Bookends

Lovely...

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

Not buying that this is their best album. Some good tunes - particularly the singles on side two, but overall, a lot of their best work is not here.

Hodgepodge - movie, singles Save the life of my child America Mrs. robinson

America - liked it a lot! Fun road trip vibes. The voices of old people broke stuff up, not loving it from a listening experience perspective, but "Old Friends" is a beautiful song. "I wish I was an English muffin, 'bout to make the most out of a toaster" - Maybe the best line I've ever heard in a song? Not sure what "Punky's Dilemma" was supposed to be about, but I loved it. "At the Zoo" was fun too! "Taking time to treat your friendly neighbors honestly" This was probably one of my favorite listening experiences thus far, I'm not sure what all of the songs are saying, nor do I think there's even a super huge point/message to a lot of them, but it's a fun album and the sound is cohesive but varied. Creates a fun vibe and is easy to listen to. There's also some songs that are actually quite profound in there despite the gentle and at times upbeat tone. Of note: I actually listened to this one through multiple times!

Must go to the zoo now

Расслабляет

For me this album has always sat in the shadow of its follow-up, BOTW. But Bookends was a hugely successful album with some beautiful songwriting and performance, America and Mrs Robinson are my favourites here.

9 Do u know what is cute? Simon and Garfunkel. Do you know what is double cute?? Simon and garkfunkle singing about old people. Didn’t expect to be assaulted with this level of cuteness. I think it would be perfect but it just doesn’t really have enough shouting for me I don’t feel like I can give a perfect score unless there’s at least one shout at some point

Intro is simple, short, with light strings. So far into the third track the album is very storytelling driven. The sound is perfect for a day out in the country by an outside fireplace. Also great music for a sleeping playlist (not necessarily a bad thing at all.) Standouts: America, Overs, Mrs Robinson. Good compilation of folk tracks, however would not revisit on a casual day. 3,5/5

Classics

I saw a tweet asking why Paul Simon doesn’t get the same respect as Bob Dylan. He’s just as fine a songwriter AND he can sing. I don’t disagree.

I can't help it, I am a sucker for Simon. Maybe I'm secretly 75 years old.

Stacked and sublime

This album has a soft spot in my heart. It's beautiful, melodic, and tight. Takes me right back to the day I discovered The Graduate in high school and went on a deep rabbit hole listening to all the Simon & Garfunkel my dad owned.

It’s just so crazy that this was pop music in 1968. What happened to us?

Easy listening

Mostly classic but just 🤏this much annoying boomer shit to keep it from my own personal top tier.

Rightly acknowledged as a classic album

very soft and calm. Highly recommended for long walks

dobry album

Garf & Sim

Überproduziert und überinstrumentiert. Immer wieder scheinen die Songwritingkünste durch, manchmal schöne Harmonien, aber bisschen zu süßlich für meinen Geschmack. Lyrisch schon was besonderes. Es gibt mindesten zwei deutlich bessere Alben des Duos.

Sehr schönes, intimes, verspieltes und toll instrumentiertes Album. So viel kann ich dazu gar nicht sagen, obwohl ich es mehrfach gehört habe (was aufgrund der sehr kompakten Länge auch sehr leicht ist). Die erste Seite verfolgt ein melancholisches Konzept über das Altern, während es auf der Hälfte Zwei deutlich lauter, lockerer und verspielter zugeht. Schönes Ding.

I had to think hard to remember what it was again, but I could recall some of the songs once I did. Three.

Some occasionally nice guitar work but lacks the harmonies and storytelling that make some of their other albums so good. Not as many standout tracks other than towards the back end of this. Nice enough, but never anything particularly stellar.

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

Decent album. Great cover of The Bangles ‘Hazy Shade of Winter’..😬😁

So this is a good record, but I'm rarely in the mood to listen to Simon and Garfunkel much. I do really like "America," though. Amusingly, I heard the Yes cover of it long before this original - the original is better, more deeply felt. However, on the subject of covers of songs on this record, I stand firm in my opinion that The Lemonheads' version of "Mrs. Robinson" is better than this original. Or at least I like it more; "better" is subjective, after all. 3 stars on this one for me because it's an old record that I've heard a whole lot of times

Feeing blue in a good way

I can’t listen to Mrs Robinson without getting war flashbacks from David Jones. I prefer Bridge Over Troubled Water to this album. Not bad though

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

I enjoy the fidelity of this album. The vocal harmonies and the acoustic guitar sound great. All the details instrumentation is interesting and well recorded. That being said it’s also kind of a dumb record. There are some nice songs here, but also some clunkers.

Interesting delve into early Simon and Garfunkel.

Good listen, would come back to

I enjoyed listening to this album, I haven't really listened to many songs by Simon & Garfunkel, after hearing this album though makes me want to look more into their music. My favorites from the album were definitely, At the Zoo and Fakin' It.

Have I listened to this album before? No How familiar am I with this album? I know a few songs 
How do I feel about this artist? I’m not an avid listener, but I always find Simon & Garfunkel pleasant to listen to. Favorite song(s)? America Overall Thoughts: A Side is a fine concept album (yeah there’s a little weirdness but I expect that in a concept album), B Side is more like a regular album. I’m not sure they make one good cohesive album together, it felt more like two separate EPs. Very easy listening, but not interesting. Paul's voice definitely pales compared to Art's but together they harmonize well. Paul Simon’s brilliant lyrics get lost in what feels like background music.

So this was the album where Paul Simon started thinking he was hot shit.......and then wrote a concept album with not even 15 minutes of material. The bookends sections are 2 minutes, and there's 2 minutes of old people talking. The 4 songs written barely reach 11 minutes. B-Side is basically the soundtrack for the movie The Graduate and features the classic Mrs. Robinson. Without the movie, this album is a complete bust. Listen, it's a good album. The concept is a great idea, but when you can't even shit out 12 minutes of ideas, you're not the writer you think you are. I'll admit the 4 songs are good, but this is like the 4th or 5th album i've listened to with Paul Simon and the results are always the same: He thinks he's hot shit and he's consistently carried. This time he's carried by the movie The Graduate, without which, this album doesn't exist with 4 songs. And he had to, in his own mind, "sell out" to get it done. Don't worry, he'll soon start just straight up stealing material. That said, Mrs. Robinson is of course a great song and a classic. I want to rate it much lower, but the fact is that it's a decent album, but it doesn't prove Paul Simon's ability at doing anything other than somehow falling upwards.

Best Simon and Garfunkel album as a whole. Half a concept with Bookends, half a hits comp with some of their best. Save the Life of my Child, one of their only overtly psychedelic songs, is a personal favorite.

A real mixture of great classic songs and weirdness of the time. 3.5

Underwhelming. Disjointed. Not a fan.

This album really surprised me. Going trough the cycle of life in 29 minutes. The second song stood out for me the most. Very experimental in sound usage. My favourite is America.

Not the type of music I would listen to Favorites: "Save the life of my child"

The famous hit definitely made this album because there were a few head scratchers here. Generally a beautiful album if some of the fat got trimmed, in my opinion.

Incredible songwriting and production

America is a truly great song.

This album came out on my birthday, how cool. A funky Simon and Garfunkel sound, ‘Save the Life of My Child’, has some Dylan in it with some weird sounds. Clearly they’re going for something experimental here and I don’t hate it. I think ‘America’ is probably the best thing on this album, just all around epic. This is a fun, tight (only 30 min.) album, I find I typically like those the best. Although this could be too short? Some good songs with some interesting interludes. Im a fan.

Short but strong. Silly at times. Punky’s Dilemma was special. 7/10

Lots of weird production and out-of-place instruments distract from the otherwise good music

a bit scattershot and not great at meeting its thematic ambitions, but it has its moments. Mrs. Robinson and A Hazy Shade of Winter back to back is killer! deserves to be one of the 1001? probably

An appropriately named album because I think the strongest songs bookend it. The entire album is very mellow and relaxed but I did find myself getting a little bit bored in the middle. The start and end of the album are very fun songs though so I think it saves this from being lower

Good.

Love.

I’m really loathe to hate on Simon and Garfunkel, but this album didn’t do much for me overall. I get the concept and I respect what they were going for, it just didn’t connect the way I expected it to. Honestly, the only songs that really worked for me were the last three. Mrs. Robinson, A Hazy Shade of Winter, and At the Zoo are all solid, and I’ll also give some credit to the Bookends Theme reprise. Those tracks saved the album from a lower rating. As a full listen, though, it felt uneven. I respect the legacy, but this one didn’t hit the way some of their other work does.

Such a jolly little album. Short & sweet, but full of well-written & delivered folk rock tunes. It felt like a really enjoyable ride with some good standouts. As much as I enjoyed it I wouldn’t say I’m utterly wow’d, but I don’t really have anything bad to say about it.

My second favorite Simon & Garfunkel album after BOTW. This one feels softer than that album which I enjoy :) Favorite track: America

Not my favourite from them but still a good listen with “Mrs. Robinson” as an obvious standout track.

cried at bookends. beautiful album

There were a few weird tracks on this album but overall I really enjoyed it.

Bookends Theme (Instrumental) - no rating Save the Life of My Child - 4/5 America - 5/5 Overs - 4/5 Voices of Old People - no rating Old Friends - 4/5 Bookends Theme - no rating Fakin' It - 5/5 Punky's Dilemma - 4/5 Mrs. Robinson - 5/5 A Hazy Shade of Winter - 5/5 At the Zoo - 4/5 Average score: 4.4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ doesn't quite beat Bridge Over Troubled Water in my opinion, but i still enjoyed this quite a bit

Favorite Tracks: Mrs. Robinson | A Hazy Shade Of Winter | At The Zoo

Me encantó. Nunca lo había escuchado. Me fascinó la armonía de sus voces, la originalidad de canciones que no sabes a dónde van a terminar, la mezcla de instrumentos con voces y la idea de contar una historia que mezcle la música y la narración.

God awful haircuts but they can make a decent little tune, some proper toe-tappers. Off the bat I was very surprised by ‘save the life of my child’ it did not sound right on this album and weirdly ahead of its time, personally wasn’t really a fan of it though. The first half of the album was alright, but the second half was quite strong. Standout songs ‘America’, ‘Mrs Robinson’ and ‘Hazy shade of winter’. I can understand why people would not like S&G because it does sound a little corny, but I think it’s a good corny, the songs are just quite jolly and catchy. Debating whether this is a 3 or 4 star album, 2 quite good songs on here but looking at the album overall I would say it isn’t enough for a 4 so a high 3-star it is from me.

a hazy shade of winter did not have to go that hard, one whole star is for that masterpiece alone

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

The concept album aspect is cool but the songs there don’t hit as much as they should. Then the back half is also cool but a few of the songs don’t have enough to them to leave much of a lasting impression. America, Fakin’ It, Mrs. Robinson, A Hazy Shade of Winter, and At the Zoo added to my 1001 Bangers playlist

Me gustó, algo interesante con aire de religión

I love Simon & Garfunkel. A few months ago I got Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme in this generator, which was the first time I listened to an album by this duo. I really enjoyed it, so since then I've listened to their whole discography (I actually binge listened to it on one sitting when I got a pack with the five albums on CD, as it's not really that long). Admittedly, I've really liked Bookends, but it hasn't been my favourite record made by Simon & Garfunkel. I really loved hearing it between Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, and Bridge Over Troubled Water, but I liked those two albums better. That said, I'd say Bookends gets even better on the second listen. Paul Simon is such an amazing songwriter. The highlights for me were Overs, Old Friends, Fakin' It, Mrs. Robinson, A Hazy Shade Of Winter; which I now realize is about half of the album so maybe for me Bookends falls between a 4/5 and a 5/5 rating. I might bump the rating up on the future with more re-listens. On a side note, I really have the urge to play Mrs. Robinson on guitar now after hearing it again!

Side A is a little weirder than I expected, but plenty to love here.

i love these guys

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.

Funktioniert als Album für mich nicht gut, es hat sogar trotz einer Spielzeit unter 30min gewisse Längen. Aufgrund von ein paar guten Ansätzen und weil "Mrs. Robinson" halt ein Hit ist, kann sich das Album knapp zu 3 Sternen retten.

Das große Meisterwerk höre ich hier noch nicht raus. Dafür ist mir auch der stilistische Bruch nach der Hälfte zu groß. Hätte es schöner gefunden, wenn sie das Konzept "Leben von Jung nach Alt" auf Albumlänge durchgezogen hätten. Aber hier sind schon einige spannende Kompositionen zu hören. Auch dass hier schon Synthesizer integriert werden, hätte ich niemals erwartet.

Ich weiß auch nicht, was ich dazu sagen soll. Traf bei Simon & Garfunkel genau meine Erwartungen. Ganz schön anzuhören, aber auch keine Erleuchtung in Sachen Album.

Hmm, großer Name und definitiv gute Musik, aber so richtig vom Hocker reißt es mich noch nicht. Gut möglich allerdings, dass ein weiterer Durchlauf die Note verbessern könnte.

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

Woah this is a buzzy record. The songs are kinda wispy, hard to grab onto. Real floaty intellectual stuff and then Mrs Robinson drops near the end. Like, okay?? Not a lot of steez going on. The mix is kind of awful in places.

Максимально нежные и спокойные песни, не совсем мой стиль в плане ежедневного прослушивания, но посидеть и отдохнуть мыслями под эту музыку определенно можно

It wasn't my favorite

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

- 0 nummers toegevoegd aan MMMM - 1 nummer al toegevoegd aan MMMM

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

This was 2 halves of what could be a great whole. The ‘concept’ album 1st half was interesting, and had a couple tracks I liked, but felt more like a half formed idea than a fully executed one. The back half was full of banger tracks, but didn’t really go with the first half. 4/5

Love the group, too much conversation tracks for my taste in this specific album.

6/10 Simon and Garfunkel have the ability to craft some stunningly beautiful music. Their voices are a sublime compliment to one another and Paul Simon is a masterful songwriter. What he isn’t, on the evidence of this album, is a masterful producer. This album reportedly took two years to complete and the first half is defined as a ‘concept’ album. What that apparently means to Paul and Art is that they should overdo the production, throw in some over-loud sound effects and include 2 minutes of poorly recorded, miserable grumbling pensioners chatting in a cafe for no apparent reason. It definitely sounds like they’ve been listening to Pet Sounds and Sgt. Pepper’s an awful lot, but it also sounds like they couldn’t quite make out why those albums were so special. According to Paul Simon himself, the second half was largely spare tracks left over from their work on The Graduate, including the full version of Mrs Robinson which, bafflingly, wasn’t included on that soundtrack album. On this second side they actually, for the most part, allow the production to do its job and highlight the quality of the songwriting, rather than swamping or overcomplicating the work, which actually results in a far stronger piece of work. When they get it right on this album, it’s really good, America, Mrs Robinson and At The Zoo being good examples, but overall it feels a little overworked and inconsistent. It’s pretty odd to me that this album is considered by many to be their strongest work as a duo. I feel it’s pretty significantly overrated as an album and they’re typically at their best when they don’t let the production get in the way and focus on the quality of the songwriting and the musical performances. Bookends Theme - A nice little guitar intro. Save The Life Of My Child - Well that’s a beefy Moog synth tone. Quite the shock to the system after the intro. This is an interesting track, although it does feel like a really good Paul Simon composition that’s been produced in an incredibly extravagant and strange way that doesn’t actually gel particularly well with the core of the song. It all feels a bit swamped by the production, rather than being part of it, which is a shame. America - And we’re back on more stable S&G ground now. This is really pretty folksy stuff and their vocal work together is as fantastic as always. Some of the percussion has a very ‘Pet Sounds’ production style to it. This builds really nicely and that dynamic growth really helps the song to flow. There’s some really nice pieces of guitar in there too. A really solid song. Overs - This continues to be pretty, but it’s very restrained compared to the preceding tracks. There’s hardly anything to the production at all and it’s stark in its beauty, but there seems to be a fairly thin stylistic thread holding this ‘concept’ half of the album together. It’s really lovely though. Voices Of Old People - Apparently Art Garfunkel gets a writing credit for this. It’s pretty pointless grumbling of a few old folk and, as 2 minutes out of the 15 minute ‘concept’ section of the album, it is frankly a bit of a piss take. Old Friends - This is very nice. The S&G vocals are lovely, and the string arrangement is excellent. It becomes oddly dissonant in places which is presumably supposed to represent something. The varied ups and downs of a long term friendship perhaps? But it is quite jarring against the very pretty rest of the song. Bookends Theme (Reprise) - This extends the intro. More pleasant guitar playing and the addition of some lovely vocals. It’s really nice, but it doesn’t really go very far and then fades out to nothing. Fakin' It - Good lord this sounds a whole lot like the Beatles. There are touches that remind you that it is, in fact Simon & Garfunkel, particularly the staccato parts in the chorus. But it’s pretty weird how much this is like the Beatles in the verses. It’s a good song though. Punky's Dilemma - Another solid song and it’s far more S&G styled, although there’s definitely some edges to the production that feel very inspired by The Beach Boys and Beatles. It’s a gorgeous track, but some of those production edges don't really enhance things for me. Not sure what the sound effects bring to the table, especially as loud in the mix as they are. Mrs. Robinson - Well this is obviously a classic. An utterly brilliant folk pop song. There's so much to like about it, the guitar work, particularly the lead, is so, so strong. The chorus is an exceptional hook. The way all of the instrumental parts dance around each other is exquisite. It’s got an edge of Beatles about it too, actually, but not too much. The dynamic and tonal range between the verse and chorus is a perfect balance. It’s pretty much a perfect song. A Hazy Shade Of Winter - Another quite Beatlesy guitar riff to open the track. This is another solid effort. It’s got a decent bit of pace to it, but does allow for a pause here and there. It's good, but not spectacular. I like the drive and guitar work most, but it doesn’t quite have the beauty of their better work and feels a little bit of a throwaway. At The Zoo - This has an edge of Mrs Robinson about it in the upbeat moments. I do like the tonal variation between the two sections, and the bouncing rhythm and bass line of the upbeat sections are really good. It’s pretty short though and it feels like they could have done a bit more with it.

A couple of good tracks, but so much filler.

Beautiful album but I had to listen to it twice. The conceptual opening threw me and I couldn't appreciate the songs as much. The second time I just got it. Love it now!

With this project, I am constantly struck by how many of the albums listed contain just one big hit and have little else of note to offer. I actually prefer to engage with entire albums, so I always find this somewhat disappointing. In the case of “Bookends,” there's “Mrs. Robinson” and a little bit (the album isn't even 30 minutes long!) of folk pop of acceptable quality. But as I said, that's just the standard..

A classic, very fun, very weird, very good

Kinda slow, 2 stars

There are no bad S&G albums.

Irretocável. Esse álbum está repleto de sensibilidade, principalmente em relação aos seus principais temas: amizade, memórias e passagem do tempo. A dupla transita entre belas melodias, independente da levada ou BPM da canção. Em cada música você vai se pegar achando pelo menos alguns compassos assobiáveis. Conheci esse albúm através da cena maravilhosa de "Quase Famosos" e desde então virei fã da dupla. Orgulhosamente posso dizer que tenho o vinil novinho em folha! (que capa linda, diga-se). Se fosse enumerar os destaques acho que iria o disco todo, mas vou ser sucinto: "America" (essa me pega muito. A aventura de uma viagem pelo país nos anos 60, no auge da Guerra Fria. Interessante ver a transição suave entre leveza e paranóia que a letra desenha). "Overs", "Voices of Old People" (experimental e brutal). "Old Friends" tem o mesmo tema musical que perpassa por todo o álbum, mas essa faixa traz a letra mais bela. "Fakin' It", "Punky's Dilemma", "Mrs. Robinson" (totalmente ótima). "A Hazy Shade of Winter", uma das melhores deles. Acho essa música especialmente potente. "At the Zoo" para encerrar lindamente. Acabei listando quase todas rsrs

12 songs in under 30 minutes - I applaud them. Dense efficient song writing. A few of all time tunes save this album otherwise....its kinda boring

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

Very nice. America is such a cool song

I’m not sure the concept part of the concept album works for me, and I’m not too take. With most of the tracks on here (they’re all good but I have higher expectations for Simon & Garfunkel). Still, America, A Hazy Shade of Winter, and Mrs. Robinson are classics so they lift the album up. Quite a lot of production on this album.

I think this was a 3 or 4? A few skippable tracks from what I remember, but I thought overall better than BOTW. I think these guys are more of a greatest hits band

4.5/10

There are only a few tunesmiths on this planet who can write lyrics on par with Paul Simon. Gorgeous.

Great album, strong 4, lite 5 but I want it in the 5 directory. Hints of what would make Paul Simon a hugely eclectic artists. Some extremely weird rhythtmys that are so cool, like on the like board for boyenberry jam fan or whatever

Classic folk singer/songwriter record. Production is dated, but it kind of adds to the charm.

This is not my type of music. I really struggled focusing on it

3.5/5

Sounded good overall, nothing special, just good sounding music.

Oh this is THE album I know just from the iconic album cover but really never heard anything from this besides Mrs Robinson

The first side of the album (the part that supposedly makes this a concept album) feels really underdeveloped to me, way too brief to have enough substance for something as heavy as the stages of life. The second side, thrown together with previously released singles and unreleased The Graduate tracks is much better to me. Paul Simon is a great songwriter so all the songs are very good and the harmonies are beautiful. 3/5

Tycker så mkt om denna

Short, conceptual, varied and put them well and truly in the ‘big league’. Some would say their best album, and with America, Mrs Robinson, hazy shade, old friends and title track, they could be justified. Sonically interesting too. A cut above.

I like bookends theme

Too sad for me I don't like listening to the voices of old people

2/12 songs added not for me

A subtle and soft look into what would be to come for Paul Simon as one of the greatest musicians of his generation. You get glimpses of the creativity that make Paul Simon special, but this albums is still grounded In the folk duo style of their previous several albums. Bookends is a nearly perfect, neat, little folk album but I have to reserve some points simply on the fact that I know Paul Simon's music gets even better.

Whoa, I was not ready for the opening couple tracks on this album! I was expecting pleasant folk music, which is exactly what is setup by Bookends Theme, and then Save the Life of my Child comes straight out of left field with chaotic synths and an incredibly psychedelic sound. I feel like I'm surprised by Simon & Garfunkel every time I listen to them and this album is no exception. Their music is always more complex and experimental than I'm expecting and I always enjoy listening to it more than I expect that I will, but for some reason, it never occurs to me to actually listen to their music. Because the "life cycles concept" is only on the first side of the album, it feels unfinished and it makes the second half of the album feel a bit like an after thought, but I don't think it really detracts too much from the overall experience, so I'm not going to dig too deeply into it.

Found this to be quite unremarkable

Not as massive as their next album, (Bridge Over Troubled Water), would become, but still a good Folk Rock album. Highlights are "America" and "Mrs. Robinson".

Great collection of songs

liked this one

Pretty nice but not all that exciting. Certainly some good tunes on here, but more of a background music album than a deep listening experience album.

Bookends is an appropriate title, because the start and finish to this album are phenomenal. The momentum built in the first two tracks hits a brick wall at Overs and doesn't really hit a good groove until Fakin' It. The middles songs are pretty, but not particularly interesting compared to the run at the end. 9/10

4.5

I love them but this album frustrated me. 2

Pretty good chill album.

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.

I should’ve known but i didn’t

“America” always makes me bawl—it’s something about the melody and the vulnerable lyrics. I first heard the song when Josh Groban covered it. The rest of the album falls a bit flat in comparison for me. I did enjoy “Old Friends” and “A Hazy Shade of Winter”. I don’t think it’s an album I would return to, but I am glad I listened all the way through.

Essential Simon and Garfunkel. Beautiful vocal harmonies. An eclectic collection of songs. East coast folk. I think there's something for everyone on this album. This is one of the few albums that I have that gets played front-to-back. The production is a little dated but the performance is flawless.

Classical love

Some interesting borderline experimental sounding stuff on a few tracks here and that was unexpected for someone who doesn't know much about Simon and Garfunkel. Everyone has heard Mrs. Robinson. I liked Old Friends probably the most out of the tracks I had never heard.

i just love bridge over troubled water. so i like that one more <3

I really can’t tell how I feel about Simon & Garfunkel, I really enjoy “Mrs. Robinson” but nothing else seems to hold up and just feels a bit weird.

I definitely like this. Some great classic songs and a couple of weird ones.

Loved listening to the three classic/iconic S&G songs but I did not like the remainder of the album. Perhaps I wasn't paying enough attention but it seemed disjointed with recorded speaking and the "themes." Rated: 3

Mixed bag compilation from sixties icons

These guys just parodied that Family Guy skit where Peter and Quagmire become and acoustic duo

One of a kind duo

Very good folk

Album 5/1001. Listened 1/12/2026. So many songs I know by heart. Can't say I love every single one of them; I never ever need to hear Voices of Old People again - like listening to Congress.

Another 5 from Paul Simon. now accompanied by his (former? I think?) friend Mr. Garfunkel. Lowkey what does he do tho.

In a bad mood listening to this so keep that in mind. I love an intro like that. Save the life is super interesting. Music is really good but the production is just eh. America is a full on production. Good song. Not really a fan of overs. Just an OK song. Voices of old people is apt. Really unique album. Old friends is really talking to me for some reason. The strings in the back are really good. 2 part bookends theme🔥🔥. Shit like that is what makes a perfect/cohesive album as opposed to feeling like 10/15 songs thrown together. Then the guitar on fakin it. Good song. Pinky’s dilemma is kind of goofy. Not my favorite. Good bass line. Mrs Robinson is an absolute banger. All time classic. Hazy shade of winter is so good too. What a guitar. Great lyrics too. I wish that was the last song, would’ve been a great closer. At the zoo is fine but not the best. Overall it was a good not great album. I like the composition of it a lot, songs are just a bit dated. 3.3 stars.

easy listening melancholic yet happy and gentle folk album. amazing musicality and instrumentals -love the aggressive and shocking transition from 1st to second track from soft, acoustic melancholic feel to electrical dramatic feel of the second track. save the life of my child: -not like previous songs by them ive heard -love the percussion and timpani use aswell as the gospel choir in the back america: -beautiful harmonies and soft angelic voice -feels like starting a new chapter Overs: -first part feels lullaby ish -love the build up and climax at the end old friends: -love the string accompaniment -double bass gives eerie feel and is then cancelled out by the violins

Most beautiful! America encapsulates youthful love, adventure, longing & melancholy. “Kathy, I said as we boarded the greyhound in Pittsburgh…the moon rose over an open field…I’m empty and aching and I don’t know why… I took a bus cross-country to my beloved and this resonates so deeply.

It’s pretty nice, good for relaxing since I usually prefer heavier songs, my fav songs are faking it and a hazy shade of winter

The instrumentals and sounds surprised me a lot in an amazing way , right after I looked at the release year. I love how the album is not egg at I expected it to be before listening, and I love the different sound mixtures that in my head shouldn’t work but do!

6/10

Potentiell 5

180 Lindo, piola. De no ser por el track hablado sería música perfecta para poner cuando vienen mis papás a tomar once.

yeah ...

不好听

Track 2 damn near threw me out of my seat. That synth came out of nowhere. The rest of the album is also a nice listen

Very all over the place, sometimes to its own deficit. Almost a little bit like a portrait of all the different kinds of music that were around in the late 60s. You’ve got big string arrangements, early synths, all this other stuff that is very of its time. “Mrs Robinson” is the obvious highlight. Nice enough listen.

pas trop mon style, certains titres sympas mais pas sûre que je retourne vers cet album

I've heard of Simon and Garfunkel, but haven't properly listened to any of their music. Bookends theme - lovely guitar if I do say so meself, nice short intro Save the life of my child - ok synths, nice switch up, I was not expecting this from them, way more upbeat than I thought America - rlly peaceful, sounds like other folkie songs I've listened to, so love Overs - short and sweet, but also a nice gentle guitar song, rlly nice Voices of old people - just an interlude of dialogue Old friends - ok strings, also nice delicate listen, lowkey orchestral and a bit dramatic, just a smidge Bookends theme reprised - nice guitar again again Fakin it - more upbeat, nice change from the folkie songs Punky's dilemma - 'wish i was an english muffin' that's exactly what Ive been saying, like the sound effects of someone falling down the stairs, this song is so silly Mrs robinson - a wee bit groovy, says its from the graduate, might have to watch A hazy shade of winter - i hear organs or smth in the back!!! the vocals remind me of someone but idk who..... good song tho At the zoo - the delicate guitar is back !!! and its here to stay, pew pew, ok country dig, i wanna go to the zoo, no i don't OVERALL: I rlly appreciate a shorter album, as the other songs I've gotten have been rather lengthy, reminded me of other folk artists I had listened to before, so they fit right in, they were very easy to listen and very soothing too, overall the guitar was just lovely. REALLY enjoyed this album :P ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/ 5

Certain standouts really shine on this record. Bookends Theme brings such wrought emotion.

It's my first album starting this. I really liked, I don't really know how to analyze an album, but the sonority is cool.

I mean they’re all just great songs. Not sure about the concept idea, it’s a bit of a loose one and changes in the second half anyway but the actual songs are awesome. They’ve obviously already showed how great they are on the folk side if things from their previous albums so it was cool to hear some experimentation on some of the songs like the bass synth on the second song (first after the intro) and some strings on old friends for instance. Mrs Robinson is a classic on here as well. Favourites: all but the old people interlude. Overall, 8/10.

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.

hermoso. me gustó todo

Love a quickie. Mrs Robinson is the obvious standout here. To me nothing comes close to bridge over troubled water though. Still, this sounded nice and I appreciate the attempt at a concept on side a. Light 4.

Very good album with a couple of great songs. America, Mrs. Robinson and especially Hazy Shade of Winter stand out from the rest. The last one especially, since is almost a full-out psychedelic rock song. The rest is fine, but I could definitely have done without the old people talking interlude. 3.5 if possible.

There are some fantastic songs on here ("America" and "Old Friend") but as a whole I just cant get to 5. The old people talking was quite unpleasant and for only 30 minutes there felt like lots of filler.

Lowkey reflective.

07/10 05.01.2026

Mrs. Robinson is a decent song but this album doesn't keep my attention. It's not bad but not amazing either.

Why does Simon look so scared? 2/5

The combo of Voices of Old People followed by Old Friends definitely gut punched me unexpectedly

Okay, nothing memorable

The last few tracks saved this from being a 2 but I do wonder how many albums would have not made the list if they didn’t have that one popular track everyone knows.

It was a great experience to listen this album, definitely goes into my music library. 4/5

Didn’t know this was the album that has the English muffin song (Punky’s Dilemma)!! Found out I really like Simon and Garfunkel :)

3.5

Kind of a weird album, but it’s got lots of good jams

This was a pleasant listen. I’m not versed in S&G - and I often thought of their songs to be acoustic driven folk songs. But this record had that and a bit more. Some interestingly creative decisions that made an impact. Lyrics can be goofy at times but it didn’t take you out of the songs.

que buen álbum brother, tiene un par de temas que no van, pero en general especialmente los del principio menos la intro me gustaron, igual si siento que se nota que es música de hace mucho tiempo, tiene su flow antiguo, pero bien

I've never heard this in its entirety. Now that I have to say it's absolutely beautiful. Why did I sleep on this?

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

Some familiar songs, some weird stuff

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

Never heard an album that encapsulates nostalgia more than this. Actually can't believe how much I loved this compared with the last S&G album. The flow is so nice, the harmonies are beautiful & it is immensely sentimental. I'd say half of these tracks are closing credits songs, not just Mrs Robinson. The kindof album you expect from someone in their twilight years, but this was one of their earlier ones? Wild. 9 / 10 Best track/s: Bookends Reprise, Fakin' It, Old Friends, A Hazy Shade of Winter

Not really my cup of tea, but a couple of familiar tunes - A hazy shade of winter is quite good

Great album! Well composed, soft and calming. My favorite song was Punkys Dilemma

You can hear the shift into the more psychedelic wall of sound and such but also the older more folksy tracks. I remember some of these from high school.

Had to skip the people taking but i already loved this album

This album is only 29 minutes long but is full of surprises. It has a few of my favorites--America, A Hazy Shade of Winter--and also surprises. The beginning of the first full song, Save the Life of My Child, is more electric than I was expecting, and the Voices of Old People was new to me. It really is just old people talking. :) This album came out the year I was born and it was fun to think about people in that year putting this LP on the turntable for the first time and giving it a spin.

I really liked the folkiness of this album. I don’t really listen to a lot like this

A little self indulgent, with "Voices of Old People" and the Bookends Theme. They take themselves too seriously. Rescued by the classic Mrs Robinson and Hazy Shade of Winter. Old Friends is another high point, with poignant strings and a wistful air. Hazy Shade of Winter was born to be a heavy rock song - the detroit snare on every beat and that killer riff should not work in a folk context, but they do!

I really didn't like it at all. I do not like folk rock in the first place, but I still tried to go in unbiased. Even though I don’t like the music I do enjoy the message they were trying to convey.

country music album. i love "take me home, country roads" by john denver as a classic so it's common sense that i love this album too.

I like this album. I think it was quirky and nostalgic. I loved the lyric “I wish I was a Kellogg’s cornflake floating in my bowl.” I would definitely listen to this album again if I was on a road trip to the mountains

3.0 - Ok

For me, OAD is a celebration of the album format, and it takes more than a collection of great songs to make a great album. The artists and producers must create an extended experience that takes the listener on a journey. I had never heard the entire Bookends album, but it knocked me back the very first time, as I never thought of Simon & Garfunkel as "album artists." I'd always just thought of them as making great folk singles, and I am happy to have been proven wrong here. Of course, I'm familiar with tracks like "America" and "Mrs. Robinson." "America" is always a welcome listen, but I've felt that "Mrs. Robinson," as great a track as it is, has been overplayed. The context here is different from that given by The Graduate or the tacked-on cover at the end of It's a Shame about Ray, and listening to it in this track list helped me appreciate it again. Another great thing about this album is that the journey Simon & Garfunkel have crafted here is only thirty minutes long, two of which are dedicated to simple conversation from old people, most, if not all, younger than the 84 years Paul Simon has as of this writing. Those conversations pulled me in perfectly, getting me in the exact right mindset to be crushed by "Old Friends," one of several moments in this short album that made me gasp and sniffle back a few tears. This record is the perfect fall/winter album. It is melancholy and textured, beautiful and even a little silly and subversive at times. It is a short, gentle record that hit me right in the feels. Five stars.

i surprisingly LOVED it!!! such fun songs, not per se to dance to or sing along to but great chill soft songs

Not a fan of Simon and Garfunkel Favorite songs: Fakin’ It and A Hazy Shade of Winter

Good but not their best...

Paras uusi levy tämän haasteen aikana. Biiseistä muutamat olivat tuttuja ennestään. Hyvä aloitus vuodelle 2026.

No thanks. I’ve never liked anything from these two. Listening to a full album was torture. At least it was only 30 mins. 1/5 that single star is for giving The Bangles a great tune to cover.

Absolut schlimmm

Full disclosure, I knew some songs off this album before listening to it. Mainly, America and Mrs. Robinson. I’ve gained a new appreciation the album and for Simon & Garfunkel. I’ve always liked their music and folk as a genre but this album is joyful & beautiful. It was amazing albeit short. 5/5 for me.

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.

america is one of the best songs of all time so that makes this album a 5. i thought the interludes brought the album together well. really good album and i love the sillyness of being an english muffin or kelloggs cornflake

I didn’t fall in love with this one as quickly as Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, but I still enjoyed it. Bookends definitely has a clearer and well-defined narrative throughout, which I can appreciate. When I listen to this again, I think I will enjoy it a lot more as I dive deeper into its themes.

Calm and poetic

We listened to these two a lot growing up. Sadly, my mom leaned toward the folky Ren faire stuff that never resonated with me. About half of this album is surprising and aiming for something far left of their center. I found those tracks something of a revelation. The rest of them I could take or leave, though I leaned towards take. I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would.

500 Days of Summer! 💞

Mostly boring but the last three songs kind of kick it up a notch.

It was good, I will listen again but ehhh

Starts off with a beautiful and calming instrumental that leads into the second song "Save the life of my child" which has a grand start. This song seems to explore the suicide of a young boy and looks into the affection of the women around and the inaffection of the men, mainly the police officer who has a lack of remorse saying that the boy does not respect the law. It's a overwhelming song with much going on but it matches the topic explored. The overwhelming situation, the panic of the people, matches the different sounds going on all at once in the song. We are then lead into "America." I hear the faint sound of a woman's voice. A calmer song than the last. There's a surprising amount of dialogue in the song, snippets of conversations or even simple shared words between lovers. Simon and his girlfriend of the time (which I found out by looking up) are on a road trip to America, and while there Simon keeps looking for the America he's been promised, the "American Dream." This song is an exploration on Simon's existential crisis over what he was taught to believe America is and what it actually is. We are then taken into "Overs." This song seems to explore a seemingly short relationship. A relationship on it's last legs, it's last run. These lovers seem to be separating from one another but can't seem to make any true commitment to a separation. Not happy but comfortable and leaving the comfort of a relationship lost of any real emotions is less frightening than being on their own. Next we are taken into "Voices of Old People." This song is a mixing of snippets of conversations from elderly people at the United home for aged Hebrews and the old home for age Reseda. An interesting look on what elderly people are thinking and feeling. "Old Friends" has a stunning beginning. Something that feels a little melancholic but also peaceful and calm. Like coming to terms with something that offers sadness but feels relieving in one way or another. I don't quite know what to make of this song, all I could truly focus on was the deep sadness I felt while listening. A beautiful song I must say. " Bookends Theme- Reprise" is a repeat of the intro. It seems to look back on a memory from when you were younger, a child or teenager. Moments that at the time don't seem that big but as you grow older you can't help but look back on with fondness. "Fakin' It" has a more upbeat sound. The subject is less sad then the others mostly because it is an extremely common feeling among most everyone. The feeling of insecurity and shortcomings and doing your best to hide them. "Punky's Dilemma" This song contains quite silly lyrics. Dreaming of being serial or a form of bread. But it has some deep political meanings. After doing some research it seems that Simon is critiquing the way society seems to quickly jump into groups and constantly politicizing small or trivial things. Making groups with fervor. A silly song contains deep meanings when you really look at it. " Mrs. Robinson" is a song featured the "The Graduate" soundtrack. This song was originally called "Mrs. Roosevelt" but Simon was asked if he could write a song for a movie. He said he was too busy touring but was working on a song which then became "Mrs.Robinson." I don't quite know what it is fully exploring but it isn't as sad as the other songs on the album have been. A nice break from the sadness I've so far indured. " A Hazy Shade of Winter" is a look on the journey of life and what your life has now become, what it now is. "At the Zoo" could stand for a collection of different people, how they may all come together in one place but are still separated by their differences. I think the album was an exploration of different relationships in life and I think it's an album that I enjoyed but the more I listen the more I'll love it and the more I'll understand it.

10/10 as a whole is the best way to listen nostalgic goosebumps all the way

Despite its notoriety, I hadn't heard side 1 of this classic lullaby-for-adults. The first half is more conceptual (by design, I later read) and sounds more cohesive as a result than the singles and heavy-hitters on side 2. Easy listening right here!

There are some timeless classics here. Simon's songwriting seems mature beyond his years on Bookends. There's some innovation in the instrumentation used, including an early synthesizer on Save The Life Of My Child. That Hazy Shade Of Winter riff still rocks 50+ years later! Liked Songs Added: America Old Friends Mrs. Robinson A Hazy Shade Of Winter At The Zoo

I was very excited to get this album, but turns out they’re just the 1970s version of a band like the Lumineers. Or Of Monsters and Men. That type of thing. 3/5.

9/10 I didn't think I'd like as much Simon and Garfunkel as I do. Not just their hits, everything sounds so timeless. 12-26-2025

I didn’t expect to love this album. But from the beginning it grabbed me. The caustic Moog of “Save the Life of My Child” cutting across the twirling guitars. The soul of a nation being dreamed and lost between the sighs of “America”’s gorgeous choruses (and perfectly evocative flange guitars). The record’s faultless run of pop folk and soft rock anthems indulge alternating dimensions of Paul Simon’s song craft; sincere and studied responses to the British Invasion (“A Hazy Shade of Winter”, “Fakin’ It”, “At the Zoo”), or what was happening in the Factory (“Old Friends”) or Haight-Ashbury (“Overs”, “Fakin’ It”). It’s a tour of the sixties’ musical high points that, with the high quality of production throughout, gifts a unique kind of wholeness to the decade’s distinctive sound. And then there’s “Mrs. Robinson”, a song so enduringly popular that it’s easy to take for granted. I was ready to let it roll past me. But from the beginning it grabbed me. I didn’t expect to love this album.

'America' should have been the opener. 'Save The Life Of My Child' is an unlistenable mess. I guess they were going for shock value after the gentle opening. 'Voices Of Old People' is indulgent and boring, I can't see this ever getting a second listen when the album is replayed. Bookends Theme (reprise) should have been the album closer for obvious reasons. Fakin' It has a nice commercial hook and a snarl to it, but it gets dragged down by the spoken interjections- underlining the main weakness of the album, attention seeking artsyness that falls flat and sounds dated. 'Mrs Robinson' is a stone classic and along with 'America' the high point of the album. Hazy Shade Of Winter is a step down but still a good closer. At The Zoo is ok and should have ended side 1. Definitely no place for this in my 1001 albums. They did much better work later on. Sgt Pepper has a lot to answer for.

This album has some fun experimental sounds, along with some fun guitar chords and lyrics

A good album for beatles fans

i dont know what to think, sometimes it reminds me of the beatles, it has that popular english band of the 70/80s vibe. some songs are out of my taste but some are very nice. hmm what else what else, old people or smth like that i liked. its a very good album but i dont think i would reach to it myself.

top 3: - mrs. robinson - america - punky’s dilemma i always find paul simons writing so charming and this album is no exception the whole thing is just so enjoyable the harmonies, the production, the overall feeling of whimsy, i love it so much

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.

The old people talking was dumb

Pretty interesting

4.5

Quite an interesting listen. These guys were very unique.

introduced me to a whole new genre, loved it

Great album

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

I love this album because it's attached to my childhood. I remember my dad playing it in the car all the time. Listening to it again makes me nostalgic.

Good, not great

Excellent. Timeless

Lovely listening, minus the old people Bookends Theme ★★★☆☆ Save the Life of My Child ★★★☆☆ America ★★★★☆ Overs ★★★☆☆ Voices of Old People ★☆☆☆☆ Old Friends ★★★★☆ Bookends Theme ★★★☆☆ Fakin’ It ★★★★☆ Punky’s Dilemma ★★★☆☆ Mrs. Robinson ★★★★☆ A Hazy Shade of Winter ★★★★☆ At the Zoo ★★★☆☆ Average Album Rating: 3.2/5.0 ★★★☆☆

Memories of driving on weekends with my dad, with S&G playing on the car stereo.

Meh. I usually like them, but this album didn’t do it for me.

I can't believe I'm saying this about an album on this list, but I thought it was too short. The best track (Mrs. Robinson) is a repeat from a better album (The Graduate soundtrack). What music is here is decent, but there just isn't very much actual music, when there's ten minutes of not songs and the whole album is less than 30 minutes.

hay una canción que se llama Punky's dilemma, y le agrega mil puntos más a un muy buen disco, tranqui, medio chill, no estoy tan tan segura si he escuchado canciones antes, pero algunas siento que son conocidas Replayability: 9/10 Fav: Punky's dilemma / Mrs. Robinson Vibe: de fondo en alguna cena, en una tarde media otoñal, en juntas mas reducidas, que se pierda la musica sobre las conversaciones que se tienen

Lovely but not entirely my cup of tea

There are few things I love more than Simon and Garfunkel. America is, in my opinion, one of the greatest songs ever written.

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

America, Mrs Robinson and Hazy Shade of Winter, are just great songs, easily 4 stars here.

This album was surprising. The inclusion of synthesizers caught me off guard. The songwriting is fantastic. The track that is literally just field recordings of old people talking is the low-point of the album, but it does at least fit with the "concept" going on for the first half of the album. Overall, this is a great album. 4 stars

I like Simon and Garfunkel, I do. Paul Simon actually saved my marriage. ‘America’ is one of my favourite songs of all time. This album, though … it’s just a little bit too clever-clever for its own good, and they don’t pull it off. I don’t dislike it, of course - America, Mrs Robinson, and A Hazy Shade of Winter make it a good album. But the meandering experimental shit pulls it down and I can’t give it more than a three.

Probably my favorite S&G album, and not for Mrs. Robinson. America is a much better track.

Couple undeniable classics, rest was good. Preferred that solo Simon album, but Garfunkel is the better actor

Didn’t over stay its welcome

I really liked Bookends, Faking It and of course Mrs Robinson. It’s one of my parents favorite bands

Good! I have this on vinyl so I knew I love jt

Aside from the two amazing tracks near the end, it was weirdly boring. 2.75

Feel like I can’t go lower than three stars on an album with Mrs. Robinson, but the rest of this is summed up by “I wish I was an English muffin”

It is a good album and a very pleasent listen. Even though it is not very special to me. It is just a bit boring and not very interesting

A great album - you just have to listen to this. There is nothing else to be said.

Someone quipped that Bookends is like the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” played out over an entire album. That seems right. I can feel the influence and vibe of Sgt Pepper here, even though the acoustic presentation provides misdirection. Along with Mrs Robinson, there are some great counter culture gems here ("Save the Life of My Child," "Fakin’ It," "Hazy Shade of Winter"). And “America” is a Simon and Garfunkel classic. Yet there are low points. "Overs," "Voices of Old People," and "Old Friends" form a skippable trilogy. A song about Kellogg’s Corn Flakes and another about the Zoo probably contain profound insight…somewhere…but feel like filler. I think the Beatles had the right idea in keeping it to one song. But man, the great songs here are really deserving. Put the best songs on a playlist and that playlist should indeed be heard (a few times) before you die.

Time it was And what a time it was It was a time of innocence A time of confidences.

I’m a 28-year-old dance music fan, but this challenge has somehow turned me into a man who gets excited every time I get to listen to a new Simon & Garfunkel album. I even replayed “Scarborough Fair” in preparation for today’s assignment and it was just as good as I had remembered! Bookends was an interesting one. I went into the LP knowing it was the one with “Mrs. Robinson” on it, but not much else. Ultimately, the album is kind of all over the place – there were certain songs that had me thinking “I can’t believe there was music this good in 1968” and others I would have been fine to skip. It feels like Simon & Garfunkel had grand ambitions with this one and the music often lives up to that, but the structure and flow of it all just doesn’t quite work for me. “Voices of Old People” is probably the best example of what I mean – it sounds interesting on paper, but comes out of nowhere and does little to actually enhance the album listening experience. Although I found Bookends to be an overall weaker album than Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, its highlights still had some of the best quality songwriting I’ve heard during this challenge so far and I’m still very much looking forward to my next Simon & Garfunkel experience! Highlights: Save the Life of My Child, America, Old Friends, Fakin’ It, Mrs. Robinson, A Hazy Shade of Winter

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.

The singles are ok but the shtick is ridiculous.

yet another Pretty Good Simon & Garfunkel Record. I'm not as sick of these guys as my parents are, so I think I'm a bit less hard on them. And it's short. That's always good. 3.5

Very airy, slow,

SO GOOD LOVED IT

Save the Life of my Child was an incredible way to begin this album! Very charming and good vibes over all. Fakin'it, A Hazy Shade of Winter were also highlights for me.

Good start to the album, Mrs Robinson is the stand-out.

Lovely guitar and vocals, found myself zoning out for some tracks though. Highlights: Old Friends, Fakin' It, Mrs Robinson, A Hazy Shade of Winter.

Not my favorite album of theirs solely because of a few sound effect storytelling devices used that I would cut out. Otherwise, another killer album.

Starts almost electro starting with "Save the Life of my Child." It's a cool song, just not what I expected from 60s Simon and Garfunkel. Maybe late 70s or 80s Paul Simon. Then we've got "America," an absolute classic. "Overs" is decent, at this point looking to be a solid S&G album. "Fakin It" is solid as well. I also like "Punky's Dilemma." I'm pretty sure "Mrs. Robinson" was on the soundtrack first, but I guess its inclusion here on the studio album is warranted. It's obviously another total classic. "A Hazy Shade of Winter" sounds like S&G doing a Beatles type catchy song. Overall, this really sounds like S&G at their prime, and doesn't have as much skip material unless you could Old People Talking. Really up their with Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. 5/5

Música de velho, mas eu gostei. Boas vibes

Love them, and it is to the benefit of the art they are so experimental. But the experimentation does make this album not fully work for me. Love them, but I don't think I'd listen to this AS an album ever again.

Initially I did not like this. But I enjoyed the last few songs.

Didn't Love it. 2 stars. Sorry!

I knew A Hazy Shade of Winter

Getting a 3 cuz it's Simon and Garfunkel. They've done much better and more interesting work than this though.

I didn't know they were so weird! Cameron Crowe's mom was right.

My favs were America, Fakin' it, Mrs. Robinson, and A Hazy Shade of Winter. this was great!

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

Very chill and pleasant

Gotta be honest I thought I’d like it more. It had a weird “song” of just old people talking, and just in general more weirdness than I go for. It has Mrs. Robinson on it though, which I like, and one or two other songs that I sorta knew and like

Neat. Kinda sad Best song: Bookends. Was pretty unexpected

I really like the theme and the bookend songs that enclose part 1 of the album. Old friends is my favorite so far. LOVE Mrs. Robinson. Also loved a hazy shade of winter. I'd say this is a good fall / winter album but not sure it's great enough to be in this list lol. The album is literally split into 2 with the last half being throwaway songs from the previous album that have nothing to do with the 1st half. I think the 1st half would be a great concept EP, but yea this all together doesn't make much sense.

Beautiful listen

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?)

Det är förstås fantastiskt snickeri, men på ett kanske orättvist sätt jämför jag med deras ikoniska låtar.

not my style but their voices are really good and comfortable

Musicality obviously a five bit I just can’t get over the too-cuteness.

Sucks to be stacked up against my expectations for this, but I was mostly underwhelmed on this one!

I seem to harp on how I can’t appreciate an album fully because it’s not in my folky wheelhouse. This seems like a cop out as most of what I listen to can’t be called folky. So now, I am confronted with undeniable folkiness. What to do? Despite my folky roots and to echo something I’ve said everyday, I’ve never listened to this album. I know Paul Simon as really one of the best acoustic guitarists of his era—his work on sound of silence solidifies that—and a more than worthy songwriter (his work on sound of silence solidifies that). But my criticism of Simon (and Garfunkel!) is that he (they!) are a little soft. They are very pleasant to listen to, but they are a little too pleasant to listen to. A little too much polish, seemingly lacking a certain authenticity that is absolutely essential in his genre. There are Paul Simon songs that have become standards, and deservedly so, but he isn’t on my Rushmore of folk singers, he and Dylan are at the kids table for opposing reasons. The beginning of this album was entirely unexpected and so welcomed. Hell yeah. Paul Simon is relentlessly gifted at playing the guitar and the rest of the band is fervent here. I am just shocked by the statement that save the life of my child is—I might have to listen to this five more times before moving on to the rest of the album. The bass is unrelenting and the tone of the crashing cymbals adds so much to this song. It just feels so unexpected from Simon and it’s executed so well. I did not expect this album to start so aggressively and it works so well. And it just keeps going. America is so different from its predecessor, but it’s a banger as well. We get to dive into Simon’s ability as a storyteller, where few can compete. The rest of the band, the production on this album take this from some good songs to a stellar album. Simon can play truly beautiful acoustic lines that occupy so much space as he is wont to do, but the bass forces the issue in a way Simon’s guitar can’t and the (Hammond? Whatever keys) play a beautiful accent. It also makes it that much more poignant when you do get situated in songs like Overs or old friends that absolutely showcase Simon’s voice and playing, both of which are impeccable as ever here. And we must talk about voices of old people. This album is stuffed with the unexpected, and I did not expect field recordings of elderly Americans used as a framing device for the song’s accompanying it, but wow does it work. This is an album that seems shockingly considerate in its arrangement, between having (and reprising) a theme and including a recording like voices of old people. This album is so strong and cohesively resonant that, while Mrs. Robinson is probably the most listenable standalone track, the album would be just as good without it. It’s a classic that I don’t much care for, and it doesn’t really belong here (I wonder what the conversation was to put the song on the album as obviously it wasn’t recorded for this release). I walked into this listen fully expecting to go against type and criticize a folk album. I walked out not even positive this is a folk album. It’s certainly not perfect or remotely close to contending for my favorite album, but what a stellar album front to back. I think I would’ve liked to see another reprise of the theme to tie the whole piece together, having the reprise appear fairly early in the album and disappear was something of a disappointment. I also think Mrs. Robinson, while a standout track, should’ve been left off. In such a conceptually driven album, I think a nonsequitur track like that detracts more than it should. But, while far from perfect, it deserves its flowers and then some.

It was kinda weird but I Iiked it for the most part. Favorite songs: Mrs. Robinson, Fakin’ It, Old Friends, and A Hazy Shade of Winter. I could do without Voices of Old People.

I don't think I know this album, let's go. The singles are just so damn good: America, Mrs Robinson. Some strong 60s sounds in here, a little more than usual for Simon. A Hazy Shade of Winter is giving crazy 60s energy. I don't think I knew this song was theirs originally! Fun little folksy album that I would def listen to again. 3.9/5

I've grown up listening to Simon and Garfunkel. My parents loved them, my wife loves them and I was lucky enough to see Art Garfunkel live a few years ago. Bookends contains a few of the classics, in Mrs Robinson, America and Hazy Shade of Winter. Old Friends and Punky's Dilemma are also warm, comfortable songs. Save the Life of my Child doesn't really fit with the rest of the album, and feels a bit jarring, while Overs and Fakin' It, while not unpleasant, just seem to be going through the motions. A low 4 stars.

Lots of Highlights.

Thought this was much more interesting than bridge over troubled water as an album. Enjoyed the almost psychedelic sound of the first half of the album. Think I would give this 3.5 if I could.

Some fun dubbing here which I didn’t expect. I liked this, probably more than a bridge over troubled water. Mrs Robinson I’m overexposed to. 3.5

Genre: Folk Pop One of the more pleasant listening experiences found in this book, Simon & Garfunkel made themselves a very solid, very long-living pop record that has stood the test of time. From the big hits (Mrs. Robinson) to the deep cuts (At the Zoo), this is a great album any way you slice it. Can’t believe this came out in 1968. Folk Pop music would sound like this for a long time. I listened to this on a snowy drive. Probably made it that much better. 4/5

"kathy, I'm lost" I said though I knew she was sleeping

Not for me

Greit. De skal få denne TIL TROSS for gamle folk som prater...

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.

Lovely

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

Gir meg car ride vibes likte det godt. Hørte på albumet da jeg var på gåtur med Luna og koste meg veldig. Skal høre med fra de.