It’s a quiet evening , you are lonely yearning for some soothing music. You reach out and put on a CD. There is a familiar strumming of a guitar and you lean back and relax , the intricate poetry woven into some well crafted country music gets you humming. Thats Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel - very famous American musicians of the 1960’s . Paul with his gods gift of words and voice and Garfunkel with his voice lilt you with their music.The simplicity of the lyrics , almost like storytelling is a perfected art by this Band. Music is revered by everyone in different forms, but it’s the poetry which is guided by some dreamy guitaring which reaches out and comforts you ever so snugly.
’’Sounds of Silence’’ marketed by Columbia Records was released in 1968. It was the time when guitar sounds were filling the air by almost all the bands. Here was where Simon and Garfunkel scored the best as the poetry almost touches you with its simplicity in the first hearing , then as you hear you realize the depth of the lyrics and then you are hooked !!! ’’Sounds of Silence’’ is the title track and is truly worth it especially the words like People talking without speaking , people hearing without listening set you thinking. The next song ’’Leaves that are Green’’ is a dreamy number relating to the browning of Green leaves to our age. ’’Blessed’’ is a decent number which is a religiously inclined song. This one rocks you ’’We got a groovy thing goin baby’’ , the lover asking his lover the reason why shes leaving him when they have a groovy thing goin …
’’Somewhere they cant find me’’ is an old wine in new bottle as the lyrics are same to another song of theirs ’’Wednesday Morning 3 am’’. Next comes ’’Anji’’ which is an instrumental track which just about passes muster. Gear up folks, heres the best track ’’Homeward Bound’’ . It’s a live recording and it goes like …
I am sitting on the Railway Station , got a ticket for the destination hmmm …
On a tour of One night stands, my suitcase and Guitar in hand ..
And every stop is neatly planned, for a poet and a one man band …
Homeward bound !!! I wish I was Homeward bound
Home where my thoughts escaping, home .. where my music is playing home !!!
Where my loves lies waiting ……… Silently for me….
I had to get that song across to you guys !!! Amazing … ’’Richard Cory’’ is an interesting song where the singer is jealous about a rich man who has everything he wants to. ’’A Most Peculiar Man’’ is a very touching song about a loner of a neighbor who never meets anyone .
’’April Come she Will’’ starts with the month April to September describing each month subtly almost equating them to girls. ’’Kathy’s song’’ an amazing voice of Garfunkel steers you across with some admirable poetry by Paul Simon. The celebrations end with ’’I am a Rock’’ which delves into a loner’s mind and his thoughts.
Well that’s the power of Simon and Garfunkel , Simon a celebrated American poet has a bag full of surprises with his poetry . Almost 33 years since their first track was released, this one has the power to hold you and keep you in a trance.