Simon & Garfunkel

So far, 2016 has already seen many famous people die. To me it seems evey other week one of them drops out. I find it depressing. One of them was Alan Rickman; that really saddened me, I loved Alan Rickman.


Last year I wrote this blog: http://wiwipedia.blogspot.nl/2015/06/save-me.html

It was a rather sad and confused piece, yet clear in its intentions. It’s a sentiment I still feel, but now on the other side of emotions.

Obviously, as the tag told you, that was a piece about James Beck, best known as Private Walker in Dad’s army. I reacquainted myself with the series out of sentiment.

In my early teens I got interested in popculture and started soaking up every little detail of information or utterance from popartists. In those same early teens I also started to discover what was worth in popmusic and that the 60’s were a pop palace of richness, creativity and a new sense of identity. I got the message; it got hammered in by all who lived through those days and those younger once who had already learnt the significance of the music that came out of it and the musicians that had created that music.
I don’t think at that age, I quite got the importance. It was my first venture into general popculture, not kiddie entertainment, and everything was new and overwhelming. It was all too much to take in at once, so I selected my favourites by means of natural interest.
As I wrote many times before, my first interest was Take That. A new group that took me into the world of popmusic, like a first walk in a big city. Shortly before that time I came across Michael Jackson and Madonna. During that time I heard names like Freddie Mercury (from Queen) and Paul Simon (from Simon & Garfunkel). It was brought to me in exactly that way: “Freddie Mercury, from Queen…” and “Paul Simon, from Simon & Garfunkel…”. The former had just died and the latter had just had a hit. I both stored them in my brain for later research. In 1999 it was Freddie’s turn, or rather Queen’s turn and now, in 2016, it’s Paul Simon’s turn, or rather Simon & Garfunkel’s turn.

Now I’m back to where I came into the circle, my teens first realizing Paul Simon was really someone. I can draw this back to Alan Rickman as well; his was another name I stored for later research. When I got into my Alan Rickman phase, I realized I watched ‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’ and Alan Rickman already got hold of my interest. I had forgotten a lot about the film, but it all seemed very familiar to me. It was nice going back in time, but having new experiences and new objects to study in pop culture. It felt like I just walked around the block and decided to give that building I had seen before, a proper look. That’s exactly how I feel about Simon & Garfunkel.
I remember sensing Simon & Garfunkel were a duo you just simply had to know. If you didn’t, there were serious gaps in your pop culture knowledge. I got that, I didn’t do anything about it, until now.
I was bored and watching top 10’s on Youtube. One of the top 10’s were of songs that make you cry. On number 9 was ‘Sound of Silence’. I knew ‘Sound of Silence’, I even knew it was a Simon & Garfunkel song. I picked up that much, apparently. It was the trigger for me to finally check out their music proper. So far, no regrets, not even about being late to the party.
What’s there to say what has not yet been said about them? Yes, their music really does grant their status of legendary. I am thoroughly enjoying the songs as they were written, as they were recorded, as they were performed and sung. And I thoroughly enjoy that’s there so much of it and the density of quality in their work. I fully understand and under scribe the goo-ish glory and hallelujah that they get for their songs.
In the previous post I said I was happy, because of a little tidbit from an Art Garfunkel interview. Now I am happy, because the songs just make me happy.