CC00043: Simon & Garfunkel
Submitted by lbangs on Tue, 02/20/2001 - 10:25
Tags:
- Bookends (9.5)
- Bridge Over Troubled Water (9)
- Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme (8)
- The Sounds of Silence (8)
- Greatest Hits (7.5)
- Old Friends (6.5)
- Concert in Central Park [live] (6.5)
- Wednesday Morning 3 A.M. (4)
- The Graduate (4)
Author Comments:
This is an entry in a continuing series I call Critical Consensus. I am averaging the opinions of several excellent music critics to produce a list of each artist's albums. The albums will each have a rating between 1 and 10. The albums will be listed in a recommended purchasing order, so new fans will have an idea of where the best place to start buying an artist's work is. These are not my opinions, although, since I have chosen the critics used (and I'm using many), my taste will perhaps seep through a bit.
Terribly nerdy, I know, but maybe this will help people only now beginning to dabble into certain artists' bodies of work.
I have been unfamiliar with most of the CC's you have done so far, and thus had very little to say. S&G is the first I feel remotely qualified to comment on. (I'm not a fogey, nor are they my favourite musicians. I'm just a music major immersed in classical, classic rock and a only handful of newer groups).
Unfortunately I've only heard two of these albums (Greatest Hits & Concert in C.P.), though I know most of their other songs as well. Considering how low these two albums scored in comparison with those at the top, I am indeed curious to hear them.
I am curious, however, what sort of criteria goes into the judging of an album? Is it the performance of the individual songs, the quality of each song, or the album as a whole and how well the songs work together to create a single art form? (I realize these are not necessarily your opinions.)
Here is as good a place as any, I suppose, to thank you for these CC lists. They are a wonderful public service for those of us looking to expand our interests and have no idea where to start.
First, thank you very much for the compliments. Somewhere around CC22, I started to wonder if anyone was gaining any insight from these lists, which do take some time to pull together. Luckily, a positive comment like yours is enough to get me through another 10 or so of these beasts!
As for the criteria, when I first began compiling critical sources to pilfer for these lists, one of the quality I sought in their critiques was an attempt to view an album as a complete work of art. As such, I believe your final phrase about judging the 'album as a whole and how well the songs work together to create a single art form' probably applies best here. Some greatest hits and box sets have scored very well, but only those that include excellent selection and sequencing. A 'best-of' album usually can indeed be a solid work of art on its own if enough care is taken putting the package together. These lists probably reflect that belief.
As an interesting side note, I believe the new Simon & Garfunkel greatest hits set, while too new to qualify for this list, is being widely smiled upon by the few critics who have reviewed it. With more songs and improved sound quality, it appears to be superior to the older best-of included above.
I hope that answers your question, and thanks again for the kind words!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs