I had hip parents. They were folk music fans from way back; even before the big folk revival of the early Sixties. Their record collection included all the usual suspects – Dylan, Peter, Paul and Mary, Woody Guthrie – but they loved Simon and Garfunkel. Our entire family did. All of their albums were part of the soundtrack of my pre-teen years.
Bridge Over Troubled Water was probably my least favorite of the duo's albums. It was too mellow for even my twelve-year-old tastes. To my mind, it only had a couple of highlights (“Cecilia” and “Keep the Customer Satisfied”), and everything else just sort blended into blandness. And that title track – the big hit? Way too schmaltzy.
Needless to say, I'm well-familiar with Bridge Over Troubled Water, but this reissue gives me a chance to revisit the album and see how it stands up to a more mature ear. What first stands out is the subtlety of much of the work; exactly what I resisted as a kid. This is certainly their most mature album. Songs like “The Boxer,” “So Long Frank Lloyd Wright” and “The Only Living Boy in New York City” show how Simon’s songwriting had solidified. Brilliant as his previous songs were, they tended to sound like the result of a college workshop. Here he is finally writing like an adult.
This album also showcases the variety of their influences and, at the same time, presages some of the directions Simon’s songwriting will take in the future. Of course, the duo's folk influences have always shown through (their first album is primarily old folk songs and spirituals), but here they pay tribute to other influences as well. There is doo-wop in “Baby Driver,” and they cover the Everly Brothers’ “Bye-Bye Love,” revealing their deep affection for that duo's harmonies. Hints of Simon’s future interest in world music begins to glimmer through here too; most obviously in the use of a Peruvian tune for “El Condor Pasa,” but also in the reggae of “Why Don’t You Write Me?”
The sound of this reissue is glorious – everything is crisper and cleaner than my old CD copy – and the new clarity reveals the depth of the production. Although nothing is overtly “tricky,” the sound of each song is very carefully structured; every instrument in exactly the right place. We often think of Simon and Garfunkel succeeding totally on the strength of their voices and Simon’s songs but, here, you can hear how important the overall sound of their recordings was.
This reissue comes with a bonus disc of a concert from 1969. This is a special bonus because live material from their early career has been hard to come by, but the concert does reveal two almost contradictory things. On one hand, there is the strength of the songs. Although accompanied by a band (for the first time, as they reveal in between song patter), the songs are, for the most part, presented unadorned. The emphasis is on the songs themselves and the vocals; and both stand up quite well.
That said, they also reveal how important the aforementioned production was to the “Simon and Garfunkel sound.” Here, Simon and Garfunkel face the challenges of presenting such material live, without the cushion of a studio. The concert starts out a bit rough. They almost stumble through “At the Zoo,” the second song. They recover, but still have to rearrange many of the songs to make them work in the straightforward demands of a concert. Most notable is “Scarborough Fair,” where they entirely eliminate the counterpoint “Canticle,” but they also rework “Mrs. Robinson” and “Sounds of Silence,” among others.
Based on the patter, the concert took place between the recording of Bridge Over Troubled Water and its release. The new material is, therefore, unfamiliar to the audience. They receive most of it warmly enough, but only “Bridge Over Troubled Water” elicits rapturous applause; indicating the audience can already tell its power.
This reissue does have something for all Simon and Garfunkel fans. Those who already have the album will appreciate the improved sound quality of this disc, as well as the bonus concert. For those less familiar with the album, this reissue provides a chance to discover a genuine classic album of rock music.
Artist:
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Album:
The 40th Anniversary reissue of Bridge Over Troubled Water is out now. Buy it here on Amazon .
