Sometime before I was born, my dad went on holiday to Indonesia and came home with a large collection of cassette tapes. Some of them are very obvious bootlegs with bizarre tracklistings; for example, there's one Beatles best-of with some unusual choices. Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits looks pretty legitimate, aside from the off-centre text on the cover and the lack of labelling on the tape itself - it has the CBS logo but nothing to indicate what album it is, and no A/B side label. As a result, I put the cassette into my mum's old Walkman and ended up listening to the B Side of the cassette first.
B1. Homeward Bound 🟢
I didn't expect this to be a live album. It turns out that it isn't - there are four live tracks on it (including this one) and the rest are studio versions, which made me think that this album was not legitimate and had been cobbled together by a bootlegger. Thanks to Wikipedia though, I know that this is correct and that there is supposed to be a mix of live and studio recordings here. I'm familiar with Homeward Bound from the Glee cover but I don't know the original song at all. It's a nice, wistful folk song which I think is their niche. The pair harmonise well together; they clearly spent a lot of time practising and cared about how their voices meshed.
2. Bridge Over Troubled Water 🟢
This is one of those classic songs that has become a secular hymn over the last 50 years. It's a very pretty song and I find it tremendously comforting. The introduction of the bass guitar and vocal harmony in the third verse lifts the song and is really beautiful. Bridge Over Troubled Water isn't really my style, but it definitely deserves its status as one of the world's most beloved songs.
3. America 🟢
Compared to the last song this feels much smaller and less anthemic, but it builds up as it progresses. There's something about the combination of acoustic guitars, soft vocals and intimate, observational lyrics that I find very soothing, even when the chorus features the crash of cymbals. It was at this point that I realised the album wasn't entirely live - there's a clear cross-fade between the applause at the end of Homeward Bound and the introductory piano of Bridge Over Troubled Water, and I thought it was odd that there was no applause at the end of that song but I now realise that it wasn't a rude audience, just some great editing.
4. Kathy's Song 🟢
Kathy is mentioned in the previous song so it's nice to have this next. It's really strange picturing Simon and Garfunkel playing this song in front of a crowd big enough to match the volume of the applause this gets, as it sounds so intimate, like they're in a cramped bedroom rather than a big concert hall. Their music feels like it would be the perfect soundtrack to a rain afternoon at home.
5. El Condor Pasa (If I Could) 🟢
This feels very different to the others. The flutes, drum beat and overall rhythm don't sound as American as their other songs; perhaps Native American but the Spanish title throws me off a bit. It sounds like music from people who dwell in the mountains, which makes sense given Wikipedia's explanation that it's a cover of an Andean folk song. It's still very pretty and conjures the same mood as the previous songs despite its sonic differences.
6. Bookends 🟢
I don't like to keep using the same words but 'wistful' feels like the perfect adjective to describe Simon & Garfunkel. Their sound feels like a college campus in the Autumn with orange leaves falling in the park, people sitting around organising peaceful protests and libraries filled with old books. The song itself is very short for a 'greatest hit'.
7. Cecilia 🔵
Cecilia is a real stand-out on the album in that it's upbeat and fast rather than meandering and soothing. They're still using acoustic guitars but there's a catchy, almost reggae sounding chorus. Knowing that Paul Simon would go on to make Graceland feels logical after Cecilia as it feels like here, the pair are looking out from their small Autumn campus into the rest of the world to see if there's anything they like.
A1. Mrs Robinson 🔵
I've liked this song ever since I heard Busted's cover of it when I was young. This original version is a lot less rocking than that but hearing the intro still puts a big smile on my face. The pair's guitar parts intertwining with the bass and bongos creates a really pleasant sound. I love the little Beatles reference and mention of Joe DiMaggio - the song works as a comment on the culture of the era.
2. For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her 🟢
The first live track on this side. It's really dreamy and romantic, and again, wistful. Their love songs always seem to be in the past tense rather than an expression of emotion to a current lover.
3. The Boxer 🟢
Is that brass that comes in on verse 2? It's hard to tell on cassette what exactly it is that I'm hearing but it's very effective. The use of stereo sound is really great on this song - I'm listening on headphones since the tape deck on my hi-fi is broken and I think they're doing it more justice than my dodgy hi-fi speakers ever could. There are so many interesting things going on in my left and right ears that I've not been able to pay attention to the lyrics. The song is over 5 minutes long which is a lot compared to the rest of the tape - the end part itself is longer than some of the other songs so I got a bit bored of that.
4. The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) 🔵
This is a very sweet little song! It's hippy beatnik folk music and very cute. The audience sounded really thrilled when they started playing it, as if it was an unexpected surprise for them.
5. The Sound Of Silence 🔵
Another iconic song of theirs. It's the most melancholy of their greatest hits, and another that builds up momentum verse-on-verse. I feel like their music is very 'New York' with references to subway cars and neon gods. Their vocals aren't always in perfect time with the music in this song and I love that.
6. I Am A Rock 🔵
Vocals in one ear, guitar in the other - another effective use of stereo. This is almost a rock song with a country rhythm, it's much less delicate than the others with a lower vocal register. Despite that, it doesn't lose intimacy and still feels very personal.
7. Scarborough Fair/Canticle 🟢
The folkiest song on the album, coming from a traditional piece. The vocal harmonies and counterpoint make it haunting to listen to. It's another song where they employ the technique of adding more parts with every verse to stunning effect - additional vocals, guitar parts... and then they drop away again to close. It sounds lovely.
Simon & Garfunkel make the kind of music that I can only really imagine playing at home on my own; I can't picture them sounding right on my commute and I wouldn't want to sing along with them in the shower. That said, I find their songs very soothing and comforting so I would definitely say that I like them and will probably add some more of their songs to my Spotify playlists.
One last thing about the legitimacy of the tape - I'm not sure where they got the cover photo but it should be this much more well-known image...
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