1970 s classic - Art Garfunkel has a far better voice than Paul Simon, and I actually prefer Garfunkel s solo work to Simon s.This album showcases the best of Garfunkel s folkesque light rock, with some real gems.My favourites include the laidback Breakaway (1975), the beautiful and haunting Bright Eyes (1979), the pop love song (What A) Wonderful World (1977), the exquisite All I Know (1973)(one of my all time favourite songs) with it s incredible piano work, the old blues hit I Only Have Eyes For You and the gentle A Heart In New York (1981).This is a must have for any lover of good music, and a classic of 1970 s music.
A blend of music and lyrics - Since the sixties I ve enjoyed listening to Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon sing their songs. It wasn t until their great, and final studio album, Bridge Over Troubled Water, that I discovered just how good Art Garfunkel was. When S&G went their separate ways I was hoping to hear from Garfunkel. It didn t take long. He released a few songs that were good and then he released All I Know. I couldn t believe how great a voice and musician he was. This CD is true ear candy for anyone looking for solid talent and beautiful arrangements. Get this CD and feast on the experience.
The often overlooked half of Simon and Garfunkel - Unlike his former partner, Art Garfunkel has not reaped enormous publicity as a soloist (relatively speaking). Upon listening to this album, I find that hard to believe. I especially enjoyed 99 Miles from LA and Scissors Cut. He does a great cover of I Only Have Eyes for You and When a Man Loves a Woman, as well as the trio cover of Wonderful World.
Woefully inadequate anthology that is just begging to be updated - Memo to Sony records: Your 1988 release Garfunkel which was touted at the time as some sort of Greatest Hits anthology was a hugely disappointing offering back then and now some 17 years later is an insult to the artist. Featuring a meager dozen tracks this disc does a great disservice to Art Garfunkel himself and to his legion of loyal fans all over America. It is high time that this situation was corrected!Garfunkel leaves an awful lot to be desired on any number of levels. First and foremost a mere 12 tracks is simply not acceptable. In this day and age one would expect a minimum of 20 tracks in any collection covering the career of such a significant artist. Next, I would add my voice to that of another reviewer who questioned why an edited down version of Tim Moore s marvelous tune Second Avenue was included here instead of the full five minute album track. It is extremely frustrating and I want to pull my hair out every time I hear it! It just ruins the song entirely. Finally there is the matter of all that was not included. I can easily think of at least 8 or 10 tunes that should be a part of any Art Garfunkel collection. Among the tunes that should have been included is Art s haunting 1974 single release Traveling Boy from his LP Angel Claire. While this one failed to crack the Billboard Hot 100, Art s vocal performance ranks right up there with Bridge Over Troubled Water which I personally consider to be among the best vocals in pop music over the past half century. Other tunes that might have been included are Looking For The Right One from the LP Breakway and Crying In My Sleep. Anyone who has ever attended an Art Garfunkel concert knows of his affinity for doo wop music. While Garfunkel does feature his renditions of I Only Have Eyes For You and So Much In Love it would have been nice if Since I Don t Have You was included as well. And while I am not usually a big fan of Live albums I might include a couple of numbers from Art s Across America CD in any new collection as well.It is a mystery to me why Sony has not yet chosen to release a brand new collection of the music of Art Garfunkel. For now it would appear to me that the 1998 import release simply entitled The Best of Garfunkel would be your best bet. But if you take a good look you will find that there are notable omissions on that one as well. It is high time that Sony stepped up to the plate and corrected this situation. Garfunkel as it is presently constituted simply does not measure up. I would recommend that you pass on this one.
Alright, if you absolutely HAVE to have a Garfunkel solo album... - This one is for you. But honestly now, the guy doesn t write--beautiful voice--but songwriting is a major appeal. So guess a solo garfunkel is a lot like a step above Justin Timberlake. Ok, there are definitely highlihgts like a Heart in Newyork, (what a) wonderful world, but generally this a very casual compilation, good for a couple listens. in general, Art Garfunkel isn t really good for more than that. Check out him witht Paul Simon, that is amazing stuff, but this is kinda boring. I might have a bit more respect if he wrote the songs--but even though there are good songwriters writing for him, the songs are still sub-par.