Reviews (page 6 of 14)
Kind of boring. Less folksy than I thought. Went by without me even noticing
A little subdued compared to their other albums
a mini album bookended by some unreleased songs and a song from a movie soundtrack. Doesn't make for much of an album. Fine, but maybe the weakest I've heard from the duo. 3.0*
Old favourite - original release pilfered from mum and dad’s collection. A great chill album with oddities (Voices Of Old People/Old Friends) blended with classics (America, Hazy Shade of Winter, At The Zoo), and a best ever filler (Mrs. Robinson (From The Motion Picture "The Graduate")).
Kind of ok
the back half of this album really does some heavy lifting. the front half is unfortunately pretty dull, something that these guys fall into a lot. back half is probably a 4 but front half is a 2 so we'll split the difference and call it a 3
Have a couple of Simon and Garfunkel albums, not this one though. First side is interesting enough, when they give up on the concept for the side 2 it sounds very generic 60s pop. 3.5 rounded down Heard before? A few Owned: No: 32/129 (24%) Will I get? No
Sense cap mena de dubte és un album amb algunes de les millors cançons folk de l'època però m'hi falta molta cohesió. Alhora, i segurament per la quantitat de vegades que s'han fet servir aquestes cançons, em recorda més que res a un recull de temes de Bandes Sonores. Altres coses a destacar, que collons son les 2 primeres cançons. La producció i el mix/màster és absolutament fantàstic sobretot tenint en compte la quantitat de goofijades que hi foten i de talls de so, quasi 60 anys després sona fantàstic sense ser un remaster. Top 3: Mrs. Robinson, Old friends, Fakin' It
3.5/5 Solid listen, nothing that particularly stands out with the exception of a few songs.
good
t's not really my cup of tea, as it has a big focus on lyrics. Easy listening, good vibes and doesn't sound too dated, albeit disjointed, which can be explained by the fact that one the LP sides is a collection of leftovers from a previous record.
Yeah this wasn't for me
Lovely melodic tuneful. Never before or since did simon and garfunkel emulate this. Old friends is both sad and uplifting. Punky dilemma is strange but enchanting. Mrs Robinson arguably the best song made for a film. At the zoo a perfect closer to a perfect album.
Favorite track(s): America, Punky's Dilemma, A Hazy Shade of Winter
I knew like half the songs already. Classic, hard to go wrong with Simon and Garfunkel. Only bit I didn't care for was the old people talking filler track
Not perfect, but definitely a 5. America, Faking it, Ms. Robinson and hazy shade of winter are all amazing.
3.8/5 Pretty good album overall, but not my favourite. "Bridge Over Troubled Water" heightened my expectations too much honestly. And although there's nothing on "Bookends" that I'd call bad or boring, only the last 3 songs were actually catching my attention.
3/10 Top track: Mrs. Robinson Couple of great tracks but lots of filler.
Largely felt unexceptional but the last few famous tracks really lifted it
The last 3 songs were my favourite so it left me with a good lasting impression of the album. I’m not familiar with their albums, just the famous songs, so this was a slight surprise that it leaned into psychedelia. A very polite 30 mins meant this was an easy listen.
Painfully dull. It’s easy to drift away and forget that the record is playing. I really don’t see what the fuss is about. Meh. Simon and Blah-funkel is a more apt name for this duo.
Second Simon & Garfunkel record. It's been just over 50 albums since I listened to Bridge Over Troubled Water. Despite having a great album cover, I didn't feel all too strongly about the music. There were one or two good songs in there, though the rest was just unremarkable folk. Not a folker, what can I say? I'm not yet convinced that this album will work for me if their big release failed to click, but stranger things have happened. Thirty minutes. I used to be dubious of these short albums when I was starting out with this list, though I can't get enough of 'em lately. I've been rolling way too many hour-ten albums of late. Anyways, this is fine. I appreciate the intimacy of this music, both in sound and songwriting. Simon & Garfunkel are solid vocalists for the folk genre, too. I just don't feel strongly towards it thanks to my non-folking tendencies. "America" is alright. Decent vocal melody, and I like how the song builds. The organ works surprisingly well, too. I've consistently disliked the organ prior to undertaking this listening pilgrimage, though I may just come around after this. "Overs" features a nice acoustic guitar performance. "Mrs. Robinson" is classic folk. Some pretty good vocals, and I, again, like the intricate acoustic guitars. Book time. "...their most intellectual album", though that's about it. I get the impression that three Simon & Garfunkel albums on this list is kind of lowballing it given how timeless their music is, so I can advocate for this pick on those grounds. I cosign this inclusion.
Love S&G, great tracks on here, America, and Mrs R, great singalong tunes
Eh
S&G fungerer alltid, men dette er ikke det albumet av de du MÅ høre på.
An interesting exploration of their style. I can totally see how Simon got to Graceland from here.
The journey from child to adulthood is one that is evident in the first half of the album - the second half makes it feel slightly disjointed with the unreleased tracks from The Graduate film. Best: America Worst: At The Zoo
I can't listen to America without full body chills and a nostalgia for a time I never lived in. their harmonies are legendary.
Enjoyed this more than I thought. A lot of Moog noises on the opening track took me by surprise but then settled into more of what I expect from a S&G record, but still very enjoyable.
mäh
no!!!
Hard to be mad at those folksy harmonies. Some absolute classics here (America, Mrs Robinson, Hazy Shade of Winter). I can trace a through line from Dylan to this to The Kinks ‘Village Green…’
É um bom álbum, mas pouco marcante. Se eu ouvisse mais vezes, provavelmente iria gostar mais, porém, por hora é apenas um álbum ok.
I'm not a big Simon and Garfunkel fan, I can only take so much whisper-singing over soft guitar. This is probably my least-favorite of their albums I've heard as well. That said, I realize they are undeniably influencial. 2.5 -> 2
ive never listened to this album. the 2nd track was surprising, I expected no synth, all folk. what stereo. maybe too much but a product of its time I guess. headphones are strange for this. It sounds good but I do find it overall a bit boring.
Charming album, but it wasn't particularly memorable except Mrs Robinson. Probably wouldn't choose to listen again.
Hazy shade of Winter and Mrs Robinson keep this album from slipping into 2 stars. The first half of the album is pretty weak psychedelia. Old People talking? Seriously?
At The Zoo
Listening to this I didn't pick up that it was a concept album. "Voices Of Old People" serves that concept I guess but I didn't think that it should have been included. Maybe they relented so Artie could have a win. These two were meant to be together vocally and this is a pretty solid album. 3.5/5
Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel was an interesting experience. It has nostalgic folk roots and iconic guitar riffs. At times it was slow and boring, but other times it's groovy. -Sean
Not as great, not even close, to Bridge Over Troubled Water. This album seems to have no overriding reason to be other than some half-baked youthful take on life's journey, from youth to old age. There are great songs on here:
mid!
A perfectly fine folk album that doesn't do too much for me. Not unpleasant to listen to, just didn't grab me in the way I might have expected. Surprised there is any bloat on an album under 30 mins. Some good tracks, but nothing groundbreaking. Top tracks: America, Old Friends, Mrs Robinson
I appreciate the genius, it’s just not my thing.
I mean, it's only 29 minutes and 2 of the minutes are an actual recording of some old people having a conversation but then 4 of them are Mrs Robinson
Beautiful
not my style, type of songs my dad would listen to tbh
Oh man......this one! 30 minutes of pure joy! The glory of "America." The fantastic "Mrs. Robinson." The driving "Hazy Shade of Winter." The bizarre interludes. An album that remains sonically ahead of its time. And as Frances McDormand would say, "Simon and Garfunkel is poetry. Yes, it's poetry. It is the poetry of drugs and promiscuous sex! Honey, they're on pot!"
Very good album. Kept wanting to hear it again and relisten.
I do love their comfortable soothing music and think that they are the most loveable Hippies. But this short story-driven album is not it.
Again not really feeling it. Picked up a little bit towards the end but I just don’t know who would have this in there list of favourite albums.
Enjoy certain aspects and not others, middle of the road, short and sweet as they say.
Didn't care for the audiobook style stories with a few tunes in the background.
Great album by a great duo
lovely album folky and well written songs great to hear an entire album from two of the greats
Another classic. America and Mrs Robinson are god tier songs and the rest of the album holds up equally well. Beautiful harmonies, songwriting that paints magical sketches of life and delicate guitarwork elevate this to something special.
Certified classic. The duo executes the life end-to-end concept really well, and the music is, as always, fantastic.
Nice album for a sunday morning drive
I would pay money to never listen to another album on which the artist does their best Bob Dylan impression.
Yeah... Hated it. Boring.
Now this is my shit.
Really enjoyed the variety of songs and harmonies on this one. My favorite of theirs thus far.
A solid band that has had a terrible break up
I really have no idea what was going on in this album. It's all kind of a fever dream. I don't feel like any of the songs on here are real except for maybe "Mrs. Robinson" and "A Hazy Shade of Winter". Sure their harmonies are nice but I don't feel like they really did much on this album. It was short though so that was nice.
kinda all over the place. but gets added bump for America and Hazy Shade of Winter. 3.5 stars
My favorite Simon and Garfunkel album, with all the bells, whistles and moog synths that you love so much. Brave to have a song called America and single handily be the only best song in music history to be titled America. Not to mention the 3-track finisher with Mrs Robinson, A Hazy Shade of Winter and At the Zoo. How cruel.
Gentle folk
the flow doesn't seem to make a lot of sense - it felt disjointed. there are some classic songs that are enjoyable.
Loved. I love Simon & Garfunkel. Bookends is one of my favorite songs of theirs. I also love America. I also knew and liked Mrs. Robinson and Hazy Shade of Winter.
Wtf is this
It’s funny how certain times of your life certain things are appealing and other times they’re repellent for some reason. I can’t really listen to Simon & Garfunkel that much anymore, but there was a time when I listened to them all the time. There’s something about Paul Simon where it’s sort of earnest but he also seems like he is not being sincere or something. I can’t put my finger on it. Dig the moog on save the life of my child.
I loved the first Simon & Garfunkel album I got so much, and I was very excited to get another. This one was not quite as good, but I still got some enjoyment out of it. I found this one to be more boring as it was pretty much strictly folk with little to no rock influence that was present in their other album. Three of the tracks are really kind of... nothing as much as I hate to say it. These being the theme song of the album, its reprise, and a "song" in which older people simply talk. Not a bad album by any means, but it didn't entertain me nearly to the extent the other Simon & Garfunkel album did. The last quarter of the album is very strong, and definitely my preferred kind of songs from the duo.
This is the first Simon & Garfunkel record on the list, however I've already had two Paul Simon records and they both got confident five stars each. This is no exception. The songs are so great, and honestly sound ahead of their time to me - I can't believe this is 1968. Not even any favourite tracks; everything is fantastic.
Not a bad record, but it feels a bit disjointed and inconsistent with the “Bookends” front half, then a smattering of singles from the Graduate afterward.
Eliott : Super ! Eva : très dans son jus... Un jus de beatles subtilement mélangé à En fait ils ont un peu recopié les beatles mais bon... C'est super quand-même
An album for all time. Great duo. Music that has lasted, and will last forever. What more can you say.
Um álbum estruturalmente bizarro. Vou explicar o porquê. Ele possui 12 faixas e 29 minutos, mas parece que ele se inicia na faixa #10! Ou seja, ele me passa a impressão de ser um disco de apenas 3 canções, com uma introdução de 7 canções… Esquisito! Não entendo exatamente porquê fizeram isso. As três canções que eu considero o verdadeiro álbum são boas, na verdade, são até mesmo ótimas. Todo mundo sabe a mágica que é Mrs. Robinson, mas Hazy Shade of Winter me pegou demais, e At The Zoo é uma canção ótima também. Dei uma lida na Wikipedia e consigo entender melhor a ideia por trás dessa estrutura. Mas não quer dizer que concordo com ela, ou que penso que ela é boa. Sinceramente, o conceito acaba descarrilando a experiência de ouvir o disco de capa a capa. Bléh. Algumas ótimas canções diluídas em um disco com um conceito bizarro e execução estranhíssima. 3/5
Lwk tråkig asf
Some lovely songs, very nostalgic. America is top song for me on this album. Prefer “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
With the exception of the two obvious songs, soooo boring...
it's k
The hits are great of course, but the rest of the tracks are not amazing. Also quite the wtf moment with old men talking in the middle of the album.
I’ll never get over that soft and beautiful opening acoustic number going straight into Paul Simon discovering Moog synthesizers. It’s awesome.
Interesting, essential listening. I had forgotten that Simon & Garfunkel performed "Hazy Shade of Winter", and the Bangles only punched it up a little to be honest. This is fairly crucial 70's listening. I can't find any nits to pick, but I wouldn't pull it again unless it's to listen to "Hazy Shade of Winter" or "Mrs. Robinson" again.
Usage of instruments, sounds and effects makes this recording very pleasurable to listen to. Vocals are emotional, warm and so eager to tell stories. Mastering is impeccable, very spacious, clean and dimensional. All albums should sound like this one. Favourites: Old Friends; A Hazy Shade of Winter; Mrs. Robinson
There were a few more elements of psychedelia in this than I'd have expected from these two. Good stuff. Favorite track: Fakin' It
Obligatory 3 stars for Mrs. Robinson. Otherwise a forgettable but representative Simon & Garfunkel album
I always think I’m going to dislike these Simon & Garfunkel albums but I keep really enjoying them. Plus, this cover makes me laugh.
t’s hard to imagine giving an album with a song as iconic and brilliant as “Mrs. Robinson” only a 3, but alas, I must. The second half of side one just doesn’t hold up, it loses the magic that the "Bookends" tracks promise.
While there are songs that are typical S&G brilliance there just isn’t enough to make this whole album shine.
A hard one for me. The 3 or 4 singles are all amazing. The rest of the album is very strange.
While I wish that some of the stranger songs were left off this album and replaced by, you know, songs, I just don't know how you can give one that includes songs like America and Mrs Robinson less than a 4. I mean, I get it, but I don't agree with it.
Some of their absolute classics interspersed with some very quirky songs. Loved it.
All of the earlier Paul Simon albums I encountered in both this project and my life have used up my good faith listening. Maybe Art Garfunkel deserves better but so far I can't be motivated to listen to more than the first few songs.
Not for me, but technically good and mixed well.
I sure didn't expect that rock opening! While the rest of this album plays as I'd expected, when that first crash hits, I honestly thought I'd hit a button and somehow played another album. Then of course, the album settles down into the S&G you'd expect. Mellow, singer-songwriter tunes. "America" is a nice song I'd heard before, but didn't recognize until a third of the way through. Why the hell would you add "Voices of Old people" to a music recording? Not just a sample or two in a song, but 2 minutes of people griping. Crazy "Old Friends" is weak and treacle-y. Why would you have some 20-year-olds singing about what it's like being 70 accompanied by music that sounds like it's from the 40s? The rest of the songs are pretty good. Obviously "Mrs. Robinson" is a great listen. Classic tune. "A Hazy Shade of Winter" is winner that a lot of people have covered. A little more rocking than you'd expect from these two. When I see or hear the words "Simon and Garfunkel" I think, "Oh, yah. folky, light acoustic, background music". But then I listen to a whole album and like them much more than expected. It's happened more than once. I want to give this a 4.5, but with the couple of real clunkers in there, I've got to go with a 4.
Despite some of the forced thematic concept record element, it’s incredible that this is in part a collection of unused or discarded material from previous records! An odds and ends cash-in that also has some of the defining songs of Simon’s career, alongside the decade.
Great albums with a few classics! Short and sweet.
70’s soft rock
Smooth Simon & Garfunkel
That first track sounds so weird to modern ears
7.5 / 10
Decent
A classic, the 4 heavy hitters on this make it an enjoyable listen. The rest is average but it’s a short album so the hits make it pack a punch. It’s probably a solid 3.5 for me but I’ll give it the round up since I remember it from an early age in my living room on the console turntable.
A strange mix of songs and spoken word skits here. But I think what helps this concept album along is the use of crossfades from one song to another to help tell the story. America, Mrs. Robinson and Hazy Shade of Winter remain the big standout tracks, further supported by how successfully they’ve been covered by other artists (First Aid Kit, Lemonheads, Bangles to name a few). But man there is some thick cheese here and there too, no doubt the result of all the hash Paul was smoking while writing the songs. I guess we’ve all dreamt of being a cornflake and English muffin at some point in our lives. Props to Simon too for that pre-mod haircut on the cover.
I’ll have to check with my mom, but fairly sure this is at/near peak S&G. At 29m (with that odd Voices of Old People inclusion…), it’d be easy to think there’s not enough meat here. But this has undoubtedly their biggest song and a few of their other fan faves. As a sucker for a song with a shoutout of any lesser known Michigan city, have always liked “America”.
I came thinking this was a 4 easy. But man, I didn’t love as much as I thought I would. Mrs. Robinson = greatness. A hazy shade of winter = greatness. Both also with great covers as well. American is another good one. Voices of old peeps is unnecessary. This is a 3.5 for me but I gotta round up for the aforementioned songs. Also, why are these homeys dressing up like Steve Jobs?
Simon & Garfunkel are the undisputed corniest motherfuckers to ever do it. And I'm here for it. A song about various breakfast foods? Brilliant! America may be my favorite song of theirs and of course Mrs. Robinson. I don't think it rises to the level of Bridge of Troubled Water, but still a solid album (and yay only 30 minutes!). 4/5
This whole LP is less than 29 minutes, more of an EP really. The vocal harmonies have always been too twee & clean for me, add a flute & it’s too much. For sure a unique sound & atmosphere though, like a faded photograph. There’s spoken dialogue in the middle which makes no sense. ‘Mrs Robinson’ is irritatingly catchy, just annoying. Just not my cup of tea this.
This is a weird one to me. The first side is a pretty tight concept album thing-- not really my type musically, but pretty sweet in its narrative and structure. However then it turns into a weird blend of singles which are admittedly more my style! But they're just... there. Also my favorite song on this is Hazy Shade of Winter but I like the one by Gerard Way and Ray Toro better...
An incredible surprise. This brisk 29-minute folk rock album is packed to the brim with both catchy melodies and heartfelt lyrics, and the whole package is down-to-earth and humble. The track "Voices of Old People" even captures arguably the spirit of folk in its purest form; just snippets of real conversations from the elderly. All in all, this is the real deal. Tender, heartfelt, and just the right length to get lost in - a complete experience.
When an album is so good that it even got me to like folk music for a bit, I gotta give it at least a 4. Shoutout Mrs. Robinson
Mostly forgettable, but tracks 5-8 are magically heartfelt and had me slowing down, taking in everything they were putting down. Then the Kellogg's Cornflake song came on. I sort of get why people like it, but it completely took me out of the spell the previous tracks had me under, and the rest of the album never caught back up. Rating this as an overall album experience. Those four tracks genuinely had me feeling something beautiful, but the rest was comparatively a slog. Standouts: Voices of Old People • Old Friends • Bookends Theme - Reprise • Fakin' It
Love love love this album, but knowing Bridge Over Troubled Water and Paul Simon's solo work, I don't think they were on a 5 level yet. The front half of this album is a little weak for me, especially compared to the fantastic back half. However, this is still head and shoulders above most other albums from this time period. I wish I was an English muffin about to make the most out of the toaster *falling down stairs noises*
Didn’t enjoy this as much listening with headphones but it’s always a 5 for me
A little theatrical for me, Hazy Shade of Winter is the stand out, rating is a 6.5/10
Two absolute classics, but the rest of this album is rather forgettable.
Tough to dislike 70’s electronica that starts with a track heralding the areival of the future - we are the robots. Love the line we are programed to do anything you want us to foloowes by a minor chord sounding ‘we are the robots’. Quite menacing. This fills me with nostalgia for early video games, lasers, time travel, everything we thought the future could be both good and bad. But without the (oftwn endless and therefore meaningless) build up and drop beat type texture of later electronic music and remixes i do winder of this one will be a difficult listen all the way to the end. Track 2 and i think not. Synth and beat pointing the way for alt-symth pop bands of the 80’s like New Order. Stripped back, subtle, not ovwr layered. Theres a lot to like here. Considering this was late 70’s and third album i think its ahead of its time and harks back to early elwctronica that if you were amartwr than me could probably trace back through Jean Jaques Perrey, to Clara Rockmore and her theremin. I think i’d prefer a YMO album to this but then it probably depends on whether i am in a happy modd (YMO) or fewling a bit dystopian (KW). Some great writing here - shes a model and shes looking good, i want to take her home thats understood. Hilarious. Drags a bit at the second to end track but there are worse albums than this. Prefer their previous album Trans-Europe Express.
3.5
Don’t see why this made the cut of the 1000, personally
Joa
Didn’t like it very much
Perfect album!
The concept album part of this, about life, is I think really moving. Some really really gorgeous songs (old friends, america). The second side I think isn’t really for me- sounds almost like michael franks brunch music or general folk rock noodling. I like how there you can hear them trying out electronic aspects in first half
A decent enough listen, with the first half of the album conceptually focusing on chartering the various phases of life from childhood to old age. It sounds considerably ahead of its time for 1968 in terms of its production values, and I appreciated the "louder" moments where the bass guitar rose to greater prominence in the mix, accompanied on occasion by some orchestral elements. The problem is, I'm really not sure if I'd ever actively revisit as it requires being in such a sombre, despondent headspace to allow it to properly envelop you, whilst also being a low-key affair sonically.
Really effective concept album, felt very personal without being so literal. The instrumentation is always on point with this duo. Best Track: Old Friends
It just bored me. Mrs Robinson saved this from a 1
I just find it hard to get into this. Obviously, it's performed impeccably, but that kind of makes it a little sterile. And that may be the thing that keeps me from enjoying it more.
Beautiful tracks
Nice album.
I had heard many songs from this album, but in other versions. I was surprised and impressed by the more experimental aspects, particularly the sampling, synths, and chamber music accompaniments.
Yep. Like that one.
Unexpected sound on Save the Life of My Child. More instruments, with fuzz bass than expected. Otherwise the usual folk with hints of psychedelia. Voices of Old People is just literally old people talking Best track - Fakin It, A Hazy Shade of Winter, At The Zoo 3 stars
In the past, this has been my favorite S&G album. I still think the A-side is the strongest stretch of their discography (yeah, I even appreciate "Voices of Old People", got a problem with that?), but it's started bothering me more how thrown-together the B-side is. But when you're throwing together "Fakin' It", "Mrs. Robinson", and "Hazy Shade of Winter", it's not like it's bad or anything! Maybe not quite on the same level as Bridge Over Troubled Water, but it's still an absolute essential to anyone who cares about the music of the 60s.
One of their best albums. Never gets old.
A mixed bag of genius and gentle shrugs.
i liked the weird parts
Its interesting I gave this a 5 last time - it did not hit as well with me this time. Not sure what's changed in a few years but here we are.
Some really great tracks here. Certainly forward looking. But for some reason, I cannot stand Paul Simon.
They WOULD be turtleneck guys
Peaceful Rainy day music Couple of iconic songs on there
Decent album👍🏿
6/10
Best Song: America Another from my collection that I have had for some time. A great album for anyone who enjoys good lyrics to their music. 5/5.
This was good and has some amazing classics on it but not on the level of future Paul Simon solo albums. I love the synth sound on Save The Life of My Child and Side B was mostly great but I just don’t fully get most of Side A.
Boring. It does have Mrs. Robinson.
I love the graduate so much so this may be benifiting from that. All the songs are great but I didnt particularly remark on them. Mrs robinson is soo good though. Fav = mrs robinson
Simon & Garfunkel, perhaps simply because of saturation and over-familiarity, might be the exception to my general disposition that folk is boring. Only *a little* of this album is boring ("Overs" and "Voices of Old People" really). The rest is pretty excellent. Obviously, some of these songs I've heard a million times ("America" "Mrs. Robinson") but they're classics for a reason. "A Hazy Shade of Winter" and "At the Zoo" sound archetypally like S&G, but have a pep and verve they don't always show. I'm still not a straight-up folk guy, but this is a pleasure to listen to. Great voices, great lyricists, great album.
- folklevy väliskiteillä tuli itselle uutena konseptina - mrs robinson on järkälemäinen klassikko mutta muuten levy meni aika huomaamattomana ohi - ei tätä kuitenkaan vituttanut kuunnella - jokseenkin ailahtelevainen kokonaisuus kun yhtäkkiä vikassa biisissä oltiinkin eläintarhassa
Easy listen. It ends very strong but overall it doesn’t stand out too much and is only 29 minutes. But it’s good and timeless
Probably the best album I’ve personally heard by the duo
Oni su pravili dosadne (predosadne) pjesme koje imaju potencijala za dobre prepjeve. Nisam znala da Mrs. Robinson nije od Lemonheads ni da Hazy Shade of Winter nije od Bangles.
Easy listen, enjoyed most of it.
Could not casual listen to it, a little too artsy and weird. I got excited thinking it was a different album (a better album)
More magic from the late 60’s
I liked this but I like Bridge Over Troubled Water better
Likely a seminal album for a lot of indie rock/folk bands I enjoyed throughout my youth as well as today. Lots going well for this album. The production is crisp, I especially dig the guitar tones. One of the most baffling things about this album is the constant use of sound effects to embellish the narrative of the song. It comes across as cartoony nowadays, but I bet they felt differently in 19-dickitydoo.
slightly better than a power drill to the side of my temple
I’ve listened to a fair amount of Simon and Garfunkel but the only two songs I’ve heard from Bookends are America and Mrs. Robinson. I get it because the rest of the album isn’t really filled with hits. Although the other songs are absolutely beautiful. Paul Simon has a way of evoking vivid images and deep emotions in only a line or two. Very good album, except for Voices of Old People. That was a pretty weird one
As I expected from Simon & Garfunkel. Although the jump between track 1 and 2 took me by surprise.
The acoustic sound is great . A classic
Superb album. Not competently joined up as singles added to side two. Still great.
I wish I lived in a wholesome enough society to have more examples of close harmony pop duos. Its a powerful and direct way to perform music. I am more familiar with Simon & Garfunkel's solo works (with a strong emphasis on Paul Simon) so it was exciting to hear them in this iconic original form. Bookends is enjoyable throughout but has a particularly strong ending. The epic A Hazy Shade of Winter stood out positively to me.
Bookends gets a solid to high 4 from me, I love the concept of side A, but love the singles on side B, unfortunately they don’t integrate into a satisfying enough full picture to push into the low 5s, not far off though
Very back-loaded, and it's because side B is mostly singles - disappointing, generally enjoy their music but maybe it's just their final album that I think of
I love Simon and Garfunkel, so I wanted to rate this 5 stars, but there were a couple of strange choices (Voices of Old People and Punky’s Dilemma, mainly), which made me pull it back. However there are some gorgeous songs like America, Old Friends, the Bookends Theme reprise, Mrs Robinson and A Hazy Shade of Winter which I could play over and over again.
I liked this a lot but didn't love it - very short and a little too background-y in places.
Still holds up
Old people talking vs Hazy shade of winter is the original Coughing Baby vs Hydrogen Bomb. It gives the album one hell of a split personality feel.
"I wish I was a kellogg's cornflake" ??? Ok?? I don't?? As is rote for Simon and Garfunkel, there are some great parts, some deep parts, and some just straight up bizarre. I never know how to feel about them. In the end the album is fine but it doesn't stop the dread I feel at the prospect of listening to them - at least at half an hour long this one manages to stave off boredom. I will give them an extra star just for the way they committed to singing hazy shade of WINTERRR
I’ll admit, the little fella can write a fine song. And this one has a few. Reminds me too much of my youth and my dad. That’s not bad necessarily, but it doesn’t say “love you” either.
Do yourself a favor and only listen to side 2 of Bookends, i.e. songs 8-12.
This was a bit of a snooze. The Bangles version of "A Hazy Shade of Winter" is better.
Beautiful album and songs. Easily accessible for everyone. I can listen to this over and over
I liked Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme a lot better. I read that it was a concept album, but I don’t think I fully understood or grasped the concept. This seemed unfinished almost, a bit all over the place. And Voices of Old People really was just that.
Despite a few great songs, this “concept album” doesn’t quite wow. If we could give half stars I’d give it a 3.5. Highlights: Bookends, America, Old Friends, Hazy Shade of Winter. Lows: Save the Life of My Child, Voices of Old People, At the Zoo.
Favorite Songs: America, Overs, Old Friends Really good short album. Kind of feels like a time capsule. A lot of focus on later in life experience which is really interesting to me.
#727. It's fine? 3/5: acceptable
Not my favorite, but old friends it's nice
Please, stop. No more Paul Simon I can't do it anymore Best Song: Mrs. Robinson Rating: 5/10 Stars: 3
Like lots
Beautiful
this album had a strong moments with the most wellness song being this Robinson, but it also hurts to familiar entertaining moments despite that I think add this album is very good and then looking at time when this was released, it is really really ahead of its time, that’s why I give you a seven out of 10
Album bellissimo
L'album est plus plate que le talent des artistes. Si je le dis autrement, il y a des gens beaucoup moins talentueux qui font des albums beaucoup plus intéressants.
Beaucoup de fun dans les arrangements, production top. 4.49 étoiles
Pretty kickass but I suspect I heard it too much 3.7
Amazing from start to finish, wonderful lyrics, one of the best albums of all time. Timeless, I could listen to it over and over at any point in my life and still enjoy it and feel different emotions.
Hazy Shade of Winter is one of the best guitar riffs OAT
C'est vrai que d'un certain point de vue c'est un bizarre d'album. Ça doit être celui que j'écoute le moins souvent car c'est le seul qu'on a pas en vinyle à la maison de S & G.
C'est quand même un album bizarre, un peu patché, 29 minutes, des extraits de personnes âgées en résidence. Des grosses tounes quand même avec America, Hazy Shade of Winter, At The Zoo et le thème Bookends. Mais je peine à voir le concept de l'album, et après lecture de l'histoire derrière, je n'ai pas de difficulté à croire que c'était un writer's block. Ça ne vaut pas un Bridge, Hearts and Bones ou Graceland.
Banging so close to a 5. America is one of the best songs I’ve heard
Very good album; flowed great and had good songs.
It was not bad, a few great songs and a few good ones. I was not blown away, but I still enjoyed listening to it. I would say it is not quite a 4 , but very close. 3.5 stars
I'm sure this is someone's favorite. But it's not mine. Doesn't feel like there is any hook to drive me back.
Just not for me.
Yeah that was pretty stunning
Favorite tracks: Mrs. Robinson
The following duos are only a small handful of duos better than Simon & Barfunkel: Starsky & Huch, Itchy & Scratchy, Tom & Jerry, Beavis & Butthead, Bert & Ernie, Calvin & Hobbes, Smokey & The Bandit, Abbot & Costello, Darstardly & Muttley, Pinky & the Brain, Ren & Stimpy, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Wallace & Gromit, Laverne & Shirley, Cagney & Lacey, Dharma & Greg, Jake & the Fatman, Kath & Kim, Mork & Mindy, Scarecrow & Mrs King, Simon & Simon,
This has done good songs. Some old people talking too....
This is a very pretty album, very enjoyable
A very easy listen with some lovely guitar work, lead vocals and harmonies. Definitely worth 29 minutes of your time.
I really need to remember to look at some basic info on each album before I put it on. I listened once, and while some of the songs were enjoyable enough, the whole thing was pretty incoherent and the choice to put some of the best stuff at the end baffled me. Once I realised side A was a concept thing and side B was just individual songs I knew I had to listen again. Thankfully it's one of the shorter albums on this list, but I'm very glad I did! Understanding what it was supposed to be opened me up to enjoying it more. Side A was interesting, if a little weird. "Save the Life of My Child" was a standout, but I felt pretty neutral about the rest of it - it was fine, but nothing I really loved. Side B is full of bangers. I'd listen to just side B any day. Having read some of these reviews, I know this album seems to be pretty polarising... Half the listeners think Paul Simon is a genius (which on some level I can't deny), and the other half think he's pretentious (which is also hard to deny) and the album is rubbish. I personally think the album as a whole struggles because it's trying to be too clever... but when they're just doing good music, it's really good music. This places my rating somewhere between the coveted 5/5 and a lousy 2. Also I know this will be an unpopular opinion, but this version of "Mrs. Robinson" is way better than The Lemonheads' cover. Sorry. The Lemonheads' version is fine, but it just doesn't live up to the original. On the other hand, The Bangles' cover of "A Hazy Shade of Winter" is an absolute banger and far outstrips the original - although that's not to say the original isn't good.
Brilliant
Mrs. Robinson is good, the other songs not so much
album gostosinho de ouvir parece com a vibe dos beatles, e eu amo os beatles... so que esse album saiu mais como um beatles americanizado.
Oddly poor
Always love some Simon and Garfunkel, courtesy of my mom.
To me Simon and Garfunkel is just OK. Easy to listen to, non-offensive background music. I have never been moved by it as others have, nor do I consider it sleep inducing emptiness as still others do. I don't think I have ever purposefully sought out their music (other than for this site) but have never changed the channel or turned it off when it was on. The best thing I can say about S&G is that some of my favorite songs are covers of their songs by others.
приятная музычка, без негатива.
Second Simon & Garfunkel album this week. I didn’t think much of them after the first one to be honest. But holy moly this album hit me somewhere I’d been craving to be hit. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this understood after listening to an album. First album out of this project so far that has made me cry. I loved it.
Another brilliant album by S&G. Has enough all-time classics to be automatically given a 5*, (America, Mrs Robinson, Hazy Shade, Save the Life of my Child) but i'm going to be harsh and rate it as a 4*, as it's not quite as consistent as some of their other efforts, and Old People Voices takes me right out of it. Still a lovely listen, and an album that would be particularly nice to listen to on a cold day, with a cup of tea and a book. 8/10
Not my style
Not a huge fan of Simon and Garfunkel. 2.5 stars.
Lit
Lyrically and musically masterful. This has never been my style of music though. With a few exceptions, this is the kind of music that, if I were taking a nap and woke up to this, I would fall asleep again immediately. But it’s clear why they were at the top of their game when this music was dominant. Geniuses in their own field.
Some true classics on this album. They should remake "Voices of Old People" today except it's just Paul and Art talking.
No good times, no bad times There's no times at all Just The New York Times Лирический портрет Большого Яблока с одним из самых интересных продакшенов, что доводилось слышать внутри фолк-рок альбома. Что Саймон и Гарфанкель натворили на открывающем триптихе треков с миксингом – не поддаётся словам, только эмоциям. Даже хочется закрыть глаза на то, что в какой-то момент альбом будто бы уходит от концепции и просто наваливает пачку хороших песен, потому что... Песни же и правда замечательные.
I was not super impressed. A couple songs I knew and love and then a bunch of filler.
semen and gay uncle lol
Look at them! They’re on pot
As I occasionally give the Greatest Hits album a play, so thought I had an idea of what to expect here I was quite wrong, and not in a good way Voices of Old People- seriously? Who would ever want to listen to that over and over again? Mrs Robinson is not a favorite of mine, so basically nothing of interest here Most of the album just made me feel sleepy, so maybe there is an alternative use for the collection 1/5
A chill listen. 3/5 #193
3 for the 3 songs, I knew and like enough, plus a couple that were tolerable. The other half dropped this album rating in my book. ———————————— My non-musician scoring system. 5 - Love it. Would play anytime, buy, see live… 4 - Good music. 3 - Average playlist. Depends on time and setting. 2 - I can’t listen to entire songs…skipped ahead on many/all of them. 1 - No.
Anita Miller: It's unfair that we can't listen to our music. Elaine Miller: It's because it is about drugs and promiscuous sex. Anita Miller: Simon and Garfunkel is poetry. Elaine Miller: Yes it's poetry. It is the poetry of drugs and promiscuous sex! Honey, they're on - pot. Makes me think of this every time. Yea the album is fine. Good songs are good. The rest are sleepy.
This album is terrible until towards the end, it has the iconic Mrs. Robinson and A Hazy Shade of Winter, which are very enjoyable.
Well made and has great tracks but definitely a throwback listen
Pleasant and enjoyable - 4/5
4 ou 5 ... tem pelo menos dois megahits ...banda de apoio do wrecking crew..
Beautiful work
A classic
I'm in the camp that thinks The Bangles cover of A Hazy Shade of Winter is much better than the original. But what elevates this album to a 5 is Mrs. Robinson, which is just an incredible song.
Excellent
Side one of Bookends is maybe a 2 or 2.5 if I'm being generous. "Voices of Old People" was hard to dance to. However, "Mrs. Robinson" and "Hazy Shade of Winder" elevate side two to a 4 to 4.5 rating. So that leaves this album as 3 to 3.5, overall. I am not feeling generous, so it's a 3 for me.
yeah... listening to this yesterday made me a little angry. mainly because i felt an inconsolable sense of betrayal that so many people in my life for whom i hold in high esteem have effused about this album and now that i've listened to it i can't understand why they'd lie to me. i thought we had something. what did i do to hurt you?? but then i slept on it, gave it another listen, and now: feel a little bit more charitable. there's some good stuff on here (great stuff - even: america, mrs. robinson, a hazy shade of winter), but this album did not land for me. it's only at the end with the three track run of mrs. robinson, a hazy shade of winter, and at the zoo that i feel consistent about liking the album - everything beforehand is real hit or miss, but at least it's only 29 minutes (?!?!?!?!?!) so it's over soon enough. highlights - save the life of my child, america, mrs. robinson, a hazy shade of winter, at the zoo
classic
I picked this up for a quid from a charity shop back when vinyl was gathering dust and nobody cared. I remembered it cropping up in Almost Famous, that scene where music feels like salvation. But I didn’t give it the time it deserved back then. Listening now, Bookends feels like a quiet revelation. It’s nostalgic without being sentimental, poetic without being pretentious. Tracks like “America” and “Old Friends” hit differently with a bit more life lived. It’s short, but it lingers. Like a photo album you didn’t realise meant so much until years later.
Funkier bass lines than I expected
150925 17:32 4
Not the best S+G, but enjoyable enough. Just...too much at times?
- It was pretty good - a nice easy listen - nothing mind blowing - a pretty consistent sound throughout, kinda folky - the only song i knew was Mrs. Robinson
#2 - 12.09.25
Somehow never heard this whole album. It’s a cohesive, single piece that’s even stronger than its parts. I knew, intimately, several of the big songs but never knew that they are essentially part of a suite. Clocking in at just under 30 minutes, “Bookends” is more experimental and creative than I expected, with a poignant theme of life’s stages. The tracks blend into each other as time does. Beautiful
Whatever, Mrs Robinson
Nothing prepared me for how schmaltzy this gets. Terrible lyrics, jarring and dissonant passages that come out of nowhere. Their harmonies never really did anything for me but I wasn't expecting to loathe this as much as I did.
I dunno, 2 great songs and a whole lotta meh.
Like always, the duo bring some pleasant folk harmonies. They also attempt a song cycle about aging on the first side. It's a shame it doesn't work; the sequence is too short and not obvious enough to feel like a progression. The sound collage experiment with old people's voices also doesn't add anything. However, "America" is a beautifully devastating song and "Old Friends" is lovely as well. They play the hits on the second side, and the ones that aren't about breakfast foods and zoos are great. Overall it's a bit uneven, but there's some good stuff here and the experiments make it more interesting than their contemporaries.
Different type of music I do like Mrs. Robinson
It’s kind of wistful and chill but I’m not sure I get it
A couple of certified bangers on here, and then a couple of things i could’ve done without (the old people? Maybe that’s critical to the album and I’m just too dumb but i didn’t like it). Anywho, nice job Art and Paul.
Franny McDormand was right; devil's music.
A look back at 1960s Americana and the sentiments of the counter culture. A great album with some silliness and a whole lot of soul.
4/5
I've read that this was one of the first albums to be recorded on 16 track and it shows because the production is outstanding and the dynamics really add a sense of the majestic. It's a full sounding album but thanks to the arrangements, it's never overwrought. The duos vocals were the main strength and this contains some of their best songs ('America', 'Mrs Robinson', 'Hazy Shade Of Winter', 'At The Zoo' - that closing trio of songs is awesome, pretty much unbeatable). That said, there is also a nagging feeling that they didn't have quite enough material to fill the album (Voices Of Old People). But I do like it a lot and probably play it more than Bridge Over Troubled Water nowadays, so it's just about 5 stars from me.
Lazy boys with lazy hair
Shame that the concept was so poorly executed, there's some great tunes buried within but there's also some dreadful ones which drag it down. Could've been so much better
I was disappointed by the lack of funk, despite the bandname.
Definitely an album of teo halves, as per the original vinyl release, (which gets lost in our current age of streaming). Side one, the bookends concept; side two, the crowd pleasers. I enjoyed this a lot.
I like Simon & Garfunkel quite a bit, and this album was a pleasant listen. Many of the songs, I knew and loved.
J’ai écouté les cinq albums de Simon & Garfunkel cet après-midi (le vendredi 10 octobre 2025). Je ne les connaissais que pour un best-of avant ça. Beaucoup de bonnes chansons sur ces albums (qui sont, pour la plupart, assez courts) ! Les deux premiers sont assez classiques : le duo qui chante et s’accompagne à la guitare. Le troisième est très intéressant, plein de belles mélodies et une plus grande panoplie d’instruments est impliquée. Le quatrième (Bookends) est probablement le plus expérimental, mais je ne suis pas certain que ça convient à leur son. Le cinquième est leur plus fort, je dirais. On sent que Paul Simon a énormément évolué comme compositeur et qu’ensemble ils ont grandi comme interprètes. Aussi, plus d’instruments et de belles instrumentations. Un groupe à réécouter. Cinq albums à réécouter.
2 great songs, the rest was forgettable
Moro moro :D Nautin tästä levystä todella paljon. Muutama tuttu biisi josta aiemmin kuullut coverin. Ihan huippu mut muutama heikompi biisi mukana.
Tää oli itselle uus tuttavuus. Ei mikään huono, mut ei mee kyllä omiin lemppareihin. Ihan kivaa rämpytystä ja varmaan jossain mökillä notskin äärellä auringon laskiessa vois olla ihan kiva. Antaisin tälle 3.5/5 jos pystyis puolikkaita antamaan.
Osassa biisejä paljon köyhän miehen amerikan beatles meininkiä ja paljon mustavalkoleffojen taustamusiikkia. Hyvin svengaava levy.
This is a hard one because I really like so much of the back half of the album, America and Hazy Shade of Winter are so good, and yet the first part of the album drags so much for me.
probably the second most complete work by The Boys, or maybe the most given it isn't interrupted by anything as offensive as bridge over troubled water? mostly the sense i get from listening to them is impatience for paul simon to go do his own thing
forgot to rate this one when i listened — again a weird one where it's mostly not really for me but then we have Mrs Robinson which is canonical and Hazy Shade of Winter which is one of my favorite songs sooooo gonna go with a 2.5
Mrs. Robinson is super duper fun, but I wasn't really sold on the Side A thing about age and life and whatever.
Surprisingly silly, lots of jokes and skits. But the good songs are amazing.
Tää oli itelle uusi tuttavuus, joskus artisti(e)n nimen kuullut, todennäköisesti The Sound of Silence biisin yhteydessä, mutta kyseessä oleva levy on aivan tuntematon. Levyn paras biisi on selkeästi suosituin Mrs. Robinson, mutta pieni maininta täytyy antaa myös Americalle ja Fakin' Itille. Loput biisit ei niin nousseet esille. Tämä ei ole huono albumi, muttei ihan nelostakaan ansaitse, joten kolmosella mennään.
Ihan ok, mut ärsyttäähän tollanen hittibiisien uudelleenkäyttö albumeilla :) Mrs. Robinson hyvä kipale, mut olis tää levy pärjänny ilmankin. Kokonaisuutena albumi ei ollut mitenkään ihmeellinen, mutta muutamia todella hyviä biisejä itsessään. Fakin' It -kappaleen alku pilas kivan rauhallisen tunnelman ja jotenkin heitti hetkeksi keskittymisen ihan muualle. Hyvä biisi sekin yksinään, mutta kokonaisuuteen hieman ärsyttävään kohtaan laitettu. Pakko myöntää, että ekaa kertaa kuulin A Hazy Shade of Winterin ja menee kyllä parillekkin soittolistalle.
nogal flauwtjes
Stone cold
Kind of experimental that time but still classic thing, could tell by the lyrics. Not my type but it soothes people
Classic
Ihan menevää kitaran näppäilyä. Avausbiisi niin mukavaa näppäilyä, että piti kahteen kertaan laittaa levylle eri sävellajissa soitettuna. Levyn toka biisi Save the Life of My Child rikkoi tosin heti fiiliksen tunnelmallisen avausbiisin jälkeen tuomiopäivän synaintrolla ja biisin loppuvaiheilla vielä päällekkäin jotain toista hittiä. Voices of old people-kipale oli myös todellinen aivopieru, mitähän lie pojat pohtineet. Muut biisit sen verran taattua simonia ja garfunkelia, etteivät oikein jääneet mieleen sen kummemmin. Helposti 3,5 tähteä jos olisi taiteelliset vapaudet pidetty rajoissa, nyt tippuu 2,5.
Cada canción es distinta entre sí. Disfruté la melodía, supongo que algunas técnicas fueron innovadoras en su tiempo.
Vähän sellaista muniin puhaltelua suurin osa biiseistä
Kuuntelin levyn osittain autossa. Se ei oikein alkuun toiminut, mutta sitten leppoisuus alkoi kantaa ja pimeällä tiellä oli oikein rentouttavaa tätä kuunnella. Jossain kohtaa oli kovin fiilis 60-luvun viattomuudesta ja naiivin ihanista kesäilloista.
Tän levyn parit hitit on saaneet aina kuullessa verisuonet räjähtämään päästä, mutta yllätti, että joukossa oli kovaakin menoa. Levyllä oli yllättäviä tuotannollisia valintoja ja esim. Save the Life of My Child kuulosti jo niiden puolesta hauskalta. Levyn ns. hempeemmät palat ei vaan lähde itelle, mutta heti kun touhu saa vähän särmää niin sitten taas tykkään (Mrs. Robinson ei lukeudu särmikkäisiin vaan on tosi ankee). Voi olla, että jos pakkokuuntelisin 20 kertaa niin arvosana paranis, mutta sehän vaan vääristäisi kilpailua :)
Aiempi arvostelu tulikin vahingossa musiikkikirjakerhon nimellä, kun satuin avaamaan väärän sivun sivuhistoriasta... :) Miellyttävä, ja tuli samalla täytettyä jonkinlainen aukko sivistyksessä, kun en suosiosta huolimatta ollut aiemmin juuri tutustunut kyseiseen duoon.
Mukavan voimakkaita rytmejä ja soitin valintoja, vaikka ehkä vuodet hieman kuluttaneet kokonaisuuden tehoa.
Levy oli jotenkin lempeä. Vanhusten keskustelu oli vähän random hauska setti siellä välissä. Viihdyin ihan hyvin levyn parissa
Onhan tämä lähestulkoon mestariteos. A-puoli ehkä vähän epätasainen, sieltä löytyy yksi Simon & Garfunkelin parhaista biiseistä (America), mutta myös kyllä suoraan sanottuna vähän täytettäkin. B-puoli onkin sitten ihan pelkkää greatest hits -ilotulitusta. Hienoa tarinankerrontaa, upeita melodioita ja viimeisen päälle kauniita stemmoja. Kai tämä folkiksi nykypäivänäkin vielä niputetaan, mutta itse aina ajatellut että tässä ollaan tosi vahvasti americanan juurilla - sillain hyvällä tavalla. Vaikka tässä onkin kahden käden sormilla laskettava määrä viiden tähden biisejä, niin silti kokonaisuus ei kuitenkaan ole niin ehjä että koko levy ansaitsisi viisi tähteä.
Vahinkoarvio :)
Beautiful, poetic storytelling paired with a thoughtful, cohesive concept. The album feels reflective and human, quietly exploring time, memory, and disconnection in a way that lingers rather than demands attention.
I've never questioned the sincerity of giraffes until now. A real life altering album.
Classic Little Rock action. Most songs were enjoyable but with Mrs Robinson as a standout.
Feels like background music, not invasive, not bad, not remarkable, ms robinson is great tho 4
Another older classic album. Liked most of the songs
Mrs. Robinson is an objectively great song that hits whatever the opposite of a sweet spot is. I can't stand it. I do enjoy the rest of this album though! It's a bit too quirky and mellow for me to listen to all the time, but America is a tremendous song, and I can always appreciate their incredible melodies and harmonies.
Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5
Simon and Garfunkel are always a treat. I’m mostly familiar with Bridge over Troubled Water and enjoyed this equally.
As Amy Santiago would say "Ya Boring"
Bit shit tbh
I enjoyed it a good bit but I think I'll have to sit down and listen to it again to fully appreciate it.
Classic Simon & Garfunkel. Relaxing, mostly acoustic, mostly guitar, short songs. I was surprised by "Voices of Old People" – I did not expect non-music in this album, but it makes the transition to the next piece special. Beautiful string section. There's so much more in this album than just Mrs. Robinson. I particularily enjoyed A Hazy Shade of Winter, despite it being rather short.
Whoa!!! When that synth hit on Save the life of my child I thought my Spotify was glitching! Legitimately. I always enjoyed S&G when they were on, Bookends solidified my being a fan. What a phenomenal album.
These guys really don’t miss. It’s such a nice sounding album
A seminal work of art that molded me into what I am today. Not an exaggeration.