Reviews (page 8 of 13)
Nesten bare eksemplarer i dette albumet. Et eldgammelt album med rolige, melankolske og oppmuntrende sanger framhevet av flott guitar Spilling. Simon og Garfunkel oppmuntrer for en åpen tankegang, som, uansett hvor viktig det var i 60-taller, er viktigere no. Albumet er tidløs, men er usikker hvor streng jeg er med stjerner, derfor blir det en 4 selv om den kanskje fortjener 5.
mrs robinson banger, ansonster eher so meh
It’s all a bit too vanilla for me. Inoffensive enough though
ok
Pretty inoffensive, not gonna be running back to this
Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for this and it largely passed me by until the final 3 songs which were really strong. Probably just strong enough that the album merits a re-listen at some point but for now this didn’t blow me away.
I mean they’re good and iconic but lowkey boring :/ I liked america
nothing can convince me this are not ben platt (or jack antonoff) and jonathan groff on this cover, also the album is pretty good
This was a lot more interesting musically and lyrically than the previous Simon & Garfunkel album I heard. On this album, their straightforward folk pop songwriting is a lot sharper, and there are some intriguing experimental portions that diversify their sound without distracting from it. Songs like America and Mrs. Robinson showcase Simon's ability to write thoughtful, socially conscious lyrics interspersed with details that give it a personal touch. Admittedly, they still display certain qualities that don't fully work for me, like the somewhat saccharine tone on tracks like Punky's Dilemma and At the Zoo, but overall this is a marked improvement over Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.
so pretty. and then woahhh! hahaha. catchy, whimsical, swaying storytelling, interesting effects & sounds. beautiful guitar. kinda wistful and sad. i guess my favorite song: overs ? voices of old people was awesome haha. art ??? into old friends was nice. high 3 idk.
I didn't expect to enjoy all that much of this album, but there were a surprising number of gems on this one. It's also a brisk affair at just under 30 minutes, meaning the album wastes very little time in getting each song across to you. I particularly liked the harmonies that were there-but-not-really, I hadn't heard harmonies that wide (close? A little of both on some of these songs) before. The main thing holding this album back for me is the slower half of it. Those songs act like the album has 15 more minutes when, on a release like this, every single second counts. The momentum built by the more upbeat number essentially evaporates in those moments. However, this makes the higher-energy numbers stand out a whole lot more. All in all this album had more high points that I was willing to concede considering Simon and Garfunkel always struck me as the sort of soothing, inoffensive band for old fogeys whose faces would get melted by the Who. Credit where it's due, there's some brilliantly written folk pop here; I never knew the evergreen "Mrs. Robinson" was by them, or from this album! Key Tracks: Save the Life of My Child, Fakin' It, Mrs. Robinson
Enjoyed it but was not amazed either. 3.5
Nice and short. Pretty standard for a S&G album. Don't think I needed to hear it on top of the 2 other and 3 Paul Simon albums though. 2.5
This was interesting. Not what I expected. Or there were elements I did not expect anyway. My overall take is that I probably need some more time with this album to make a proper judgement. It feels like one I could appreciate more if I spent some time studying it. For now tho, these things keep coming, I gotta keep up. We'll throw it in the Re-listen pile & mark it a preliminary 3
Love an album with a cool little opening track/theme. Crazy synths and sound effects in 'SLMC' - something I haven't quite heard from S&G before. I'd never listened to the full transition into 'America' before! I must say, it felt perhaps just slightly disjointed, though? The two songs are completely in opposition sonically, but perhaps are more thematically linked. America is one I have cherished for a long time, of course. I still very much adore it and feel a strange mixture of comfort and melancholy each time I listen. The musical references are interesting - 'Stop and Think it Over'?, 'I Am the Walrus' and the 'Sound of Silence'. 'Old Friends' has a beautiful opening - I am a sucker for strings. In this case, they mimic the lyrics - the staccato, disjointed sounds of the city, the prolonged floating of dust to the ground. The return of the theme lulls me into a bit of a trance. Ooh 'Fakin' It' has a groovy rhythm and a very intriguing acoustic melody. I like it! Relatable. 'Mrs Robinson', classic. 'A Hazy Shade of Winter' is super cool - a really nice blend of creative instrumental pieces. The energy is triumphant and playful. Overall, as much as I love the S&G's sound, this album probably won't be a favourite for someone, like me, who enjoys a more cohesive album with a more developed identity - however, I will always enjoy and admire experimentation and creativity! 1. A Hazy Shade of Winter 2. Fakin' It 3. Old Friends [Excludes America and Mrs Robinson]
Light easy listening, kind of music would expect would hear with a dental drill to keep you relaxed.
I liked At the Zoo. Obviously Mrs. Robinson is a classic. Overall pretty good.
Mrs Robinson fire
If you make an album that’s less than 30 minutes long, it takes cojones to let 10% of that time be taken up by old people talking. Really, it’s just that, a few minutes of old people talking. This album is saved by the strength of Mrs Robinson, America and Hazy Shade of Winter, but overall it feels incomplete and rushed. Not S&G’s greatest work
America is an all time great song. For that song alone this album is maybe worth it. I blame Almost Famous’ use of it embedding itself in my brain. Bookends Theme, Mrs. Robinson and Hazy Shade of Winter are decent but nowhere near as good and the rest still is pretty forgettable.
Las ultimas canciones me gustaron mucho
All in all a good album, but too many songs leaves me unmoved. However is the ending with the more "upbeat" songs A Hazy shade of winter and At the zoo a happy suprise, and therefore I am raising my rating from a 2 to a 3.
I like his guitar but I just cannot get into Simon songs
Great flowing album with hits. Wasn't totally in the mood for s and g when listening.
ok
It's a soft and esy listening folk album, i don't love it, i don't hate it. I prefer Paul Simons solo stuff. Mrs Robinson does an incredible amount of heavy lifting on this album
Some really great songs, and an iconic sound. But I don't think the album really works that well as a whole. It's an attempt at some kind of concept album, but that just adds fillers.
The shortest album I've come across on here so far, this one isn't bad by any means but it lacks substance. There are filler songs, and very little original sounds beyond their usual acoustic style. Sure Ms. Robinson is here, but the rest of the album is short and forgettable.
kind of an odd album. Some really good songs, some very odd songs. Overall the good outweighed the weird/crappy still only a 3
One or two bangers but out of my comfort zone
Some classics but also some strange parts
3.1 2x
Closer to a 3.5. I think this album had a disservice due to being right after Bob Dylan. Both had a very similar vibe to me. S&G was better, but Bob Dylan was more interesting? Much to think about. I did think S&G was a comedy duo before this. My apologies.
strong 6 to a light 7. Folk is not really my thing
par de viejos sobrevalorados
1968. 1. Bookends Theme: Intro - heard before, very sweet and gentle. 2. Save the Life of My Child: Never heard this one. Weird to hear S&G with a more electriccy bassline. 3. America: Beloved 4. Overs: Bit hokey. 5. Voices of Old People: literally. 6. Old Friends: Familiar. Almost like an Old Disney soundtrack. Very sentimental. 7. Bookends Theme (Reprise): as before. Does not lead into next track well. 8. Fakin' It: Familiar. Good guitar riff and classic S&G harmonies. Weird middle section with creepy fairground music. Then the end sounds like it should go into Cecilia but it doesn't WHY. 9. Punky's Dilemma: Classic S&G whimsy. Fine. 10. Mrs Robinson: Classic S&G bop. 11. A Hazy Shade of Winter: Beloved 12. At the Zoo: again, delightfully whimsical and fun. Less flow between tracks as I thought. They love their 'real life sound effects'. I can see how its interesting from a point of view of being journalistic and of the era. Really love three tracks, the rest I'm not into.
Enjoyable.
I don't know. I generally have mixed feelings about this band. But
It was pretty good, definitely some missteps in the middle of the album (and the use of synths on track 2 is distinctly out of place), but ending with Ms Robinson, Hazy Shade of Winter, and At The Zoo is a great power move
choir on save the life of my child is so fun, voices of old people is kinda iconic. This album is kinda giving over pretentious art student, but it might just be the turtlenecks. I hope they had fun making this album.
happy beach-boys like folk
Good album overall, very neutral. America a standout song. But wouldnt be too mad about it. Very beatles like 6-10
Strange that their 'concept album' is their least cohesive. There are fewer harmonies here and the 15 minute 'life-cycle' is too short to convey much. I'm really not sure what 'Voices of Old People' was meant to achieve, unless you never listen to anyone old. There is a sprinkling of great songs ('America' above all) but the deep cuts don't seem as deep on this one.
Favorite track: Mrs. Robinson
Not their best work, bridge over troubled water sits better with me. Definitely has some high points but also has some points where I forgot I was listening to music. A point of contention for me with this album is the skits. A few skits are good every time, most skits are good only one time. I do believe that yellow magic orchestra had it right by making a version with and without skits of some of their albums.
What an insane first track of an album... I like Old Friends, Faking It No to mrs robinson >_<
Nice little listen
Ambitious, broad, doesn’t always work, but when it does it’s glorious. You can really feel Paul and Art really pressed up against the confines of the folk genre across this whole album, and it’s a glimmer into what Simon would go on to do next.
Solid album overall. Production like this in 1968 is wild, it sounds amazing. The concept of side A was underwhelming for me, with some good singles on side B that are worth revisiting. I think I prefer Bridge over Troubled Water, personally. Feels like a more immersive experience.
I have really wanted to like them but frankly, not great fleshed out albums. Paul Simon solo is fastly superior and their only really good album as a pair is their final album. This is a band where they're actually only real good songs are the hits and while I appreciate a different mix of Mrs. Robinson, the single version slaps harder
An interesting record, half concept album, half b side clearing house. A fair amount of filler for a 30 minute record but also some of Paul’s best early songs: America, Mrs Robinson, Hazy Shade of Winter. Overall, good but not great. A notch or two below BoTW
imagine you and your ex having this as your legacy omg
Nice but a little gay
Half of this album feels disjointed as it was extra material from another album, even then this was a great discovery
Good stories
I'm not really in to folk music in general, and this is I guess "modern" folk music. What I can say about this is that the songwriting is very pleasingly complex. The harmonies are very exacting, as they're known for, but the song structure for nearly every track (really only Mrs. Robinson is exempt, kind of no surprise it's the huge hit) is a great mix of keys, time signatures, and varied instrumental tweaks. It all makes for a satisfying listen even though it's not something I'd put on myself. These are songs that aren't made anymore, so in that way it's a good historical artifact as well, and while it's inextricably tied to a moment in time, it's not particularly dated by any means. This is a lot of praise for something I don't personally enjoy but the quality is there and it's worth a listen.
Some bangers
Liked the first half but fell asleep so did not finish…
I don't have a lot to say about this album. My mom saw me listening to this while I was on my laptop and told me that Simon and Garfunkel reminded her of his late brother. My uncle was a pretty cool guy as far as my memory serves. All in all, even if this record is widely renowned (just like any other album on this website), it never really hit the right cord for me. My acquaintance went to this Simon & Garfunkel concert and he was the only teenager there; the rest were people above the age of 50. Decimal Rating: 6.8 Favorite Song: Old Friends
1. Se siente como el intro a una pelicula. 2. Save The Life of My Child, el inicio se siente enérgico, me tomó por sorpresa, pero no es mi estilo de canción. 3. America, me da la sensación que Flightless Birds da en Crepúsculo, se siente cálida, íntima y cercana, como si te sentaras en una biblioteca a beber café en una ciudad que no conoces pero que te emociona descubrir. 4. Overs para mí se siente como el aftermath de cumplir la edad en la que te conviertes en adulto, emana ese sentimiento de sentirse perdido y desconectado con tu identidad, donde no sabes qué se supone que debas hacer ahora, ni a dónde debes dirigirte. 5. Old Friends podría ser mi favorita de este álbum, se plasma como una persona solitaria en sus años tardíos recordando las promesas que se hizo con su mejor amigo en su juventud de crecer y envejecer juntos, pero que al final no se cumplió, ya sea porque se separaron o uno de ellos no llegó a esa edad. 6. Bookends Theme es la confirmación del track anterior. 7. Fakin It rompió con la vibra que se venía construyendo, no me agradó mucho. 8. Punky´s Dilemma, nada que decir, no es mi tipo de canción. 9. Mrs. Robinson, no es mala canción, pero no conecté con ella, tal vez si me viera la película podría. 10. A Hazy Shade of Winter, no es mi tipo de canción. 11. At The Zoo, tal vez es una canción a la que le desarrollas el gusto mientras más la escuchas, o tal vez no.
old friends es una increíble canción. las canciones que incluyeron bajo estuvieron mejores. las lyrics del álbum estuvieron okay pero muchas veces no entendí el mensaje de las canciones. muy ambiguo, poco relatable. instrumentalmente pudo haber sido más diverso. 3 estrellas porque si le doy 2 jose miguel me mata.
It’s a slow album and the first half felt more like a sleeping aid than an album. I know it’s their style, all bridges and tunnels bullshit, but there’s soemtimes too much asmr voice, twingy guitars, and light folk. Then it hits th back half singles for the graduate and it kicks ass. Those pull the record up out of its slow dive and into something listenable. Mrs. Robinson alone would up this one letter grade.
Frustratingly good. It has soaring highs, but some genuinely terrible filler hold it back. It's a good album, but it could have been great.
Mrs Robinson goes hard
"A Hazy Shade of Winter" is an S-tier song. The Bangles cover is better than the original (I said what I said) but the original is still S-tier. This one song is better than the rest of the album. On first listen: the B side is better than the "concept" portion (Paulie, what where you doing?). Furthermore, I did not need a track of old people talking with New York accents. It was off putting. Thanks Art, I hate it.
It was a very sweet album. I believe that it was very tender very calm made for an afternoon with some cold brew and tea and working actually, it was good for the hour that I was working with this as a backdrop
Många kända låtar. Lite tråkig
Pretty good. Left no real impression on me. Will relisten later
A nice album. It's what you think of with simon and garfunkel.
Did we need both this and *Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme* on the list? What is one offering that the other isn't mirroring? Of the two I prefer PSRT but this one felt basically the same.
It's pretty good. Very inoffensive, somewhat experimental, at least within its own era. Mrs. Robinson is a staple, and sounds great here, as does the weirdly fuzzed-out synth at the start of the album that feels awesome yet so out of place. Didn't floor me, I guess. Credit where credit's due, Simon and Garfunkel are talented artists, but they're never going to get me to excitedly send my buddy a link to one of their songs, or put it on when friends are over, right? Fav tracks: Old Friends, Mrs. robinson, A Hazy Shade of Winter
интересный экспириенс, возможно нужно переслушать еще раз, сейчас ощущение, что быстро забудется, хотя довольно приятное и короткое прослушивание
Honestly, I'm not a "pro reviewer", so don't expect a very elaborated review, these are just my thoughts and impressions. So, this album, it's cool, at first I thought it was gonna be some The Beatles-type of album but I was wrong. I'm not into folk music but impressively I liked this album a lot, the experimentation at the very first track (Bookends Theme), set a big expectation of the direction the album was about to take. Despite the following tracks were more traditional in some kind of way, the project never lost coherence nor freshness. So, yep, those are my impressions of the album, a very good one that will surely make me listen the discography of these guys. PD: I will improve my "reviews" on the following albums I listen to, I promise
Somewhere out there this is someone's favorite album but for me it's a solid 3 stars they're only really two songs I liked on this entire album and which was one of my favorites was Mrs Robinson and what I saw the title I knew I'd heard at least one songs before because Mrs Robinson is the most popular on this album which I can see why but I also liked Fakin' It so I'll give that but overall I didn't really enjoy this album that much i mean i get it was a concept album for them but i like Sergeant Pepper's better and that's a great concept album so that's all I really got to say but before I'm done i do not want to be a corned flake or an English muffin that's not my dream in life and it was going to be a two-star but since I could really tell they were high on pot and gets three
The album starts really good, but then there is this track "Voices of Old People". Why is it there? This could be a 4/5 album but with this track I could not enjoy it from beginning to end. 3/5
Nice album of theirs with some good storytelling by Simon. A bizarre recorded conversation track in the middle that appears to have been recorded in a nursing home. Some unexpected, and also uncharacteristic electronic instrumentation elements too which doesn’t quite fit with the folk rock aesthetic. Also in 1968 the record company clearly hadn’t learnt to frontend all the good tracks on the album yet. Mrs Robinson, Hazy shade and at the zoo are the last three tracks on side 2? Solid 3 stars.
I enjoyed this and recognized a few songs. So far the only Simon and Garfunkel I have enjoyed. But for an album that doesn't even reach 30 minutes, can't decide if that is a good thing or bad.
A Hazy Shade of Winter is a banger. The rest is fine. The Lemonheads cover of Mrs. Robinson is two thumbs up.
Definitely an important album - Simon & Garfunkel have several essential listens. But after listening to it once, I don't think you need to necessarily revisit the album vs. just revisiting favorite tracks (which there are many). It suffers from the concept album trap, I don't think I need to listen to "Voices of Old People" ever again, since outside of the context of the record that is literally all it is.
I have a HIGH tolerance for folk music but I just don’t understand the seemingly broad appeal of this specific album especially given its odd structure. I guess I admire how personal it feels, as a portrait of Jewish New Yorkers. Hard not to feel this one’s a bestseller just because Mrs. Robinson was included, though the songcraft and production across the songs are predictably strong.
Mr. Robinson is such a hit that this deserves a 3 at least. Voices of Old People was pretty interesting since this was released in the age of vinyl… seems like a lot of vinyl to dedicate to this! The rest of the songs were good but nothing knocked me over.
Enjoyable, some good songs and a very clear theme across the album. However, is not a stand-out album, with many songs similar to the tune and flow of the beatles/pink floyd. Solid album tho.
Mrs. Robinson, America, and Hazy Shade of Winter are the standout tracks on this one, there are a couple others that seem ambitious in production and construction, but there is some strange filler that tries to concoct a concept album. Bridge Over Troubled Water, their next album, is better with no filler and even more epic and ambitious. Paul Simon has a remarkable talent for poignant turn of phrase and instinct for making stirring music - America here is the best example of it.
Last 3 songs doing a whole lotta lifting in this one Mrs Robinson’s a great one, easily their best song and (maybe not) coincidentally the one that sounds the least like most of the rest of their catalogue. Super catchy with a ton of pop culture relevance. Hazy Shade of Winter’s pretty good too, a lot more rock influence in that one which makes me appreciate it. I just can’t with the vocals and dull instrumentation for most other songs on the album. Same problem I have with every other folk rock album where the variety’s shit and there’s nothing going on for every track. I know the whole concept of this album’s about life and aging and what not but I’m not particularly moved, especially knowing these guys were like my age when recording this one. The track where it’s just old people talking is not interesting Am pretty positive this would be a 2 if it was any longer than 30 mins and didn’t have some buzzer beaters at the end to save it, but I gotta give credit where credits due
I know I say that I like short albums, but this one felt too short. The way their voices harmonize with each other is very pleasant to the ears, but I didn't really enjoy this album. There were the occasional songs that would play and I would recognize them, but that was about all I felt about the album.
Ms. Robinson and Hazy Shade of Winter at the very end. Experimental in the safest way possible, trying something, but only tentatively.
Masterpiece.
Experimental, folk. No exactamente lo mío pero lo usaría para algún corto / proyecto audiovisual COOL! Quizás para mirar la lluvia caer a través de la ventana en algún momento nostálgico muy específico, me hace recuerdo a la escena de Toy Story cuando Jessie canta When She Loved Me
Why are they looking at me like that?
Very calm and nice acoustic guitar which I personally like but some people dont like which is fine the lyrics were okay but I dont really pay attention to the lyrics that much but overall it was okay could've been better
fav songs: overs mrs. robinson delicate, detached, restrained 50/100
Honestly I was a little disappointed.
not my kind of rodeo these guys
I'm not the biggest fan of Simon & Garfunkel, but this album has some of their best work I'd say. A couple songs caught my eye, but most were skippable. I doubt I'll come back to the album anytime soon, but it's good for sure.
This was good, as expected, but I wasn’t in love with it. Half the songs blended together, as it’s mostly just guitar plinking and soft folk-style singing. The final 4 or 5 songs on the album were the best ones, including the ever-popular ‘Mrs. Robinson’. A solid 3/5, wasn’t good enough in my ears to warrant more than than.
Je ne connaissais pas du tout mise à part Mrs Robinson. Bon album dans l'ensemble, avec parfois un côté un peu spécial voir expérimental auquel je n'ai pas forcément accroché, mais de bons éléments agréables. Certaines musiques sont bien et je pourrais tout à fait les écouter individuellement.
Mrs. Robinson is iconic, and I loved Hazy shade of winter, but most of the rest was kinda blah. Why did Garfunkel go around recording "old people"? Really strange
Meh?
OK album
banco, me gusto muchoo
3/5 Nett
troche smetne ngl ale spoko
I don’t HATE it but it’s not awful
A Good album
meh not my drill
It’s not anything to make a big deal about. It’s good, but it’s not good good. The second half carried that first. The album is just kinda boring, and shallow. Favorite song: Mrs. Robinson
I was surprised by how little I got out of this.
Oui bah voila un énorme classique après je suis pas si fan de ces gars la
Meh
This one was...fine. I'm a fan of a couple other S&G records but hadn't heard this one (save "Mrs. Robinson" which slaps). The part with the voices of old people seemed like it could have been omitted. It brought to mind skits on rap albums for some reason, but not quite as fun. Clearly a lot of effort put into the songs and a pleasant enough listen. So 2.5 rounded to 3.
Very quiet record overall. At the start of 'Save The Life Of My Child' I thought we were on to some really crazy stuff, but it turned kosher quite fast. 'Mrs. Robinson' is a nice track, but other than that it wasn't really for me. The vocals and the guitar playing is nice, but I find some of arrangements a too uneventful. I definitely appreciate this having its place in music history though.
I’m all for short albums, but this one still managed to leave me a bit bored despite its length. The first half, the “concept album” portion, leans into the more pretentious side of Simon and Garfunkel, and it just didn’t work for me. Luckily, the second half is much stronger, with consistently decent tracks throughout. It’s more upbeat and simply better, in my opinion. The first half is a 2 and the second half is a 4, so I’m settling on a strong 3 overall.
It was alright
Pretty cool, I had heard Mrs. Robinson before, but everything else was first time. Favorite song was At the Zoo, very fun. Close second was Old Friends, really liked the sound of it. Was not expecting Voices of Old People, it was interesting though.
Most enjoyed songs: America Overs Fakin it Love the woodwind instruments and acoustic guitar throughout the whole album Probably wouldn’t listen to again but enjoyed it for sure
An interesting album. I knew not of its existence. Almost a time capsule, really. The interludes and recordings of people speaking, like in Voices of Old People, give a real feel for the time and place. This is a strength of Simon & Garfunkel's music. You can almost feel a place and a culture in listening to it. America and Mrs. Robinson are, of course, classics.
Chill. Otra época donde la poesía no daba cringe.
Feels like it was a fair way before it's time well that's spoken word stuff even felt like shadows album
2.5 out of 5 it has a couple of good songs but overall it doesn’t do a lot for me.
A somewhat frustrating album because it does have some good songs. I like "America" well enough but to be honest the entire album is held up by "Mrs. Robinson". Every other track sort of fades into obscurity. It wasn't unenjoyable, just bland.
bueno, pero no es lo que escucho
A few great songs and a lot of boring songs. Mrs Robinson is one of the greatest songs but can't carry this album enough
I like some songs from both sides of this record, but I think the album suffers from the second half being not of the concept, so it feels like 2 totally differebt albums.
Classic album ... [list of great songs you know well] ... So, then the question is: what does listening to the full album yield that we would not get from the career-spanning compilation? Very little. Plus, quite odd. (Feature / bug -- ? ) Excellent example of a noteworthy album that .... you really don't need to listen to.
Pleasant but rather unremarkable. 3/5
she's cute. cute and pleasant. nothing to write home about in either direction. 3/5
something weirdly experimental here but doesn't feel altogether cohesive definitely a work i can admire, but not completely enjoy maybe have to relisten down the line for smth new to hit me notable: save the life of my child, america 3/5
beautiful
It was pretty good
my best friend is a big Paul Simon fan - she'll come up again when we get to his solo work here - and i remember her playing America a lot the summer before our senior year of college. it was hot as hell, and we were kind of almost adults, and both our futures and the country in which we figured they'd take place seemed complicated and romantic and grand. now i live thousands of miles, a continent, a hemisphere away, and America just makes me feel sick. as a place, it seems flat, and small, and mean, and so does a lot of the rest of the world, and i'm completely unable to conjure up the romantic grandeur of what's undoubtedly the best track on this record the rest is just...a bit odd? lovely little vignette-y songs, often wistful, occasionally way too cute, sometimes jarringly experimental, though that bar is low for these guys. i really admire them both as songwriters, and love Simon as a singer, but the ping-ponging of this record between something more conceptual and songs about how it would be nice to go to the zoo (sure) or be a cornflake (what?) doesn't work for me all too well. this was a (very pleasant, very listenable) bit of a miss, and i'm looking forward to work by the duo that's maybe a bit more central between the poles of being labored and carefree
The blaring synth chords on the second track caught me off guard. Experimental and different is cool, but does not equal good necessarily.
It's just some classic folk music that is some easy singing with some strummy electric guitar and light drums. Easy listening but nothing I'd really listen to on purpose. Probably a 3 for me dog.
They don't hate each other enough yet
The boyssssss
I like the idea of an album covering the span of a human lifetime, but from a simple listening POV I would’ve enjoyed it more if all 12 songs were Mrs. Robinsons. And wtf is “Old people talking” hah.
bookends is a charming collection of songs. i was surprised by the varied selection of sounds and styles in this album, somehow i was expecting them all to sound like mrs robinson or other simon and garfunkel-y tunes. especially enjoyed the whimsy little guitar moments. will be listening to again
Not what I expected … in between 5-star singles
Jamais écouté avant. Top : A Hazy Shade of Winter Flop : Voices of Old People
3/13/26 - Listened at the computer. It was honestly a bit of a disappointment as I do not know that much about Simon and Garfunkel and wanted it to be better. Also, learning that the second half is a collection of outtakes from the movie made this choice even more surprising. Top Song - Voices of Old People
3.5
A very pretty album. I was surprised by the sampled audio, and without knowing all the history I suppose this is quite innovative in that way.
Simon & Garfunkel igjen, med deres ikoniske folk-sound. Dette er albumet med Mrs. Robinson. Et album jeg har lyttet til før. Noen høydepunkter, men jevnt over litt for kjedelig. Top 3: America, A Hazy Shade of Winter, Mrs. Robinson
I'm learning on this albums generator that I'm not really a big Simon and Garfunkel fan. It's not hard to admit the duo are a solid representation of talent, and considering the age of this effort the mixing is actually really cool. Speaking of the mixing, Voices of Old People has to be the most interesting skit I've heard. I like how the album ties in together, and how my ears are constantly tickled by well expressed lyrics and beautiful acoustics. I do love The Graduate, so hearing the theme and seeing how it works so well on this studio effort was a lovely surprise. I guess my problem is the length and the style of it. I'd rather listen to Silvio Rodríguez, which I guess means I'm influenced by my culture when choosing my talented acoustics over tender vocals. 3.2/5
Better than expected.
nice album
There is a reason the casual listener prefers a greatest hits album on the classics. I like these guys, the album was ok, Mrs. Robinson pushes it over the edge for me to something I would take time to listen to the album again.
It's ok
Sub 30 mins should mean an automatic 2 star rating as a baseline. Turns out there are also some quite good tunes on this album.
Good folk album, but definitely not S&G's best work. "Mrs. Robinson" is the definite highlight here, but the rest didn't hit that much to be fair. 7 / 10
I can appreciate the song writing but a little too boring/lacking substance for me
so similar to the psicodelic beatle moment
In the background.
I would have liked to dismiss the album quickly as completely boring. In the end, however, there were three tracks on it that I have cherished since my youth. It's nice to have been reminded of them again. I'll gladly listen to those tracks again, but probably not the album. 3/5
Cute, fun, interesting. Overall a pretty good album. Very short
I feel it packs more of an album into 29 minutes than any of the 75 minute albums that this list has made me listen to.
Eh some good songs but a lot of just mediocre stuff
Short, interesting, but I kind of didn't want to listen through a second time. The lifespan concept seems incomplete, so overall the album's composition felt a little messy and unfinished to me. Some nice songs (I really liked A Hazy Shade of Winter), but the album as a whole wasn't my favorite.
как обычно, всё что я знала затмило всё новое (кроме "я булочка, я хочу в тостер"). ну приятные песни и сама букендз/олд френдз тема красивая, мне нравится. но пение для меня слишком инфантильное
Not my favorite album by them, but I wouldn’t kick it out of bed for eating crackers.
Was not looking forward to starting this since last time I started with PSR+T and found it crazy boring. Folk isn’t my thing. The good parts were better than I expected. The lyrics were strange and too folk-y for my taste at times. Under a half hour? That’s almost enough for 5 stars alone.
Easy on the ears at moderate to low volume. 1 major hit. The rest fluctuates between bearable and pleasant
Первая после интро и последняя - норм, остальное - скукота
Ah, Mrs. Robinson! Another middle/lower middle of the road album for me. probs a 2.5. but I'll round up to 3.
Pretty forgettable, outside of Mrs Robinson. Pleasant enough. 6/10 Pretty Good
Excited for S&G, then curious to listen to this one in its entirety here. Harmonies as expected. Some hits, some unknowns. Including Garfinkel's recording of old people is just odd... ⭐⭐⭐
Definitely music for me
They’re poets, sometimes when they shouldn’t be.
Save the Life of the Child - Wow what a song, the bass line is so flipping god, the production and all is crazy as well for 1968. Gives the same vibes as a Queen or Bowie song. Queer coded? most probably i think America- ok maybe if i was american ts would make me feel patriorchal or smth, but in general look for america, acc to me, can be seen as the 'ideal american behaviour' which is friendly, and peacefull, which is not at all the america today. Again, great production and stuff duh Overs - Feels like the end of a happy relationship. 'how long can i delay' but its like they are holding on to the happy memories, even though those don't occur anymore. The stop was my favourite part of the song, ahead of its time Old Friends - This song is a poem backed with amazing instrumentals. Graduating and this is exactly how i feel about my current friends one day being seen as 'old friends' Can you imagine us years from today Sharing a park bench quietly? How terribly strange to be 70 I've definetly had this convo with my friends, hits hard. Also weird to think that even in the late 60s, i can relate to what their singing abt so much Fakin' It- the switch up from the slow old friends to this song is amazing icl like wow. An amazing song in general, the happier version of 'fake plastic trees' by radiohead if u think about it. This song sounds like the one that would be popular and hit the billboard charts and play on the radio lol. Punkys Dillema- not rly my fav, maybe need to understand the lyrics more idk Mrs. Robinson - Feels like a satrical christian song, need to search the lyrics or something. Hazy Shade of Winter - A beatles type song, but lowk i feel like this song if it was released tdy would do good asw, not my favourte song def At the zoo - good jolly 'ol song, very 60s esque, idk, is the zoo a metaphor to the earth in general? maybe? from the surfface level it feels like theyre just very passionate abt the zoo lol Rate: 7/10 Overall thoughts: This album, maybe even this grp feels like the middle between the Beatles era and the Queen/Bowie era. You can hear it as well, how the music world is changing, but ofcourse theres still traces of the past. I think i just analused all the lyrics at a very surface level, theres bound to be more to these lyrics as well, but instrumentally a very good album.
I liked this more this time than I did on previous listens. I still think its carried by Mrs. Robinson and A Hazy Shade of Winter.
Mrs Robinson made me think of someone who hadn't crossed my mind for a long time - if that isn't a great piece of music, then I don't know what is. Unexpectedly adventurous with the production, expectedly effective with the songwriting! Favourite tracks: America, Old Friends, Mrs Robinson
Bookends Theme 3 Save the Life of My Child 3.1 America 4 Overs 3.3 Voices of Old People n/a Old Friends 3.2 Bookends Theme 3 Fakin' It 3.4 Punky's Dilemma 3.1 Mrs. Robinson 4.3 A Hazy Shade of Winter 3.6 At the Zoo 3.7 Score: 3.427272727
Dienstag, 10.03.2026 ~ Mittags bis nachts ~ Auf dem Weg zum Sport, in der Verkehrsschule am Wassertorplatz beim Wegräumen der Fahrräder, nachts in meinem Bett.
Mittwoch 11.03.2026 In der Philologischen Bibliothek der FU Berlin beim exzerpieren und lesen von W. Benjamin: Das Kunstwerk im Zeitalter seiner technischen Reproduzierbarkeit
A couple classics. Some really weird production. But overall enjoyed it.
If I had to saw my brother’s foot off in the mountains of Korea because it had turned completely black from frostbite, then carry him down those mountains alone while he screamed and cursed at me after the rest of our platoon was killed or taken prisoner in an ambush, only to receive a handshake, a medal, and a kick in the ass back to America, and then years later, after a long shift at the local grocery store where my boss, who’s 20 years younger than me, makes me stay late to finish inventory because he has a date at the drive-in, I walk through the door to a pot of Hamburger Helper, a nagging wife, and a nancy son with long hair, and from his room I hear some hippie singing bullshit about how he wishes he was a Kellogg’s Cornflake, I’d put a gun in his hand and ship him off to the jungles of Vietnam. Overall, good album. Pretty cool sampling.
Some surprising sounds I can see why this stuff was groundbreaking in its time
Bookends feels very nostalgic and carefully put together. I like the acoustic guitar sound, and there’s something warm and reflective about the whole album. The short spoken pieces make it feel more like a connected work than just a collection of songs, which I find interesting. Still, listening to it on a streaming app feels different from how it was probably meant to be experienced. “Mrs. Robinson” and “A Hazy Shade of Winter” stand out because they bring more energy and momentum. Overall, I respect the album, even if I don’t fully connect with it from start to finish.
There are some great moments, but I didn’t realize the history of unnecessary skits and sound effects went back this far.
Pros: short, 4/10 (excluding bookends theme/reprise) are amazing songs… Cons: the rest seems like a mishmash of noises and half baked ideas. This was a tough one to rate.
3.5/5
Pretty good.
wouldn't say it's my favorite of theirs but i still enjoy it
I'm not going to give this lower than a 3 because I am sick so they might have just been pissing me off but I still do think this is probably the weakest of their last four albums, just too much dicking around .
6/10 Decent little beach boys esque album Fav track: Hazy Shade of Winter Least fav: Mrs. Robinson
Classic. Chill sound
This one was hit or miss for me. It didn’t seem to flow well.
没有印象
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
A real mixture of great classic songs and weirdness of the time. 3.5
Not the type of music I would listen to Favorites: "Save the life of my child"
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.
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.
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.
Not my favourite from them but still a good listen with “Mrs. Robinson” as an obvious standout track.
Favorite Tracks: Mrs. Robinson | A Hazy Shade Of Winter | At The Zoo
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
Me gustó, algo interesante con aire de religión
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.
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.
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
- 0 nummers toegevoegd aan MMMM - 1 nummer al toegevoegd aan MMMM
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.
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..
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
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
3.5/5
Sounded good overall, nothing special, just good sounding music.
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
Found this to be quite unremarkable
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.
“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.
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 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.
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
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.
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
180 Lindo, piola. De no ser por el track hablado sería música perfecta para poner cuando vienen mis papás a tomar once.
不好听
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
Certain standouts really shine on this record. Bookends Theme brings such wrought emotion.
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.
Mrs. Robinson is a decent song but this album doesn't keep my attention. It's not bad but not amazing either.
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.
Kind of a weird album, but it’s got lots of good jams
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
Some familiar songs, some weird stuff
Not really my cup of tea, but a couple of familiar tunes - A hazy shade of winter is quite good
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!
3.0 - Ok
Not a fan of Simon and Garfunkel Favorite songs: Fakin’ It and A Hazy Shade of Winter
Mostly boring but the last three songs kind of kick it up a notch.
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!
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.
'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.
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.
Quite an interesting listen. These guys were very unique.
Good, not great
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 ★★★☆☆
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.
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.
Couple undeniable classics, rest was good. Preferred that solo Simon album, but Garfunkel is the better actor
Didn’t over stay its welcome
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
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
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
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.
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.
Getting a 3 cuz it's Simon and Garfunkel. They've done much better and more interesting work than this though.
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.
Det är förstås fantastiskt snickeri, men på ett kanske orättvist sätt jämför jag med deras ikoniska låtar.
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!
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.
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
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.
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*
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