After the 1970 breakup of Simon and Garfunkel, Paul Simon went on to confirm his stature as a first rate song writer and performer. He was on a roll and produced a trio of brilliance albums that silenced the critics who once regarded him as a Bob Dylan's clone.
BORN AT THE RIGHT TIME : THE BEST OF PAUL SIMON : I didn't get to buy his first album titled "Paul Simon" but I did have the EP from that album. I will probably get this album in the near future if I can get it cheap. I bought this 'cos I was missing Paul Simon. It contains songs from his first album right down to his most acclaimed album "Graceland". Favorites here are 'Mother And Child Reunion' which on first hearing, I thought it was the intro of a Chinese song. 'Duncan' and 'Me And Julio Down By The School Yard' which are all winners. From the second album we have 'Take Me To The Mardi Gras', 'Kodachrome' and 'American Tune'. The third album produced the titled track 'Still Crazy After All These Years' which is a great beer song for guys to sing. The only non album track here is 'Slip Slidin' Away', a great song by any standard. After the third album, my connection with Paul Simon stopped. I couldn't follow his songs like before. DOP : 5th September 1992.
THERE GOES RHYMIN' SIMON : I bought this at a flea market at discount price. When I bought the EP for this album, there was one song 'Was A Sunny Day', that I totally love. I was pissed that it wasn't on any of his collection. So what was I to do ?. I grabbed this CD when it was on offer just for this one song. I first heard 'Something So Right' sung by Barbra Streisand and I was mesmerized by it, but somehow Paul Simon's original version doesn't create the same magic for me. Sometimes it's the singer who make the song. The other worthy song that's not on the Greatest Hits collection was 'Loves Me Like A Rock'
DOP : 9th April 2005.
STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS : I got this on album and I was totally bowed over by the songs. I've Art Garfunkel's "Breakaway" album too which came out at the same time and which contained the recent Simon And Garfunkel collaboration since a decade 'My Little Town’. Back in the old days, I was a sucker for crossover like this. Other choice cuts were 'I Do It For Your Love', and 'Having A Good Time'. Of course there were the singles, '50 Ways To Leave Your Lovers' and 'Gone At Last', which were not really favourites of mine. I prefer the album cuts more than the singles. There are two demo bonus of 'Slip Slidin' Away' and 'Gone At Last'. DOP : 17th January 2006.
As the non composing half of Simon and Garfunkel, Art Garfunkel was not expected to be as successful as Paul Simon. Still he managed a few fine albums and a few top hits.
ANGEL CLARE : Art Garfunkel first release was a lavishly orchestrated album filled to the blink with great songs from great composers, particularly Jimmy Webb, who gave Garfunkel his first hit 'All I Know'. The rest of the songs here are top notch. 'Traveling Boy', 'Down In The Willow Garden' a song about murder but sang so sweetly that you would be forgiven if you have mistaken it for a love song. 'I Shall Sing' was even covered by Boney M. Then there was 'Mary Was An Only Child' and Osibisa's 'Woyaya'. Does gives you the impression that "Angel Clare" was made in heaven. DOP : 5th June 2003.
BREAKAWAY : The second release continued the sweetness that we first tasted in "Angel Clare". Stevie Wonder's 'I Believe ( When I Fall In Love With You It Will Be Forever) is the perfect opener for this album. Followed by 'Rag Doll' which is possibly one of the sweetest songs that I've ever heard. '"Breakaway' and 'Disney Girls' continued the sweetness. The hit here is 'I've Only Have Eyes For You' and 'My Little Town' the Simon And Garfunkel reunion single that was also included in Paul Simon's album. My interests in Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel waned after these albums by the duo. Their future releases failed to interest me even though some of them especially Paul Simon 's was critically acclaimed. DOP : 6th August 2003.
THE BEST OF ART GARFUNKEL : I bought this to fill in the gap of missing hits from Art Garfunkel. Pick of the crop is 'Bright Eyes', the biggest selling single in 1979 in the UK although it did poorly in the United States. A number of the songs here are included in "Angel Clare" and "Breakaway" but strangely 'All I Know' was not included here. Other tracks include 'Miss You Nights', 'Since I Don't Have You', and 'When A Man Loves A Woman'. There's also two duets here. 'What A Wonderful World', which was joined by James Taylor and his old partner, Paul Simon and 'Crying In The Rain' with James Taylor. DOP : 3rd January 2006.
As the non composing half of Simon and Garfunkel, Art Garfunkel was not expected to be as successful as Paul Simon. Still he managed a few fine albums and a few top hits.
ANGEL CLARE : Art Garfunkel first release was a lavishly orchestrated album filled to the blink with great songs from great composers, particularly Jimmy Webb, who gave Garfunkel his first hit 'All I Know'. The rest of the songs here are top notch. 'Traveling Boy', 'Down In The Willow Garden' a song about murder but sang so sweetly that you would be forgiven if you have mistaken it for a love song. 'I Shall Sing' was even covered by Boney M. Then there was 'Mary Was An Only Child' and Osibisa's 'Woyaya'. Does gives you the impression that "Angel Clare" was made in heaven. DOP : 5th June 2003.
BREAKAWAY : The second release continued the sweetness that we first tasted in "Angel Clare". Stevie Wonder's 'I Believe ( When I Fall In Love With You It Will Be Forever) is the perfect opener for this album. Followed by 'Rag Doll' which is possibly one of the sweetest songs that I've ever heard. '"Breakaway' and 'Disney Girls' continued the sweetness. The hit here is 'I've Only Have Eyes For You' and 'My Little Town' the Simon And Garfunkel reunion single that was also included in Paul Simon's album. My interests in Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel waned after these albums by the duo. Their future releases failed to interest me even though some of them especially Paul Simon 's was critically acclaimed. DOP : 6th August 2003.
THE BEST OF ART GARFUNKEL : I bought this to fill in the gap of missing hits from Art Garfunkel. Pick of the crop is 'Bright Eyes', the biggest selling single in 1979 in the UK although it did poorly in the United States. A number of the songs here are included in "Angel Clare" and "Breakaway" but strangely 'All I Know' was not included here. Other tracks include 'Miss You Nights', 'Since I Don't Have You', and 'When A Man Loves A Woman'. There's also two duets here. 'What A Wonderful World', which was joined by James Taylor and his old partner, Paul Simon and 'Crying In The Rain' with James Taylor. DOP : 3rd January 2006.
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