Simon & Garfunkel - Live From New York City, 1967 (2002)

This fascinating 19-song collection is more than just the only full concert document of Simon & Garfunkel at the peak of their career; it is also a chronicle of the time, a snapshot of an era when folk tradition was entering the pop-rock mainstream, as evidenced by the disc's deft juxtaposition of sociopolitical screeds, old-fashioned troubadour tales, and neo-Brill Building love songs. You'd be hard pressed to find a more naked recording - which is certainly a compliment. The acoustics of Lincoln Center, one of America's most renowned musical performance spaces, allow the simple elements (nothing but the duo's crisp harmonies and Simon's ringing acoustic guitar) to resound with both power and grace. Deftly mixing their poppiest material (like the breezy 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)) with the sort of offbeat interludes that made them a favorite among folk connoisseurs (the medieval-sounding Benedictus and the fleeting take on Davey Graham's jazzy instrumental Anji), Simon & Garfunkel were clearly at the top of their collective game on this evening. Effortlessly shifting from booming power (I Am a Rock, the classic John Cory) to incredible delicacy (Leaves That Are Green, the Garfunkel-carried For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her), S&G exhibit both the mortar that held them together and the fissures that ultimately tore them apart.


Musical Contents
01 He Was My Brother.flac
02 Leaves That Are Green.flac
03 Sparrow.flac
04 Homeward Bound.flac
05 You Don't Know Where Your Interest Lies.flac
06 A Most Peculiar Man.flac
07 The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy).flac
08 The Dangling Conversation.flac
09 Richard Cory.flac
10 A Hazy Shade Of Winter.flac
11 Benedictus.flac
12 Blessed.flac
13 A Poem On The Underground Wall.flac
14 Anji.flac
15 I Am A Rock.flac
16 The Sound Of Silence.flac
17 For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her.flac
18 A Church Is Burning.flac
19 Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M..flac


Over the years the duo has become one of the forgotten gems of the 1960s. Not to mention the fact that no one really expects Simon & Garfunkel’s concerts to vary all that much from its studio endeavors. Such an assumption, however, would be completely wrong, and that’s why Live from New York City, 1967 has been a long time in coming. In fact, it’s more than 35 years overdue.

At the time of the concert (January 22, 1967), Simon & Garfunkel were between masterpieces. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme had come out several months prior, and Bookends wouldn’t be released for more than a year. Between the two, Paul Simon’s lyrics explored the alienation that was growing between his generation and the establishment. A distrust of government, a dislike for business, and a general disillusionment with the state of America provided plenty of fodder for his poetic observations.

If anything, Live from New York City, 1967 further plays to the lyrical essence of Simon’s songs. Make no mistake: The studio renditions of these tunes all hold their own against and build upon similar outings of the time, such as The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Rubber Soul, and Revolver albums as well as The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. But with just two beautiful, perfectly joined voices and masterfully performed guitar passages, a crystal clear clarity is achieved that allows the words to hang in the air, forming delicately silhouetted snapshots of life. Listen as the duo depicts the disengaged couple in The Dangling Conversation or paints the subway with A Poem on the Underground Wall. Listen as they gleefully glide through the free-spirited 59th Street Bridge Song or tell the sad tale of A Most Peculiar Man.

As an added bonus, the set list for the 1967 concert from which this album is taken included two rarities: A Church Is Burning and You Don’t Know Where Your Interest Lies. The former is an essential track that portrays a vivid illustration of the religious, spiritual, and racial turmoil of the late ’60s and had appeared on Simon’s 1965 UK-only, solo effort. While the latter song was eventually recorded by the duo, it also was banished to the B-side of Fakin’ It, no doubt due to its similarity to the far superior A Hazy Shade of Winter. Nevertheless, its inclusion here does provide some insight into the writing and performing process that Simon & Garfunkel utilized. In the end, however, it’s all about the songs, and as evidenced by the magnificent music contained on Live from New York City, 1967, Simon and Garfunkel had them in droves.




Notes
Unlike many Columbia Legacy releases, this pristine recording has been beautifully mastered, with no evidence of the Loudness Wars or noise reduction.
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