Old Friends (Repackaged) [Box set]

Simon & Garfunkel | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 28, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Box set
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00005NEQP
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #188,880 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Keeping the customer satisfied, March 20, 2004

By 

B. W. Fairbanks "Brian W. Fairbanks" (Lakewood, OH United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Old Friends (Repackaged) (Audio CD)

During their brief but remarkable career, Simon and Garfunkel recorded a mere five albums (not counting "The Graduate" soundtrack), and now there are at least as many repackagings of their work. Rather than waste time deciding where each collection overlaps, and which of your favorite tracks are or are not included, your best bet may be to pick up "Old Friends," a handsomely designed three-disc set.

All the major hits are here - "Sound of Silence," "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Mrs. Robinson," "At the Zoo," "Scarborough Fair," "Cecilia," "I Am A Rock," "Hazy Shade of Winter," "El Condor Pasa," and "The Dangling Conversation," among others - as well as comparatively obscure gems like "Fakin' It" and "The Only Living Boy in New York."

What gives "Old Friends" the edge over other collections is the unreleased live version of "Red Rubber Ball," the Paul Simon composition previously available only in a version by The Cyrcle, and the inclusion of the rarely anthologized "Keep the Customer Satisfied" and Simon's rewrite of Edwin Arlington Robinson's poem "Richard Cory."

The remastered sound is superb, and there's a booklet with an essay and rare photos. In one rather Orwellian move, the cover photo has been airbrushed to remove a cigarette from Simon's left hand, but the Surgeon General isn't mentioned in the credits.

Brian W. Fairbanks

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Got to be great...friends, September 14, 2004

By 

DiskSpinner (Beaverton, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Old Friends (Repackaged) (Audio CD)

I had Collected works in tape format and it made me a fan of Simon & Garfunkel's music. It has been quite some time I was thinking of upgrading my Simon & garfunkel collection to CD format. I had the following options :-

1) Getting 3 CD Collected Works which has all 5 albums entirely and tracks are ordered like original albums.
2) Getting each album separately or getting best 3 of their 5 studio albums.
3) Getting Old friends which have most of the studio album tracks (42 out of 57 or something) but the tracks are not in order, but with some previously unreleased tracks.
4) Getting Complete Columbia Recordings, which has all 5 studio albums with bonus tracks.

None of the above options are bad really. I do not think "Collected works" will be available except from used music store. If you want some tracks which were not there in their studio albums then get "Old Friends" or "Complete Columbia Recordings". Even the single albums are now available with bonus tracks, so you can individually get them too but if you want most of the tracks from the albums but also want to hear some bonus tracks but do not want to spend much, get this.

There is nothing new that can be said about the music, its great music as you expect from world's best folk-rock duo. The collection starts wonderfully with a demo version of "Bleaker Street", the version is better than the original version to me. After that you get the remastered version of the known studio tracks and good live or demo or alternate versions of tracks. I like the 5 subsequent tracks from a live show in CD #2.

To sum up...evergreen music with remastered sound and the package also comes with a good booklet. Still if you a pure album collector you have to go for the other options. I am quite strictly album listener but still I do not regret buying this because I have all the albums in tape format and it is still good to listen the tracks in some other order than usual. This is one of the few compilation in my Cd collection. Essential buy!!!

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fabric of my youth, March 11, 2002

By 

Eric E. Weinraub (Issaquah, Washington United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Old Friends (Repackaged) (Audio CD)

My parents were conservative republicans in the '60s. Yet, they had a deep love for music of social conscience such as The Weavers, Peter, Paul, & Mary, and Simon and Garfunkel. And so, I came to love these groups as well. And thru the music, I gained a glimpse into the '60s a little later as I was 4 in 1970.
Now 30 years later these songs play to me like an old friend come for a visit. I like compilations with outtakes and unreleased live material. THis set has enough to be needed by the serious collector. The Columbia years may be more comprehensive. But, it lacks some of the rarities found here.