Bookends

Did not like it at all. Enjoyed the last 2 songs. That’s it

Nice easy listen 3/5

Love it

Very nice folk music. Standout tracks: Mrs Robinson, Hazy Shade of Winter

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

I can’t fault this album at all. It’s a perfect slice of 60’s Americana, perfectly framing the time.

true lyrical poetry. there was a reason why i was introduced to these guys in high school english. this album is based upon life, death, and existing... no doubt about it, this album would've probably broken me last year. it's a masterpiece, heavy but brilliantly written. not only are the lyrics great, but the whole mixdown as well... both men are quite possibly some of the greatest contributors in the singer-songwriter folk sphere. i'm in awe.

So round 2 for Paul Simon, first with Art Garfunkel. I heard this was a concept album, but that only really applies to the first half. That’s probably why the two sides sound a bit jarringly different. Side 1 has a more mellow, but somber feel to it while Side 2 feels more lively. It’s a bit weird, but the songs regardless are great. The Side 1 songs like America and Overs are sung beautifully. The reprise of Bookends almost got to me emotionally. Could have done without the weird Voices of Old People, though. It’s interesting, but a little abstract and a little on the nose for the side’s theme of the life cycle. Side 2 contains the more familiar sounds of the album, especially Mrs. Robinson. They provide a nice break from the more heavier nature of the previous tracks. Overall, the sides balance out. Bookends is pretty good, though it remains to be seen if it’s better than Bridge Over Troubled Water. Favorite track: Mrs. Robinson Other hits: America, Overs, Bookends Theme (Reprise), Fakin’ It, At The Zoo

Another paul simon- a lot of good moments but also a lot of songs that are a little airy/ethereal for me. Still- good album overall

it was just mid i have to say, few songs i liked

4.5

As much as Bookends has many of their best works: Bookends Theme, America, Fakin' It, Mrs Robinson, Hazy Shade of Winter, there is large section of side one: Overs/Voices of Old People/Old Friends, that really keeps it from being a perfect five. My least favorite of the ones in the book, and hands down better than the two that didn't make it. (9.4) ★★★★½

"America" might be my favourite Simon & Garfunkel song, but I think the album overall is quite uneven. High 3.5 stars

4.5/5

I think it's better than Parsley, but not as good as Bridge. "America", "Mrs. Robinson" and "Hazy Shade of Winter" are the highlights, but I do think it sags quite a bit in the middle. 3.5 stars.

4.5

Another S+G mini-masterpiece with even bolder and more iconic front sleeve. First half is a wild rapidfire journey from the bookends of life with extremes such as crazy wailing synth, choir and space orchestra of Save The Life Of My Child and gushing sentimental, super-affecting strings n diced sound clip poignancy of Old Friends and Voice Of Old People plus a mission to find America along the way. Second half are just random songs plunked together with no real thread or connection but they’re all heavy hitters with indisputable classics such as Mrs Robinson and Hazy Shade Of Winter. As well as being musically more daring and ambitious the lyrics are also very unique and memorable with songs about being a Kelloggs cornflake swimming in a bowl and elephants at a zoo that are kindly but dumb.

Two great songs, one good song, the rest was a waste of time.

Judging by their pupils they do indeed appear to be on pot

I really like the direction that S&G went after their first few albums. Their sound jusr became so much more interesting as they started to really explore more folk rock.

Classic

You can tell many indie rock bands were most likely influenced by this album.

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

Plongeons-nous en 1968 car c'est une une année de bruit et de fureur. Hendrix met le feu à sa guitare, les Stones préparent leur "Beggars Banquet" et le rock psychédélique explose dans un maelstrom de distorsion et de substances illicites. Le monde est en pleine convulsion, la jeunesse crie, se bat, expérimente. Et pendant ce temps, deux jeunes intellectuels du Queens, à New York, décident de sortir un album-concept... sur la vieillesse. Il faut avoir des couilles grosses comme des pamplemousses pour oser un truc pareil. À 26 et 27 ans, Paul Simon et Art Garfunkel n'étaient déjà plus des perdreaux de l'année, mais de là à nous pondre une méditation sur le temps qui passe, la solitude et les souvenirs qui s'effacent, il y avait un pas. Un pas qu'ils ont franchi avec une grâce et une intelligence qui forcent le respect, encore aujourd'hui. "Bookends" est un disque d'une ambition folle, c'est un album que j'ai découvert bien plus tard, adolescent, en fouillant dans les bacs d'une médiathèque afin de découvrir et tester des nouveaux sons. Je suis tombé sur ce disque avec sa pochette en noir et blanc et ses airs de thèse universitaire. Il avait l'aura d'un classique, d'un truc "sérieux". Et sur ce point, j'avais raison. La première face de l'album est un chef-d'oeuvre de construction. Encadrée par le court et mélancolique "Bookends Theme", elle déroule le cycle de la vie, de l'enfance à la vieillesse, en une poignée de chansons poignantes. L'album se distingue par une qualité sonore irréprochable ; chaque parole, chaque mélodie, chaque harmonie vocale est travaillée avec une minutie d'horloger. Le son, supervisé par le génial Roy Halee, est d'une pureté cristalline. On est à des années-lumière du son brut et saturé de l'époque. C'est un disque à écouter au casque, pour en savourer chaque détail, chaque respiration. On passe de la fugue amoureuse et géographique de "America", l'une des plus belles chansons jamais écrites sur le sujet, à la solitude poignante de "Old Friends", où l'on entend presque le craquement des os des deux vieillards sur leur banc. Le tout est ponctué par ce collage sonore incroyable, "Voices of Old People", où des enregistrements de pensionnaires de maisons de retraite viennent nous rappeler la fragilité de la mémoire. C'est audacieux, c'est brillant, et c'est profondément touchant. Et puis, il y a la deuxième face. Et c'est là que mon enthousiasme retombe d'un cran, justifiant le 3 sur 4. La face B est en réalité une collection de singles et de chansons diverses, qui, bien qu'excellentes pour la plupart, cassent un peu la magie et la cohérence de la première partie. On y trouve bien sûr le tube planétaire "Mrs. Robinson", un morceau immense et indissociable du film "Le Lauréat", qui a propulsé le duo au sommet de la gloire. C'est la chanson qui a fait d'eux des superstars. Mais à côté de ça, des titres comme "Punky's Dilemma" ou "At the Zoo", bien que sympathiques, semblent presque anecdotiques après la charge émotionnelle de ce qui a précédé. C'est tout le paradoxe de "Bookends". C'est un album schizophrène, d'un côté nous avons un concept-album quasi parfait sur la condition humaine. De l'autre, une compilation de singles très efficaces. Le grand écart est un peu violent. L'album est d'une qualité d'écriture et de production exceptionnelles, c'est un fait. Mais cette perfection a un revers : elle peut parfois sembler un peu froide, un peu trop calculée. C'est un disque qui s'adresse plus à l'intellect qu'aux tripes. On l'admire, on le respecte, mais on a parfois du mal à se laisser complètement emporter par la passion. "Bookends" reste une pièce maîtresse de la discographie de Simon & Garfunkel et un jalon important dans l'histoire de la pop. C'est le moment où le format album a commencé à être pris au sérieux, où des auteurs-compositeurs ont prouvé qu'on pouvait parler de sujets profonds et universels avec l'exigence de la grande littérature. Un très bon album, donc un "gros" 4 sur 5, parce que la première face est un 5/5 indiscutable. Il faut l'écouter pour son ambition, pour la beauté pure de ses mélodies et pour comprendre comment, en pleine tempête électrique, deux voix et une guitare acoustique ont réussi à créer un silence assourdissant.

I mean, this album has 3 certified bangers that basically everyone has heard, so it's already up there. However, besides those, maybe At the Zoo stands up as a fourth? The rest seemed pretty normal, so probably not a 5 star. Might need another listen or two, i get there's a story there but didn't feel it

A very mellow enjoyable listen and sound

Kokoonaisutena ihan hyvä, pari erityisen hyvää kappaletta. 3-3.5

This wasn't bad. Seemed to have some filler sections, but overall an enjoyable listen with some darker lyrics than I expected. I really enjoyed Old Friends - its a beautiful take on lifelong friendship and aging. Fakin´It is great too - we've all felt like that.

I knew the popular song

LOVE how short this is. Very different from what I expected I'd say.

I liked this but the the old people talking creeped me out x

Was original at the time as a concept album but I think in the fullness of time this is a bit forgettable. The production is impeccable though, amazing clarity for an album from the 60s. 3*

Exceptional. What it must have been like to listen to this when it came out with tracks of people speaking! Paul Simon is a true genius.

Nearly a 5, but there are a couple of weird songs.

Very good one

Good but didn’t blow me away

Very close to a 5. Nice album

Some good songs and some ok songs. Mrs. Robinson is always a banger

Could not get into this one. Album starts slow, lost me in the middle, but finished strong with the albums best three songs.

I grew up with S&G music playing in the house, and have had a lifelong love of their music. This album really bridges the more classic folk of Joan Baez and early Dylan into a more modern sound for the time. The lyrics, harmonies, and production are top, and at least four of their best tunes are here.

Whimsical Chill

Aranyos hangja van az énekesnek, meg a hangulata is tetszik az egésznek.

It should be a four musically. But a three for me

Some beautiful tracks, but genre I enjoy the most

Another record I've never listened to... Wow, get some South Africans, tone down the trippy production and that second track could be on Graceland. The old people thing is odd. Maybe it would be more meaningful if I were more focused.

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

A Simon & Garfunkel classic! I like this duo, but I'm not a big fan of this album. But I recognize that it's high class music! I'll give it 4 stars today!

Excellent

Excellent

It'd be a 5 star album if it weren't for those weird haircuts on the cover

Beautiful album...

Everything they touched turned to gold

America Mrs. Robinson

Уже как родные Дон Симон и Гомункул со своим кантри-фолк акустическим веселым и одновременно унылым произведением

Even with some reused material it's hard not to find something in an album with songs like America on it. Paul Simon is clearly a driving force but when they split the separate results did lose out. Worth hearing for sure. Some big songs but also smaller but reflective ones.

Okay reading the wiki entry which says this is a concept album, but then says "Side two largely consists of previously-released singles and of unused material for The Graduate soundtrack". Makes it feel like they cheated. This is a list of "albums to listen to" tho, not greatest albums. Even then a Greatest hits album could be a great album. Anyway Paul Simon has very strong ability to craft a song. With their powers combined a song like America is undeniably well crafted. I kind of like this audio documentary in the middle, but would be annoyed if I spent money in 1968 wanting music. Old Friends is a nice composition, reminiscent of some movie scores from the 1950s. Good music, but if someone needs a taste of a Simon and Garfunkel album this wouldn't be the one I would recommend.

This was fine. Not blown away. I really don’t have much to say about this accept based on song credits Simon was the bread winner in this relationship.

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

Great. Loved it

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

Products that never existed: Introducing the "Telefunkle" It's your grandmother's Telefunken that only plays your unlcle Artie's Garfunkle tunes. Let's all be in agreement, that Art is the real showman of the duo. And, also that the Lemmonheads did Mrs. Robinson harder and faster than the original two boys. Finally, let's all be in agreement that the album art is even more iconic than the songs within it.

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

Leave favorite of S&G albums on this list. America is beautiful but some of the tracks feel like filler.

Simon and Garfunkel remind me of Fall foliage. I went through a heavy S&G rotation one high school autumn once the air had turned crisp and refreshing. So it was likely an October spent listening to their greatest hits. I fondly remember several tracks from this album. American gives me euphoric frisson (chills or shivers felt when listening to music) every time and it carries side one. Side two dominates side one, to the point where I felt side one let the album down as a whole. But then I listened to side one a couple more times and came to appreciate its brilliance.

What a time it was…

Até tinha potencial, mas não curti

Sweet

Previously rated: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme (4/5) Bridge Over Troubled Water (5/5) ********************************************* Least of the three so far. Along with the good stuff (Mrs. Robinson and Hazy Shade of Winter (I like the Bangles version better), there are some downers and stuff that doesn't belong on a music album like Voices of Old People.

I LOVE YOU SIMON AND GARFUNKEL

Much better than Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. There's a couple of not great bits that keep me from giving a 5, but for the most part I really liked this.

Excited to get into another S&G album. Front half was ok, voices of old people really took me out of it, like old trauma of hearing old folks rant. This one doesn't even touch bridge over troubled water. Highlights: mrs robinson

Some good tracks but not all of them are winners.

I'm so glad I got this album today because I've meant to listen to it for a while, which gave me a reason to. I liked the music but didn't totally fall in love with it.

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

3.8 Not a personal favourite of mine but an ingenious album regardless faves: Mrs Robinson, at the zoo

Yo, these guys are like legit! Favourite track: Fakin' It.

Really a lot more varied than I was expecting! Obviously the hits are all-timers, but Save the Life of My Child and Hazy Shade of Winter really stood out to me.

I mean... come on

sutleties + intricacies + beauty. A shame these 2 couldn't get past their differences, whatever they so be.

relaxing background music.

few good songs, some odd

Solid, kind of short, but still great.

Обещание этой группы после известного хита про тишину сильно преувеличено в моем сознании. Альбом хороший, но без восторга. Лучшая песня - Mrs Robinson.

Actually not what I expected. I know the bangers well. America, Mrs. Robinson, and A Hazy Shade of Winter are legit folk rock classics, but clocking in at less than a half-hour long and still managing to feature a couple filler tracks, even at that length, there lacks enough substance for this to be a true masterpiece. The three classic singles on Bookmarks is enough to push it to a four, but it’s a pretty low four. 3.7/5

It's more varied than Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme. I think I like it more, but not by much.

The first half is largely unremarkable; a few good ideas but largely just filler. The second half is pretty good, but at times sounds uncomfortably like the Beatles.

ok

Good

Albumi #134, 14.12.2024 Hieno Simon & Garfunkel albumi

Amazing how short albums were back in the 60s and 70s but at least you don’t get a load of dross. This has my favourite S&G song, America on it so big plus for that alone. Bit disjointed but excellent in parts. A good listen.

-1st song- guitar!! always my favorite instrument. WOAH electric stuff? -a lot of different sounds going on -America: lowkey serving Wild West pnw cowboys, kind of American Dawn by Her vibes -Overs: super relaxing, like a lullaby -Old Friends: LOVE THE GUITAR -Fakin' It: groovy, Wild West vibes again -I love the ad libs of random people or sounds every so often

Didn't enjoy the album. I had At The Zoo on my Liked Songs playlist but I don't know why. I thought that song may have been what would make the album higher, I was mistaken.

Meh. This was fine with a few good tracks. The tiny little bangs on the album cover are...something. 3.0

A fine record, loads better than I expected. Sound of Silence and Bridge Over Troubled Water a good tunes but this is a little more toothsome content and I am here for it.

It’s very interesting to me that a 30-minute album can feel like a double album (in a good way), mostly due to its two-part structure. The first half focuses on human life from beginning to end, with an emphasis on youth and old age. The second half features songs about human life as well, but in a less structured way. Overall, it’s a great, well-flowing album.

My second Simon & Garfunkel album. I think I'll stick with the greatest hits

Amazing from start to finish I loved every minute of it!!! Almost all the tracks are going onto my playlist. Save the Life of My Child was beautiful , then I really loved everything especially Old Friends and A Hazy Shade of Winter.

Not their best. 6/10

Trippier than I expected. I enjoyed the spoken word portion.

Concept albums are either really well done, or are garbage. This is one of the latter unfortunately. The theme of this concept is apparently life and mortality. The whole "concept" was covered in 17 minutes (side A only). It just felt unfinished and rushed. You have to give concept albums time to grow and develop. These morons should have taken a page out of Pink Floyd's book. The Wall had a runtime of 1hr 20mins and is a masterpiece. This is just dumb. Side B of this album was full of previously released singles as well as unused material from "The Graduate" soundtrack. So basically, they couldn't come up with enough of an idea for an album, so they rushed a concept, then filled the rest in with garbage that wasn't good enough for a previous album. Just a money grab. I guarantee the only reason this album is on this list is because it is one of those albums that popular opinion (of braindead hipsters) dictates you should love because it is so deep and revolutionary, when in actuality it is just 2 nerds in peacoats sitting in a dusty library singing about nonsense. Why did someone bring a recorder into a fucking seniors home for 2 minutes during Voices of Old People? Favourite songs: Mrs. Robinson Least favourite songs: Voices of Old People, along with the rest of this album. 1/5. One point for the previously released Mrs Robinson. The rest of the album is trash. I don't necessarily hate Simon & Garfunkel, but I hate this album. Paul Simon was apparently suffering from writers block during the making of this album. Here's an idea: if you don't have enough material for an album, DON'T RELEASE ONE!!

Super solid. I've hated everything I've gotten prior from these guys which surprised me. But turns out all the stuff of these I enjoyed was off of this album.

meh

Meget bra.

Just brilliant. A huge variety of music, all well produced and edited. I think the section of elders voices was too long, and it ruined the flow. Still, I wish I had heard this as a whole album years ago instead of just bits and pieces.

Simon and Garfunkel got back together just in time to remind us of their original glory.

idk if i can really rate or even talk about this album i’ve just heard it way too many times. but it’s still so beautiful, fun, silly, heartbreaking, sincere…a vast and complex range of human emotion….and it sounds good too!

Yaaaaaasss. And also slay…. This was so beautiful and fresh. A lot of the songs from here do not feel like they’re from as long ago as the sixties (that’s the second time I’ve said that in a review this week…maybe they were onto something back then). Specifically “Save the Life of My Child” and “Fakin’ It” felt much more recent, maybe because of the production or non-instrument effects. I love the interlude in the middle, and I imagine back then that was less common and would’ve been a really special thing to hear in the middle of a record. Truly the original SZA’s grandma on Ctrl. I think I’ll have to relisten to this again to really process the life stages narrative and pay more attention to the lyrics; I’m sure my appreciation for it will only grow because I already enjoyed which lyrics I was able to catch. “No good times, no bad times / there’s no times at all, just the New York Times” probably went crazy in 1969. Side note: I love that “Punkie’s Dilemma” provided another addition to the already vast Paul Simon Wishing He Was An Inanimate Object cinematic universe. I need someone to make a no-context super cut of him saying stuff like that. “Wish I was an English muffin” “I’d rather be a hammer than a nail” “Wish I was a Kellogg’s cornflake” literally this man is always wishing he was a little object. Paul I think you should just be yourself <3 Best tracks: Save the Life of My Child, Fakin’ It, Overs

Loved it, reminds me of listening to Gold 60’ Sundays on the radio with my mom. Wasn’t a bad song on the album but stands out for me were: Mrs Robinson (an all time favourite of mine), Save the Love of My Child is amazing and really enjoyed At the Zoo to finish it off.

Was looking forward to this as I thought it would feature more of their hits. Think I was really looking out for “Bridge over troubled water” because this one didn’t really do it for me. Appreciate the music and their harmonies but it all fell a bit flat for me. Also, whilst Paul Simon having two first names would usually be a problem, Art Garfunkel has no first names, which balances them out and salvages a 3/5. Honourable mention to the album artwork, Garfunkel looks like the product of a Zoolander, Hansel and Mugatu three-way. And Simon looks like he had his haircut by a clumsy helicopter. It’s bold, but it’s certainly not bald.

Bookends has been my favourite album on this list so far, a brilliantly crafted album that encapsulates Simon and Garfunkel's unique ability to nibble playfully on your ears with their charming, folkish rock (not to mention how much Art Garfunkel's hair tickles). Whilst at the same time they slap you around the chops with lyricism, metaphors and imagery far more introspective and poignant than you expected at first glance. A bit of audial slap and tickle, that I'm absolutely on board with. From the effervescent youth and hopefulness you feel in "America", to the inescapable nostalgia and reflections that come with old age in "Old Friends"... to the abstractly whimsical and drug filled turmoil Punky is in, in "Punky's Dilemma", caught between having to decide to go to war.. or try and dodge the draft... and ultimately just wishing he could escape into the cereal bowl in front of him. The album, aptly named 'bookends', covers the inevitable good/bad, light/dark, youth/ageing that 'bookends' life. This to me felt a little bit like listening to the Beatles if they'd grown up a bit and packed some of the acid in.. the music and messaging is far more cohesive and yet still delivered in a way that I really enjoyed. The Beatles by comparison, make music akin to anal sex, novel.. experimentative maybe.. but ultimately a bit of a mess and frankly, not worth the hassle. S&G is by no means plain missionary... but I didn't get to the end of it and find myself thinking.. "This is shit". 5/5 will listen to this again.

Music.

Lovely twee little intro, with a nice little revisit later. Save the Life of My Child comes in with an urgent, western synth medley, it's so unexpected and draws you in. America greets you like a friendly vagrant at the end of the bar, pulling up a stool and slinging you a Harvey Wallbanger. Voices of Old People is completely pointless. Old Friends is a bit grandiose without much else going on. Faking It is pretty cool, it's a little meta before that was a thing. It reminds me of Scott Walker. Punky’s dilemma, again not a world beater of a song, but some fantastic vocals. Mrs Robinson is ace. The Graduate is ace. Wayne's World 2 spoofing The Graduate is ace. I don't even know what makes this song so triumphant, but it just has “it”. Between the melody and harmony, it's just a whole vibe, no one's come close to constructing a song quite like it. From that first little guitar fiddle, you can instantly picture young Dustin Hoffman watching those tights come off, and a warm feeling washes over you, like having a CT scan, but with no prospect of a gnarly diagnosis. At the Zoo is a fun ending to an endearing album. With a couple of mediocre songs, and it perhaps being a bit too brief, Bookends gets a 3.

Probably my least favorite effort from Mr. Simon thus far but still has some really great tunes. He knows how to write em and Garfunkel knows how to sing em!

Of the multitude of Paul Simon selections I probably liked this one best

Album art:1

For the time, outstanding production. very listenable.

iconic songs on here

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

This was not what I was expecting! Quite edgy in places, beautiful in others. Like it.

Not at all what I expected and I really enjoyed it, playing it three times in a row.

Ok, so this doesn’t work as a cohesive album which is a bit odd given the supposed concept. I mean there are some absolute bangers on here - ‘America’ gives me goosebumps. But I’d rather listen to them independently or as part of a hits package than listen to this as a whole

what a comforting record. definitely will be returning to this one!

Wow. This just has so much emotion to it. There’s a lot of variety in that aspect to be found here. Paul’s lyricism and Art’s vocal mix amazingly well together. The lyricism is just so moody and meaningful. There’s so many highlights on this album. The track that consists of old folks speaking even hits, I think that says a lot about this album. “America” is about Art’s trip across America with his girlfriend, it’s amazing and very heartfelt, like a lot of this album. “Mrs. Robinson” is just iconic. After watching The Graduate and revisiting this song, it helps me realize how great it really is. This album just sounds so great. The guitar arrangements just sound so moody and calming. “Bookends Theme” is a great example of that. The fact that all of this is just under thirty minutes is incredible. This album is just a classic, in folk music and music in general. Simon and Garfunkel really did hit it out of the ballpark here. This is some of the best that i’ve heard from them.

Tender listen.

It would be a sin not to rate this 5 stars. I was thinking about what a great album this is to listen to in the Winter, then I realized it would also be perfect for fall, summer, spring... Lol. Perfection.

A decent album but very much of its time

Grand , not my vibe

Boring 4/10

There's a few super famous songs on here but I've never listened to the entire record! "Save The Life Of My Child" is morbid, but a good song. "America" I've heard many times before. It's great. "Overs" is a little boring. "Voice of Old People" is as advertised. It's got some really sad moments. I appreciate it a lot as an idea, an album is a strange place for it. "Fakin' It" is a bop. This is one of the best songs on the album for me. "Punky's Dilemma" is fun too. I like whistling in songs. "Mr's Robinson" is one of the most famous songs ever. It's a great album. I don't love the Simon & Garfunkel sound that much, so it's not going to get a sky-high rating but it deserves a good one. 8/10

Haha, man, Kruder & Dorfmeister really pulled one off there! But no, these two are indeed Simon & Garfunkel and this is a strange album. As much as I've learned that Paul Simon makes great music to feel good to and their combined effort on "Bridge Over Troubled Water" got a "Beautiful stuff. Greatest album I've had in a while." from me, I don't quite see how much I should appreciate the circa "Let's Do Beatles" on this one. And then fill side B with what was left before? No doubt this is an 1001AYMHBYD, absolutely, but I had expected to have a more fulfilling time with it, outside of its two bangers. I'll listen to it again, but for now, well, The Bangles elevated that song. Is my strongest thought here.

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

3⭐️/5 [11.25.2024] 01.06.2026

Y'know, if I were the Randomizer, I would not have given my group this album **after** BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER. Or, goodness, at the very least, not within the same **month**. 'Coz in the debate over whether this or BRIDGE is the group's best album... Well, I can't lie and say I'm exactly in the former's camp, that's for sure. As usual with statements like that, I must make clear: I **like** this album. You saw the score before you saw that first line; you know for a fact I think this is good. But even removing the power BRIDGE gets from being the duo's last album — or at least, trying the best I can to — yeah, I think BOOKENDS gets outshone a bit. And in light of removing that "last album" power, I don't think there's anything specific I'd point to, honestly. I suppose generally BRIDGE has an overall grander feel to it, whereas BOOKENDS, while certainly leagues and such ahead of the first album my group got from the duo, just doesn't hit me in the same way. As a complete package, it doesn't exactly strike that chord where I'm nodding along like, "Yes, yes is the good stuff." Maybe if it committed more to either half of itself. 'Coz, it must be realized, this is basically two half albums glued onto each other. The first half is a concept album about life and aging, bookended (fitting) by the album's theme. The second half, meanwhile, is a collection of out-takes from THE GRADUATE and also an in-take, "Mrs. Robinson". And keep in mind as well: this is a **short** album, just barely under 30 minutes. So, on the one hand, these are nice, bite-sized mini-albums that you don't hafta break your back listening to. On the other, though, neither really go on long enough to develop into much. I might fall more into the latter. I mean, this ain't no 2112 situation. Of these two halves, by the way, I think side two's the more interesting one. Yeah, the one with all the left-overs. Side one's good, but overall it doesn't really grab me. Meanwhile, from the opening seconds of "Fakin' It", I was hooked in. Like, even if you removed "Mrs. Robinson" from the line-up (the stone-cold classic that it is) this side would still hit harder. Honestly, for my tastes, side one might just be a bit too... I'unno, a bit too serious? Not too much that it's a slog or whatever, but still, y'know? If I were to rank the two halves of this album separately... Side one would get a 3 and side two would get a 5. Put 'em together, divide, that's a 4 overall. Good stuff overall; I just prefer one half to the other. And seriously, y'know, if I were the Randomizer I would not have given my group this album **after** BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER.

Just goes to show how much these 2 can make some excellent folk tunes. Solid 5 Stars.

I’m at a 5. It is getting a little hard to praise Simon & Garfunkel after listening to three albums of theirs, but this is a pretty damn good album. The big highlight is obviously the first 7 tracks and the mini-narrative of the fragility of life at all ages, whether it’s at your youngest or your oldest. “Voices of Old People”, while less of a track and more of a documentary-esque look at the elderly, is a genuine standout to me here, if only for being a really strong example of a track built for “serving the narrative”, especially so for 1968. The way that leads right into Old Friends and the subsequent reprise of Bookends flows perfectly, and it really solidifies those first 7 tracks as something kinda special. If I have any “complaint” about the album, I guess I just wasn’t as engaged by everything else. None of the last 5 tracks are bad; Fakin’ It is pretty fun, with a great tempo and a good hook. Punky’s Dilemma is a goofy sort of Sesame Street-esque cut about avoiding the draft. Mrs. Robinson is obviously the big commercial standout of the back half, and it’s pretty catchy, even though I’ve never seen the movie it’s based on. A Hazy Shade of Winter is probably my favorite one there; it feels distinctly like Simon & Garfunkel’s style and production, even with the rock & roll stylizations thrown in. It could’ve totally fit into the “Bookends” part of the album without a hitch. At the Zoo is charming, if a bit cheesy, and a slightly odd choice to end the album on. They’re all great tracks, but as their own side, they just weren’t as compelling to me as their own set of songs as the Bookends half was. Either way though, it’s a great 30 minutes; Paul Simon’s songwriting chops are on full display here, and there’s really not a missed beat throughout. I do wish the “Bookends” portion of the album had a little more to it. Hell, it could’ve taken up the entire album and I wouldn’t have complained one bit. As it stands, I just enjoyed this a lot, and it’s another damn good Simon & Garfunkel album. No complaints giving this a 5.

:D!

Ei yksittäisiä. Alotin kuuntelun vähän sillai ettei huvita, mutta mitä enemmän kuuntelin niin sitä enemmän pääsin sisälle ja aloin tykkäämään. Tosi tarinallinen kokonaisuus ja siis nimenomaan kokonaisuus. Oli kiva päästä tähän sisälle.

Not sure what that voices of old people track was.

Underwhelming, to be honest. Can't really do a concept album in 15 minutes. "Mrs Robinson" is great though. So was "Save the Life of My Child" - that one's like 10 years ahead of its time. Weird (in a good way) to hear a Moog synthesizer and sampling in a '68 folk album.

It's sounds old but it's ok I guess

Honestly a little disappointing. Granted, I have high standards for Simon and Garfunkel, but I don’t think they shined as much here as they do in other records.

Yay, Bookend. Some great tracks on here. There's the odd "filler" and so 4/5. Oh, yeah. "Voices of Old People". Why?

Easy 5 stars. Though when I was a wee little lad (teenager), I would have listed this as a distant third in their discography. Now, I would say it's definitely top two, with only Bridge over Troubled Water in competition (not sure which I would put first -- they're fairly different, so it probably depends on my mood, but most days this would get the nod). Excellent album with a lot of understated classics, like "America".

A nice album that is a bit uneven at times.

Each song had a unique texture but the album as a whole still felt cohesive. Some absolute bangers on this one. Can't believe I've never actually heard the whole album before when I'm word perfect on Mrs. Robinson.

Borring as hell

This album is really good. Side 1 is a bit more experimental with "Voices of Old People" but it fits well within the context of the album. Side 2 is basically all excellent songs. The harmonies are fantastic as always from Simon & Garfunkel. The instrumentation is interesting as well. The only knock on this album might be that it's a bit short!

Bit boring

Gear: Abyss DIANA MR Artwork: 📸😐😏 Production: 🔊🥴🔊 Music: 📖[👶➡️👦➡️👨‍🦳➡️⚰️]📖 Rating: 📕📗📘(📙)/5

Save the Life of My Child // America // Old Friends // Mrs Robinson // A Hazy Shade of Winter // At the Zoo //

If Bookends is on the list, I hope a couple more are ranked higher. I o ly like about 1/2 the album. The rest just seemed like useless filler.

Disappointing to say the least. I am a fan of Simon & Garfunkel. This album offered nothing even resembling their repertoire except Mrs Robinson. It doesn't even come close to the Sound of Silence.

An easy 5? I’m not sure but I really liked life while listening to this album. This one made me remember the gift that exists within beautiful art. (5, but would like many more listens in this lifetime)

I love the 'somber' yet still emotional kind of mood that quite a lot of the songs portray. the instrumentals are usually quite simple by still often go a long way. not really any downsides besides the short length of the whole album. Favorite songs: America, overs, old friends, Mrs. Robinson, at the zoo overall around 8/10

Folk rock pop? Creative production for this kind of music. Beautiful lyrics.

A really good album with a lot of great songs from Simon & Garfunkel. My favorites were Mrs Robinson and Hazy Shade of Winter.

Some good tunes

Ugh overplayed to death. I'd love to just this the the very first time ever, today..3 stars for it's brilliance

There’s a few good songs on here but ehhhhh

It was okay but I did not enjoy it as much as their earlier releases. It's very New York City and pretentious.

Hmm, reading the wiki during the opening of Save the Life of My Child got my interest but it's such a short album that it's all over before it really gets going. On top of that it's a bit of a mish mash. Still, it's ok and continues my tradition of 3 stars for these guys. Faves: Save the Life of My Child

Bit of a weird one! A concept half-album, followed by an assortment of odds and ends. I'm afraid I found that "Voices of Old People" really torpedoed the concept album - really interrupted the flow. I think it needed to either be quite a bit shorter, or to have some music layered in more thickly or something. I think this is my least favorite of the three Simon & Garfunkel albums on the list, but it's not bad by any means. Fave tracks - "Mrs. Robinson" is the big one. A fun karaoke tune! Of the tunes I hadn't heard as much before, "Old Friends", "A Hazy Shade of Winter" and "You Don't Know Where Your Interest Lies" all stood out to me...

👍

Just not as good as 'Bridge Over Troubled Water.' 3/5

So many good Simon & Garfunkel songs... To the album itself: the first side was meant to be a concept album (part). This may have worked if they had used both sides of the LP. 15 minutes is just too short and to fill it with some recorded voices is a bad idea. It seems that they liked the idea but lacked enough recorded material so they just filled the first side and used the second side for older hit singles. Long story short: this has failed as an album, but the music on it is great.

good for calm listening 👍

Bookends Theme - 1/5 Save the Life of My Child - 4/5 really like the bassline especially America - 3/5 Overs - 1/5 Voices of Old People - 0/5 Old Friends - 1/5 Fakin' It - 3.5/5 Punky's Dilemma - 2/5 Mrs. Robinson - 4.5/5 A Hazy Shade of Winter - 3.5/5 At the Zoo - 3.5/5

Epic!!!

One of the greatest

This album has no reason being this good. Like even outside the classic Mrs. Robinson, joints like America, Overs, Save the Life of a Child, Hazy Shade of Winter, Fakin It, etc all go so fucking hard. I wish it ended on a better note because the last track At the Zoo doesn’t do much for me, but wow what an album.

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

classic singer songwriter album

217/1001

Not bad but did have me falling asleep on the train

Might have been a four but “Voices of Old People” perplexed me.

Relaxing artistic vibe. It’s solid.

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

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

my headphones died the minute i finished this album and i'm devastated because i was going to replay it all day :(

I liked it a lot

It has "America", "Mrs. Robinson", and "Hazy Shade Of Winter", what more do you people want from a sub 30 minute album?

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

"Bookends" is the fourth studio albums by American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. The first side is in the concept album format style exploring the life cycle journey from childhood to old age. The second side has songs which were previously singles or unused martial from the movie "The Graduate." The lyrics on side one deal with youth, disillusionment, relationships, old age and mortality. It did well commercially hitting #1 in both the US and UK. Critically, it was cited as their breakthrough moving them to the forefront of the 1960's counterculture movement (alongside others). The album begins with the short acoustic guitar instrumental "Bookends." This song leads to the pyschedelic "Save the Life of My Child." Electronic and a moog synthesizer. I wasn't expecting Pink Floyd and Sgt. Peppers but here it is. Youth and drugs, violence and suicide. A dark interesting song. They continue the Sgt. Peppers' theme with a very Beatle-esque drum beat in the wonderful "America." Acoustic guitar, a flute and an organ. Great lead and backing vocals by the duo as they describe two young lovers as they take a bus to physically see the country they feared has disappeared. Side one comes full circle or cycle and ends with "Bookends." This time with vocals. "Fakin' It" opens the singles-laden second side. Acoustic guitar and a handclap beat. They like the use of the handclap. Simon's mulling over his insecurities and shortcomings. Soaring vocals at the end. Acoustic guitar, bass and another handclap-shuffle beat musically anchor "Mrs. Robinson," written for "The Graduate." The "do-do- do's" and "da-da-da's" are an homage to the Beatles' '"I am Walrus." I do like the Lemonheads' punkish version. I also like the Bangles' version of "A Hazy Shade of Winter" but this original version is pretty great too. Great guitar riff and harmonization. Tambourine, congas, horns and strings. One of the better songs capturing the mood of the title. This may be my favorite Simon & Garfunkel. The first side is definitely influenced by the Beatles. They use strings, horns and synths but in no way is this baroque and they settle in to their unique folk-rock sound. There are are short, tight songs and I always appreciate the shorter albums doing this challenge. This one clocking in at 29 minutes. I didn't mind the disjointedness to some extent of the concept-album and single album sides. The quality of the songs stands out. A very strong recommendation from me.

This is great. Easy listening.

Short but good, hard not to like 8/10

The melodies are full of surprising turns and pretty harmonies. But it has some of the blandest folksy psychedelic jangly touches, the arrangements are mostly a big schmaltzy pillow, and it's a tedious 30 minutes with an overall extremely irritating precious vibe with one huge hit I never need to hear again. Music for babies.

It's a fine album but I think they had better.

I will not respect your concept album if the concept doesn't have enough substance to constitute a full album, so you have to have this awkward second side to justify it even being an album in the first place. That said, I like Mrs. Robinson doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo

Experimentation doesn’t always work on this album. Every song is a quality performance, but some seem a little messy. Not their best work, but still great. 4/5

Ok

Yawn, what a fucking boring album.

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

++: Bookends Theme, Save the Life of My Cild, America, Overs, Old Friends, Fakin' It, Mrs. Robinson, At the Zoo +: Voices of Old People, Bookends Theme, Punky's Dilemma, A Hazy Shade of Winter 8,5/10

Interesting... the harmonies of Paul and Art are beautiful. A real classic

Nett zu hören, typischer S&G Stil…7/10

This was a great listen, even listening to it while (unsuccessfully) trying to calm a very unhappy baby didn’t diminish it. I think that’s a good sign.

Interesting. Not as great as later Paul Simon, but a nice juxtaposition of super sweet melodies and weird stuff weaved in.

Know the name, know the cover, but before my time. Of course I know songs like "America", "Mrs Robinson" and "A Hazy Shade Of Winter" from the radio, tv and movies. Overall it's got a chill vibe, good songwriting, an uplifting tone and peeks into who Paul Simon would eventually become when he ventured out on his own. All the songs have a certain charm. "Save The Life...", "Fakin' It", & "At The Zoo" all have spunk but don't sound super dated. There are a few clunkers in "Overs" and "Old Friends", maybe they fit the times. I'm glad I gave it a solid listen. Wouldn't make my Top 1001 but I respect that it's on this list. They were super influential, there are a handful of hits that have stood the test of time (and have been covered countless times), and you can still hear this album on the radio today.

I had two Simon & Garfunkel albums within a few days of each other, and going back and rating them, they kind of blend together. As I said in my other review, I want to like Simon & Garfunkel more than I actually do.

tja, simon and garfunkel. gitarren, einfaches arrangement, gute songs. aber irgendwie gealtert. highlights America und Mrs. Robinson. und dann nach einer halben stunde durch - gut so.

Kurz. Und obwohl eine Themen Platte, für mich ein Sammelsurium an Lieder.

chill rock album. folky but doesn’t lack in excitement

Least favorite album from a top favorite band. This is too conceptual for my taste, especially listening to it straight through — there's nothing here that I actively dislike, but it doesn't flow well to me at all. However, Hazy Shade of Winter is one of my favorite songs of all time.

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

Utrolig solid 3er, meget tæt på 4. Jeg frygtede det eller da første nummer gik igang. Fremhævet: A hazy shade of winter.

WTF! Hvad var det? Der er lyde på det album jeg ikke anede Simon & Garfunkle kunne lave. Og der var deres røv kedelige korsang. Der kom faktisk et par okay numre hen mod slutningen. Mrs. Robinson vidste man jeg godt kan noget. Men hele lytte oplevelsen skæmmes af usammenhængende vrøvl fra gamle mennesker, tossede sange om dyr i en zoo osv.

is it just me or was this kind of a nothing album? aside from mrs. robinson, i wasn't really bowled over by anything else on here. i did appreciate that it was a tight sub-30 min album though. idk! am i just a hater?

not a lot of meat on these bones... the "concept album" designation is tenuous at best, though maybe that's more on the critics and listening public than S&G themselves. many of these songs were just middling and uninspiring, somehow saving the best tracks for the end of side B. at least it was mercifully short, but the two minutes of old people talking is all I'm gonna remember from this. why... favorites: bookends theme, mrs. robinson, a hazy shade of winter

Not for me

It is the poetry of drugs and promiscuous sex. Honey, they're on pot.

Me gustó más de lo que creí, además hay algunos temas que me conocía de antes

yo who are these people why do they have so many listeners

nice. very past trash. mrs robinson not great for breakup with a 'joe'

3.5/5. I refuse to elaborate.

swings from heartrending meditations on old age to whatever the hell “at the zoo” is. I love my kings from queens

Very good. I liked the sound and enjoyed how it was a conceptual album

There's some absolute classics on here aren't there! No surprise to see it in here at all! I do need to have a good listen again, as I felt through a lot of it "is this a Paul Simon album?" As there never seems to be much Art. Flow is a bit off, but just for the big hitters it's a good 4.5 for me.

Artsy

Rating: 5.5/10 Two great songs, did not care for the rest. Choice cuts: Mrs. Robinson, A Hazy Shade of Winter

Not their best but still good

I like Bridge over troubled water a lot. In comparison with bookends i gotta say i really lost all my melanin while listening. It has it huge songs and moments but overall underwhelming experience to me at least. 2.5/5.0

I really liked it. The album was far more interesting and experimental than I expected based just on the hits. I'll give this one a few more spins.

The more I listened to this the more I liked it. The more I thought it sounded very modern for an album made in 1968, like it could have been made today and people would still have been into it. I think it’s on this list because of Mrs. Robinson but there are lots of other great songs on here. You can see how Paul Simon would go on to write such catchy songs in the future.

***An ok album

Breakthrough for S&G, struck hard into the late 60's vibes. Serene and enjoyable.

This is some dependable stuff.

Usually not a fan, but this one resonated with me some. Still not anything I'd reach for to listen to often but seemed to go well beyond the folksy acoustic material I've come to expect from this duo.

2 great songs don't make a great album.

i liked paul simons self title album so interested in what he sounds like with good ol garfunkel btw art garfunkel might be top 5 names ever, his parents cooked with that name choice

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

Ahead of its time, along the lines of pet sounds and sgt. peppers. A few of the tracks are skips, but, at his best, Paul Simon's ability to turn mundanity into poetry, then turn poetry into truly astonishing melodies is unrivaled.

It was ok. Few good songs, few odd ones. Pretty much exactly what you'd expect.

America and Mrs. Robinson and basically nothing else.

Pretty "meh" if I'm being honest.

I like it. Its quite short, and not all of them are bangers, but it's a nice listen. The zoo one is fun in particular.

Sgt. pepper rip off in the first song. The rest of the album was ok, the white bread of music

Started pretty strong, I felt it kind of flagged in the center, but pulled back up at the end. A Hazy Shade of Winter brought it back for a solid end.

I’ve worn out my copy of Simon & Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits, so a fan of their work generally but not to go on a deep dive. America and Mrs. Robinson are, of course, excellent. Great cover of Hazy Shade of Winter, too. Several other songs I hadn't heard before that were good, but not great. Voices of Old People isn't something I would listen to again. 4.25⭐️, because I can't quite round up to 5.

The sound feels intimate and reflective, like finding an old journal and flipping through the pages. The harmonies are gentle, blending together with a warmth similar to Crosby, Stills & Nash. The lyrics explore big themes, but there’s a quietness, almost like a whisper. Every song has a feeling of nostalgia, mixed with a kind of melancholy. The music is simple, yet layered, leaving room for you to really sit with it.

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

Honestly a very good album with some standouts

Pleasant enough, but the only song I actually knew and enjoy is Mrs. Robinson.

I thought it was a decent album. It had good acoustical parts like Simon and Garfunkel always had. There is some good melody throughout. It having Mrs Robinson on it is a plus. I think I’ll give it a 7/10. Some songs weren’t as good as others, but the album flowed well.

Surprisingly experimental, varied, poignant.

Americas Mrs Robinson

Wasn’t expecting the wild synths. First half is pleasant but sleepy. Tight cornball anthems in the back end.

Gehört zum Soundtrack meines Lebens!

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

Lemppari: Old friends Vähiten lemppri: Bookends theme?

I was loving it until we got to "Hazy Shade of Winter" and was disappointed to see it was the second last song. Guess we'll start from the beginning again....

1/2 good

3.5

A really good album. Fantastic musiciansship on this. The singing is brilliant. Some real american classics on this, however uneven standard on the songs. I've listened to it three times and will rate it with 3. My grading is 3=really good, 4=fantastic, 5=Masterpiece.

With the sheer massive volume of the list, I feel a certain pressure to “keep up” with my listens. I want to listen to my new album every day. I want to stay on top of the process. In reality, I fall behind and the list stops. Many times it’s just from life, but sometimes it becomes I can’t get past an album. Bookends is that album. I absolutely love it. I keep listening over and over. I love the melodies. I love the lyrics. I love the old people talking. These men put out so much fantastic music, but as an album, it’s hard to surpass this. I’m awarding them the elusive 5 stars rating. Congratulations, Simon and Garfunkel! I think you two will make it!

I really do feel just a step by connection when listening to this duo. They make each of their songs so strong with lyrics yet don’t overhear with their voices and let the music take you away. They are beautiful and calming.

"Honey - they're on pot." A personally-formative album (this one's for Cordie) - one of the ~5 or so records in my parents' collection that I learned to read from and love music all at once as a toddler. I still have little tinges of remembering how a few parts of songs scared me at age 2 (the voices, sound fx, something in "At The Zoo" that only would make sense to a 2yr old), this was the "freaky" S&G album - bonus points for that which help earn it a score of timeless utter perfection. Experimental, weirdly unpredictable for a "folk duo" and definitely a few echoes of Sgt. Pepper in terms of use of the studio as an instrument. I'll just leave it as perfect, including the quick running time. 10/10 5 stars

Ah, well. A classic. Interesting studio experimentation by Simon.

That was a nice little album right there. Yes, it is finally time for the last Simon & Garfunkel album of the project. The last one I got was Bridge Over Troubled Water back in January, so I was more than okay with getting Bookends now. After listening to this album, I can safely say that this is a great album. Admittedly (and take this with a grain of salt as I haven't listened to Bridge Over Troubled Water in a while) I do like Bookends a bit less than Bridge. However, Bookends is still amazing. It's just a nice album. It's quite short, not even half an hour long. I'm okay with that though. The 29 minutes are used quite well. There's some great songs on here. Of course, "Mrs. Robinson" is an absolute classic. It perfectly encapsulates what makes S&G such an iconic duo in music history. I also really like "America." It's a cozy song. The singing is quite great all throughout. The sound is very pleasant. The writing is amazing. It's not all perfect. I think the presence of "Voices of Old People" is kind of weird. It kind of almost works, but I'm not sure if it does. It at least fits the themes of the album. Overall, while this may not be my favorite Simon & Garfunkel album, it's still an impressive showcase of musical talent that deserves to be recognized in a list like this. High 4/5.

what a pair. one of the best songwriters ever and garfunkel.

Sat under a tree, people-watched people and their dogs, enjoyed lots.

Very close to a perfect album. No faking’ it on this record.

Simon & Garfunkel really grew on me this year I have to say

This isn't as interesting as some of there other work.

i was not prepared for the moog

Parents owned this and played it growing up. Favorite song on this is Hazy Shade of Winter

Not to my tastes. 2/5

Beatles-esque? Really solid!

I don’t know if I love how side B is sequenced - “A Hazy Shade of Winter” and “At the Zoo” have always struck me as an odd 1-2 pair of album closers - but I just love most of these individual songs so damn much, and particularly love the flow of side A. 4.5/5

Really good, with a few first-class pop tunes ("America" and "Mrs. Robinson"), several lovely melodies (the lilting "Old Friends") and a few fresh, lesser-known bits. Only the spoken word bits or recordings feel like blemishes (though it's interesting to compare "Voices of Old People" to recent hip-hop records. "Punky's" and "At the Zoo" are fun.

Noteworthy songs - 808080808 Magical Dream - Kinda catchy synth, but the rest is bland. Ancodia - Good background noise. Cobra Bora - Actually kind of cool, reminds me of Bomberman Hero. Pacific 202 - N64 vibes, but melody isn't great. Donkey Doctor - Nothing too special, weird ending. 808080808 - Really cool beginning. A little slow in the middle but stays interesting enough. Sunrise - Nothing remarkable. The Fat Shadow - Eerie. Very short.

Some of S&G's best wrapped up in a pseudo concept album with leftovers from the Graduate.

It was fine.

que voces, qué temas.

I liked most of this but felt it was a little odd with a sharp distinction between side A and B. It's a concept album... with extras? Anyway, I liked the old people spoken track, and the two soft ballads at the end of side A the most. Side B was a decent, Beatlesque collection of pop hits—I just don't see how it connected to the Bookends concept. If it did, it was a very light connection that I missed. 3.5 stars

Interesting. I've heard of Mrs. Robinson before, didnt know it was these two or that it was from the film The Graduate. I really like the spoken word track Old people talking. Liked that it was short and pleasant.

Hermoso

Fantastic and concise. A classic

YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOLY HEAVENS

I had heard a number of the singles from this album but never in the album in its entirety. I really enjoyed it and listened to it twice

Simon and Garfunkel at their creative apex. Not every song lends itself as a classic, but this album is extremely efficient coming in under 30 min.

Holy shit look at these studs. Perfect haircut paul. Voices of Old People was of course Art’s weird ass idea. Some good stuff on here but a bit soft and slow my taste

it was good

Classic album.

Good stuff.

Simon & Garfunkel appear to be plain musically. But that's only because their music has a chill vibe--because if you pay attention you're rewarded, especially in concept album Bookends. And the genre of folk rock doesn't scream hype, but S&G add much more to their music than your typical folk. The opening title track and instrumental is beautiful and brings the album together. Placing "Old Friends" after "Voices of Old People" is purposeful and evokes juxtaposition. "Voices" is an unusual inclusion and has the opinions of elderly people, truthful yet harsh. The rising violins throughout "Old Friends" nearly become discordant and grating but only after describing two dear, elderly friends refusing to discuss their mutual fear. "A Hazy Shade of Winter" is optimistic in comparison as the singer reflects on their life of missed chances and rebuilt hope. "Save the Life of My Child" has that deep bassline created by the Moog synthesizer that's just delicious, but the topics intrigue me more. The song features dramatic snippets from a sample of public life, all of which boil down to the concern of children these days. "At the Zoo" is pure Paul Simon with the playful lyrics, but it also uses some of the up-tempo melody from "Mrs. Robinson," which brings the album together musically and not just thematically. Concept albums intrigue me because artists always approach them differently. Instead of telling a story from A to B, S&G gave us vague snippets with just enough detail to put together. Like a good storyteller, S&G trust us with the information so that we can connect the dots as we see fit.

I don't know why, but when I think about a concept album involving the growth from a child to an adult, I feel like Simon & Garfunkel are the perfect duo to convey such a concept. That said, I am not sure if I just wasn't in the mood or what, but I mostly just found this album to be okay. The songs were good, but most of them felt forgettable to me. Either way, I did enjoy it, so we will split the difference with a 3.

Nice, dreamy, soft listen. Nice coincidence with \"Mrs Robinson.\" This song inspired me with a short story idea. I think I'll give the album 4 stars.

i think bookends suffers from not having enough ideas to go around -- and there are good ideas. the first half of the album clearly is meant to be about going from youth to adulthood to middle to old age, but unfortunately, the b-side, which feels a bit more like a space saving afterthought, has more musical ideas, and that really shouldn't be the case. still, i like the brief moments of experimentation, and it is nice to have such a short album for the day. why does rym hate old people so much? who knows.

Easily one of my favorite albums.

Split down the middle but will round up due to the presence of several all-time classics.

Never heard this album before. America, yes. Mrs. Robinson, a classic. Hazy Shade of Winter, gem in the rough. Bookends Theme (Reprise), maybe? But what the hell is the rest of this album. Feels slapped together. The "concept album" of the first half is laughably poor. Giving it 3 stars for the hits, but I won't be listening to this album again. I guess the first side is a "concept album", about the life of one person.

This one was a little disappointing. America is a really great song but the rest of side 1 didn’t grab me. Mrs. Robinson is also great, but wasn’t really composed for this album.

voices of old people was a weird yet interesting part of the album but slides into old friends very nicely, chilled, relaxing album

America is so very good. Some of the rest is meh, but overall very S&G sounding.

Anyways, it's a two billion year-old like, rock...

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

S&G on back to back days! I struggle to understand why they’re so esteemed. There are a couple of tracks on here that are okay, one of which would be covered better 15 years later, and one truly great track; the rest is meh to bad. They put this out a year after the Beatles released Sgt. Pepper - I mean, could you be more irrelevant?

Old voices made me cry

Don't know if I like this a lot more or if I was just in a better mood than for their previous album.

Don't feel it's their strongest album but it is enjoyable