Customer Reviews

Old Friends (Repackaged)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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

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!!!

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.

Boy, I have not bought S & G record for years. But, this one is it!! What great sound, they were right in front of me. All, the oldies.

S&G's original analog masters were used to remaster this box set, the first time this has been done since the 1960's. So you may be shocked at the steller audio quality of their mono and pre-Bridge material.

This compilation also contains a few jawdropping rarities, such as a live version of "Blessed" that is (in my opinion) the best ever recorded. No drums or electric guitars, just Artie, Paul and an utterly tortured Guild acoustic guitar. If you haven't heard this version, you haven't heard this song.

I think genius is one of the world's most overused words, but if Paul Simon isn't one, nobody else is. I consider him to be an American treasure.

Simon and Garfunkel have long been favorites of mine, their vocal harmony is unlike anything else I have heard. In this compilation, their beautifully balanced sound is showcased not only in the songs that made them famous, but also in a number of rare B-sides and previously unreleased tracks that make it clear that even their less popular songs are expertly crafted and performed. There is no chaff on this CD set, which is a real rarity for such compliations.

There seems to be as many "best-of" albums as their are actual studio albums, but in this case I am pleased. This is what a box-set SHOULD be - a collection of ALL of their greatest songs with various oddities and never-heard-before releases.

If you are new to Simon and Garfunkel, then you could buy this box-set and forgo every other release - it really is that complete.

Item arrived earlier than expected. Perfect condition. However, bad packing. The box arrived almost opened. One could have easily taken the CD out of the box.

This box set is fantastic throughout, and is perhaps the most played folder on my iPod. Living in New York, the music always seems appropriate as the soundtrack to live, be it the famed titled from "The Graduate" to the hits that were made familiar to me with the Concert in Central Park disc. Must own for any collection.

This set is horrible, the great songs are all scattered through the CD's and then the other songs are just boring! Not worth the money at all I would not recommend this set. "old Friends" they should have named it "I'm yawning 'cause this is boring" zzzzzzzzz Thank you