Simon & Garfunkel - Live 1969

Just before the release of Bridge Over Troubled Water, which would be their last studio album together, Simon & Garfunkel toured North America and several of those shows were recorded for a live album that was to be Bridge’s follow-up. Better late than never, Columbia/Legacy has finally released the album on the 40th anniversary of those recorded dates.

Cobbled together from six performances over the course of a month, the pair present four songs each from Sounds of Silence and Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme; three from Bookends; and five from the upcoming Bridge, which Garfunkel first refers to when introducing “Song for the Asking” telling the audience “they are near the completion of a new album.” They also cover Gene Autry’s “Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine,” which had previously been covered on Songs Our Daddy Taught Us by their idols and inspiration, the Everly Brothers.

About a third of the way through the album, “Mrs. Robinson” finds Simon & Garfunkel joined by three session musicians from Los Angeles’ Wrecking Crew, bassist Joe Osborn, drummer Hal Blaine, and keyboardist Larry Knechtel, as well as guitarist Fred Carter, Jr., who the duo “have been making records with for the last two years” Garfunkel reveals.

Garfunkel announces a new song, “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” which finds him joined by Knechtel’s piano. His amazing vocals of Simon’s lyrics about love, support, and friendship leads to the biggest ovation on the disc as whistles and catcalls augment the applause and deservedly so. What a treat it must have been for the audience to hear a future classic song for the first time exquisitely performed.

Creating a bookend, “I Am A Rock” finds the duo alone again for the album’s last four songs. Some type of outburst and shouting takes place in the audience at the Detroit show leading into “Leaves That Are Green,” but everyone quickly settles down. A lot of screaming followed by hushes also precedes the final track, “Kathy’s Song.” Acting as the professionals they were, there’s no hint of their deteriorating relationship although it is interesting to note the last song finds Simon singing alone.

The editing on Live 1969 is very impressive as the tracks from different concerts are seamlessly blended together; however, the pacing is a bit off. The disc builds in intensity for about three quarters of the disc and then the last few songs, while they sound very good and receive an enthusiastic response, make for a rather subdued send-off. I was also surprised by the album length as just under an hour seems rather short for a concert. However, those are minor quibbles considering some people in the intervening four decades never got to hear this album

While the thieves who steal content online are certainly a factor in the woes of the music industry, the weasels involved in the business are culpable as well. How any executive at Columbia could have heard the simple beauty/beautiful simplicity of the opening track “Homeward Bound” made by the voices of Simon & Garfunkel accompanied by a lone acoustic guitar and not know they had a hit on their hands is difficult to ascertain. I will grant that the masters could have been lost in the vaults or there were legal issues that needed wrangling, but without explanation, and the liner notes give none, how on Earth Live 1969 took 40 years to release is unfathomable.

Paul Simon: Live From Philadelphia

Under the Greatest Hits Live banner, Eagle Vision Classics presents Paul Simon at Philadelphia’s Tower Theater on October 7, 1980, which was previously released in 2003 as Live at the Tower Theatre. While a good set of easy-listening soft rock is played over the 53 minutes, almost half the tunes are not part of what are generally considered Simon’s “greatest hits.”

This concert was actually part of Simon’s tour in support of his 1980 album One-Trick Pony, which had been out for about six weeks. He was accompanied by members of the funk band Stuff: Steve Gadd (drums), Eric Gale (lead guitar), and Richard Tee (electric piano). Tony Levin (bass guitar) rounded out the main line-up, all of whom also played on the album.

Simon plays songs from all his solo studio albums, opening with the Latin-influenced “Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard” from his debut. Gale delivers a silky smooth solo on the bridge. The mood changes with a version of “Still Crazy After All These Years” led by Tee’s piano that is so smooth and laid back it’s a surprise Simon isn’t singing it in a recliner. George Young brings some restrained energy to the number with a very nice sax solo.

Simon’s sense of humor is evident as banters with the crowd. At different times, he denies it’s his birthday after something shouted from an audience member, suggests people move closer if they like, and he introduces two guys on the camera crew who are running around to record the show.

Simon switches to acoustic guitar for “Something So Right,” a wonderfully insightful love song about people who get in the way of their own happiness. He goes right back to electric as the band delivers a sweet, easy groove for him to tell the tale of a “One-Trick Pony.” In case something so right goes wrong, Simon offers his #1 hit “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.” Here, a horn section backs the chorus, and while it makes the song bigger, it doesn’t make it better. However, Gale once again is allowed to shine.

The most energetic performance of the evening is “Late in the Evening.” Some of the audience is shown on their feet, not enough room to do the samba, but compelled to move by the Latin rhythms nonetheless. The horn section here is essential to the arrangement. Gadd creates an intriguing sound as he plays with two drumsticks in each hand. Levin doubles on little cowbell.

The DVD closes out with two popular songs from Simon’s days with Art Garfunkel: “The Boxer” and “The Sound of Silence.” I know artists like to experiment, but the keyboards added to “The Boxer” don’t work. The audience cutaways show some people entranced, but they completely sap the emotion out of the song, creating a Muzak version for elevators and waiting rooms. Simon redeems himself with a solo version of “The Sound of Silence” on his electric guitar.

The video leaves a lot to be desired. Showing the limits of the technology, the image has a very soft focus and the colors are all faded. The audio has been upgraded and is available in Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Surround 5.1, and DTS Digital Surround Sound.

While not an essential performance, Live From Philadelphia is a good document of Simon before his resurgence in the 1980s with his live re-teaming of Garfunkel in Central Park and his critically and commercially successful album Graceland. Six of the tracks from this concert can be heard at Wolfgang’s Vault.