zaichikarky

The short guy with the page boy haircut, the tall guy with the jewfro. The singer-song writer, and the guy who's name and image may invoke all sorts of silly and perverted meanings.

Paul and Art, or Simon and Garfunkel, met while they were kids living in Queens. Paul noticed Art for the first time singing in a talent show in fourth grade. He hoped they would be friends because he thought singing was a good way to attract girls. This did happen when they appeared in a school production of "Alice in Wonderland" together in 6th grade and soon began performing as a duo in school dances.

By fifteen they had a recording contract and even a top 50 hit as Tom (Art) & Jerry (Paul)

Their one and only album

They focused on education and unsuccessful solo careers for a time until they reconvened in 1963, around the time when Paul took an interest in folk music, to record an unsuccessful album as a duo called Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.. Paul moved to England for a few years, and Art pursued a Master's in Mathematics. Unbeknownst to either of them, star producer Tom Wilson was so impressed with a particular song called "Sounds of Silence", especially with its growing popularity on college radio stations, that he decided to take creative liberties with the song, overdubbing it with an electric bass line and drums. When Paul initially listened to the new version in England, he was "horrified", but by then the song had become such a hit that he moved back to the US quickly to capitalize on its success with Art.

I actually don't know which version I like better, but this is the original without the electric instrumentation added, the one seldom played on the airwaves.

Their previously unsuccessful studio album added the folk-rock version of "Sounds of Silence" and became a huge hit as well. The duo were involved in a flurry of activity, including working on "The Graduate" with Dustin Hoffman, until their final album Bridge Over Troubled Water released in 1970. As the Simon & Garfunkel duo, the pair recorded five albums in 6 years (1964-1970) and decided to call it splits because recording the highly successful Bridge Over Troubled Water had put a strain on their friendship.

The duo went their separate ways, Paul having a successful solo career, Art fading away for a period of about 15 years due to depression from his long time girlfriend committing suicide, and later father dying. Simon has always been the more famous of the duo. He is the singer-song writer, he has had a successful solo career. He's responsible for some of the most amazing lyrics in the history of music. He's also known as being an asshat to Art.

When they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, Art thanked Paul for being "the person who most enriched my life by putting those songs through me." Paul replied with "Arthur and I agree about almost nothing. But it's true, I have enriched his life quite a bit."

Despite the many years of hurt feelings and disagreements, the duo have reunited many times to perform for various shows and events. Perhaps one of the best known times was for the Free Concert in New York City in 1981:

That particular performance is very special because there is a very noticeable mistake in the beginning which adds to its charm. Is it Art not coming in at the right time, or is it Art coming in exactly on time, but not noticing that Paul has prolonged the next phrase to wait for the audience applause to die down? Regardless, this performance is incredibly well known and well-loved.

As of now, "The Boxer" is my second favorite Simon and Garfunkel hit. The song is said to be autobiographical in the sense that Paul was writing about criticism he was receiving during that time period. It tells the story of a poor young man moving to New York City and dealing with the harsh realities of poverty. It also tells the story of a Boxer who (presumably) the protagonist sees on the corner.

Until about a year ago when I began my "classic rock education" in earnest which started from a coworker quizzing me daily about the songs we'd hear on the radio at work while I'd jot them down in a notebook, I was only familiar with Simon & Garfunkel's work on "The Graduate". I don't think I'd ever heard "Sounds of Silence" , much less "The Boxer". My "education" has culminated with a six-page excel spreadsheet which I study and update regularly, continuing to add to my knowledge and appreciation for my musical tastes (primarily classic rock and New Wave). I continue to learn more and more every day. While researching for this entry, I learned that Simon & Garfunkel were responsible for Hazy Shade of Winter, which is much more well known as being a Bangles cover. Who'd have thought that version wasn't the original? Well, I should have known considering I do know the Bangles didn't write any of their music.

I appreciate Paul and Art not only for their immense contribution to the folk-rock movement, but also for their ability to put aside hurt feelings and their egos to perform as a duo for the fans at least at certain times. Their last performance was in 2010 and Art is eager to tour again. The years of smoking have taken a toll on Art's voice, which many argue was the better of the two. The resulting cancellations from Art's vocal chord problems in the early 2010s yet again put them into poor relations. I hope we can see another reunion in the future, but at least we know from past experiences that it is likely to happen some day because the fighters still remain.