I’ll give Air Supply this: I have always believed that they were the most honestly named band in music history.
I’d argue that S&G are as famous for the vocal performances as they are for the music and lyrics. Compare Simon and Garfunkel singing together to the lead singer of Air Supply? It is to laugh.
Comparing Simon & Garfunkel to Air Supply is like comparing apples to paper clips, they’re not even in the same league.
Air Supply has some great vocals, but Art Garfunkel blows them away.
Eh, given the success of Dylan, Mellencamp, Turner, Springsteen, and others, I’m convinced it’s the attitude and songwriting that really carry the day. How many successful bands have someone comparable to Mercury? Even the Beatles were only pretty good, not mind-bendingly awesome at vocals.
Beats the hell out of “Red Rubber Ball”. Even Simon knew better than to sing it himself.
Air Supply. They lost me at “Even the nights are better.” What! EVEN the nights are better when you’re in love? Even the NIGHTS are better?
Actually I think they lost me before that. Air Supply = Switch channel now
Somewhere else I saw a poll that was INXS v. Air Supply. I thought, these people gotta be kiddin. (PS, INXS by a million miles)
The difference between the two can be summed up thusly:
“Perfectly-crafted songs” vs. “Perfectly-crafted hit records”
S&G created little works of art for art’s sake. AS created pieces with all the elements in right places to push the right buttons of the record-buying public. Both good and well done in their own ways, but one has staying power while the other doesn’t.
But back then, they called it Alienation.
Air Supply vs. Simon and Garfunkel? Beatles vs. Oasis? C’mon guys.
I combined these two threads and asked a serious question here.
Gahhhh! My ears!
Armed with paring knives. I’d pay for seats to watch that one.
Not bad, but not quite as good as the S&G version of “Hazy Shade of Winter”. Maybe because 24-year-old Paul & Art sing about having “manuscripts of unpublished rhyme” seems to fit right in with the lyrics depicting bitter and depressed young poetic types wearing black turtlenecks in the springtime of their lives (and who on the same album do an absolutely uncoverable song in “Old Friends”), versus the Bangles who I associate mainly with 80’s pop “Manic Monday” and “Walk Like An Egyptian”.
I like those Bangles songs, and I don’t mind their cover version of “Hazy Shade Of Winter”… But it’s not “the” version for me.
You know, I agree with everything everyone’s said… but you know what’s in my head now? It isn’t “The Boxer”, although I love that song - it’s “All Out of Love”.
Yeah, “The Boxer” … needs a hook.