Customer Reviews

Greatest Hits

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

More than once I have panned re-issues of albums on CD that added nothing to the original. My usual reason is that a CD can hold 80 minutes of music and a vinyl album typically had 38 to 48 minutes of music. My criticism increases with a "greatest" or "best of" collection because there are almost always more songs that could or should have been added. My criticism of content should extend to this album as well, but this album embodies Simon and Garfunkel's peak popularity and its value is as much historical and contextual as commercial. Yes, I purchased this album in spite of the numerous collections of varying sizes, including a comprehensive collection of all of Simon and Garfunkel's works. I am unable to explain why this album works for me, but I suspect it is because I grew up in the 60s and 70s.

This collection is just a bit too brief, but what magnificent songs.

"Mrs. Robinson," "The Sound of Silence" and "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" are musical poetry. All three songs are part of the soundtrack to the 1967 movie "The Graduate." "The Sound of Silence" in particularly is one of the greatest songs of the rock era. The latter two songs are great melancholy songs for a rainy day.

There are also live songs on this album. The gorgeous song "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her" is one of those songs. Though the clapping at the end is a bit loud, the song itself is one of the best versions available. Art Garfunkel shows in this song why his pairing with Paul Simon was so incredible. Another live song is "The 59th Street Bridge Song," which most know as "Feelin' Groovy." This song is a marvelous little ditty that shows the playful side of the duo. The clapping fits better here and lets you imagine the duo playing on a New York City street in the springtime.

"The Boxer" is a story song that is one of the best story songs of any era. Part folk, part rock, and all art, this song combines catchy and dramatic music with catchy lyrics and a poignant story that is simultaneously haunting and enjoyable. Another poignant song that fits well with "The Boxer" is "I Am a Rock." Both songs seem to offer introspective views of life and remind us all that we are responsible for ourselves.

"Homeward Bound" is a live song. This harmonious folk song is a wonderful addition to this CD. This song would be perfect for a movie soundtrack. This song rolls into another live song, the phenomenal "Bridge Over Troubled Water," where Art Garfunkel gets to show his vocal range. I do not know where this song was recorded, but the acoustics of the song itself are wonderful and highlight the power of the song and contrast between the soft opening and powerful ending.

"America" is another song that makes effective use of powerful vocals and music. This song is a celebration of country and seeking oneself as well as seeking who we are as a nation. The story in the song is deeper than the words suggest. This song is one of Simon and Garfunkel's greats.

"Kathy's Song" is a friendly little live song. This song is pretty, but is less dramatic and artistic than many of the other songs on this CD. This song contained elements that foreshadowed the future of Paul Simon's music.

The following song is yet another incredible song. "El Condor Pasa (If I Could)" contains incredible music and vocals and is yet another of Simon and Garfunkel's greatest songs. The haunting panpipe used in this song makes it one of the most memorable songs in the duo's portfolio.

"Bookends" is a lovely little song that provides a significant contrast with the percussion driven ending of this CD, "Cecilia." "Cecilia" is the most enthusiastic song on this CD. The close out of this album, from "El Condor Pasa" to "Bookends" and ending with "Cecilia" was a brilliant way to close out the album. Rather than feeling melancholy, as the previous songs would have done, you leave feeling good and wanting to do it all over again.

There are many other collections of the works of Simon and Garfunkel, which often includes some of their solo works. However, at the time this album was released, this collection was the collection to have. I still listen to this collection a lot, even with everything else that is available. I suspect I always will. Enjoy!

ok a lot of people seem to be paranoid about the live versions of songs on this disc. as far as i can tell, only four of the songs are live ("the 59th street bridge song (feelin' groovy)", "for emily, whenever i may find her", "homeward bound", and "kathy's song"). the confusion is probably due to the fact that the applause at the end of the live versions fades into the next song. but all of the biggest hits ("sounds of silence", "bridge over troubled water", "the boxer", etc.) are in their original versions. and in my opinion the live version of "for emily" is the best recording of that song. so if you are an s&g fan who wants all of the biggest hits on one cd, you can't do any better than this. and don't be scared off by the reviewers that can't tell the original versions when they hear them.

The songs on this album truly represent the best of Simon and Garfunkel. Unfortunately, someone decided it would be a good idea to insert "live" versions of some of the songs. Most of these live versions are inferior to the original studio recordings, not to mention that it does not mention anywhere on the album jakcet which cuts are live, or even that ANY of them are live. This alone makes this one of the worst Greatest hits albums ever eleased, which is tragic, considering the enormous talent of S&G. You'd think that with such an influential force in 60's pop music, Columbia would have had no trouble coming up with a QUALITY greatest hits package. It isn't like they had any shortage of good material...

I like this CD mostly because it's a good intro to S&G, and if you're not too into them, I think you might be inspired to get other albums of theirs. That said, I hardly count some of these as "Greatest Hits." Yes, there's Sound of Silence (the best song ever--but not the best recording), Mrs. Robinson, The Boxer (get the live in Central Park album for a couple of cool verses not included in this track), Scarborough Fair/Canticle, Homeward Bound (a horrible recording--the one on Parsley Sage, Rosemary and Thyme is million times better), El Condor Pasa, and Cecilia, but there's also For Emily..., The 59th Street Bridge Song, Kathy's Song, and Bookends, hardly primo stuff.

Okay--some very good songs, some not so good songs. Yeah, it's worth the money, just to get yourself acquainted, but you can find better recordings of the good songs, and plenty of other songs that *should* have been included among the "Greatest Hits" like Kodachrome/Maybellene, Patterns, Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall, and American Tune.

Better buy if you want the full monty of S&G--try the Old Friends compilation (which I've never heard because I already own all of their albums).

For individual albums, try "Parsley Sage , Rosemary and Thyme," "The Concert in Central Park" (the sound quality isn't top notch, but a great and extensive selection of songs with a really punchy beat not found in a lot of studio recordings), and "Wednesday Morning, 3 a.m."

Though I had grown up listening to the music of Simon and Garfunkel, it is in listening to this CD that I realized how prolific they had been and how beautiful were their harmonies. This is a timeless collection, as it contains all of their major hits. It is a wonderful compiliation of their music which can best be described as sort of a mellow folk rock. It runs the gamut from the upbeat: "The 59th Street Bridge Song", "Cecilia", to the poetic: "The Sounds of Silence". "Bridge Over Troubled Water", "Scarborough Fair", to the unusual: "El Condor Pass (If I Could)".

Every cut on this CD is a winner. There is, however, one annoying aspect to it. For whatever reason, some of the tracks have clapping at the conclusion of the song. This is a little jarring to the listener because one does not expect it, as this is not a "live" album. This is why I rated the CD with four stars instead of five. Still, this is definitely a CD no music lover should be without.

This is one of the soundtracks to my life. This great compilation has been with me since I first heard it coming from my parents speakers 30+ years ago. I wore out my LP copy in my late twenties and snatched up a CD copy shortly thereafter...it remains close to me and my player to this day. Melancholy, somber, jubilant, hopeful, happy...these are just a few words to describe this album and the emotions it evokes while listening to it. Many great reviews have been posted on this wonderful Hits package and its obvious that it has almost "universal" appeal. Most of the reviews here resonate with the same tone---"this album is so much a part of my life". Without going into individual songs, I'll say that I enjoy every song from start to finish. This is really timeless music that will continue to reach new generations of listeners and will remain very special to me for decades to come....enjoy this(your not likely to find the 'Magic' these two gentlemen had in today's artists).

On this compilation,Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel give their fans their very best,of course. It was released in 1972,the same year as Simon's self-titled solo debut. MRS. ROBINSON from the 1967 movie "The Graduate",was just one of a handful of their #1 hits. THE BOXER from 1969's BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER lacks a verse later heard,surprisingly on THE CONCERT IN CENTRAL PARK. The title track from BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER is cool. THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE is not the original recording from WEDNESDAY MORNING 3 AM,S&G's 1964 debut. This version has added percussion,as heard on the 1966 album,SOUNDS OF SILENCE. SCARBOROUGH FAIR is a nice,easy listening piece. HOMEWARD BOUND and FOR EMILY,WHEREVER I MAY FIND HER were recorded live. Also from SOUNDS OF SILENCE is I AM A ROCK. AMERICA is a nice piece. I wonder if that inspired the three-guitarist band of the same name. All the other songs are good. Most songs on this album were recorded for THE CONCERT IN CENTRAL PARK in 1981. S&G split before the release of this album and Garfunkel also went out on his own.

As stated above, I too was very distracted by the applause from the live tracks spilling into the intros of the classic studio versions. It would seem that the only people that wouldn't be bothered by this listen to all their music on the radio. I like to hear a composition from the beginning to the end. Also, Paul's out of tune voice (characteristic of his live singing) on Homeward Bound really ruins this version. I was wishing I was listening to the original. Of course the bottom line is this is Simon & Garfunkel, and these songs are great and classic despite the intrusive nature of the arranger(s) of the CD.

When you're weary, feelin' small
When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all.
I'm on your side, Oh, when times get rough
And friends just can't be found.
Like a bridge over troubled waters
I will lay me down.
Like a bridge over troubled waters
I will lay me down.

When you're down and out, when you're on the street
When evening falls so hard, I will comfort you.
I'll take your part, Oh when darkness comes
And pain is all around
Like a bridge over troubled waters
I will lay me down.
Like a bridge over troubled waters
I will lay me down.

Sail on children, sail on by
Your time has come to shine, all their dreams are on their way
See how they shine, Oh when you need a friend
I'm sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled waters
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled waters,
I will ease your mind.
I'll ease your mind.

The music of Simon and Garfunkel remains relevant, beautiful and poignant to this day. They sang well and when they sang you listened carefully because their music and their message were invariably important. This CD proves it.

The CD starts off with the classic "Mrs. Robinson;" this song was featured in the 1968 movie entitled The Graduate. The musical arrangement is very well done and their ability to harmonize to perfection makes this song a classic. The CD then switches gears for the slower paced love ballad "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her."

Other classic songs on this CD include "The Boxer;" "The Sound Of Silence;" "Scarborough Fair/Canticle;" the song "Bridge Over Troubled Water" with its opulent orchestral musical arrangement; "America" and a very rockin' song entitled "Cecilia." "Cecilia" is a strong song; it offers an upbeat melody that does not match the story of frustration a man feels about his girlfriend. Nevertheless, this song shines and it is a fine choice to end the album.

"Bridge Over Troubled Water" deserves special note as one of the greatest ballads of all time. I can hardly think of another song that is so soothing. The singer promises comfort, unconditional love and support to his partner whenever it is necessary. It boasts a grand musical arrangement and Simon and Garfunkel perform this song with such sensitivity that you won't easily forget it.

The sound quality is excellent and the pictures of Simon and Garfunkel are nicely done. Art's choirboy voice actually has a fairly good range to it and Paul Simon's voice is strong and vibrant.

One reviewer comments that they didn't care for the applause at the end of two songs. There are live tracks on this album. "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her," "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" and "Homeward Bound" are live tracks. In addition, "Kathy's Song" has applause at the beginning of the song but not at the end--was the ending applause edited out of this track? It's a small point, however, as the quality of their work never diminishes because of the sporadic applause on this CD. I personally like the way they chose some live tracks along with some studio tracks for this CD.

The liner notes don't offer much; then again, Simon and Garfunkel sing so clearly that you hardly need the lyrics written down for you. A brief essay about their work together would have been helpful but again this is a small point.

I highly recommend this CD as an excellent single CD retrospective of Simon and Garfunkel's best work when they performed together. It is also a wonderful CD for Paul Simon fans, Art Garfunkel fans, and fans of folk rock.

This CD will never grow old.

After all these years, I still look through my collection to find it and play it, especially when I want to mellow out, this and Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits, they just never get old or collect any dust.

Love it and recommend it !