One of my friends reminded me of this yesterday and I have to say I was stunned at the impact it had on me. My wife had a similar reaction last night. Simply fabulous. Listen to it all–KSH.
One of my friends reminded me of this yesterday and I have to say I was stunned at the impact it had on me. My wife had a similar reaction last night. Simply fabulous. Listen to it all–KSH.
My favorite post in a long, long time. Thanks Kendall+.
TJ
One of my favorites along with a number of others.
In 1980, my wife and I were living near Central Park and went to the free reunion concert there. When they started singing this song, a young woman in the grass in front of us turned to her friends and said “this was my mother’s favorite song.” We were taken aback–this was one of our favorite songs when we were this young woman’s age and we weren’t old enough to be anyone’s “mother”! Something was happening that we were not prepared for.
Thirty years on, I suppose they now say this was my grandmother’s favorite song. Surely not great-grandmother’s?
This was one of my mother’s favorite songs too.
Inevitably, the original recording is definitive. Nevertheless, I am amazed at how this performance is simply– better.
I am reminded of Pete Townsend’s [i]White City[/i] album, which shocked me at the time for its depth and maturity from someone I expected to grow old ungracefully. That would have been, say, 1986?
The net of effect of [i]The Sound of Silence[/i], of course, is to glamourize alienation. Although I own a copy, I don’t play it, and I make sure it does not find its way on to any of my children’s playlists. There is effectively an infinite amount of music available today, and one primary way I decide what is allowed* into my house is by estimating what it is, all primary and secondary “meanings” aside, that the music ultimately reinforces, elevates, or glamourizes. Some of my very favorite music doesn’t make the cut: Jackson Browne, Ray Price, Neil Young. As I’ve said, though, there is no shortage of music that is at least as excellent that [i]does[/i] make the cut.
*ha!! I orginally typed “aloud”!