A two-disc anthology released to coincide with Simon & Garfunkel’s 2003 "Old Friends" reunion tour (which didn't come within 900 miles of me, but whatever). It contains all of the duo’s 16 singles originally released between 1964 and 1975 to reach the Billboard Hot 100. The remaining 17 songs include album cuts and eight live performances from 1967 to 1969.
Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #27
Tracks:
| Disc 1 | |||
| Song | Year | Hot 100 | AC |
| Wednesday Morning, 3 AM (Live) | 1967 | - | - |
| Bleecker Street | 1964 | - | - |
| The Sound Of Silence | 1964 | 1 | - |
| Leaves That Are Green (Live) | 1967 | - | - |
| A Most Peculiar Man (Live) | 1968 | - | - |
| I Am A Rock | 1965 | 3 | - |
| Richard Cory | 1965 | - | - |
| Kathy's Song (Live) | 1969 | - | - |
| Scarborough Fair/Canticle | 1966 | 11 | 5 |
| Homeward Bound | 1965 | 5 | - |
| Sparrow (Live) | 1967 | - | - |
| The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) | 1966 | - | - |
| The Dangling Conversation | 1966 | 25 | - |
| A Poem On The Underground Wall (Live) | 1967 | - | - |
| Hazy Shade Of Winter | 1966 | 13 | - |
| At The Zoo | 1968 | 16 | - |
| Disc 2 | |||
| Song | Year | Hot 100 | AC |
| Mrs. Robinson | 1968 | 1 | 4 |
| Fakin' It | 1967 | 23 | - |
| Old Friends | 1968 | - | - |
| Bookends | 1968 | - | - |
| America | 1968 | 97 | - |
| Overs (Live) | 1968 | - | - |
| El Condor Pasa (If I Could) | 1970 | 18 | 6 |
| Bridge Over Troubled Water | 1970 | 1 | 1 |
| Cecilia | 1970 | 4 | 31 |
| Keep The Customer Satisfied | 1970 | - | - |
| So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright | 1970 | - | - |
| The Boxer | 1970 | 7 | 3 |
| Baby Driver | 1970 | - | - |
| The Only Living Boy In New York | 1970 | - | - |
| Song For The Asking | 1970 | - | - |
| For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her (Live) | 1972 | 53 | 27 |
| My Little Town | 1975 | 9 | 1 |
Yes, it includes 9 of the original 11 tracks from the Bridge Over Troubled Water album, what of it? That doesn't bother me, but I'm docking this set some points for the almost-but-not-quite chronological sequencing and the inclusion of too many live cuts. Speaking of live cuts, where is the live version of Wake Up, Little Susie, which hit #27 in 1982?
Here's my top five cuts from this particular compilation. Looks like I prefer Disc 2 over Disc 1.
- My Little Town
- Cecilia
- Mrs. Robinson
- 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)
- Bridge Over Troubled Water
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Back on April 27, I was re-rewatching an episode of the wonderful TV series Mad Men, more specifically season 4, episode 7: The Suitcase. The episode ends with Bleecker Street, a deep cut from Simon & Garfunkel's 1964 debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. I immediately liked the tune, but didn't recognize it. I grabbed my phone and used an app to identify the song. Add some bourbon and a credit card to the equation and yada yada yada this two disc set arrives at my doorstep on May 1.
Folk songs always remind me of church camps. I went to my fair share of them as a teen and, at some point during almost all of the camps, one of the camp counselors would pull out an acoustic guitar and attempt to start a folksy sing-along. After a few familiar S&G and/or Dylan tunes, they'd try to get creative and shout out something along the lines of "Hey! Let's sing the words to Amazing Grace to the tune of House Of The Rising Sun!" and teenaged Mark would yearn for a Walkman with some new wave cassettes.
During my years in 5th and 6th grade, my music teacher's name was Mrs.Kincaid and her music classes mostly consisted of her playing the guitar while we sang along. We sang a lot of tunes, but I can only remember a few: Rocky Raccoon, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, and 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy). I always liked Mrs. Kincaid - she was very supportive of me and my talents; like all good teachers, she felt her job wasn't to pass along knowledge, but to build up students. I wonder what ever happened to her.
And I can't begin to tell you how many times I've sung Bridge Over Troubled Water at the top of my lungs. I don't have the range to pull it off but that doesn't keep me from trying.
Previously revisited for the blog:
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