{"id":39628,"date":"2006-02-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2006-02-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/reviews\/bridge-over-troubled-water\/"},"modified":"2006-02-01T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2006-02-01T00:00:00","slug":"bridge-over-troubled-water","status":"publish","type":"review","link":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/reviews\/bridge-over-troubled-water\/","title":{"rendered":"Bridge Over Troubled Water"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Surprise was my reaction when I found out there was
\nno review of Bridge Over Troubled Water<\/i> on the Vault.
\nApparently, it was one of the biggest-selling albums of its time,
\nand a few of the tracks have become standards over the years. So
\nreally, it was up to me to find out whether the disc lives up to
\nthe hype.<\/p>\n

Folk music really isn’t my cup of tea. It’s not
\nterrible, and while I’m warming up to it, there aren’t very many
\nfolk artists on the iPod. That is probably why up to this point I
\ndid not own a Simon & Garfunkel album. My mistake. If the best
\nof folk music sounds anything like Bridge Over Troubled
\nWater<\/i>, I’ve been missing out.<\/p>\n

Lord knows how many music critics out there have
\nanalyzed and studied “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” but here we go.
\nI rarely use the word “beautiful” to describe a song, but it fits
\nperfectly here. Art Garfunkel’s soaring tenor ranks up there with
\nsome of the best vocals I have ever heard. His voice is calm and
\nsoothing, but as the song progresses it gains in intensity as the
\nmusic fills itself with an orchestral wall of sound, climaxing in
\nthe crashing, loud final moments. Paul Simon, being the gifted
\nlyricist that he is, put down on paper some of my favorite lyrics.
\nA bridge over troubled water in the context of the song can mean
\nanything to anyone; God, friend, spouse, sibling. The best lyrics
\nhave multiple interpretations and provoke strong feelings. This
\ntrack is the complete package, and for my money ranks up there with
\nthe absolute classics.<\/p>\n

The other two big hits off the album, “Cecilia,” and
\n“The Boxer,” are classics in their own right as well. While neither
\napproaches the complexity and emotional foundation of the title
\ntrack, they should not be dismissed. “Cecilia” foreshadows Simon’s
\nfuture experimentation with unique sounds, utilizing a South
\nAmerican beat to great effect. It is one of those pure pop singles
\nthat never gets old. “The Boxer” sports a killer chorus; I would
\nwager that people who don’t know the song or the artist too well
\nwill recognize the refrain.<\/p>\n

Where Bridge Over Troubled Water<\/i> really
\nimpressed me was in the quality of the album tracks. The best of
\nthem have just as strong melodies as the hits. The sound was
\ndifferent than I expected as well; I heard bits of Dylan, the
\nBeatles, Brian Wilson, Phil Spector and Springsteen scattered
\nthroughout. While I’m not sure the album goes so far as to be
\nclassified as rock, it certainly was more up-tempo and produced
\nthan what in my experience folk music generally has been.<\/p>\n

“The Only Living Boy In New York” has experienced a
\nresurgence lately thanks to its inclusion in the Garden
\nState<\/i> soundtrack, and while I haven’t seen the movie, it sounds
\nlike the perfect song to be listening to while driving down the
\nroad, not particularly going anywhere. Take special note of the
\nstunning background vocals. The rollicking “Keep The Customer
\nSatisfied” takes things up another notch, with the inclusion of a
\ndriving horn section. “Why Don’t You Write” literally steals huge
\nportions of “Pet Sounds.” It’s these small production touches that
\nmake Bridge Over Troubled Water<\/i> derivative of the sounds
\nfloating around the 60’s, but they are put together in a very
\nunique style.<\/p>\n

To be perfectly frank, the only “dud” I found on the
\nalbum was a sedated cover of “Bye Bye Love.” Given the fact that
\nit’s a live track, you’d think it would have been more upbeat. Give
\nme the Central Park<\/i> version of “Wake Up Little Susie” for a
\n50’s cover from the boys. I do, however, love the closing, “Song
\nFor The Asking” It’s short and sweet, reminding me of Elton John’s
\n“Goodbye,” which closed out Madman Across The Water<\/i>. Both
\nsum up their individual albums perfectly, and I wish both went on
\nlonger.<\/p>\n

Despite all the hype surrounding this album, I did
\nnot have that many high expectations for it. It merely would have
\nto be good for me to enjoy it. Luckily, as albums occasionally do,
\nBridge Over Troubled Water<\/i> went above and beyond the call of
\nduty. You could probably make the case for this record to be one of
\nthe top ten to come out of the 70s. Despite not having heard much
\nof Simon & Garfunkel’s catalog, I imagine it didn’t get any
\nbetter than here.<\/p>\n

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