2009年 05月 8日 金曜日 15:15
After having to admit that Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme WAS a more than extraordinary album (and especially a very beautiful one), I learned that my image of Simon & Garfunkel as the ultimate folkies was a bit wrong (or rather prejudiced). So, as this album is being considered an even better one, I was quite curious indeed…
A curiosity that is satisfied at first: a very calm beginning until the first actual song begins (Save The Life Of My Child): the ultimate folkies introduce distorted sounds! Woohoo! The surprise ends soon with America, which is more in the traditional style, with ‘traditional’ meaning ‘calm harmonic singing and really really beautiful’. And then I lose my interest for a bit. I have been trying all week to let the next songs get to me, because they sound so damn beautiful… still nothing happens “in my heart”. And the collage of old people’s voices (conveniently called Voices Of Old People) isn’t that interesting either.
So, I get back into the album 5 songs later, where Simon & Garfunkel decide to take the music to groovier atmospheres… that I like! Fakin' It is great, Punky's Dilemma is pretty good, Mrs. Robinson is overplayed at any radio station and still sounds fantastic, A Hazy Shade Of Winter is as fantastic as Mrs. Robinson and At The Zoo is a great closing song (with fine lyrics).
This is a nice album, but I obviously have a preference for the less calm songs… something that wasn’t a problem on Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme… Still, Simon & Garfunkel pass the test easily… yes, they would be glad to hear that. Luckily this isn’t the last Simon & Garfunkel on the list!
(Met de vingers in de neus: America, Fakin' It, Mrs. Robinson, A Hazy Shade Of Winter)