# Deep Tracks - Simon & Garfunkel - "Bridge Over Troubled Water"



## Guest (Sep 15, 2018)

View attachment 107869


Please *choose up to eight selections* for this particular poll.

On all polls created if you click on the number of votes following the song title the username of all voters and their chosen selections will appear.

The tunes themselves will be found below the poll itself as links rather than as embedded videos due to bandwidth issues for those who wish to reacquaint themselves with a tune that may have receded a bit too far into the past to be remembered with the clarity that came when they were first released...

Next up is - Simon & Garfunkel - "Bridge Over Troubled Water"

"Bridge over Troubled Water" is the fifth and final studio album by American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, released in January 1970 on Columbia Records.

Following the duo's soundtrack for The Graduate, Art Garfunkel took an acting role in the film Catch-22, while Paul Simon worked on the songs, writing all tracks except Felice and Boudleaux Bryant's "Bye Bye Love" (previously a hit for the Everly Brothers).

With the help of producer Roy Halee, the album followed a similar musical pattern as their "Bookends", partly abandoning their traditional style to incorporate elements of rock, R&B, gospel, jazz, world music, pop and other genres. It was described as their "most effortless record and their most ambitious".

Despite numerous accolades, the duo decided to split up, and parted company later in 1970; Garfunkel continued his film career, while Simon worked intensely with music.

Both artists released solo albums in the following years. Bridge includes two of the duo's most critically acclaimed and commercially successful songs, "Bridge over Troubled Water" and "The Boxer", which were listed on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

Critically and commercially successful, the album topped the charts in over ten countries and received two Grammy Awards, plus four more for the title song. It sold around 25 million records and was ranked on several lists, including at number 51 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".

As Simon and Garfunkel were working busily on recording, they had to decline invitations to perform, including at the Woodstock Festival.

"Bridge over Troubled Water" charted in over 11 countries, topping the charts in 10 countries, including the US Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart.

It was the best-selling album in 1970, 1971 and 1972 and was at that time the best-selling album of all time. It remained CBS Records' best-selling album until the release of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" in 1982. The album topped the Billboard 200 charts for 10 weeks and stayed on the charts for 85 weeks.

"Bridge over Troubled Water" received widely positive critical reception. The record was both criticized and lauded for its individual sound that incorporated genres ranging from rock, R&B, gospel and jazz to world music and pop.

The album won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year, as well as for Best Engineered Recording, while its title track won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Contemporary Song of the Year and the Instrumental Arrangement of the Year in 1971.

"Bridge over Troubled Water" was nominated at the first Brit Awards for Best International Album and its title track for Best International Single in 1977.

In 2003, it was ranked at  No. 51 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridge_over_Troubled_Water

Your commentary on any and every aspect of the album and especially any memories reawakened as a result of the poll is welcomed.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

This was my very first LP record, bought shortly after it was released. I was 13, and I loved El condor pasa - which I now regard as the weakest track.

Some of their best songs here, such as The only living boy, So long FLW, and The boxer.


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## Guest (Sep 15, 2018)

"*Bridge Over Troubled Water*" -






"*El Cóndor Pasa (If I Could)* -






"*Cecilia*" -






"*Keep the Customer Satisfied*" -






"*So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright*" -






"*The Boxer*" -






"*Baby Driver*" -






"*The Only Living Boy in New York*" -






"*Why Don't You Write Me*" -






"*Bye Bye Love*" -






"*Song for the Asking*" -


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## Belowpar (Jan 14, 2015)

Art Rock said:


> This was my very first LP record, bought shortly after it was released.
> 
> Some of their best songs here, such as The only living boy, So long FLW, and The boxer.


Saved me typing.

Only to add: Simon said he contacted Stax to see if they wanted to record Bridge over Troubled Water as he felt they could make the most of it?

Stax were heading for financial trouble and work came back Booker T would do it if CBS would pay them $10K upfront.

So PS contacted Roy Halee and said lets go into the studio.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

One of the best Swan Songs by any band!


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## Colin M (May 31, 2018)

Tom catch your plane ride on time... Art heading back to Mexico to pursue his dream as an actor in Catch 22. I know your part will go fine... beautiful exposition of the end of the thing that they had begun leaving Paul the only living boy in New York City...


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## Metairie Road (Apr 30, 2014)

"*I get the news I need from the weather report*"

A fine tribute to Meteorologists everywhere. News you can trust.

Best wishes
Metairie Road


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## Colin M (May 31, 2018)

Half of the time we don’t know where and we don’t know where/when... let your honesty shine shine shine ... like it shines on me. Tom get your plane ride on time 

I love this album so very much for the confidence it expressed about the future as one leaves a certain comfortable past.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

The only song I like on this album is So Long Frank Lloyd Wright. I prefer their earlier stuff.


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