---

Simon & Garfunkel
 
 

Bridge Over Troubled Water (contributed by Peter Graff) Bridge Over Troubled Water, arguably the best S & G album and our case in point today. The album was the swan song of the band which came to an abrupt cease after the release of this album following the irreconcilable differences between Paul and Art. Throughout this album there are indications that lead to this plain fact. But we'll be talking about that in a while. The splitting up of S & G has been one of the most unfortunate breakups of rock history. What was previously known as the music of farmers and villagers, was taken to new heights by them. They used the medium of folk-rock to raise politically relevant issues which gave a new status and impetus to the genr . The title track of the album Bridge Over Troubled Waters is to my mind the best S&G song ever written and composed. Art's voice is tremendously heart-searing and it always seems he uses more than his voice to sing . Soothing, intimate, sentimental, reflective, searching.........accolades really fall short . The song is sheer poetry ..... When you're weary, feeling small  When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all I'm on your side  When times get rough And friends just cant be found Like a bridge over troubled water 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  Iíll take your part In darkened roads  When pain is all you find Like a bridge over troubled water I will ease your mind ...... If there were nothing else on this album worth listening to, you might buy it anyway just for this song. But that's not the case . The album rolls over to "El Condor Pasa", Paul's translation of a Spanish song. Rich with comparisons, it stresses a desire to rise above mediocrity and depart from the mundane. "A man gets tied up to the ground He gives the world its saddest sound..." "Cecilia" and "Baby Driver" are the catalysts to the overall sombre mood reflected throughout the album. Both songs are rowdy and suggestive. The former having a Latino feel and the latter clearly inspired by the Beach Boys. "So Long," "Frank Lloyd Wright" and "The Only Livin' Boy in New York" are both farewells from Paul to Artie. An ode, a farewell to a friendship that started way back in high school. Towards the end of "So Long....." you could hear Roy Halee and Paul calling "So long already, Artie!" "Boxer" ....one of Simon and Garfunkel's most wildly successful songs finds a slot in the album as well. This again has vocals worth bragging and lyrics to cherish. Making excellent use of the tight harmony they had so long ago established, the harmony which was so evident in their first hit "The Sound of Silence", they tell a tale of hard city life and the determination which allows one to rise above it. "Boxer" has often been described by Paul as autobiographical. "Why Don't You Write Me" is another very energetic tune with a distinctly exotic flavor. A foot-tapping number at the best. "Keep the Customer Satisfied" is a loud song complaining about a life on the road in which hard work goes grossly unappreciated. 'Everywhere I go, I get slandered, libeled, I hear words I never heard in the Bible..........." That brings us to The Everly Brothers cover "Bye Bye Love" which at times seems more sincere than the original. The album is nicely closed by "Song for the Asking" which brings everything poignantly together for us one last time. Between the record's overall quality and its four hits, the album held the number one position for two and a half months and spent years on the charts, racking up sales in excess of five million copies. The irony was that for all of the record's and the music's appeal, the duo's partnership ended in the course of creating and completing the album. Before I end this discussion its safe to admit that my personal favorites in music are usually the Floyds or the Zeppelins. But when you hear something so different yet so beautiful and soothing it's a pleasant change. Sure, the songs are extremely moody and not really uplifting . But the melancholy strain of the songs is almost certain to have a soothing impact over your heart and head alike.