#172 Simon and Garfunkel, 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' (1970)

Previously #51

Featuring some of Paul Simon’s finest songs, ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ was the fifth and final record to be released by the duo. It was recorded in two parts; session 1 in November 1968 and session 2 exactly a year later in November 1969. In the intervening year, Simon furiously wrote songs while Art Garfunkel took time out to act in the movie, ‘Catch-22.’ The film took longer than expected and the duo’s relationship suffered. The band even had to turn down an invitation to perform at Woodstock due to their respective commitments.

The album opens with the Gospel-influenced title track. Art Garfunkel sang lead vocals on the song at the behest of Paul Simon. He initially declined but was convinced otherwise. The result is arguably the finest vocal performance of his career. The next two tracks, ‘El Condor Pasa (If I Could)’ and ‘Cecilia’ were the fourth and third single respectively. The former was Simon’s first foray into World Music, which he would explore more in his solo career. Side two of the record starts with ‘The Boxer,’ lead single one of the greatest Simon & Garfunkel songs ever released. The song was recorded over 3 sessions, many months and 100+ hours. With this song, Simon & Garfunkel were the first musicians to use 16-track recording. The album won 6 Grammys, including Album Of The Year and Song Of The Year. Following the record, Garfunkel took another acting role while Simon studied music theory. Simon started work on his first solo record, diving into a massive solo career. The duo would never record another studio album together again, breaking up directly after the release of this album. The album went on to sell 25 million copies, becoming one of the biggest sellers of all time.

#rs500albums