Bookends

okay after getting past the atrocity that is "save the life of a child", america is a welcomed addition its a very short album though, is there a need for a "voices of old people" interlude?? idk, this album just screamed pretentious to be and while i enjoyed some of the songs in isolation, i can already hear some knobhead telling me i dont "get it"

I love being introduced to this album of Simon and Garfunkel. Of course, I really only recognized Mrs. Robinson which has been in numerous movies, but was written for The Graduate. Cecelia is the song I know by this duo. I found the Voices of Old People track very interesting. I believe our seniors hold so much valuable information, but sometimes trying to receive it during their final years is tricky. My heart grieves for those on the album who have passed as it is now 57 years later.

I honestly thought Simon & Garfunkel would give me more than this. Their songs are quite pretty at times ('Overs', 'Punky's Dilemma' and 'Old Friends' are the best offerings here) but I thought they would be more beautiful more often. Like they'd give me goosebumps more often than not. The rest of these tracks sound like early Beatles stuff, which is fine. But just fine, no better no worse. Even 'Mrs Robinson' - which I don't think is a particularly amazing track - has a "coo-coo-ca-choo" in it straight from 'I Am The Walrus'. (I looked it up and The Beatles did it first). Right in the middle of the album is a track called 'Voices Of Old People' and it literally is just that. I don't know if it's genius or crap. I suppose it depends on whether you like the album or not. I think it's decent at times but nothing more.

Interesting mix of songs. Mrs Robinson made famous by the movie but this seems like an album for its time rather than one that endures so I wasn't that taken with it.

it’s giving a bike ride but it was kinda mid

A little slow for me

Was looking forward to this especially based on the intro but it doesn't have as many soft melancholic melodies as I was expecting. Old Friends hits the mark. Side 2 is too poppy/not great

Not a lot of structure, found most the songs boring but I can understand how some would enjoy this kind of art. Not for me.

This is #day333 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I'm ticking off another artist as it's my final Simon & Garfunkel album. To be honest, I'm not sure I could tell the difference between the three if I were to, but I remember that I somehow liked Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme the most (rated it a 3). I might change my opinion if I had revisited it now, though. As far as Bookends go, I like the psychedelic undertones, but I'm not sure the presence of Mrs. Robinson should be saving me from giving it a 2, so... Looking forward to #day334.

This is a strange album, spoken word, instrumentals and pop songs.

Ett snodig album med noen skikkelige knallerter, men også mange unødvendige lydeffekter som gjør dette litt for rart

I don’t know how much I have to say about Simon and Garfunkel. I love the way they harmonize, and they’re great musicians, but the songs themselves, at least on this record, don’t do a whole lot for me. I know, I know, that’s damn near sacrilege to say. I’d probably spend some time with their greatest hits, but this record is legit pretty boring up until the last three tracks. 2.5/5 - and I’m probably only rating it this high for the last three tracks…though I’m rounding down to 2 stars. I’m really disappointed with this record, to be honest.

This album is so boring. It is HEAVILY carried by "America" and the extra bonus tracks. I don't understand the "concept." "A Hazy Shade of Winter" and "Mrs. Robinson" are obviously bangers tho. What the fuck was "Voices of Old People" ???? Actual rating is a 2.5. It is kinda just boring but it has moments. Liked Songs: "America" , "Fakin' It" , "Old Friends" , "Mrs. Robinson" , "A Hazy Shade of Winter" , "At the Zoo"

Honestly a lot weirder than I expected. I like weird, but it was pretty weird

Super short, but it does have Mrs. Robinson

I remember liking Simon and Garfunkel but this was pretty painful.

Good storytelling but nothing Special about the album.

2,4/5

Can an otherwise forgettable album be redeemed based on the strength of one or two songs? In the case of Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel, the answer is no. There's nothing more pretentious than people in their mid-20s writing and singing songs as if they're in their 70s, and then to put in "voices of old people" in is just boring and trite. Two stars, one star for Mrs. Robinson and one star for A Hazy Shade of Winter.

How disappointing!! Bridge Over Troubled Water was such a nice album - and then you have this?! To think Mrs Robinson is on the same album as a song where he's pretending to be an english muffin in a toaster. Shambles 2 ⭐️

There's a good reason "Greatest Hits" albums exist, and it's so you don't have to listen to entire albums like this. In other words, the singles are good and everything else is pure shit.

It started as a performance art piece and somehow ended with a pop/folk/rock album. The last three songs were great, but the first part was just wonky to me.

I can appreciate the music and their abilities but this is just not my style of music.

Now.... is this an album or an EP? It is under 30 mins, so nowadays it would be classed as an EP, right? As a whole? I think the record is overrated. Some good songs, but most of them are not great. That's just my thoughts

I was a bit disappointed by this. I don't know much about Simon and Garfunkel but my impression was: "Acoustic guitar, Garfunkel is a bit redundant, Simon is a great songwriter." But the only song I really genuinely enjoyed was "Mrs Robinson" which I new already. I wasn't expecting some of the prog rock voice samples and sounds of doors shutting either. Meh.

No

2.0/5.0: Disappointing

i was hopeful going in because i like some of paul simons solo work and the other s&g album we had was ok but this one just bored me. mrs robinson was the only track i actually enjoyed and that was probably just nostalgia. everything else ranged from forgettable to outright bad. if i had to say something nice, ill give it credit for being concise and wrapping up in under 30 minutes

This was weird. Thankfully, unlike 1968, Wikipedia was there to explain why. Without that, I would have been left wondering what the point of the first side was, and why it clashed so much with the second. Even with an explanation, however, it's still weird. I'm not completely convinced that the first side has a cohesive concept, and the second side feels like padded cheating. I do like the singles, though, so I guess I won't completely fail this meager effort.

Can't say I was really impressed. Hollywood at large must want us to remember Simon & Garfunkle, because their songs show up endlessly in movies (particularly one's about the 60's/70's, of course). However, despite their best efforts, "Mrs. Robinson" is the only songs worth remembering. Simon and Garfunkle's brand of sober, wistful folk is draining. Not to say they aren't good songwriters, musicians, or singers, but I imagine you would have to have a certain personality type in order to enjoy it with any frequency. Sadly, I am not that type, so while listening to it again was nice, I imagine it will be a few years before I do it again.

I have listened to plenty of S&G over the years. That said, this album was new to me, except for a couple of songs, and to say it was a disappointment would be an understatement. Side one is a "concept" album? The concept of putting out garbage and collecting money for it?

girls i expected better than this..

Smooth FMs pin up boys.

Meh, not for me. Somehow both too weird and too simplistic at the same time. Mrs Robinson and Hazy Shade of Winter aside, there wasn't anything I could really get on board with.

I enjoyed the large production on this album, but Simon’s voice is so hit or miss. He devalues some good songs with his talking and droning voice.

Yawn. Side B (everything after second Bookends theme) was alright though

This is just very lame. The reason this doesn’t get a 1, is the fact that mrs Robinson, the only good Simon and Garfunkel song, is on this thing. The rest is just nasal, boring stuff

I kind of hated this album and I really expected to love it. I thought I liked S&G but I guess I only know the hits. Mrs. Robinson is obviously in the pantheon of great American songs, but most of the other stuff left me flat. I don't think it's the song writing, I think it's the arranging and production. Hazy Shade of Winter is an amazing song but I just kept thinking how much I'd like someone else covering it. 1 for the album as presented, 2 for Mrs Robinson and the songwriting.

I expected to give this a 3 but it’s just not doing much for me. The songwriting isn’t bad, but the presentation and execution for lack of better words just falls flat for me.

The Lemonheads did a better job with their version Mrs Robinson. And The Bangles did a better job with Hazy Shade of Winter too. I’m just not a fan of singer songwriter stuff.

I like Simon's solo stuff. This doesn't hit as hard.

Meh

Well. I just don't like the troubadour music. First I got Bob Dylan, then Leonardo cohen and now this. I really don't hate this as much as the other albums I got before. I think the music arrangements and the vocals are very pretty. Sounds very Beatles inspired. I guess it was the sound of pop music from that era. But I just don't enjoy this kind of thing based on the lyrics more than the music.

Meh

This stinks. I don’t know what else to say about it. It’s like a 1.1. I’m rounding it way up to differentiate from Simon solo, which is worse, but I’m not happy about it.

Pretty dreary stuff.

Okay, I like an ocasional S&G song, but…not really on this album. I didn’t hate it though?

I simply don't care for it

That was boring.

Meh. There was a brief period in high school where I tried to get into Simon and Garfunkel. They’re all right, but kinda drab and boring to me. The opening track and Voices of Old People were unnecessary. The only song I can still stand is “Mrs. Robinson.” Bangles’ version of “Hazy Shade of Winter” has all the drama and drive I want out of that song-lacking in the original. Some boring Beatles/Dylan wannabe songs.

Eh not my type

Bit boring

Mrs. Robinson is a classic but I found the rest forgettable

No es witzigs Album vom Garon & Simfunkel, mit paar Lieder woni sehr gern glosst han, denn aber au einigi dezwüsche wo wahrschindli meh spasseshalber dete gsi sind. Aber "voices of old people" isch en Abriss Track wo uf kleinere Party fehle dörf!! Us strängfunkel doch nur zwei Punktunkel vom Timon & Goetschfunkel

Not really my style overall.

2+ Stars (6/15)

Watching the Blue Jean Committee episode of Documentary Now has ruined 60s folk for me. This is just too corny for me.

Didn’t care much for any of this.

Obvs some good songs, but too much pretentious twaddle.

A couple familiar but the rest I didn't care to become familiar with

I think their best song on this album is hazy shade of winter, but the bangles version is better. This album is better than the herbs album, but they still sound like they want to be Dylan or the Beatles.

2 star

A few good songs

I know theyre iconic but I found it boring and unmoving. 2 stars

kind of a nothing album for me until literally the last three tracks which is an annoying contrast.

A very mellow enjoyable listen and sound

Not bad, I mean Mrs Robinson is a banger but there’s only a few more I can talk myself into liking.

I have to be real about it, I don't like this. It's okay music, but I genuinely don't understand how this is considered so notable. It has a few good ditties on it, but otherwise the vocals are just okay, the playing is not particularly standout in any way, and most of the song aren't memorable. I don't understand what most people are seeing. C

Overall, this is an album that feels cobbled together from unrelated over-orchestrated bits and pieces. Really like the calmness of the first track and it makes the opening of the second one much more jarring and unpleasant. America still a lovely song and S&G's rendition is a good one (I've been enjoying the Courtney Marie Andrews version of this song lately). The discordant notes in Old Friends are truly unpleasant and unneeded. Nothing new here worth knowing for me.

Sometimes I find Simon and Garfunkel pleasant and endearing. Sometimes I find them to sound pretentious and overwrought. Guess which one this is.

As interesting as the album's concept is, Bookends seems like a lazy project compared to other albums by Simon & Garfunkel. Strolling through life's moments, from childhood to old age, seems like a good theme to explore, but for some reason, the duo preferred to play it safe and brought out a shallow album that doesn't even seem like an album by the duo. I listened to the songs and all I could think was "hmmm... meh".

meh

Even with Mrs. Robinson this album is only 2 stars or D for me.

Grand , not my vibe

Boring 4/10

I thought I was going to love this album but I found it a bit dull.

Borring as hell

good for calm listening 👍

I like folk music, I like Paul Simon, but I didn't really like this.

it's not a good sign when you ask yourself "is it over yet?" during a 30 minute album.

So this was pretty disappointing to me to be honest. A few good songs but the rest of it not so much. Can’t see myself listening to this again.

Ok

Yawn, what a fucking boring album.

Hazy Shade of Winter saves this album from being a total snoozefest

Spændende - Nogle kendte noter, men ikke Simon og Garfunkel som de bredt er kendte. Men hvad skete der for det stykke med samtale om glæde imellem de to ældre mennesker?! Ej hvor ville jeg gerne kunne lide den plade, da jeg faktisk godt kan lide Simon og Garfunkels lidt sjove musik univers... Men de gjorde det godt nok ikke nemt....

Not for me

I played this once. I was rather pleased it is a short album. Best track - Mrs Robinson. Otherwise very dull.

Pretty "meh" if I'm being honest.

Didn’t realize like this outside Mrs. Robinson and I was really turning a corner on simon & garf

2nd album - 9/26/2024 Did not find it all that good, though there were some songs that are on their greatest hits that I like - especially Bookends While the young Paul Simon's voice was nice to hear, I will not listen to it again.

Not to my tastes. 2/5

About as interesting as listening to my microwave heat up my Garfunkel and Oates porridge breakfast in the morning

Not a fan really.

Simon & Garfunkel having interludes in their albums, do they think they’re the Wu-Tang Clan or something?

Very chill and instruments played beautifully. Emotional. However it was also a bit boring. It’s short enough for it to not be too annoying. I can appreciate it to an extent though. Highlights: Fakin' It Mrs. Robinson

I could, and possibly should, have stopped listening after the first 5 or 6 tracks. The track of old people just talking - what the fuck is that all about? The last couple of tracks were better though. I've never really understood the love for Simon and Garfunkel, and this album has done nothing to help in that regard.

I was expecting to know and like most of these songs, but this album was pretty underwhelming

I think the way the album sounds as a whole is not good. I think bookends theme, an hazy shade of winter, and Fakin it are the most decent songs of the album yet they are still very forgettable. It’s a shame I wish the album pacing was not so poor and overall it ends up sounding messy. I don’t think i would revisit this album especially with save the life of my child and the voices of old people which were hard to listen to.

# 291 : One classic song does not make a good album. Very ordinary. Best song on here for me was Mrs Robinson.

Mrs. Robinson (the Lemonheads' version is better) and Hazy Shade of Winter (I prefer the Bangles' version) are the only songs I enjoy on this album. Maybe I'm just not in the mood for depressing lyrics and slow acoustic guitar, but I'm not a fan of this album.

Boring

6/10 Not my choice

This is an oddity and an album that I have never heard before. It has three classics (America, Mrs Robinson and Hazy Shade of Winter), quirky songs about zoo animals and extended sound clips of old people talking. Not what I would pick for a great album, especially one less than half an hour in length.

5.5/10 Nije moj đir, ali dosta dobro funkcionira kao pozadinska glazba scene kako sjedim na prozoru, gledam vjetar kako puše i pijem topli kakao. Favs: Fakin' it, A Hazy Shade of Winter, Mrs. Robinson

Phew. Uhm. Not sure how this is really an album, to be honest. One vinyl side of concept, followed by a collection of non-album singles and miscellaneous songs. Liked it more than I thought I would, but it's still Simon & Garfunkel, a duo that certainly earned its place, albeit not necessarily in my frequently played artists playlist.

An Oldie, but Goodie.

Bangers: Mrs. Robinson (of course) Really like Mrs. Robinson and a few more of the singles on side 2 but it didn't grab me as a whole. Which is weird. I thought it would have grabbed me more knowing their stuff.

I’ve only ever heard one Simon and Garfunkel song. It’s not really my thing the songs are a bit weird.

Not fond of it.

Didn’t enjoy this one - much better albums by these two out there

My least favourite S&G album. Apart from the main well known hits, the rest is a bit dull.

mm...fine ok i;ll listen to it! but they are NOT my style band.....

Little to slow and mellow for me.

Note really interested in grown men whispering to me. 2.18

not my thing

Two good tracks and a load of sixties badness.

I've enjoyed the odd S&G track over the years, but for me, this album was a mixture of mainly uninspiring songs interspersed with some nice musical moments. The big Moog moments in track 2 did make me sit up for a minute. Punky's Dilemma made me want to punch someone; were they on drugs? - bit funnier if so. Mrs Robinson is a bit of a tune. I'm boring myself writing this. Meh.

It was boring. I liked Fakin' It and Mrs. Robinson. But 2 of 12 songs? Nah...

Listen, I've got to get blood work in the morning for my physical and I don't need all this sugar and estrogen skewing my results. I don't loathe these Yankee homos, but their "talent" has always been lost on a cement head Rebel such as myself. Its most redeeming virtue is that the wife enjoyed it.

Quite a wild and daring project from these folk boys. Didn't dig it that mich I'm afraid

Mostly weird songs however I appreciate it was a short album.

literally laughed out loud with the backgroud noises Punky's Dilemma

If you want the best Simon and Garfunkel album, head straight to Bridge Over Troubled Water

Found this pretty boring, despite Mrs Robinson being a tune. ⭐️⭐️

I didn't really like this album at all - felt it was silly, jarring and unsatisfying. I guess to get an appreciation of it I would need to listen to it a lot and at this stage I really don't feel like doing that.

I liked about 4 songs on this album. I found the rest to be boring and one track was just people talking in the background.

Just alright

Except for Mrs. Robinson, this was unforgettable to me.

Found this very boring, but not actively bad

Boring. Almost fell asleep

Bit boring

While I have deep respect for Simon & Garfunkel, this album does not contain their best material (Mrs. Robinson being the only notable exception). One would think that the name alone doesn't warrant inclusion on this list, but there you go ... 2/5

Ok

Cheers to you indeed Mrs Robinson. I really wonder what leads to these whimsically random song themes lol. Would give this 2.5 if I could

Some true hits and some definite filler. Overall rather melancholy. It was a time, it was. The three good songs couldn’t carry the album. L wanted to turn it off, J grew up listening to this duo so knew most of the songs. These guys have better albums, with an “s”. Team rating comes in at (1.4*s)

It's a sleepy little album. A couple of good songs but a lot of filler. Simon & Garfunkel are such a weird thing. I feel they belong in a conversation about music history because of the unique niche they carved out. Some of their songs are great but not for any of the reasons that line up with the genres or styles that I love. Bookends specifically did little to bring me back to S&G. 2.00 stars

Meh

Wasn’t much of a fan.

Better than the last s&g album. Just don’t really like them that much.

Eh.

Weird shit. Not necessarily bad as whole tho

'twas a bit dramatic and a tiny bit twee. Master Simon fancies himself a Brit on this one. It's a bit like some Beatles albums: absolute gems interspersed with twee early 20th century vaudeville ditties.

Ik had hier al geen zin in maar heeft me ook niet mogen verbazen. Ja, tuurlijk. De samenzang van beide heren kan prachtig zijn. Maar dit is toch gewoon een saaie plaat? Of moet ik zeggen: concept-album. Dat schijnt het te zijn maar kan ik niet uit mijn luistersessie halen. En geldt zeker niet voor de gehele plaat. En "Voices of Old People"? Ga toch weg. Wat is daarvan de toegevoegde waarde? Misschien ben ik wat te kritisch. Maar aangezien er in '68 zoveel goede muziek werd gemaakt snap ik niet dat dit een hit is geworden. Highlights America Mrs. Robinson

Not their best work

sharp haircuts - bad music

Classic, but not for me.

Meh

4 recommendations, 2 Paul Simon records. I think that's enough

Would not revisit this album. it’s giving beatles too much for my personal taste. i can see how other people could enjoy it. a few of the songs sound pretty.

Neh

Not really my thing. Has some Beatles similarities. The song Old Friends has some nice strings.

I had only heard the hits and liked them, so I was kind of excited to listen to this. Man, was I disappointed. Mrs Robinson is a classic, same with Hazy Shade, but there was only one other good song (Falun’ It) and one other listenable song (At the Zoo). The rest was boring and tedious.

I thought this album would sound more folky but it surprised me. There were a few stand out songs and some songs that were just annoying.

It was fine. Not my thing. Glad I heard it tho

3/10 Only good bc mrs. Robinson Weird and scary first song

America and Mrs. Robinson are the only two I was familiar with beforehand. I like Is Voices of Old People the first attempt at ASMR? Mostly pleasant folky tunes that sorta float away once they are over, except maybe Hazy Shade of Winter and At the Zoo.

Not a fan of Simon. Not a fan of Garfunkel. I knew the combo of the 2 wasn't going to be good for me. Thought there were 3 songs I would call OK; Mrs. Robinson, A Hazy Shade of Winter and America. The Bangles do a much better version of A Hazy Shade and Susanna Hoffs is one good looking lady. There as nothing I found exciting about this album, other than remembering Susanna. Pretty bland and boring to me. Won't revisit. 2

For such a well-known, classic album by one of the all-time greatest musical duos, I didn't rate Bookends at all. It's certainly not bad but it didn't move me in any way.

Ms Robinson was good, the rest was not catchy enough to make up for the feel good sixties folk sound I can never stand...

expecting 3 stars. fun and weird at once. nah, too boring and overplayed, 2 stars.

There are a couple of standout tracks and I accept that the songs are well written (not sure about that cornflake lyric though) but it just passed me by in general and didn't really grab my attention.

2 highlights, sonst nicht gut

Easy listening.... 2 stars, nothing great

Bis auf die bekannten Hits ein konzeptloses gezuppel ohne durchgängiges Konzept. Die Stimme von Paul Simon klingt dünn und fad und macht es nicht besser. Garfunkel hilft da wenig.

Side A of bookends feels rushed and not well thought out, possibly even a little slow-paced despite its short runtime. Side B is a collection of previously recorded or released songs.. Strange to stick onto the end of a concept album. I'm indifferent to Simon & Garfunkel, and have no strong feelings about this album. It exists, I suppose.

"America" and "Mrs. Robinson" are great songs, but other than that it kind of just drones on and on. A sharp contrast to the Cat Stevens album from yesterday. I wouldn't listen to the rest of the songs again.

Estuvo simpático, pero no lo suficiente.

Painful.

It's just totally fine. Nothing I loved, but I didn't hate it either

Some good songs but the non-music tracks are distracting and detract from the album overall

There are some flashes of Simon's incredible songwriting talent on this album (most notably "America"), yet the album as whole disappoints. The mood is exploratory, as if Simon is still finding his feet as a recording artist. Worth a listen, but don't expect a masterpiece.

I didn’t know what to expect with Voices of Old People, and yet it still surprised me. What’s going on here? I’m hoping this 1,001 album redeems itself with Bridge Over Troubled Water, their magnum opus and an album that doesn’t involve non-interesting theme music and …well, old people talking. Added star for Mrs. Robinson.

I understand its importance, it's just not for me.

Nice folklore rock but lil too slow for me

1 hit wonder

- intro of 'Save the Life of My Child' scared the shit out of me - gave me jungle vibes - surprised i lasted the whole album overall alright - wouldn't voluntarily listen

Two big hits and a lot of mediocre filler. Also they said elephants are dumb in one of the songs which may be the stupidest thing ever.

Pas trop fan mais ça reste intemporel

Mrs. Robinson is so much different then the rest of the album.

Vanhuksille (y)

Seemed like their originals were very Beatles inspired and it didn't help that they had a Beatles cover on there. I personally prefer The Rolling Stones to The Beatles so I'll give it a solid 4.5/10

Not a fan

A couple good songs but overall pretty bad.

Too many extremes: synthesizer, old s & g, montevani, i don't know. I liked a few songs but not the whole thing. Fakin It works for me.

Shockingly, a concept album from 55 years ago.... doesn't slap.

Meh only one song worth listening to and that was Mrs. Robinson.

It's Simon & Garfunkel... Pretty ok. Mrs. Robinson was really the only standout song and the rest were meh at best. 2/5

75% of this album is hot trash.

The couple of hits at the end are a bit of fresh air after the rest of the drivel on this album and I don’t even particularly like those hits.

Folk-rock duo known for their harmonies and acoustics.

The length of the Wikipedia summary for the album tells me something. This is a pretentious record sparse on attractions. The spoken word bit in the middle is funny, though. Anyway, Paul Simon is a massive jerk. Kinder Simon: have you heard Steven Van Zandt's anecdote about getting that massive jerk removed from an anti-apartheid assassination hitlist? Confess an unkillable fondness for "America" having heard it countless times in my parents' car for that year or two when they had the live Central Park tape on repeat. Ditto "A Hazy Shade of Winter". They could write genuinely unforgettable tunes. They have also inspired entertaining writing by people who hate them. My friend Lourens wrote: "Ugh. A campfire-proof Dire Straits." And I'll leave the last word to the poet Brett Eugene Ralph: "Garfunkel? As my old man used to say, "Art Garfunkel? That sounds like a dirty word." And so it is. Why listen to Simon & Garfunkel so long as Everly Brothers recordings are available? S & G are to the Everlys as Kingdom Come is to Zeppelin, as Pat Boone is to Little Richard, as Toby Keith is to David Allan Coe. The only vaguely listenable S & G song is "Hazy Shade of Winter"--the BANGLES version!"

I think they got better albums than this one tbh

It was ok

Sound of Silence is genius. But I don't like to listen to S&G and you can't make me.

This is a strange listen for me. America, Mrs Robinson, A Hazy Shade Of Winter and At The Zoo are ruddy great, but the rest of it, stone me, what happened? It’s a 2.5 from me

Die Platte, wo Mrs. Robinson drauf ist. Ganz ok, aber kein Superbringer.

Mrs Robinson and Hazy Shade of Winter are good. And while their harmonies are something other singers should aspire to, this album is junk. Voices of Old People. Bloody hell.

Always find S&G a bit boring. No different here.

2.5

Just not my jam. A couple great ones in there but still not a fan.

Forbløffende skuffende på nær hits

3/10. Meh album. I'm just not a big S&G fan and this is far from their best.

Disappointed. Disjointed album. Seemed like they just through some songs on there to make an album. Saved to the two extraordinary hits.

I always love when I get an album shorter than 40 minutes. But I only really liked Mrs. Robinson from this album honestly.

Another one of those “you had to be there” albums

Tja, vekket ikke interesse, men fint og rolig

Booooooring. Mrs. Robinson is the most energetic song on this album. “Wish I was an English muffin about to make the most out of the toaster” Grade A lyrics.

:d

A little mellow for my taste. But I can appreciate the song writing and singing talent.

The first 6 seconds of A Hazy Shade of Winter were pretty great. But the rest of the album is just an absolute masterclasses by the greats, Simon and Garfunkel. A masterclass of how not to make music. 2/5, tragic

Punky's Dilemma and Mrs. Robinson are worthwhile listens, the rest I could do without.

It was short. And it has Mrs Robinson and Hazy Shade.

Very enjoyable record. Instrumentation and vocals are both incredible with some unexpected, modern sounding techniques for the time it was recorded. Prefer the conceptual part/first half of the record as the second half sounds slightly mashed together with off cuts but still great songs

America is one of my favorite songs ever and Mrs. Robinson is a classic. The album as a whole was disappointing. It didn’t really seem to flow and the peace with the old people talking was creepy.

Boring, apart from Mrs Robinson.

Voiko elokuvamusiikki olla hyvää.. Vangelis blade runner soundtrack... vitoskako.. ei.. heh.. kakkosta on elokuvamusiikki.. parhaimmillaan.. saa toivoa.. On niin helppo tehdä elokuvamusiikkia voi mitä tahansa tehdä, ihmiset, KRIITIKOT RAKASTAVAT ELOKUVA SOUNDTRACKKEJÄ.. 0 tähteä meikältä,,objektiivinen... virgin suicides halpaan.. ei mennä.. enää uudestaan..heh siis itsaria.. ei.. heh.. yks toinen albumi.. heh..MENI KOLME TÄHTEÄ SINNE.... Kuitenkin yhtä ei voi antaa.. Musiikki historian paras likki.. tässä albumissa... "Jheesus loves you more than you will know" Kolmas tähti tulee hyvästä musiikista..heh ei tule. Albumi on paskaa muuten. "Heaven holds a place for those who pray Hey, hey, hey" noh..... kakkosta..

A few highlights but mostly boring

Only knew mr robinson from this record and for me the only song that i really liked. Not my cup of tea but i can hear why others might like it.

Definitely of the moment. Some experimental tracks. Some are better than others. Okay.

Ei oikein aukene. Tykkään S&G:n hiteistä, mutta usein muu tuotanto tuntuu vaan kauhean siirappiselta.

There's a couple of good tracks

Not really into this

Kind of an eclectic album. I feel like I would have enjoyed it better if I was sitting at home in the 80's playing it on a record player. But at work it was hard to follow and enjoy

Some nice tunes but its so brief, its barely there

alle 30 minuutin albumin....(VITTU OLEN KANSALLINEN TURVALLISUUSUHKA) halusi rankan työpäivän jälkeen ottaa pari kylmähköä vai mitä....(VENÄJÄN NUKKUVA AGENTTI)ei jaksettu tänään niitä musiikkihommia tehdä... (TEHTÄVÄNI HORJUUTTAA HALLITUSTA)pääasiassa aika lälly pälly albumi... (ASENTAA VENÄJÄMIELINEN JOHTO)pari hyvää biisiä ei tee albumista hyvää vaikka onkin saatanan lyhyt koko tuotos,(PERUSTUSLAKIEN KUMOAMINEN) älä anna huijjaa älä anna huijjaa.... mrs robinson... hei hei hei....

none of their best songs are here 2.5

Not the worst thing I have ever listened to

I didn't enjoy it as much as some other S and G albums. The spoken word bits are also pretty annoying

Non il mio genere

the good songs are great, but there's a reason I haven't heard the full album before

Meh, nogal boring

Not my kinda music, but I don't hate it.

Под настроение

meh

Começa como sendo uma tentativa de ser mais conceitual, mas o que fica marcado é o hit da trilha sonora.

Not my style

Hazy Shade of Winter and America are great songs, but not enough to save the album for me.

I can see why everyone just listens to the greatest hits album

As great a song as Mrs Robinson is, and as much as I love Bridge Over Troubled Waters, I was surprised by how much I did not enjoy this album. WTH is At the Zoo? America and Hazy Shade of Winter are good, otherwise a big no thank you to this. I mean I get it, I see what Paul was trying to do, I'm willing to stipulate that he accomplishes it, sure there's quality lyrics, harmonies, music, but still. Just not for me, at least not at this moment.

yawn

Noooooo... Paul Simon 2 days in a row?? WTF? But to be fair this album is way better than his solo shit from the 80s. Still a lot of folky 60s garbage I could really do without but the mega-hit, Mrs. Robinson, was welcome and there were a couple other tracks I enjoyed.

I expected to not love this album for being tweet and pretentious, not overthought and bombastic. Mrs. Robinson still slaps, but I continue my life’s work of not particularly loving S & G.

One great song does not equate a great album.

A couple absolute gems on this one, but overall, not a great record.

Two Simon and Garfunkel in a row. That's two more than I probably want to listen to. So, let's see how this goes... This record came out in 1968. Strange to think what happened to S&G in about five years. They went from being on the cutting edge of the youth counterculture movement. To being left in the dust while their proteges didn't bother looking back. In a bid for relevancy, there are certainly production tricks here. That's interesting guess. But it's still a couple of the least interesting icons I can imagine.

Classic songs are good

Fy bövelen vad dåligt det var. Av alla låtarna var det kanske en eller två låtar som var lyssningsbara. Annars var det bara experimentellt tönteri. Håll er till folk, losers!!

This starts off much more psychedelic than I expected. Some interesting effects with the synths, edits into other tracks and ‘field recordings’. It feels like there a concept in there, but I am not sure what it is. None of the tunes (beyond Mrs Robinson) really grabbed me. It does pick up a little after that and Winter is a bit more lively, but the album is generally bit bland for me.

I wasn't expecting this. It's almost a Dylan goes electric moment. A BONKERS start as Save the Life of My Child crackles in. It then goes back to more folk sensibilities. They have the melodies, for sure. America is a bit of an anthem. The spoken word segments don't quite work for me. I want music, not randoms recorded on the street. Nice strings on Old Friends. Mrs Robinson is annoyingly over familiar.

Rauhallista ja hienoja melodioita, mut sellanen tietynlainen iskukyky puuttu, että osuis sieluun

Everyone and their parents love Simon & Garfunkel. It didn't bridge the generation gap in my case though. I've always been left trying to work out the fervent levels of reverence. 'Save The Life of My Child' not being what I expected makes it really jarring and odd, more what you'd expect from some weird late 60s prog band. Similarly 'Voices of Old People' - which is exactly that, tape recordings of old people talking for two minutes - is just bizarre. Elsewhere its sounds like expected, acoustic and folky with some nice orchestration. The 'Mrs Robinson' and 'A Hazy Shade of Winter' singles are the most immediate of the 12 songs

Meh

I surprisingly was not into this album at all.. I find it pretty boring, and aside from the singles, the songs just weren't that good..

Meh.

Not great

Mostly utter shite.

Not good

Now and then, I listen to an album that I used to be familiar with and I get surprised. Bookends is one of those surprises and a lot of them are unpleasant. Punky's Dilemma is a cutesy trifle--it made me gag a little. At The Zoo's heavy handed whimsy is only slightly redeemed by the sprightly 50s rock 'n roll rhythms of the chorus. A Hazy Shade of Winter is the kind of clumsy on-the-nose folk rock that might have been on Wednesday Morning, 3 AM. Overs offers a preview of Paul Simon's ambitions and pretensions, which would reek by the time he started his solo career. Perhaps the worst offender is Save The Life Of My Child, which is simultaneously melodramatic and flippant, a nauseating combination. I had never thought of Paul Simon as much of an innovator, but he does two very interesting things on this track. He uses bold psychedelic production touches, especially in the background vocals, which are bizarre in the context of a folk rock tune. It doesn't really work all that well, but kudos for the effort. Even more amazing is Simon's use of a synthesizer in 1968! Too bad it's so ugly. Much better is the sustained synthesizer tone which introduces Fakin' It. Fortunately, some of the tunes are as good as I remembered. The aforementioned Fakin' It is a cleverly composed, hooky, folk rock tune. It has an unexpected and fun horn arrangement and the fade out, which combines synthesizer and percussion, is pretty neat. Mrs. Robinson is another solid folk pop tune, with grace notes of blues and rock 'n roll. Old Friends is a low key folk tune and earns its sentiment, with a gorgeous arrangement by Jimmy Haskell and subtle production touches that gently goose the winsome mood. But best of all is America. Paul Simon plays to his strengths lyrically with his sharply observed portrait of two young people on the road. And instead of being a smart ass, he goes for honesty and vulnerability. Musically, it's a winner, too. The melody is lovely and the song structure mirrors the episodic nature of the lyrics in clever ways. Yes, of all bands, did a wonderful cover of this tune. So, how to rate? I really want to give Bookends the benefit of a doubt and score it as a 3 because it has some legitimately classic tunes, but the stinkers are pretty awful. Sigh.

Simon and Garfunkel? Sorta terrible?

the famous Mrs Robinson Song is on the album. besides: not my sound

Its simon and Garfunkle

The more I hear of Simon & Garfunkel the less that I like them. I won't deny they have some classics (Mrs. Robinson on here) that I like but the rest of their music is not for me

Pas mal! Mrs Robinson At the zoo Save life of my child

Honestly was expecting to really enjoy this one but I found the randomness of the lyrics annoying. Plus a track of old people talking? Hardly the stuff of genius.

Dat was me iets te zij-ig

Simon & Garfunkel zijn altijd wat zoutloos als je 't mij vraagt.

Op 2 toffe nummers na vond ik het een erg rommelig album.

Se hace durillo el disco, soporífero por momentos

Album très « mou » et pas kiffant à mon goût.. j’ai du mal à apprécier les chansons de cette album même si tout n’est pas affreux. « voices of old people » j’ai pas compris le concept déjà que j’étais pas dans l’album..

a bit boring

sorta weird, had the hits but overall album was strange

Some good songs and some bad ones. Not very memorable on first listen

Bit meh really

3.5

So this is the album where that song from \"The Graduate\" came from.

Meh. Didn't expect any synth and Mrs. Robinson is always great, but overall not my cup of tea.

By far my least favourite S&G album. Trying too hard to be weird.

Standout Track: A Hazy Shade of Winter At The Zoo

boring but i get why people like it

ugh I'm getting pretty bored of the US folk shit. Seems every second day I'm getting it atm. 2/5.

This album felt like being trapped forever in a retirement home. It smells of sadness, sun-bleached floral wallpaper and long forgotten hard candy. I swear I even heard a wheelchair creaking somewhere in the distance. Or maybe it was just the souls of old people screaming in despair. A terrible, terrible experience. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re over 80 and easily frightened by loud noises and young people. Bonus negative points for the creepy album cover. 1/10

A concept album that ends up being wildly uneven, frankly unexciting and pretty damn pompous, ultimately leaving only two or three acceptable tracks for Greenwich Village folk snobs and my mother. Still not reconciled with the genre.

Not my thing

Naw.

no me gustó tanto como pensé

I did not like this at all. I got two Simon and Garfunkel albums in a row. First was Parsley, Sage and that was great. This seemed like some kind of experiment gone wrong. The only song worth listening to is Mrs Robinson. And you MUST be able to find that somewhere else, where the rest of the vinyl is mot being wasted.

Horrible

Noia mortale

Pas mon style au moment de l’écoute

Can’t be bothered with this insipid crap.

BORING

Ms Robinson was the only good one. Just not my type of music I guess.

I mean, everyone says that the album was kind of trashy, which I totally agree on. I got kinda bored and then stopped listening to it and after a few hours I decided to keep listening it even if it was pretty boring, I guess the only song that I liked was Mrs. Robinson but that doesn’t make the album any better.

first time listening and i've worked out who ruined music

No puc

Niet mijn smaak. Aparte skits zitten in dit album, vaak keek ik om me heen afvragend wat ik hoorde.

ehh not really my vibe,

Not for me.

Me aburrió y lo saque

Nice haircut nerd. Also a lot of filler shit. I get it, its for the album. But liked the bass they used in saved the life of my child. Other than that its the Beatles with two guys. 50% 3/12