A Tale of Two Voices

Greatest Hits is actually the album that introduced me to Simon and Garfunkel. I first encountered it when I was eight years old, I believe. I was already a great fan of Art Garfunkel, mainly because of the song from the Angel Clare album, Feuilles-Oh/Do Space Men Pass Dead Souls on their Way to the Moon? I don't think I knew his name at the time, nor did I realize that one of this duo was the same person who sang the space men song. I was skeptical at first of the duo, but not for long. After hearing it just a couple times, I was hooked. Nearly all of Simon and Garfunkel's greatest hits are included on this album. I will run down the songs individually.

Mrs. Robinson -- Only a chorus when it was recorded, the song later developed its verses which reflect some of the pressures and poignancy of the time. Bouncy and catchy with a hint of desperation, this song gets the album off to a good start as Simon and Garfunkel's voices combine to produce a memorable song. And with the somewhat recent death of Joe DiMaggio, the line "Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? The nation turns its lonely eyes to you" is sure to stir emotion in any baseball fan.

The Boxer -- Tight harmonizing is especially apparent in this aching song of youthful angst and hope. So tightly are Simon and Garfunkel's voices blended that it is often impossible to pick them out individually. They become one being. Described by Simon as being a metaphor for his life, the song deals with the crushing blows which hard city life deals to youthful idealism and the hope which allows one to rise above it. The extended coda builds and swells with drum crashes and violins until it gently fades away, ending with the guitar, Simon making his voice heard through the tumult.

Feelin' Groovy -- Soft and gentle with a beautiful blending of voices, this bouncy song is one of the few songs of Simon's which is only positive. Caught in a moment of bliss, one of those mountaintop experiences, this song brings a smile to the face each time it is heard.

For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her -- Quiet and beautiful, this song floats along in a dreamlike state, gently guided by Art Garfunkel. Paul Simon slips into the shadows in this song and lets his friend take center stage. Inspired by the poetry of Emily Dickinson, this tender song is one of love and longing. But unlike many songs of a similar vein, the woman being pursued is already firmly in the man's grasp, and the song ends in a grateful affirmation of his love for her.

The Sound of Silence -- This was what really started Simon and Garfunkel's career. As in The Boxer, the vocals are so tightly blended that Simon and Garfunkel become a single entity. A deeply disturbing song about the lack of communication in our society, this haunting ballad strikes a chord even more today in the age when computers and cell phones have begun to override face to face communication. If we fail to connect with one another, we won't make it.

I Am a Rock -- Paul Simon's voice is more evident in this rather harsh song about the barrier built to protect oneself after being hurt terribly. The speaker tries to deny his feelings, closing himself off to emotional intrusion. He has become cold and bitter, and one is almost reminded of Ebeneezer Scrooge. Mostly we are moved to pity by his pathetic state, especially as he softens in the end, explaining "...a rock feels no pain, and an island never cries."

Scarborough Fair -- An exquisite version of a medieval classic. The song is hauntingly beautiful to begin with, but add Simon's On the Side of a Hill, whose tune was provided by Garfunkel, and it becomes stunning. So beautiful it makes you want to cry. It helps to get a copy of the words, however, because the two songs are so intricately woven together that it is hard to catch all the words. The anti-war message is one of the most powerful of any song I have encountered.

Homeward Bound -- Simon's voice is also a bit more prominent in this song about a traveling singer longing for his home. Based on his own experiences in England, it mirrors the loneliness felt by anyone forced to be away from home for an extended period of time.

America -- One of -- if not the only -- Paul Simon's nonrhyming songs. Showing America through the eyes of the young, with miles of new horizons yet to be explored, it touches on the youthful desire for adventure and something unexplainable which is just out of reach. The crashing cymbals towards the end and the gentle fading away of the song are especially beautiful.

Kathy's Song -- A beautiful tribute to Simon's girlfriend from his England years, this song shows the desperate love he had for her and reveals his own feelings of inadequacy. Quietly romantic, its lovely tune and confessional words remain true for many a despondent young man. "I know that I am like the rain; there but for the grace of you go I."

El Condor Pasa -- Taken from the Spanish, this tune has an exotic flavor while remaining close to home. It carries a simple message of ambition and appreciation for nature. Simon and Garfunkel switch off in this song, with Simon's voice the clearest for the majority of the song and Garfunkel taking the bridge.

Bookends -- A sad little song about the loss of youth and the passing of time. Lovely and melancholy, it still seems a bit lost without Old Friends to segue into it. Not including that song was almost like cutting the song in two.

Bridge Over Troubled Water -- What can I possibly say about this song? This is Art Garfunkel's moment of triumph. As he said, it was written "in the spirit of a gift" and that made it especially touching, and he claimed it was "perhaps the transcendent thrill of my life to pole vault over those high notes and have my throat open up like that." Hymn-like and glorious, the song starts out at barely above a whisper and ends in a thrilling fortissimo that takes my breath away every time I hear it. An anthem for friendship, this is perhaps the best song they ever did.

Cecilia -- Ends the album with a bang. This song is just fun. Loud and raucous, it grew out of Paul Simon's brother banging a couple of drumsticks on a chair. Garfunkel admitted "the idea was not so much to sing it as to shout it". And the beat is so strong you can't help but tap along. Great song, but if you catch it on your way to church on Sunday morning...change the channel.

Whew! What a packed album! While each of the singers comes into focus individually during the course of the album, their characteristic blending of voices is omnipresent and continues to thrill. Paul Simon is one of the finest songwriters ever to put pen to paper. Art Garfunkel has the sweetest voice this side of Heaven. And together, for an all-too-brief period of time, they were magic. A must have for every Simon and Garfunkel fan, this album brings those days back to life. "Preserve your memories; they're all that's left you."