For the last two days, I’ve had “Simon and Garfunkel: The Concert in Central Park” in my walkman, and I’ve listened to nothing else, except the radio occasionally. I dug this up to verify a lyric, and just let it run, and flip over, and run again. Not continuously, but every time I think of putting something else in, I reconsider and start it up again.
Sigh. I know they weren’t real folksingers, and I know they’re not exactly relevant in 2K1. But I keep backtracking over the same songs, especially “American Tune” (not to be confused with “America”) and “Me and Julio”. Maybe it’s because this is a live album: the only songs that I don’t feel are improved by this format are “Sounds of Silence”, whose studio sound is a large part of its appeal, and “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, which I don’t like at all. The real showstopper is when the bridge of “Kodachrome” morphs into “Maybelline”. God, I wish I’d been there, to see and be part of the reaction.
In fact, my uncle was there. I asked him about it years ago, and he says that he was far enough from the stage that people started rocking out to the beat, before they realized the tune had changed. Awesome.
I don’t know, but I was going through the same thing wiht the Magnolia soundtrack a week ago. Nonstop Amy Mann. Eventually I just got bored and switched.
I do love S&G, though. America always makes me want to hop on a bus and see the country. ::sigh::
I’ve actually been listening to their Greatest Hits album non-stop for the past month. I have no idea why. I guess because as far as I’m concerned, his music is pure poetry. I really appreciate intelligent lyrics, and Paul Simon never, ever fails me.
I think after I get tired of this CD, I’m going to listen to “Graceland” An amazing album.
“And I don’t know a soul who’s not been battered
I don’t have a friend who feels at ease
I don’t know a dream that’s not been shattered
Or driven to its knees
But it’s all right, it’s all right
For we’ve lived so well so long…”
I know what you mean about “American Tune.” Now I’ll need to go play it myself.
I got Concert in Central Park on vinyl for christmas this year, I love the live music and hearing them talk as well as play. Now i have to go listen to it, I can’t really remember that bridge from Kodachrome you’re talking about.
And that reminds me pepperlandgirl, I really have to go get my copy of Graceland back from my mother. The best album to listen to loud and sing that I’ve ever owned.
Paul Simon’s one of those artists who’s played a big role in the soundtrack of my life, but who didn’t play a dominant role, y’know?
I was listening to his concert album recently. I bought the tape used and threw it in the car, and for some reason recently brought it out and listened to it. “Me and Julio” came on, and since I’m relearning the guitar, I paid more attention to the guitar playing, and it was a short jump from there to the Internet to find a chord chart.
I won’t bore you with the complete list of songs, but scanning the site made me realize that I’ve been listening to him nearly my entire life starting with listening to my brother’s copy of “Bridges.”
He’d pop up with something interesting (“You Can Call Me Al,” or “Graceland”) and then he’d go away for awhile and come back with something that may be different, but not too different, because he’s, well, Paul Simon. An appearance in “Annie Hall.” Being interviewed for the “Rutles.”
Some artists feel they have to ride the next wave to stay current (right Madonna?), but I don’t think Simon’s like that. He just does his own thing, and that’s cool, and he manages, almost without notice, to sink some deep roots in me without realizing it. He’s kinda like the brother I wish I had.
Both “Simon and Garfunkel - Greatest Hits” and “Paul Simon - Graceland” are among my Top 10 Favourite Car CD’s (nor THERE’S and IMHO thread!). While S&G made many classics, “America” is my absolute favourite.
Tunes without a time stamp, every single one of them. Who cares if it was written in 1970, it still sounds crisp and new 31 years later.
The same reasoning applies to very few bands. One of them is Creedence Clearwater Revival, whose Greatest Hits Album is also in the aforementioned Top 10.
Well! I guess this doesn’t have to be a guilty pleasure after all! Now I can admit that I sang “American Tune” once at a coffeehouse. My friend was playing guitar, and called me up to the stage for the heck of it; he’d heard me sing it with the cassette, so he knew I knew it. I killed, if I do say so myself.
“…and he carries the reminder
of every glove that’s laid him down
or cut him
'till he cries out in his anger and his shame
‘I am leaving! I am leaving’
But the fighter still remains”
or “America”
" ‘Kathy, I’m lost.’ I said
'though I knew she was sleeping.
‘I’m empty and aching and I don’t know why’
Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike
They’ve all gone to look for America"
Fenris, who prefers the boysenberry
More than any ordinary jam.
and is a charter member of “Citizens for Boysenberry Jam”
Fenris, you’ve just quoted my two favorite passages in the lyrics of all the Simon and Garfunkel songs that I’ve heard. For some reason, they really strike a chord with me.
I’ve got the videotape. It has some nice things that aren’t on the album, like the mute conversation where Simon had to convince Garfunkel to sing lead on Simon’s solo work, or when a guy jumped up on stage in the middle of Simon’s lame John Lennon tribute when Simon had his eyes closed. He looked up just in time to see the guy being hauled off by security. The expression on Simon’s face is priceless. He ends the song abruptly and Garfunkel comes back from his break quick, too.
I was taking a bus tour in Europe after high school in 1984, and my bud had a walkman with two earphone jacks. We listened to that tape for days, lighting fake lighters in the bus, swaying back and forth, singing along. Odd kids, we were. But that album always brings back fantastic memories.
I was at that show - Central Park was a madhouse. I’ve never seen so many people in one place like that. It gave me an idea what Woddstock must have been like, except without the nudity (well, one chick did have her shirt off).
I was so far away that I couldn’t even hear the music clearly, let alone see them, though when I climbed a tree I could see part of the “rooftop” stage setup. I still had a great time.
Loved the concert album since I first bought it way back I-can’t-remember-when. Wore it out on cassette, thank God for CD’s. Glad to find out others remember them as well!!
As for the post-- please be gentle–it’s my first time!!
I got their box set a few months back, and it has some really cool commentary recorded from some of their live performances. “Red Rubber Ball” has a funny intro, for instance. I’ve been a fan ever since I can remember, starting with listening to my parents’ record (vinyl, of course!) of The Graduate soundtrack. I’d sit there grooving to “April, Come She Will” and gazing raptly at the picture of Dustin Hoffman looking at a stockinged foot.
I also sang “The Sound of Silence” with a friend of mine in front of a whole summer camp audience when I was 14. Ah, the memories.
The under-rated gem, IMHOH, is “Kathy’s Song.” Just a well-written, little gem of a song. Also, fairly easy to play well on the guitar so you can get alot of mileage out of it.
I voted for “59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)” as THE song always guaranteed to make me smile. No matter what’s going on, if I hear that my spirits lift.
dammit Fenris STOP IT! Bugs Bunny, books in general, the bubblegum stuff, ayn rand, and now this?
(good thing you confessed to being a republican, don’t know that I could handle the commute from CO to MI on a daily basis).
Anyhow.
Many years ago, when I was a high school senior, I was a member of the Choir. We had the opportunity to go to Romania (and Chezslovakia, which thankfully has split up since I can’t spell it to save my life). It was part of a good will tour, we’d sing and see the country. Well, as a good little high school choir, we had a repetoir of mostly show tunes, many in medley version. We brought our own accompanist, too.
Unfortunately, we discovered at our first concert that we wouldn’t always have a piano and if there was one, it was probably very out of tune. We weren’t accustomed to singing accapella (can’t spell that either), and certainly not doing the key changes necessary. So, after the first concert, we met for a practice and instead some of the group pulled out their guitars and we set up an entire program on the spot.
Naturally, this included many popular songs.
We did a version of Sounds of Silence that was just awesome (if I do say so myself), we created some very interesting harmonies. To this day, riding along in the car, I find myself automatically doing ‘my’ part.
