Simon & Garfunkel – Bookends (Columbia 1968)

Another classic album by them, but perhaps overshadowed by other albums from this era. I think that is also partly deserving. Personally, ‘Bookends’ has never engaged me nearly as much as its predecessor – the absolutely wonderful ‘Sounds of Silence’. I’m not exactly sure why it is so, as ‘Bookends’ features several classic songs. Some of their most well known songs are to be found on this album, and these are actually also me clear favourites (on ‘Sounds of Silence’, on the other hand, my absolute favourites are the lesser known songs). I mean, who can deny the greatness of songs like ‘Mrs. Robinson’, ‘A Hazy Shade of Winter’ and ‘At The Zoo’? These are all uptempo numbers, with simply irresistable groove and melodies. On the other hand, we have the mediocre ‘Fakin’ It’ and ‘Punky’s Dilemma’, and the pure throwaway ‘Voices of Old People’ (which is exactly what you’ll hear – this is not a song at all). ‘Bookends Theme’ opens and closes the first side on the album, and by all means: These are pretty. ‘America’ is of course another classic tune, but personally I’m a bit tired of hearing it. ‘Old Friends’ is an incredibly haunting song, with clear inspiration from classical music too, but the song is perhaps a bit too brief? ‘Save The Life of My Child’ and ‘Overs’ are perfectly okay, but not classic Simon & Garfunkel-material. So there you have it. There are lots to enjoy here, but personally I feel the album is a bit uneven – and as I mentioned: It doesn’t, as a whole, engage me as much as some of their other albums. Your verdict may be totally different, and that’s perfectly fine.