Bobby Short	Nobody Else But Me
Bobby Short	The Very Best of Bobby Short
Carly Simon	No Secrets
Carly Simon	The Best Of Carly Simon
Simon & Garfunkel	Sounds of Silence
Simon & Garfunkel	Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme
Simon & Garfunkel	Bridge Over Troubled Waters
Simon & Garfunkel	The Concert In Central Park
Pink Floyd	Dark Side of the Moon

I was unfamiliar with Bobby Short‘s music, so jumping into it via these two albums was an interesting experience. Bobby Short was touted as a cabaret singer and pianist who performed popular songs from the first half of the 20th century and musical numbers. He had a long and well-liked career and sang until shortly before his death in 2005. I gave these a good, attentive listen and came away with an appreciation for a new musical landscape: the world of swing, musicals, and vocal jazz. Despite not knowing anything about Bobby Short’s music, I was rather pleased with what I heard. Once again, this supports my theory that all music is good music; there are just some that I like better than others.

Carly Simon was an artist I only really knew through her hit song, “You’re So Vain.” The big takeaway that I have from listening to these two records is that she was a very emotionally out-there artist. She wasn’t afraid to talk about her pain, relationships, relationships that caused pain, and intimate moments from her life. She has a good voice with a unique flavour; I can’t think of anyone else with a voice like hers. I loved her rendition of “Night Owl”, a song by James Taylor, which I have on his album, James Taylor And The Original Flying Machine. An often overlooked album that I have enjoyed listening to for decades now. The rest of the songs on these two albums are generally good, and the lyrics are as insightful as they are emotional.

Simon & Garfunkel have a very respectable catalog and were among the top-charting acts of the 1960s. They had three U.S. number-one songs and two Grammy Awards for Record of the Year. Their biggest hits were”The Sound of Silence,” “Mrs. Robinson,” and “Bridge over Troubled Water.” Standout tracks for me from the album Sounds of Silence are “Richard Cory,” “I Am A Rock,” and the title song, “Sounds of Silence.”

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, And Thyme. Simon and Art changed their sound to a more polished, studio-album style, away from the folksy, minimalist sound of their previous albums. Standout tracks for me were A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara’d Into Submission) and 7 O’Clock News / Silent Night (1966). The 7 O’Clock News gave Paul Simon a voice for his anti-war sentiment, and the Larry Norman song Six O’Clock News (1972) immediately sprang up in my gray matter.

I have a gap in my album collection and skimmed the soundtrack for the movie “The Graduate” and their fourth studio album, “Bookends.” A couple of tunes that I miss not having from the “Bookends” album are “Mrs. Robinson”, “A Hazy Shade of Winter”, and “At The Zoo.”

Next up on the stereo is “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” I am not a fan of the lush string section on this song; I prefer other versions, such as the one from The Concert In Central Park. Art Garfunkel has a good voice as he sings lead on the song, which he didn’t do often. Johnny Cash also does a good cover, and if you go on YouTube, there are more versions than you can shake a stick at. After this album, Simon & Garfunkel went their separate ways, other than live performances and Best of Albums. In some ways, it’s a shame that they split up since I feel they were reaching their peak on the Bridge Over Troubled Water album. I looked at the album’s song list and realized I would have to name all of them if I were to pick standout tracks. This album is loaded with good songs.

Wikipedia: Bridge Over Troubled Water

“Billboard called it a “beautiful, almost religious-oriented ballad” whose “performance and arrangement are perfect.” Cash Box said that “set in parable, this love ballad carries a two-level interpretation” and praised “Garfunkel’s magnificent vocal performance and the material.” Record World predicted that the song would “equal [the duo’s] ‘Boxer’ success.”

The song has also been lauded as one of the greatest by Simon & Garfunkel. In 2017, The Guardian called the song one of the best by the duo, describing it as “heart-stirring”. The Independent similarly lauded the song in 2020, calling it “a transcendent experience” and ranking it as the best song by the group.”

I think it is a good song, but it falls short in my estimation of “the best songs by the group.” Music is so subjective, and what is “best” for me may not make your best-of list. Great album, though, and the song still fits in with the other tracks.

1973, what a year! I graduated from high school and started my first full-time job two days after the last day of school. I bought my first car, a 1967 Rambler station wagon, from my Mom. I bought my first stereo and played Dark Side of the Moon (DSotM) by Pink Floyd on it.

What a year indeed. Good memories float by as I listen to the 50th-anniversary remastered version of DSotM on a new turntable (audio-technica) that I bought recently, along with a new set of speakers (Romanca). The sound is good, and for some reason, I can listen to this album over and over without getting tired of it. I turned up the volume and basked in the music. This is a good remix that seems to better project various parts as the music floods the room. The drums seem crisper and clearer. The bass moves in and out, as does the electric guitar. An homage to the three surviving band members, perhaps. The keyboard parts are in the mix and remain something akin to the glue that ties all the parts together. I think Richard Wright is often forgotten, and his contribution undervalued. There is a very good use of stereo with good cross-fading and center imagery. This gets a solid 10/10.

Simon & Garfunkel, The Concert In Central Park. I can remember when this album came out and I gushed over it to my friends. I was head over heels for this record and must have played it a dozen times the first week I had it. That’s probably an exaggeration, maybe 3 or 4 times. Over the years, this album has remained one of the albums I hold in high esteem. When lists of favourite live albums show up, I put The Concert In Central Park on my list, along with a few others. I will have to make a list of my concert albums, which would be a good task for this blog. Coming soon to an electronic device near you.

Ok, so last night I was bored and skimmed through Discogs trying to find all my live albums, CDs, or Vinyl. It came to over 70 albums in total, possibly more, since I no doubt missed one or two. This will have to wait till I have more time on my hands.

There we go, then— another week blogged, and a good week it was, with lots of old friends in those albums.

Next week will be dominated by Paul Simon; until then, happy listening.