Simon OR Garfunkel

[sir humphrey]

Simon - Garfunkle has a great voice, but I could throw a beach ball into a drama school canteen and hit five people who sing just as well. Paul Simon is one of the best American songwriters.

 

[brookdalebill]

^^^^^^
Yup.

 

[soulman969]

Art Garfunkel had an amazing voice and was a great harmonist but there are a lot of other Art Garfunkels out there too. Paul Simon has a pretty fair voice as well. It's a different voice but still very well suited to what he sings. But in the end without Paul Simons songs and melodies what does Art Garfunkel sing?

I'm always in awe of great vocalists but I still need to remind myself that someone wrote the words and created the music they sang. So does the gift of creation outstrip the gift of performing? I guess since I can't write like that for me it does and I'm more in awe of that.

 

[fuzzbender]

Garfunkel's is the only place i couldn't eat the food, true story

image removed

Simon i find very digestible

 

[Coop47]

There are a ton of Paul Simon songs that I love hearing other artists cover. Leave out the singing and guitar playing (and I love his playing) and it's still Simon for me.

 

[Skully]

Simon - Garfunkle has a great voice, but I could throw a beach ball into a drama school canteen and hit five people who sing just as well. Paul Simon is one of the best American songwriters.

This doesn't quite give Garfunkel enough credit, but on the whole it makes the point very well.

 

[fuzzbender]

This doesn't quite give Garfunkel enough credit, but on the whole it makes the point very well.

exactly, historically, ie. a collective memory, and therefore set in stone, it's

Simon & Garfunkel

if his best friend was Archie, it'd be, Simon & Bunker

 

[simonsp]

Neither.

Bummer music.

Their greatest hits was one of the soundtrack staples of my late 70's/early 80's high school party years.

I wasted a lot of time w/ that and "Our House" and "Marrakech Express" and similar treacle. ...

I think it's a bit unfair to include Simon's songwriting in together with sacarrine stuff like you mention above. Simon's writing has lot more going on.

 

[fuzzbender]

This doesn't quite give Garfunkel enough credit, but on the whole it makes the point very well.

and Skully, please put kraftwerk in best keyboardists, or i will

 

[fuzzbender]

I think it's a bit unfair to include Simon's songwriting in together with sacarrine stuff like you mention above. Simon's writing has lot more going on.

exactly, Simon is darker, more like molasses

rich and deep

 

[Justinvs]

The Everly's were the single biggest influence on S & G and they used to busk Everly songs.

Simon and Garfunkel just seemed like a little bit of a watered-down "groovy far-out" version of the Everly Bros to me.

It's just preference. I'm sure there are plenty of folks who listen to The Everly's with a "Meh..." but for whom S & G are magical.

There is quite a bit of solo Simon I like though.

Maybe it's a generation thing? When I was a kid S&G were still a producing act and my dad was really into them, and by the time I was picking my own music Paul Simon had just released Rhymin Simon. Still some of my favorite music bar none.

I like the Everly Bros, but I can't listen to a steady diet of them. Simon and Garfunkel are still in my iPod rotation.

BTW, I don't mean to imply that you are old enough to have grown up with the Everly Bros, just that Simon and Garfunkle were a big part of the soundtrack of my own early years. I'm older than dirt and it shows!

 

[Fearnot]

It's that American Idol syndrome... most people never look past the singer and figure all that other stuff - y'know, writers, musicians, producers - are interchangeable.

 

[fuzzbender]

 

[Fearnot]

Still... my favorite Simon & Garfunkel joke (like there are so many):

Paul: Artie... I've got good news and bad news!
Art: What, Paul?
Paul: The good news is we're playing a show in Central Park!
Art: Cool! What's the bad news?
Paul: We're opening for me... and you have to share a dressing room with Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

 

[Coach56]

Simon & Garfunkel were a mainstay with the young ladies as I was growing up so you had to learn some of that. I enjoy Art's voice and together they made amazing music and I think they said it best " a poet and a one man band".

Then I heard Graceland, and realized that what made Simon the better half was his ability to collaborate. It seems he can work with anyone and they end up sounding better then the sum of the parts.

YMMV,
-H

 

[FirstBassman]

I don't think it's just a simple matter than there are lots of people who sing as well as Artie.
There is a certain quality to his voice that fit the songs so perfectly well.
Yes, Paul wrote the songs (and is a great guitar player) and I am a firm advocate for songwriters.
(I hate it when people say "Respect, by Aretha Franklin.")
But I think of them as a team.

Side note: As I've posted before, S&G grew up across the street from me in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens so I am particularly partial to them.

 

[Edgar Allan Presley]

The humor in that scene in This Is 40 is that it's really bizarre and funny to prefer Garfunkel over Simon, right?

I went to see Paul Simon and Bob Dylan when they toured together in 1999(?), and it made me appreciate Garfunkel. Bob Dylan is great, but he makes a terrible Garfunkel.

 

[fuzzbender]

i dare you to scoff

 

[PennyroyalFrog]

The humor in that scene in This Is 40 is that it's really bizarre and funny to prefer Garfunkel over Simon, right?

That's true I suppose. When I googled for the exact quote, I actually found a tweet or facebook post of Paul Simon defending Art Garfunkel after Paul Simon watched the movie.

 

[Collirem]

Art's voice is magical. But you have to look at the musical output after Bridge. Art's albums - Angel Clare, Breakaway, Watermark, Fate For Breakfast & Scissors Cut. All good albums but not great, plus of course he did not write any of the songs. After 1981 he pretty much has been in semi-retired mode and now he his dealing with significant problems with his throat. Simon on the other hand, Paul Simon solo #1, Rhymin Simon, Still Crazy, and Graceland are masterpieces. I also think that Hearts & Bones was brilliant even though it was not a big success. One Trick Pony, You're The One, Surprise are all underrated works. But Simon writes the songs, works on the arrangements and you cannot discount is guitar skills. I love Garfunkel but to sum up.... he has a beautiful voice. Simon can do it all brilliantly.