Simon and Garfunkel - Sounds of Silence

Simon & Garfunkel
Sounds of Silence
Vinyl LP
Columbia CS 9269

A1. The Sounds of Silence
2. Leaves That Are Green
3. Blessed
4. Kathy's Song
5. Somewhere They Can't Find Me
6. Anji
7 (B1). Richard Cory
8. A Most Peculiar Man
9. April Come She Will
10. We've Got a Groovey Thing Goin'
11. I Am a Rock


The pseudo-folk legends in 1965. The main thing about this record that struck me is the running theme of crazy alienation. "Somewhere They Can't Find Me", "I Am a Rock", "A Most Peculiar Man"......What was going on in Paul Simon's life and mind during the time when this came out? ("All songs except 'Anji' written by Paul Simon", it says on the back.) In addition to the hits "I Am a Rock" and the electrified "Sounds of Silence" is a curious retelling of Edward Arlington Robinson's "Richard Cory". I only just played this once, a few days ago, so the music itself isn't as fresh in my mind as the ideas presented here.

Peter, Paul and Mary - In Concert

Peter, Paul and Mary
In Concert
LP
Warner Bros. 1555

1. The Times They Are A-Changin'
2. A 'Soalin'
3. 500 Miles
4. Blue
5. 3 Ravens
6. One Kind Favor
7. Blowin' in the Wind
8. Car-Car
9. Puff (The Magic Dragon)
10. Jesus Met the Woman
11. Le Déserteur
12. Oh, Rock My Soul
13. Paultalk
14. Single Girl
15. There is a Ship
16. It's Raining
17. If I Had My Way
18. If I Had a Hammer


Nicely representative, I think, of the live sound of the legendary folk popularizers. There’s political moments (“The Times They Are A-Changin’”, “If I Had a Hammer”); there’s comedic moments (“Blue”, “Paultalk”); and there’s sing-alongs (“Oh, Rock My Soul”, which I didn’t particularly care for).