal choir. Or, "Voices Of Old People", which is literally just that, which has no real redeeming relistening value. Despite the great songs, as an album, it's a mess, and not that great as a whole.

I liked this okay.

Pas mon style d’écoute quotidienne, j’ai l’impression d’entendre un prémice des Beatles Fakin’ it est très cool

There are too many men on this list. Self important drivel.

Overall not my thing but Punky’s Dilemma is the cutest song I’ve ever heard 😭😭😭😭

Favourite tracks: Old Friends, A Hazy Shade of Winter A really interesting album with a range of different tracks. Of course, personally, I didn't favour the slow and moodier tracks but I did quite enjoy the orchestral elements in 'Old Friends'. While it might not be one of my favourites, 'Save the Life of My Child' is a track that it took me a couple listens to like. At first it was a bit jarring but after focusing on the lyrics a bit I enjoy the exploration of this scene of a kid about to jump. All in all, I don't think this album is for me. I know it's supposed to explore the theme of life and growing old but it just didn't click with me. The varying vibe of each track really didn't work. Maybe if the track order was done a bit better with the upbeat tracks at the start and the moodier tracks at the end then I would've like it. 2.5/5

Well, there's nothing wrong but I just did not like it that much.

This was an alright listen on my way to work. It got saved by 2 or 3 songs for me. Mrs. Robinson, A Hazy Shade of Winter, and I think Fakin' it were my favorites. Weird beginning, solid ending to the album. I don't think I will go searching to play this again, but would let it ride if it came on randomly. 5.2/10

Very average album. I like S&G but not this one. Highlights... Mrs Robinson America 4.5/10

Kruder & Dorfmeister are better than Simon & Garfunkel, that's all I've got to say on this one.

Not really an album, just some half thought out knurdling. Mrs Robinson is good though.

Too cute for moi. I like Hazy Shade of Winter.

Hallo, het is ik met wat ongevraagde Simon & Garfunkel slander. Van tevoren was ik bang voor 30 minuten aan gezapige Sound of Silence-achtige jankplaten. Het was... minder gezapig dan ik vreesde, maar vrolijk heeft het me niet gemaakt. De groot redder in nood komt pas helemaal achter in de tracklist: Mrs. Robinson is een absolute all-timer. Daarna is het gelukkig snel voorbij.

Way too mellow for me. Had to skip Voices of Old People.

This is not very good. Even Mrs. Robinson, which is the only one from the album that I knew, isn't that good. I honestly thought I'd enjoy Simon & Garfunkel since I do love Sound of Silence, but this is nowhere close to it. Or Sound of Silence isn't as good as I actually remember. That being said, it's not bad, so giving it 2 stars.

I tried - so many times. It's just not my jam. Sorry, S&G!

Too slow for my taste

Meh

its not my favourite genre

What in the world was "Voices of Old People"?

heard they were “best friends” (gay). cute. not cute enough tho. 2.

This a 3 but it started annoying me so Im bumping it to a 2

I'm surprised how underwhelming this album is, as I do like S&G quite a bit. Since this is a concept album, I'm judging it as a unified piece of work, and as such, it's a complete failure. Some individual songs are great, but as a cohesive piece of work this is not a good one. The concept drags in some bad songs and awkward sections that simply degrade the experience. The conept gives absolutely no favors to the listener. Too bad.

Good album, but I prefer Simon as a solo artist.

Bof, pas mon truc ces années là

Not my cup of tea

Very disappointing album. Slow, boring and only a couple of songs that were decent.

Decent

The good part about this album is it’s only 29 minutes

2/5 Duas músicas com melodias interessantes num certo marasmo criativo. o equivalente a sorvete de baunilha.

Underwhelming. Disjointed. Not a fan.

This is some of the most tedious "great" stuff ever. This one has one song that I will listen to...

I'm always enjoy Simon & Garfunkels effortless harmonies and storytelling. However, aside from the well-known Mrs Robinson and a one or two other tracks, the others songs left little impression

Bookends aims for a reflective life-cycle concept, but beyond the familiar pull of “Mrs. Robinson,” it struggled to leave a lasting musical impression.

Die erste Hälfte ist ein Album mit gutem Konzept und Songs die ich zum Einschlafen finde. Die zweite Hälfte hat kein Konzept mehr aber Songs die Spaß machen und wirklich gut sind. Das ist für mich dann leider kein gutes Album sondern zwei gute EPs die hier als Album verkauft wurden. Dem ganzen kann ich deshalb nicht mehr als 2 geben da es als Album so versagt

30min de week rustig beginnen. Alleen Voices of soms People was me wel iets te experimenteel

pretty dull and the best song is of course better by the Bangles

Kinda slow, 2 stars

cuántas canciones tengo que escuchar para saber si me gusto este álbum? voy en la séptima y me sigo preguntando los mismo. mrs. robinson es la única canción que conozco y me encanta! me cuesta un poco creer que forma parte de este álbum, pero en fin, por lo menos lo terminaré de escuchar, aunque me este aburriendo un poco

4.5/10

2/12 songs added not for me

I love them but this album frustrated me. 2

Listen, I love Simon & Garfunkel. "Bridge Over Troubled Water" album? One of the best albums out there. "Bookends," on the other hand? What was going on? How can a song like "America" be on the same album as "Save the Life of My Child".... Also, "Voices of Old People" is such a funny name. Like what is that.... I don't know. It had potential, but it just wasn't there for me. Giving it 2 stars because "America" and "Old Friends" are masterpieces.

Kind of a superficial album lyrically and soncially, released at the beginning of a worldwide revolution.

yeah ...

2.5 is more appropriate. Im just not on the Paul Simon is a genius train. Sure, a couple of solid songs here and there. To me they are unremarkable.

Why does Simon look so scared? 2/5

Not really my type of music but it’s ok, sometimes a bit dreary and boring then sometimes to odd.

3eme album de S&G proposé, après "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme" et "Bridge Over Troubled Water" que j'avais trouvés très moyens (notés 2/5). Celui ci n'est pas mieux ... 'America' et 'Mrs Robinson' le sauvent de la note minimale. =>2/5

Folk não é meu estilo. Ouvi e destaco 3 músicas: "Old Friends", "Mrs. Robinson" e principalmente "A Hazy Shade Of Winter". Essa última eu amei e entrou pra minha playlist. A mensagem dela é muito oportuna pra véspera de ano novo, época em que me encontro conhecendo esse álbum. Nunca pensei que fosse gostar de uma música de Simon & Garfunkel. Mas, no geral, disco sem graça. 2/5.

It was good, I will listen again but ehhh

Despite there being some great classics on this album it is just far too slow for my taste. I now know why I know the songs from this album that I know, because the rest of the songs are boooooring. Could be a three song album and call it a day.

folk. chill. mellow. easy.

Sound of 60s - same like many Good production quality- unlike many Terrible songwriting - worse than the average Terrible performance- same like most of 60s I did not enjoy listening to this record and no tracks were added to my collection

Lovely but not entirely my cup of tea

Mrs. Robinson was good. A Shady Haze of Winter wasn't bad. Most of it was very forgettable, though. 👍Mrs. Robinson

Weird mix between britpop and a LITERAL LULLABY. I hated how slow most of the songs were and their voices just droned on and on like not for me AT ALL. Idk what it is about this decade of britpop but I’m certainly not feeling all peace and love like what the 60s were. Not a great starter album for me. 3/10

I was not prepared to dislike this as much as I did. Tween me thought "America" was magnificent and profound. But this is clearly the weakest of their albums.

Didn't Love it. 2 stars. Sorry!

For me Simon & Garfunkel either hit big or not at all. Couple great songs but mostly stuff not for me. 1/5 didn’t finish the album 2/5 didn’t keep the album 3/5 kept it and will listen when songs randomly show up on shuffle 4/5 kept it and will listen to it again on my phone 5/5 buying the vinyl

Beautiful instrumental Can definitely see the influence this would have but not my vibe

this album is lucky to have "Mrs. Robinson" and "America" on it, because otherwise i don't care (also, a full track on old people talking - seriously?)

not my style but their voices are really good and comfortable

Not for me

I love Paul Simon. While this is a good album it does not meet what this group or Simon on his own is capable of. There are good even great songs on here but in total its average for people with this amount of skill and talent.

1. nice strings 2 into very different sounding track 3 beatles vibes i like mrs Robinson is one i know off the album overall fun vibes and good to listen while studying but not exactly for my playlists or at least not yet

t's not really my cup of tea, as it has a big focus on lyrics. Easy listening, good vibes and doesn't sound too dated, albeit disjointed, which can be explained by the fact that one the LP sides is a collection of leftovers from a previous record.

3/10 Top track: Mrs. Robinson Couple of great tracks but lots of filler.

Painfully dull. It’s easy to drift away and forget that the record is playing. I really don’t see what the fuss is about. Meh. Simon and Blah-funkel is a more apt name for this duo.

Second Simon & Garfunkel record. It's been just over 50 albums since I listened to Bridge Over Troubled Water. Despite having a great album cover, I didn't feel all too strongly about the music. There were one or two good songs in there, though the rest was just unremarkable folk. Not a folker, what can I say? I'm not yet convinced that this album will work for me if their big release failed to click, but stranger things have happened. Thirty minutes. I used to be dubious of these short albums when I was starting out with this list, though I can't get enough of 'em lately. I've been rolling way too many hour-ten albums of late. Anyways, this is fine. I appreciate the intimacy of this music, both in sound and songwriting. Simon & Garfunkel are solid vocalists for the folk genre, too. I just don't feel strongly towards it thanks to my non-folking tendencies. "America" is alright. Decent vocal melody, and I like how the song builds. The organ works surprisingly well, too. I've consistently disliked the organ prior to undertaking this listening pilgrimage, though I may just come around after this. "Overs" features a nice acoustic guitar performance. "Mrs. Robinson" is classic folk. Some pretty good vocals, and I, again, like the intricate acoustic guitars. Book time. "...their most intellectual album", though that's about it. I get the impression that three Simon & Garfunkel albums on this list is kind of lowballing it given how timeless their music is, so I can advocate for this pick on those grounds. I cosign this inclusion.

mäh

I'm not a big Simon and Garfunkel fan, I can only take so much whisper-singing over soft guitar. This is probably my least-favorite of their albums I've heard as well. That said, I realize they are undeniably influencial. 2.5 -> 2

mid!

not my style, type of songs my dad would listen to tbh

I do love their comfortable soothing music and think that they are the most loveable Hippies. But this short story-driven album is not it.

Again not really feeling it. Picked up a little bit towards the end but I just don’t know who would have this in there list of favourite albums.

Didn't care for the audiobook style stories with a few tunes in the background.

I would pay money to never listen to another album on which the artist does their best Bob Dylan impression.

Wtf is this

Not a bad record, but it feels a bit disjointed and inconsistent with the “Bookends” front half, then a smattering of singles from the Graduate afterward.

Lwk tråkig asf

With the exception of the two obvious songs, soooo boring...

The hits are great of course, but the rest of the tracks are not amazing. Also quite the wtf moment with old men talking in the middle of the album.

All of the earlier Paul Simon albums I encountered in both this project and my life have used up my good faith listening. Maybe Art Garfunkel deserves better but so far I can't be motivated to listen to more than the first few songs.

Decent

This whole LP is less than 29 minutes, more of an EP really. The vocal harmonies have always been too twee & clean for me, add a flute & it’s too much. For sure a unique sound & atmosphere though, like a faded photograph. There’s spoken dialogue in the middle which makes no sense. ‘Mrs Robinson’ is irritatingly catchy, just annoying. Just not my cup of tea this.

Didn’t like it very much

It just bored me. Mrs Robinson saved this from a 1

i liked the weird parts

I love the graduate so much so this may be benifiting from that. All the songs are great but I didnt particularly remark on them. Mrs robinson is soo good though. Fav = mrs robinson

Oni su pravili dosadne (predosadne) pjesme koje imaju potencijala za dobre prepjeve. Nisam znala da Mrs. Robinson nije od Lemonheads ni da Hazy Shade of Winter nije od Bangles.

Could not casual listen to it, a little too artsy and weird. I got excited thinking it was a different album (a better album)

Just not for me.

Mrs. Robinson is good, the other songs not so much

Oddly poor

Not my style

Not a huge fan of Simon and Garfunkel. 2.5 stars.

I was not super impressed. A couple songs I knew and love and then a bunch of filler.

3 for the 3 songs, I knew and like enough, plus a couple that were tolerable. The other half dropped this album rating in my book. ———————————— My non-musician scoring system. 5 - Love it. Would play anytime, buy, see live… 4 - Good music. 3 - Average playlist. Depends on time and setting. 2 - I can’t listen to entire songs…skipped ahead on many/all of them. 1 - No.

This album is terrible until towards the end, it has the iconic Mrs. Robinson and A Hazy Shade of Winter, which are very enjoyable.

classic

It’s kind of wistful and chill but I’m not sure I get it

Lazy boys with lazy hair

nogal flauwtjes

Kind of experimental that time but still classic thing, could tell by the lyrics. Not my type but it soothes people

Vähän sellaista muniin puhaltelua suurin osa biiseistä

As Amy Santiago would say "Ya Boring"

This album sounds like the sort of thing someone born in the 40s or 50s would go crazy for. Proper grandparent vibes. ‘Mrs Robinson’ and ‘a hazy shade of winter’ absolutely save this album from a 1 star review. There were only 3 or 4 tracks that actually sounded like songs. Apart from those two songs, not a fan.

boring

Growing up with a dad born in the early 50's - we always had AM radio on at home, (4KQ for those in Australia) and I always have nostalgia when these kinds of bands come on that were on high rotation. Usually it was the hits (rarely a deep track or a B side) And for bands like S&G I never went deep like I did with bands like Eagles, or The Doors for example. It was nice to get one under my belt. I read this was a concept album, didn't seem like the whole album landed that. Save the Life of My Child was wild, I had to check if it was a remix, incredibly original and must have sounded like nothing else back then. I added America to my playlist, A Hazy Shae of Winter (love the Bangles version more tho) and Mrs Robinson which I already had in my liked songs. It was ok, wouldn't likely listen to the whole thing again due to the filler.

Fell asleep within 5secs.

It is good, but not something I would listen all the time

This was maybe my least favorite Simon and Garfunkel album I’ve heard. Mrs. Robinson is a banger, but other than that I struggled. I also dislike hearing unintelligible lo-fi audio in the middle of recordings. Should I know what’s going on? Should I guess?

Not for me

Eeeh it wasn't really my thing. Not bad but forgettablr honestly

Meh, Simon and Garfunkel. Boring.

It just sounded like some noise to me so I really didnt enjoy it.

It’s not awful, but it’s a Simon and Garfunkel album. They’re all the same. All easily allow you to gloss over the whole thing.

didn’t like some cause i found them boring only really liked one song also ms robinson

Do we really need the Voices of Old People track?? Mrs Robinson is a classic but I'm not sure it was ever really that good anyway.

all I really knew was Mrs. Robinson. Which is still my favorite on here. I expected more from it, but it was alright.

eeeeeeeeeeeee

not many songs that caught my attention although I like Simon & Garfunkel

Niet helemaal mijn ding

This is a 'concept' album. Here's a concept...Make an album that's not totally forgettable. If it wasn't for the fact that The Graduate was an Oscar nominated movie, we wouldn't know this album even exists.

I thought it was going to like Simon and Garfunkel more. It was fine. A slower, less raspy Jim Croce maybe? It just dragged on until the last few songs. "Voices of Old People" really made it onto this album? Come on, man

Rolig, litt for kjedelig for min smak