Sounds of Silence [Extra tracks, Original recording remastered]

Simon & Garfunkel | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 21, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00005NKKV
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MiniDisc  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (73 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,561 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #79 in Music > Rock > Singer-Songwriters

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

One suspects that Paul Simon cringes a bit when he listens to Simon & Garfunkel's 1966 breakthrough release. Lines from "I Am a Rock" ("For a rock feels no pain / And an island never cries") and the title track ("Fools, said I, you do not know / Silence like a cancer grows") are the essence of sophomoric poetry. And who but a couple of self-serious young men would sequence the suicide odes "Richard Cory" and "A Most Peculiar Man" back to back? That said, every callow couplet found here is counterbalanced by words that are disarmingly guileless. The unabashed romanticism of "Kathy's Song" is truly poignant; it ranks with "For Emily" and "The Only Living Boy in New York" among the duo's most resplendent performances. "April Come She Will" has a similar innocent appeal, while the title track, despite its overwrought moments and Tom Wilson's tacked-on production, is a folk-rock landmark. It's not hard to find fault with The Sounds of Silence, but it's easier still to bask in its inchoate splendor. (The 2001 reissue adds the bonus track "The Blues Run the Game" plus three unreleased 1970 demos.) --Steven Stolder

Product Description

Unreleased (and previously unknown!) versions of the old folk songs Barbriallen; Rose of Aberdeen , and The Roving Gambler (plus the bonus track The Blues Run the Game ) make their sophomore effort even more indispensable.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Seminal Early Effort By Simon and Garfunkel! August 18, 2000

By Barron Laycock HALL OF FAME

Format:Audio CD

...Of course this is dated, kids; it was recorded in the mid 1960s, and several of the tracks were quickly re-recorded and re-dubbed in an effort to get something quickly out to the public to take advantage of the surprising smash success of the single "Sounds Of Silence", which the producers had dragged back into the sound mixers studio and re-cut with an electric guitar track overlaid on the locals while Simon and Garfunkel were touring in Britain with Donovan.

In essence, a listener should understand that this album was originally cut to showcase a new and innovative classical folk duo singing terrific harmonies and clear crisp acoustic guitars on mostly original folk music written by Simon himself. This is evident if one listens to the pristine unedited tracks like "Flowers Never Bend With The Rainfall", "Kathy's Song", "April Come She Will", or "A Most Peculiar Man". This is a terrific early snapshot of genius in the rise, and should be treated as such. Calling it sophomoric is like denying Dylan's brilliance in straight folk music before he went electric. Duh! To expect more of Simon at that point is to misunderstand when this was recorded, and to neglect just how dynamic and brilliant his rapid evolution to a position of prominence alongside the new voices of Dylan, Donovan, and Joan Baez really was.

This is an important and seminal album, one that clearly demonstrates the talents and artistry of a poetic powerhouse on the rise, and it should be appreciated for what it is rather than trying to form-fit it into some revised formulaic idea of what it should have been by people too young and ignorant of the rapidly evolving folk scene in the sixties to understand what they are criticizing. Take an old folkie's word for it; this is a great first album, and I highly recommend it. Enjoy.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Still a green leaf July 5, 2002

By kennedy19

Format:Audio CD

Simon and Garfunkel's first "folk rock" album from early 1966 is an essential purchase. This does not mean that the duo didn't improve considerably during the rest of the sixties. Still, the moody excitement is here, starting with the classic hit rocked-up version of "Sounds of Silence" and the catchy "I Am a Rock." Simon's guitar playing is excellent throughout, as are Garfunkel's evocative tenor harmonies. True, some of the lyrics on this album seem immature and self-conscious compared to Simon's later work; often they are depressing and lonely. But darnit, these are some *good songs* - "Kathy's Song" and "April Come She Will" remain achingly poignant after all these years, and the hurried tempo and bright harpsichord of "Leaves That Are Green" drive home its message of youth and loss memorably. "Blues Run the Game" is a superb lost classic that had been added as a bonus track. (You will also find this track on the box set "Old Friends.") The other bonus tracks on this CD version are from a later time (1970), and mostly consist of sloppy run-throughs of folk standards. They are none too memorable, but the album itself is.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Remastering Job!!! May 10, 2010

By Nicholas Murphy

Format:Audio CD

The previous reviewer was disappointed that this CD wasn't as good as the Audio Fidelity remastering of "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme". As far as the absolute sound of the finished product, maybe that's true. But I guarantee that has nothing to do with AF and has more to do with what is on the master tape itself.

A much more apt comparison in my opinion would be in line with the intent of the product: how it compares to the generally available CD release. In this category, this disc is absolutely wonderful and beats even the "Parsley, Sage" remaster. Whether you have the current 2001 release (which is actually a remix) or the original Columbia CD from the '80s, I think you'll be pleased. Both of these AF S&G releases are of the original mix that was only recently uncovered (after being thought to be lost or too worn out). If you have the 2001 CD releases, these will sound significantly different. Vic Anesini did a great job, but the Audio Fidelity releases restore the original echo chamber sound - instead of the digital reverb found in the 2001 remix/remasters. My favorites are the title track, "Richard Cory" and "I Am a Rock". These also restore the missing midrange in the 2001 versions. Also, if you have any compilation made after 1997 (when the remixes were actually done), you do not have the original versions of these songs. That includes "Old Friends" 3-disc set, "The Best of S&G", and "The Essential S&G". Buy this disc if you are a fan!!

All in all, I'd say the Audio Fidelity "SOS" is a bigger sonic improvement than "PSR&T". I would have paid twice as much for this disc.