The Jukebox Rebel

The second Simon and Garfunkel album opens mightily with their recent Number One single. Paul Simon would later comment: “I had come back to New York, and I was staying in my old room at my parents' house. Artie was living at his parents' house, too. I remember Artie and I were sitting there in my car one night, parked on a street in Queens, and the announcer [on the radio] said, “Number one, Simon & Garfunkel.” And Artie said to me, “That Simon & Garfunkel, they must be having a great time.” Because there we were on a street corner [in my car in] Queens, smoking a joint. We didn't know what to do with ourselves.” Following the major success of Tom Wilson’s rocked up remix of “The Sound of Silence”, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel reunited for another crack at an album as a duo. “Sounds of Silence”, almost wholly recorded in December ’65, bore much fruit. Eschewing the acoustic approach of their ’64 debut album, they took their cues from the single’s sound, and producer Bob Johnston got to work with: Paul Simon (lead vocals, guitar); Art Garfunkel (lead vocals); Fred Carter Jr. (guitar); Larry Knechtel (keyboards); Glen Campbell (guitar); Joe South (guitar); Joe Osborn (bass) and Hal Blaine (drums). There are ten Paul Simon originals as well as an instrumental cover of Davey Graham’s catchy “Anji”, a piece which had been excellently covered by Bert Jansch on his debut LP in ’65. Ever tasteful, there are no weak points on this LP. My favourites are noticeably all in the euphoric rocker vein of the lead single. Both “Blessed” and “I Am A Rock” were cut at the same session – “play it like the Byrds” was the instruction given out by producer Bob Johnston. He knew what he was doing – and he was working with great material and great players…

The Jukebox Rebel
16–Dec–2007

A1	[03:08] Simon and Garfunkel - The Sounds Of Silence [’65 single version] (Paul Simon) Folk Rock / Americana
A2	[02:23] Simon and Garfunkel - Leaves That Are Green (Paul Simon) Folk Rock / Americana
A3	[03:16] Simon and Garfunkel - Blessed (Paul Simon) Folk Rock / Americana
A4	[03:21] Simon and Garfunkel - Kathy’s Song (Paul Simon) Folk
A5	[02:37] Simon and Garfunkel - Somewhere They Can’t Find Me (Paul Simon) Folk Rock / Americana
A6	[02:17] Simon and Garfunkel - Anji (Davey Graham) Folk
B1	[02:57] Simon and Garfunkel - Richard Cory (Paul Simon) Folk Rock / Americana
B2	[02:34] Simon and Garfunkel - A Most Peculiar Man (Paul Simon) Folk Rock / Americana
B3	[01:51] Simon and Garfunkel - April Come She Will (Paul Simon) Folk
B4	[02:00] Simon and Garfunkel - We’ve Got A Groovey Thing Goin’ (Paul Simon) Pop
B5	[02:50] Simon and Garfunkel - I Am A Rock (Paul Simon) Folk Rock / Americana

ratings by TJR