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Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme
Simon & Garfunkel
1966
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!My dad passed away when I was four years old. He liked to play the guitar and was a particular fan of '60s folk, S&G being no exception. He had a red book of chords and lyrics written down to remember. Scarborough Fair/Canticle was one of them. I will always cherish the fact that my father's love for music shaped my childhood, and as a result, my whole life. This entire record moves me.
Day 4 of 1001 albums you must hear before you die.. And boy do I feel the pressure to deliver on this reaction of an album that I never knew existed, but the legendary duo that is Simon & Garfunkel needs no introduction to most people around the world). Even though I was an eighties baby and don’t know much about the culture and lifestyles of that generation, I absolutely love music from the 60’s!! You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon was my introduction to one half of S&G. I was four years old. The song was all over the radio and the still young yet exploding cable channel, MTV, played the music video of this song on a seemingly endless loop. It wasn’t until I was in my mid to late twenties that I actually realized that these two super average looking guys wrote, sang and produced some of the most beloved, comforting and sweet songs of our time. Their junior release saw them having the freedom of being in creative control for the first time. The Sound Of Silence, a song we all know, gave them prestige and They took advantage and convinced their label to allow them to spend precious money on an eight track recorder. What the label probably didn’t understand is that having 8 tracks instead of 2 or 4 even, could enhance the way people hear music. Stereo music is what 8K video is today. You can actually feel immersed in music when you hear all the different tracks of a song coming from different directions from different channels.. Man, It had to feel futuristic at the time. Even listening today with headphones is a trip. The over dubbing of vocals and instruments set these guys apart from the rest, the same way it did for The Beatles and The Beach Boys. The layered vocals were executed so beautifully. Simons writing and Garfunkel’s singing is a match made in another galaxy. The only song I actually recognized from this particular album is The 59th street bridge song (feeling groovy). The more aggressive and Bob Dylan styled song, A Simple Desultory Phillippic, drops many famous names of the time and I liked it a lot, as it showed off their humorous and tongue in cheek side. 7 o’clock News/Silent Night gave me goose pimples with the sounds of news clips juxtaposed with Silent Night. I can totally see a 15 year old in 1966 locking themselves in a dark room and spinning this record over and over. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme isn’t just a record, it’s an experience.. An emotional one at that. Please share your thoughts and memories!!
S&G have been my dudes since I was a kid, and this album always touches a lot of sights, sounds, and storylines. Loving the spin as usual!
Very anti-war. Also, maybe this is where the trend of mocking Dylan came from? Also, someone REALLY loves Emily.
Folk music at its purest. Homeward Bound is an awesome song. Silent Night / 7 o’clock news still packs a distinct punch. Some filler in there that doesn’t pop but mostly a decent record.
Paul Simon is definitely a top-of-the-list song writer and Art Garfunkel can harmonize with anyone, I knew the songs but only listened to their albums recently (last 5 years). There is a very nice flow to them.
It's been a few decades since I've heard the title track and in listening to it on headphones it really blew me away in terms of the harmonies and instrumentation, the harpsichord especially. I guess I missed those things on our transistor radio back in the day. The other radio hits bring back memories too, even my mom used to hum Feeling Groovy. The instrumentation and arrangements on the supporting tracks are creative and different enough to shift the mood from song to song. Patterns is a good one.
Scarborough Fair is one of their best songs. Art's signing capabilities boggle the mind. I wasn't aware of the legal issues mentioned in Wiki. Since we started 1001, we've read about royalty avoidance on a number of songs. Scarborough Fair is a traditional song arranged by S & G. For whatever reason they didn't note it was traditional but since it is, they're no royalties to avoid. Much ado about nothing. Homeward Bound Is one of my favourite S & G songs. Memorable opening riffs on acoustic songs are rare; this song has one of the best and most recognizable acoustic opening riffs. Of interest is that the acoustic riff that opens Cloudy is very similar. This shows that a clever opening riff augments, rather than replaces the need for, good verses and chorus. Most of the top shelf in the S & G library are songs that Art sings lead vocals on but Homeward Bound is a notable exception. The Bright Green Pleasure Machine is also a catchy and fun tune. It's sort of like the Beatles style in their Yellow Sub timeline. Feelin' Groovy felt dated when they sang it at Central Park almost 40 years ago. One of them even started laughing when they sang the chorus. It's hard not to sound dated when you say the word "groovy". Nonetheless, it's still a fun song. A Simple Desultory Philippic is immediately recognizable as a Bob Dylan-like song. The song title indicates that Paul is poking fun at Bob and the lyrics confirm this. It's not clear if it's tongue in cheek or if he truly wanted to fire missiles at Bob. One could understand that in those days Paul would feel that he had written some brilliant lyrics but his songs were getting next to no respect while Dylan's borderline nonsensical lyrics resulted in his being treated like royalty. Silent Night with the background news is special. It's a beautiful and peaceful Christmas song with the background news telling the harsh reality of the day. Canadians have Leonard Cohen so we are well acquainted with Jewish brothers singing songs about Christ but when Simon and Garfunkel released this, I expect some listeners must have found this confusing (especially those who didn't know who Allen Ginsberg was). S & G sing it brilliantly.
There are several songs on here that I know and enjoy a bunch. I do find it odd that Simon and Garfunkel took writing credit for Scarborough Fair, a centuries olde English tune. A little bit of respect lost here. Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall is a song I really like that I hadn’t heard before. Same with the offbeat A Simple Desultory Phillipic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara’d Into Submission) where the music is driven by the distorted guitar and (credit to Wikipedia for pointing it out) Paul Simon puts on a Bob Dylan affect. I hadn’t heard the Silent Night / news reel before either. It is a brilliant juxtaposition of a warm, fuzzy Christmas tune and deeply unsettling 1966 current events. There is quite a bit more anti-war sentiment than I ever remember noticing from Simon and Garfunkel before. This album has a lot of good content, but I like many of the later, more mature versions of the songs better. The bones are here. I appreciate them. But it’s not quite tip top.
Love these guys. A few stone cold classics on this album, some beautiful and effortlessly executed acoustic guitar work, those timeless harmonies, and a brilliant parody of Bob Dylan. And a couple of filler tracks. Perfect ending track though.
This is the album that elevated S & G from just a folk singing duo to something more special. Apart form the timeless classics, Homeward Bound and Scarborough Fair, the songs on rest of the album, though sometimes dated, are interesting and more engaging than I anticipated. Their follow-up albums would become masterpieces, but this is a good place to start.
Always liked Simon & Garfunkel but was still surprised by how much I enjoyed this, given they have other, better regarded albums. Good melodies, good harmonies, good lyrics. More up-tempo stuff than I expected. Traditional folk but still buzzing with creativity. Feelin' Groovy is a childhood favourite of mine. A very pleasant way to spend 28 minutes.
Another album that, for me, has suffered thanks to the passage of time. Some of these tracks, like Scarborough Fair and For Emily... still sound great. Others are freighted with the dragging earnestness of S&G's execution. We get a lot of Paul Simon on this app, and I think I've realised how little of his material I actually enjoy. Well, there's a cheery ending to the review...
Meh. I can appreciate the talent of this album and do like me some of their stuff.. Has a couple of good cuts but just not my jam. At least it was only 28 minutes long.
I just hate their stupid harmonies etc - actually the last track was quite enjoyable and smart but was still a fucking Christmas carol
Don't be fooled by the title, there's only vanilla to be found here. Look, it's very obvious that Paul Simon is a talented songwriter (groan-worthy Silent Night juxtaposition aside), but this is like when someone says the original Super Mario Bros. is the best game of all time: give it to someone born well after its release and they may ask why anyone would want to play it, and you either curse them for not appreciating the thing you grew up with, or begrudgingly accept how it might not blow somebody's hair back when what it's putting down has been picked up and run with for so long by so many others. Maybe it holds up better than many of its contemporaries, and a lot of what's there still has meaning today, but it feels like you just trip over lyrics you could draw modern parallels to with any of these Vietnam era rock albums, many of which present their ideas in a more compelling fashion than this. I'll give them credit for one thing, though: their Bob Dylan parody(?) is legitimately funny. Folk rock. Key Tracks: The Dangling Conversation, A Simple Desultory Philippic (or How I Was Robert McNamara'd into Submission)
I've never listened to this whole album. Not really my thing. But damned if I didn't love it.
The first album in the list I already knew. The title track and Homeward Bound are already extremely popular and well-known Simon and Garfunkel songs, but "Patterns" is an underrated piece. 7 O'clock news hits as hard as it always does whenever I listen to it. Still as good of an album as it always was.
“Yeah, but it's not my fault if Cousin Lezra ends up eating my nut dust and becoming the goofy Paul Simon to my angelic-voiced Art Garfunkel“- Jonah Ryan
"A Simple Desultory Philippic" Sounds very Bob Dylan -- clearly influenced. Also, mentions Phil Spectre--a man who died recently, which makes me realize how recently this album was released. So weird. So many recognizable songs here.
I hate liking this, because I hate Simon and Garfunkel as people. But I get the hype, very different from other music of their time.
Did you know that it used to be Simon and Garfunkel and Spackman? Yes, I was part of a groundbreaking folkrock trio back in the late 50s/early 60s. What a ride it was. We sold out The Emirates Stadium and The Millennium Dome countless times, before the drugs kicked in for me. It was a very exciting, but ultimately dark time in my life. By night it was a hedonistic rainbow of women, money, LSD and hobnobs. By day it was a cold coffin of shame and self-loathing whilst trying to enjoy folk music. Eventually my wild ways got too much for the others and they had to cut all ties with me. As a duo, Simon and Garfunkel went on to have enormous success, and rightly so. But, I always thought I gave the trio the edge which would have sent us into superstardom. I'm not bitter though, I went on to have a successful career as the famous footballer and nail technician you know me as today.
BEST SIMON AND GARFUNKEL ALBUM. ONE OF MY FAVORITE ALBUMS OF ALL TIME. PAUL SIMON TOUCHES MY SOUL WITH HIS CLEVER LYRICISM. THE HARMONIES. OMG
What an album. Very trippy melodies. Great lyrical content. Makes you feel like your back in the 60s. Classic Simon and garfunkel.
9/10. This album keeps things short and sweet, which is always refreshing after a metal album.
really good, one thing i love about S&G is that it's versatile music, it's nice to have on in the background but, also super rewarding musically and conceptually when you give it a closer listen. 10
I forget how short this album is. But it stands as an excellent piece of music. I love this album and the calm vibe it presents. It has a darkness that plays in the corner with evening light. They dance and make a beautiful quiet racket that is this album.
These boys can do no wrong in my ears. Does not contain my all time favorite S&G tracks, but it is still loaded with hits. Hit just right.
I am more inclined towards basil and cilantro, but still, this was a very good album with beautiful songs. The right kind of gentle, pleasant music. And because I'm feeling groovyyyy I'll give it 5 stars.
Classic album, had not listened to it for quite a while - one of the few albums I could play any time.
Ah, just... pure serenity. I'll get this in a record one day. The whole album was really cute. Listening to the 7 o clock news / silent night was also really touching. My dad dodged the vietnam draft (because he didn't want to cut his hair) and part of me is so grateful as I don't think he would've been the same human today, in fact, I know he wouldn't have been the same human today.
Was für ein großartiger Songwriter ist doch Paul Simon. Bin gebiased - geht bei mir einfach ins Herz.
A glatte 5. Jedes Lied eingängig durch wunderschöne Melodien. Bestimmt auch spitzen Texte, aber darauf hör ich nicht so drauf ... der Stille Nacht/ News Mash up is arg
Great lyrics, great melodies, great harmonies. Too many liked songs to mention, but special shoutout to For Emily Wherever I May Find Her, Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall, Homeward Bound, and The 59th Street Bridge Song.
A masterpiece of an album. Paul Simon is one of the greatest American songwriters and this album showcases his lyrical talent brilliantly. Of course, the delivery is sublime. Though their working relationship was fraught, Simon and Garfunkel are two of the most gifted singers and seem to fall in a complex yet natural harmony that still electrifies. Once again, here we have an album that manages to stand out in 1966, a year full of transformative music.
What a surprise. Concise songs that deliver. A send-up of Dylan in A Simple Desultory Philippic which is hilarious. The angst of Patterns against MASS MAN. What fun in 28:48.
Simon & Garfunkel é talvez uma das duplas mais relevantes da música ocidental. A musicalidade e a poesia que eles conseguem expressas no folk rock é quase uma experiência transcendental. Destaque que esse álbum az um paralelo com a cidade de New York e a idade medieval. Sou apaixonado na canção Cloudy, quando eles trazem o verso "My thoughts are scattered and they're cloudy,They have no borders, no boundaries,They echo and they swell,From Tolstoy to Tinker Bell", demosntram que dominar figuras de linguagem e brincar com trocadilhos não é exclusivo das línguas latinas
Wonderful, in turns traditional but modern for the time, acerbic commentary... brilliant.
Patterns* - symbolic worldview at it's basic level _________________________ наша музыка, можно слушать
It is crazy how consistently good each of these tracks are. Short, sweet, varied, little delicious nuggets of folk songs with beautiful vocals. Incredibly enjoyable.
I'm so used to their greatest hits, that it was a bit startling to realize that some of their stuff.....sucked. And so it goes. These guys still created some of my favorite music. Soundtrack of my childhood....yada yada yada..
What an album! It begins with a merging of two glorious songs, which would be enough for some artists. It finishes with a chilling take on Silent Night. In between, it takes us to joy, sadness, longing, love. It's all killer, no filler. The blending of their voices is perfect, then Artie gets his moment on For Emily. If you think that's perfect, find a live version to listen to. He really is that good. What's really amazing is that this wonderful album isn't their best. Bridge Over Troubled Water wins that accolade. That magnificent achievement is then dwarfed by Graceland, IMHO the greatest album of them all.
Amazing. Especially fond of "Scarborough Fair / Canticle", "Homeward Bound", "The 59th Street Bridge Song" and "Patterns".
Does a "not-great" Simon & Garfunkel album even exist? In less than 30 minutes, those two manage to pack a vast variety of songs, some faster, some slower, some louder, some quieter, all at a high quality and always with their signature acoustic and harmony-laden sound. What's not to love?
I will always love everything by this group and Paul Simon. 4/5 big songs, great run time, amazing vocal display from both individually and collectively, beautiful arrangement. This folk I adore.
Scarborough Fair/Canticle is such a pretty song, I've always loved the tune and hearing Simon + Garfunkel sing it is beautiful. Absolutely sublime piece of music, and a fantastic start to an album. I love how it shifts suddenly to such a different vibe with Patterns. The drums are mesmerizing, as are the winding voices. What a gorgeous song. Cloudy is such a sweet-sounding song. I really appreciate how different everything feels on this record. Homeward Bound feels so full of love. Literally no idea why this album is getting me as much as it is! I'm having a wonderful *wonderful* time with it. The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine is fantastic. Is it a little on the nose and unsubtle? Perhaps, but I also watch Star Trek and listen to punk. Unsubtle and on the nose are my cup of tea. When I first heard The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy), I thought it was a cover. I'm deeply surprised to know that this is the original Feelin' Groovy! The instruments are fantastic on The Dangling Conversation, and I know they're not the focal point of this record, but I really loved them on this song. Another cute little song, Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall. It's very upbeat, like the rest of the album, and I love the harmonizing on it. Don't have much to say about this song sadly. Wow, the opening of A Simple Desultory Philippic is *different*. I love it! It reminds me of Subterranean Homesick Blues, another favorite song. For Emily, Whenever I Find Her is very soft and honestly a little too sappy for me as a love song. No idea why I'm not as into this as I am Robert Smith's sappy love songs, but I'm just not as enamored! A Poem on the Underground Wall's got some really wonderful instruments behind the vocals. I'm a huge fan of the imagery in the lyrics. What a beautiful song. 7 O'Clock News / Silent Night is a great closer to the album, tying in parallel with the opener. What a tour-de-force of an album. Absolutely blew me out of the water.
1st song favorite. Sounds like something Taylor’s mom used to jam to for sure, but overall 70s vibe.
This would be 4.5 if we could do those. Know so many of these songs but didn’t know their titles.
Die zwei härtesten Schwänze im Singer-Songrwriter Fickstall sind nach über 50 Jahren immernoch pulsierend und standhaft im Ohrenkanal! Schöne Melodien spritzen in geöffnete Mäuler und stopfen gierige Löcher. NIMM MICH DU GEILER GITARRENBOCK!!!! Knackiges Album, macht spaß, manchmal auch traurig. Weirder flex beim letztem Lied mit Anti-War/Weihnachtscrossover, I get it. Aber musikalisch keine Schönheit. 4*, war enttäuscht, dass es nur so kurz war (that's what she said)
Hot take: this is easily the best of the 19 Paul Simon related albums on this list. For real though, with the exception of that pleasure machine song that sounds like The Monkees and the super depressing final track, I was kind of bowled over by how well this continues to hold up, especially for an album named after a spice rack.
This has a more upbeat sound compared to Bridge Over Troubled Water. Different but good.
Well recorded and produced collection of songs, short songs at that! First time I’ve listened to this album and enjoyed it very much, just a bit short..! The musicianship and vocal performance in particular is excellent.
So good. So so good. I had heard almost every song as "singles", but in the context of an album, it makes it so much better!
Another favorite of my parents. S&G music is so soothing and pretty with the harmonies, almost meditative.
A stunning album in the most part, some of the tracks are songwriting perfection. Just beautiful. Would have went to 5 if it wasn’t for a bit of a lull and a couple of tracks that I found irritating.
Simon & Garfunkel's first masterpiece, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme was also the first album on which the duo, in tandem with engineer Roy Halee, exerted total control from beginning to end, right down to the mixing, and it is an achievement akin to the Beatles' Revolver or the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds album, and just as personal and pointed as either of those records at their respective bests.
Great chill singer songwriter vibes. A classic by all accounts. Awesome for a chill morning jam.
a bit too soft rock-ish for me. Better after a couple of listens. A bit eclectic. Homeward Bound is known to me.
Simon is an incredible songwriter. Maybe Garfunkel is, too! I don't have a good way to judge that. But beyond a classic like Homeward Bound, did you hear how he totally sold the dorkiness of 'Feelin' Groovy'??? This isn't my favorite Simon stuff, but it's pretty dang good.
This is actually so insanely good. This album has it all. I would give it 4.5/5 if possible.
I know a bit of S&G, but was pleasantly surprised by complex harmonies. More than enough to forgive the missing Oxford comma.
Despite being iconic, it's kinda renfaire for my taste. Songwriting is strong but the vocal harmonies don't always sound good to me. Much like Wu-Tang, I would have to be in a specific mood to really want to listen to this, except it's probably the direct opposite mood. 8
When Garfunkel still had the voice of an angel, and Simon's genius was on ready display. This is a fine record, and one I had never listened to (before today) from beginning to end.
Great writing, great songs. Really of all of Paul Simon's hits, PSR&T is prolly my least favorite.
One of the albums I grew up with, so it's difficult to rate 'objectively' - but I still think it holds up really well as a folk album.
Top beetje uptempo album van Simon en Garfunkel, vooral het nummer homeward bound spreekt me aan
I realized that A) I have this album on tape that a friend in high school made for me but I had no idea the tape he made was a straight album; and B) he must have run out of room on that one side because I have never heard the last 3 tracks before.
Like all albs, this album is of its time. Very enjoyable and gives a nostalgic feeling for my childhood.
I enjoyed this more than I expected. I knew the more famous songs but the other ones surprised me by their melody and composition. 7 O'clock news is particularly poignant.
Feeling groovy feeling herbal! I'm fond of Homeward Bound, it always popped in my head when passing Widnes train station, not that I ever stopped off in Widnes, perish the thought! *shudder*
There's a lot to enjoy on this album if you allow yourself. Favourite tracks are "Homeward bound", "Feeling groovy", "Patterns" and "A simple desultory". A really good album.
nice combination of poetic lyrics, great vocal harmonies and a good instrumental backup
Pretty good, I'm not always a fan of some bloke with an acoustic guitar, but they managed to do a good enough job top get past the barrier
Plena època hippie i aquests dos treuen un dels discos més representatius del moviment. Enclaustrat entre l'himne atemporal de 'Sound of Silence' i els discos icònics 'Bookends' i 'Bridge Over Troubled Waters', de vegades no se li presta l'atenció deguda. I se la mereix. De tant sentir-les, cançons com 'Scarborough Fair' o 'Homeward Bound' semblen ja part de la memòria colectiva... però aquí és on van nèixer... i per darrera, temes de molt bona factura com 'Emeily Whenever I May Find Her', 'Cloudy ' 'Fellin' Groovy'
The third Simon & Garfunkel album we got. I rated the other two as 5's but found this one a little weaker in comparison. It's still soothing, the arrangements are still wonderful, the lyrics still poetry. But the overall quality just seemed a bit lower to me compared to Bridge Over Troubled Water and Bookends. Some of the standout tracks such as the fantastic Scarborough Fair or For Emily were clear 5-star songs to me and the album as a whole is still a very good 4.5. But I'm rounding it down because it's not quite as good as the other two albums.
Short but very sweet. Homeward Bound is probably my favourite S&G song, which immediately earns the album a few stars. The rest of the album is a good mix of softly sung folk and more upbeat tracks to boogie along to. An easy 4 stars
This is a great album. Excellent lyrics and unbelievable instrumental work. I`m very happy to discover more songs from Simon & Garfunkel.
1. Beautiful and ethereal opener. 2. much more funk to the second track. 3. countryish - lovely textures 4. more upbeat folk sound with beautiful breaks 5. rock with psych organ sound 6. more intimate and folksy again 7. sun kissed keys add a lot to this one 8. extremely sweet vocal harmonies and melodies 9. large swing, again more rocky 10. maybe the slowest song on here. love their finger picked acoustic work 11. more upbeat - but very much folksy and pretty. focused storytelling here and employs a speak sing type of delivery. 12. odd ending - piano led cover of silent night with social critique. It is pretty thought provoking, but feels at odds with the general tone of the album Overall a very beautiful and delicate album of folky pop. The guys have wonderful synergy with their vocal tone and always seem to pick the sweetest harmonies to use. The guitar playing in general is a standout too, with intricate finger picked playing. The few times S*G step outside of their genre comfort zone the quality dips - I'm mostly impressed by the folk. I will relisten to dig into the lyrical content
My least favourite of the four main Simon and Garfunkel albums but still a great folk album regardless
so viele tolle nummern, homeward bound ist eins meiner fave lieder von ihnen. das stille nacht / news- mash up find ich weird.
Some absolutely gorgeous music on this album. The "hits" are all beautiful; Scarborough Fair, Homeward Bound and The 59th Street Bridge Song, but there are also some lesser known songs like Patterns and The Dangling Conversation and For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her. A beautiful album 4 🌟
After listening to this, I can understand why people wanted Simon and Garfunkel to get back together. Bliss and serenity, who wouldn't want more of these dudes harmonizing?
Simon and Garfunkel are referents. Very good singers and his compositions are very fine. In this album is very interesting the first song and the fourth.
Let me start this review by saying that I forgot to mention in my previous [somewhat crass] review of S&G's Bookends, that the song "America" is absolutely their best. I love that song and it makes me tear up almost every time I hear it. So, I'll be adding a start to this record to bring their team average back up. Now, the "spices" record... It's cool. But it's so safe. It's cozy I guess. It's like sitar in 60s music. When we hear it now, it seems cliche, but at the time it was revolutionary. Likewise, the gentle delivery of quasi-social/political themes by folk singers wasn't always a predictable thing. And I think this record is much better if you listen with that understanding. Which is what I tried to do. There are elements on this record that feel medieval - most obviously the first track. I like that. And I like that it was picked up decades late by one of my favorite bands Fleet Foxes (not that there weren't other folk bands in the interim that did this as well). I should also say that I love the sweetness of the vocals. And, Paul Simon is such a great fingerstyle guitarist.
Simon admits the drum track on Homeward Bound was a mistake. Check out any live performance with just him and a guitar and I suspect you’ll agree.
As much as I love "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and much of "Bookends", my knowledge of Simon and Garfunkel's music outside of that is limited to the Greatest Hits album, which I have played many times. Imagine my surprise when both "Homeward Bound" and "59th Bridge Street Song (Feeling Groovy)" came crashing in with uptempo drums and extra instrumentation. It removed the intimacy I'm used to from these songs and rushed them along a bit too much. Maybe it's just because I'm used to the acoustic-only versions, but it got me thinking about some of the other songs on the album and wondering if they'd have benefited from being more stripped back. Sometimes it felt they hadn't got the arrangements quite right, as they intruded on Simon's excellent songwriting and the duo's peerless harmonies. The overblown strings in "The Dangling Conversation" and the incessant bongos in "Patterns" are two examples: both sound much better in live versions or solo renditions by Simon. Sometimes, though, it's gorgeous and tastefully done: the harpsichord in "Scarborough Fair/Canticle", or the celesta in "Cloudy". There's a lot of beauty across the record for sure, but most of it comes from the duo themselves. The real thing that matters here is, of course, the actual songs. "Flowers Never Bend With The Rainfall" is a lovely, breezy song and one of Simon's simplest, catchiest tunes. "A Simple Desultory Philippic" is a wryly amusing Dylan send-up and "7 O'Clock News/Silent Night" is... exactly what it sounds like, but prettier. And yes, despite its arrangement here, "Homeward Bound" is still an absolute classic. It goes without saying that Garfunkel's vocals are sublime throughout, but the best showcase of them is the amazing "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her": he gives a tender, yearning performance that swells imperceptibly into overflowing emotion. Simon is an underrated guitar player too and accompanies each song beautifully (as two examples, listen to the fingerpicking in "Feeling Groovy" and the trills in "Cloudy"). It might not scale the heights of the duo's later work, but there's still a brilliant set of songs here.
They are by far the best harmonizers ever. Such great music. However, if there is one criticism... it's that they are too damn smart. I do not know what a simple desultory phillipic is
Very good little album. Absolutely beautiful songwriting, instrumentation, and vocals. A few of the faster cuts felt too aggressive for the tone of the album, but they are still good as stand-alone songs. 8/10
Ohhh, First song on this voyage: Scarborough Fair. I remember listening to this song as my friends cottage as a kid. It definitely has some sentimental value to it. I don't know if I would put it on if I didn't have that connection to it.
not a S&G fan (only solo Paul) but i was surprised how much i liked this. 59th street bridge song is the best.
One of the greatest duos of all time. Great heart-warming folk music with beautiful poetry. This album is a masterpiece, most of the songs were a lesson for me when I was studying playing the guitar. I give it 4 stars, just because "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is the best S&G album.
If the only track on this album had been 'Scarborough Fair/Canticle', it would still be worthy of this list. One of those rare songs that no matter how often I hear it, it never gets old. Still haunting and beautiful. 'Homeward Bound' still moves me too. The rest of the tracks showcase how ridiculously talented these two are as songwriters, singers, (and a guitar player in Paul's case), and performers. Great stuff.
Familiar with S&G’s more famous work, First time listening to this album, and really enjoyed it, brilliant folk album.
I often check out the day-old pastry section of our grocery store for deals. As one might expect, it’s a hit and miss situation. I have walked away with some delectable goodies at rock bottom prices. However, the other day I purchased a package of cookies- soft style lemon, filled with blueberries- that turned out to be just average, maybe even a little below. But that’s the nature of the pastry seconds community. Some things work, others don’t. When they do, they’re delicious. When they don’t, well… Think of the songs on Simon & Garfunkel’s 'Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme' as items in the day-old pastry section (although most of this LP rightfully belongs in the main display case containing the fresh baked stuff). Certainly, the recipes looked pretty good on a couple of the numbers, but the actual taste fell a little flat: ‘The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine’ with it’s tired 60’s critique of commercial television, and Simon’s tongue-in-cheek (I think?) mock Dylan on ‘A Simple Desultory Philippic.’ Thankfully, though, most of the LP is stocked with fresh out of the oven tollhouse cookies (complete with pecans), and even a big glass of ice cold milk. One cannot help but delight in the aroma of joyful innocence emanating from ‘The 59th Street Bridge Song.’ Same for tasting the more wistful (another predominate 60s emotion) flavor of songs like ‘Cloudy’ or ‘Homeward Bound.’ The best of the bunch, for me, were the Simon guitar accompaniments to Garfunkel’s lead vocals on, for example, ‘For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her.’ Paul Simon’s lyrics tend to overshadow his equally talented guitar playing, ‘Patterns’ and ‘The Dangling Conversation’ being two tasteful examples of subtle fills and an overall commanding technique. And Art Garfunkel’s baby skin soft, tender vocals on songs like ‘Scarborough Fair’ and ‘For Emily’ are about the stuff of dreams ‘pressed in organdy.’ About Simon’s lyrics- with a modicum of words, the scenes he sets on ‘A Poem on the Underground’ or ‘The Dangling Conversation’ is wonderful to behold. Furthermore, his meter and general word play throughout are like herbs enhancing an entree. He describes a relationship on ‘The Dangling Conversation’ thusly: ‘Like a poem poorly written we are us out of rhythm, couplets out of rhyme in syncopated time.’ The entire LP was carefully bookended by two songs, the final being the juxtaposition of the hopeful dream for the world in the birth of Jesus with the nightmare of the actual state of the world in 1966, in particular related to war. The opener, ‘Scarborough Fair’ is typically dismissed as a quaint nostalgic glimpse into the mid 60s, but a closer look at the lyrics Simon sings in contrast to the more familiar ones from Garfunkel reveals something different. (And, just a hint of a harpsichord accompaniment, in case you forgot what decade you were listening to.) I’m a big fan of Rosemary. I enjoy it in foods both savory or sweet. Sage and Thyme are great around Thanksgiving, important flavors, but they are best used judiciously and with restraint. Parsley, though, is mostly a throwaway, an afterthought, served as a garnish on a diner special-of-the-day plate back in the 60s. Thankfully, 'Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme' goes easy on the Parsley and heavy on the Rosemary.
Folk, harmonies and not a lot else. You know what you’re getting, but it’s still delivered very well!
A much more engaging listen than 'Bridge...' for sure. Dapples in several types of genres and arrangements that create unique, memorable tracks while preserving a sense of unity throughout the LP. Worth another listen for sure.
Definitely not my speed, but I can appreciate it leading to so many other more modern sounds.
Alles in allem nicht schlecht, aber mir etwas zu eben im Gesamtkonzept. Habe aus Versehen noch 2 Alben gehört, weil ich nicht gecheckt hab das eine bereits vorbei war. Spricht nicht für die musikalische Entwicklung. Es ist nicht nichts, aber ob es etwas ist. dunno. Won't skip it, won't listen again
I've heard much of this before. I just don't think it holds up compared to Paul Simons's solo stuff.
Wenn Folk, dann dieser hier; ich mag diesen Harmoniegesang gern und die ganze Softness, die das trotzd politischer Haltung ausstrahlt. Ordne das ingesamt ähnlich ein wie damals Don McLean, und was ihm sein American Pie ist denen hier ihr 7 O'clock News/Silent Night. Dankeschön, dafür dann gern einmal 3,4
"And you read your Emily Dickinson And I my Robert Frost And we note our place with book markers That measure what we've lost Like a poem poorly written We are verses out of rhythm Couplets out of rhyme In syncopated time" (The dangling conversation) "I been Norman Mailered, Maxwell Taylored I been John O'Hara'd, McNamara'd I been Rolling Stoned and Beatled 'til I'm blind I been Ayn Randed, nearly branded Communist, 'cause I'm left-handed That's the hand I use, well, never mind" (A simple desultory philippic (or how I was Robert Mcnamara'd into submission)" Siempre tengo un poco de debilidad por las canciones donde la música es :) pero la letra es :(. Tampoco me habría importado que todo el disco fuese como "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme".
Gentle, pleasant and soothing are just three ways to describe this soft, warm caress that Simon and Garfunkel provide on this album. It also describes the way your mum sucks off your dad and his mates from the pub. Yes, YOUR mum. 🍆
Was ready to give this a 2 at the beginning because it really just isn't my time of music at all, but it was actually genius, some clever lyrics and concepts. So, 3/5
Very chill vibes. Great harmonies. Not quite on the level of Bridge over troubled water
Simon and Garfunkel are really a wake up at half 8 kind of duo. You couldn't wake up at half 1 and listen to Simon and Garfunkel. It simply can't be done
Плох ли этот альбом? Да ни в коем случае? Хорош ли? Ну, после хороших альбомов не забиваешь на рецензии в течении нескольких недель. Саунд альбома приятный, навскидку чувствуются нотки альбома Crown of Creation за авторством Jefferson Airplane. Хорошие композиции в этом саунде тоже запилены, Scarborough Fair / Canticle, Cloudy, Homeward Bound, For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her. Но имеются и архаичные одиозные моменты, свойственные своему времени. Например, припев The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine кажется раздражающим. И, собственно, главный вопрос. Хотел бы я после вернуться к альбому? Думаю, нет. Так что выше тройбана не натянуть.
I enjoyed the album quite a bit. I wouldn't say that I absolutely loved it but I am able to appreciate it. My favorite track of this album has to be Scarborough Fair / Canticle because I remember in high school, I learned how to play this piece on piano. It's an alright album, personally not something I would seek to listen to but it is a nice gem.
I enjoy this as background music while it puts the lotion on its skin. If I hold my penis with my doll hand it looks massive. I’ve heard worse than this before but also better than this before.
Not my favourite S&G - Very focused on a particular mood and time and very whimsical in general however too many of the tracks are the same slow harmonies over acoustic guitar picking - The tracks the deviate from this are the most enjoyable in my opinion The Big Bright Green Treasure injected some energy into the album at a good time Got a bit of the Zombies going on with The Dangling Convo - Don't like the track though By track 8 I kinda felt like I knew what I'm getting but Desultory Phil was a nice surprise - Enjoyed the guitar and groove Top Tracks: A Poem in the Underground Mall Scarborough Desultory Phil Big Right Green is cool What the fuck is that last track? lol Giving it a 3 - Some good tracks and can appreciate it's good music but too much of the same thing
Solid folk rock album. Their music does stand the test of time and still is unique and enjoyable today. Homeward bound is great. Sometimes Simon and Garfunkel’s music does bore me a little with the soft tones but it’s still a good album. 7.5/10
Give these guys credit for creating a distinctive chill, mellow folk/pop genre. If you’re in the mood for this on a rainy Sunday afternoon, this album fits the bill perfectly.
Very 60's acoustic, folky jams. A clear example of the poeticism of Paul Simon's songwriting.
I've heard a variety of tracks and a couple of full albums from Simon & Garfunkel, but this album was mostly new to me. Some tracks I have heard many times before, but different renditions that what appears on this album ("Scarborough Fair/Canticle", "Homeward Bound", and "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)"). This album is much more solidly folk music than what I'm used to hearing from the band. "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her" was an album favorite (and a moderately familiar track), along with the previously listed tracks. "Patterns" (with it's dying rats) and "A Poem on the Underground Wall" were just weird enough to keep this album squarely in the 'okay' zone.
Peaceful, relaxing. I really enjoyed the second side of this record (and their Dylan pastiche). First half, minus "Scarborough Fair", somewhat forgettable. Gorgeous harmonies. Favorite tracks: "A Poem on the Underground Wall", "Flowers Never Bend With the Rainfall"
Once, a yoga instructor played S&G during class to mix things up and it was the BEST. so I did that. ❤️
35. Simon & Garfunkel Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme 12 tracks. Really interested to listen to this because while there is no doubting their genius, some of it hasn't "clicked" with me before. so keen to give it another go. Still not clicked. 3/5
There are a couple of really good songs on this album but most of it is just way too pretentious. Felt very "I'm 14 and this is deep" to me. For example, on the last song of the album, they sing "Silent Night" as you hear a newscaster describe horrible events of the day in the background. It's the kind of thing I would have come up with in 7th grade and then felt real smug about it afterwards. I think I would have given this a higher score when I was younger but these days I just found it mostly annoying.
Solo tengo el disco "Live from New York city, 1967" que me parece genial y resume bastante su carrera. Este disco está bien pero a ratos puede ser muy tranquilo, demasiado incluso. Me gustan Scarborough Fair, Homeward Bound, The 59th street bridge song y The dangling conversation.
Classic, soothing Simon & Garfunkel, not much to say here. It's great music, but it's not on repeat for me.
Look, I love this pair’s music, but this album errs to much towards folk music for my precious taste. I wonder when I’ll get the opportunity to rate the real thing, Bridge Over Troubled Water.
Simon and Garfunkel always reminds me of being a kid in the back of the car. My parents would talk and argue over maps, I would daydream staring out the window as the vast prairie would stretch out for what seemed like an infinity. A bright glaring sun would illuminate the land and cast long sinister shadows. I've never actually been to the states and the only S&G song my dad listened to was the one about a sparrow and a snail so must be an appropriated memory from a film or something.
Really made me feel peaceful, these guys sure know how to hold a melody, I expect big things from them in the future! I got questioned why I was listening to silent night in January
звучит качественно, особенно учитывая что это 1966 год. Но не мое, совершенно такой звук не заходит
Not really a fan of Simon and Garfunkels vocals, but there are some alright tracks on there.
Lovely harmonies. Some good pop/folk. Nice and familiar. However, it's not Bridge Over Troubled Water!
Some good songs but lost me at times - the bob dylan parody and silent night kind of cringed me
Meh. Feels inconsistent -- the haunting folk of "Scarborough Fair" and "To Emily" bookending some pretty forgettable and dated-sounding (not to mention pretentious) stuff.
6/10 Очень милая штучка, нравится гитарки, очень напомнило Битлз. Но под конец както надоедает
This is folk rock in a very traditional way and it has a great progression from "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" to "7 O'Clock News/Silent Night", almost telling us a story. "Homeward Bound" and "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" are also very remarkable songs and Paul's voice mixed with Art's is always a delight.
Two S&G albums in a row. This one is better than the last one, but it's the same review.
Best Song: Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall. Whimsical lyrics with excellent use of rhyme. Worst Song: Homeward Bound. Not terrible, but feels like the kind of song that would play in a coffee commercial. Overall: A very short album, filled with short songs. Pleasant to listen to, but leaves nothing particularly memorable.
Not bad listen - quite quick and good to work to. Patterns spoke to me the most in its simplicity.
25th February 2022 Started on the Friday and finished on the Sunday. Friday was Ali’s wedding at Elmore court which was amazing. Lovely folky song crafting, surprised by the Dylan impression in the middle!
Ouf... zzzzzzz.... faut pas trop être fatigué pour écouter ça! On dirait qu'ils veulent pas déranger.... Connaissais scarborough fair, le reste est pas mal du pareil au même. J'exagère un peu. Ça a un son, c'est identifiable aux première notes, c'est smooth, avec une bonne tisane, pour reter dans les fines herbes, ça se prends bien
3.7 - Not as rich and satisfying as other Paul Simon albums. "Scarborough Fair" is a quiet beauty filled with hushed intensity, a masterpiece. There are other moments of beautiful poetry and melody - "Patterns", "Homeward Bound", "For Emily...". Mixed in are a few misses. The gentleness of "The Dangling Conversation" becomes cloying to my ears. "A Simple Desultory Philippic" is an homage to Bob Dylan that's too fawning. "7 O'click News/Silent Night" doesn't land with the same impact as I imagine they thought it might.
I like Simon and Garfunkel even though I typically do not like folk music. I was familiar with a majority of these songs. There were some that I did not know. The album is relatively short which was a little surprising.i probably would not listen to the entire album again but I would listen to certain songs.
I like it just fine, although it never ever ever occurs to me to actively want to listen to it. Why is that?
This is very pastoral. The first song ,Scarborough fair’ was the best one. Pretty simple songwriting here but it has its charm. Overall I think 3 stars for this one. It was enjoyable but pretty run of the mill.
Добротный альбом, который достоин попадания в список. Без явных хитов (которых у этого дуэта немало), но зато цельный.
Bookends is in my Top10 but I've never managed to get into this one apart from the hits it's populated by mid-60's music for the socially conscious College student. I consider them girding up for later times. Listening the whole way through doesn't change my opinion- great timeless song then a filler which really shows it's age.
It's pretty good. I understand why it's on this list. I'm just not a huge fan of this particular record.
A most pleasant listen if slightly pretentious (just too earnest) at times (see last cut). Some lovely moments – the title cut/opener, and “For Emily” – and pretty authentic as a ‘60s artifact (both a weakness and a strength). One tries not to let anti-Simon feelings that have emerged in the years since (not just cultural appropriation but the sense of entitlement and just being insufferable as a person) cloud one’s objective judgment on this one.
Positiv hervorzuheben ist, dass die Platte angenehm kurz ist, leider ist sie dabei sehr durchwachsen. Wieder einmal kannte ich von einer bekannten Band nur ihre bekannteren Songs (auf dieser Platte also: Scarborough Fair, Homeward Bound und Feelin‘ groovy), und bin überrascht, wie bestenfalls mittelmäßig die restlichen zumindest auf diesem Album sind. Ganz, ganz schlechte 3 Sterne.
Alright but not really in a folk mood at the time of listening. The last track was eerie and probably my favorite despite the simplicity
Production: 6/20 Songwriting: 11/20 Innovation: 8/20 Bangers: 5/20 Emotional response: 8/20 =38 Sorry lads this was boring but I liked the song where you took the piss out of Bob Zimmerframe
Didn’t love it and didn’t hate it. Couple of ‘nice’ songs but wouldn’t purposefully put them on.
I did not do much on Friday between laundry, work, and getting ready to head to Taos. At work I listened to a company meeting about virus treatment which was pretty interesting. During this meeting I learned that CRB did in fact contribute to the development of the CoVID vaccine for Pfizer and Moderna. I also worked on coordination at the penthouse for process piping and talked through finishes at the lyo with Kevin, Stacie and Vidula. This album was not given much attention by me, although I will say my favorite song was probably Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine.
folk nonces. they're really good at what they do, it's technically pretty sound and well written. i just don't like it, also they're total folk nonces.
I'm biased as I know these guys to be a couple of jerks. My mother-in-law went to school with them. Also, what Paul Simon did in his musical appropriation from Los Lobos and South African artists is criminal. He basically stole their music, recorded some vocals over it and called it his own. So, yeah, screw these guys. Peter, Paul, and Mary are 5x better. That said, this is a collection of catchy, sensitive songs that take on a whole new meaning knowing the sinister natures of these two.
Never really liked these guys. Glad I can say I've given it a go but not really my thing
Leppoisaa hippifolkia ilman mitään kiinnostavia elementtejä. Sävellykset olivat parhaimmillaankin keskinkertaisia. Todella heikko esitys listan edelliseen S&G levyyn verrattuna.
Esittäjät oli nimekkäitä ja aiemmin arvioiduista levyistä olen tykännyt, mutta tämä ei juurikaan herättänyt ainakaan positiivisia tunteita. Enemmänkin välinpitämättömyyttä, tylsistymistä ja lopun silent night / uutislähetys pientä hämmennystä. Ei jatkoon.
Paul Simon's fingerpicking is incredible. But nothing except "Scarborough Fair" really clicks with me, and that's a fantastic tune no matter who performs it.
Yeah- this isn't for me. I can see why other people like the folky and well constructed songs. But i find the lyric and style grates a little after a while. Enjoyed Homeward bound though. 2/5
In het algemeen vind ik dit toch wat te ouderwetse saaie muziek, al zitten er wel leuke deuntjes bij. Dit is zeker niet het beste album van deze heren. **
Sorry, maybe I just wasn’t in the right mood but I found myself losing the will to live while listening to this. I’m sure it was good in it’s day while lying in tall grass and tripping out on lsd and wondering why we can’t all just get along. My wife liked the harmonies, I didn’t really.
Didn't dig this at all. I'm a child of the 80's and have a VERY eclectic taste in music, but I just found this to sounded somewhat pretentious, bland and generally uninteresting to listen to.
Did not like this at all. Some of the lyrics are unbelievably pretentious. Liked 1 song
I like Paul SImon's songwriting and the harmonies on some of their other stuff, but this is mostly shit. Fucking Scarborough Fair, fucking Silent Night.
Dissapointed in this. Only knew Scarborough fair and wasn't a fan but was hoping there'd be a few other gems in here as I've heard a few good Simon and Garfunkle songs over the years. The song with Dylan was the standout.
Pour écouter en mangeant de la soupe et en lisant « du bouillon de poulet pour l’âme ».
Love this album, has been a part of my life since I can remember. always relevant.