Artist: Simon & Garfunkel
Album: Bookends
Year: 1968
Here's the second dose of Simon & Garfunkel. The first dose was Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, & Thyme, which easily stands as one of the best of the 124 albums I've heard so far. Haunting, pretty, and otherworldly, I thought it was just about perfect in its songwriting, its literary sense, and even its innovation (playing "Silent Night" over a broadcast of the 10 PM news was certainly unique--but I get the point...).
Bookends was the follow-up, and it too stands as a very good album, treading similar territory musically. I'd have to say I prefer the set of songs on the prior album, but "America," "Mrs. Robinson," and "A Hazy Shade of Winter" all stand among the duo's best songs.
Where this album separates itself is with the lyrics. This is the ultimate album of disillusionment with the American Dream, with its bleak vision of people faking their way through life, fearful instead of optimistic about what the future holds, cynical of the government's ability to lead them--read between the lines of "At the Zoo"...
Great album. Not as high a peak as PSR&T but not far off.
Rating: Worth repeated listens
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