293 - Simon & Garfunkel - Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits

[csberry]

Ah, a good compilation that isn't just a collection of singles. Released in 1972, Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits has songs such as "Mrs. Robinson," "Scarborough Fair," and "The Boxer." But in addition to those hits, there are live versions of 6 songs on this 14 song collection. The live tracks are interspersed through the song listing and help to give some texture to the album.

I'm more of a fan of Paul's solo work and was a bit surprised with how much I enjoyed this album. Frequently when an album ends when I'm reviewing, I tend to enjoy the silence for a while before restarting the album. This greatest hits collection had me immediately repeating the tracks once I reached the final fading note of "Cecilia." The songwriting, the blending of their voices, the pictures brought to mind from the lyrics, and the excellent instrumentation are a great asset. What wasn't an asset is this album's horrible sound quality. This should be prime pickings for a remastered release. The highs often sound like they were played through a can. You can hear pops of sound during some tracks. But if you want to have an album of S&G's music that you WILL listen to, this should go to the top of the list.

Songs I knew I liked: (not counting the live versions of songs I only knew the studio version) "Mrs. Robinson," "The Boxer," "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)," "I Am A Rock," "Homeward Bound," "America," and "Cecilia"

Songs I didn't know but now like: "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her" and "El Condor Pasa (If I Could)"

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: None

Comments

[chris21718.livejournal.com]

I was going to say that for the singles, there are several other greatest hits compilations of Simon and Garfunkel which would give you far better sound quality on the hit songs. The 20-track CD "The Best of Simon and Garfunkel" is a great example. There are a couple of box sets, one with all their albums, and one with lots of their recordings, but not all of them, and I think I've seen a 2-disc "Essential Simon And Garfunkel" as well. All of these have the more recent remasterings, I'm sure.