Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel – What’s On The Table
Tom & Jerry’s masterwork album ….
That’s what Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel called their duo act in the very beginning. Art was Tom and Paul was Jerry.Almost as catchy as Mona & Lisa 😉
When it came to picking albums for the What’s On The Table” series we knew right from the start that we wanted to include at least one Simon & Garfunkel record. There isn’t an album we don’t enjoy but “Bridge Over Troubled Water” was a favourite that we already had on vinyl. You could also argue that it is their most iconic one.
We are sure you all have opinions and favourite tracks on this record so let’s get chatting in the comments!
We hope you’ve all been keeping well and we thank you for watching and being here 🙂
Mona & Lisa
If it weren’t for Simon & Garfunkel I might not have found you two. I was looking on You Tube for a cover of “sound of silence” by Disturbed. While I don’t consider myself a fan of their style of music, they díd do a cool cover. That’s when I also saw your cover as well. It seemed like from then on I was listening to more and more MLT. And now, here I am. So in a roundabout way, Simon & Garfunkel helped me find you two.
I still remember the day I listened to this album for the first time. It must have been sometime in the early seventies. My brother came home with the album he had bought at our local recordshop, and together we listened, in my brother’s room, to the music of Simon & Garfunkel (which I had never heard of before). I remember how impressed I was by the songs on the album. Since that day I have listened to the album at least 100.000 times. For me it might be the best album ever made.
I’m glad you also love this album and have fond memories of it.
P.S. I love your cover of “The 59th Street Bridge song” !
OK, here’s the deal. You added a harmony to he Kinks’ “Tired of Waiting” that it had always needed; you ADDED VALUE with your cover, which to me is the deciding factor as to whether a cover is worthwhile or not. So, I’d love to hear you do the same with “Song for the Asking.” Of course, I’m biased; I would cheerfully pay to hear you sing your harmonies, reading from the phone book…🤣
I was in college, living in the dorm at the time of release, and it was impossible to avoid this album. It was blaring out the doors and windows of every room. It got to the “enough already” point. Hearing decades later, the appreciation for the record has returned. Still, probably enjoy listening to the deeper cuts (“Baby Driver”, “Only Living Boy”, “So Long…..”) a little more. They seem fresher than the somewhat overplayed (though fine) hit singles.
In retrospect, perhaps not a bad idea for the duo to call it quits after this record. Commercially, they weren’t going to top it. Might as well go out with a big bang.
I hope you seriously consider covering Only Living Boy in New York. I’m glad Lisa singled it out as a favorite. One of my favorites too even though it wasn’t a hit. The Boxer is another great one and I like Baby Driver too. Thanks for reviewing this great album.
These songs bring back so many memories from my youth. I used to be in an acoustic guitar band with my two best friends in the 1970s. We covered a few of their songs (Cecilia and At the Zoo). I think my all time favorite Simon and Garfunkel song is America. It reminds me of the days I used to travel as a young person, searching for myself and for meaning in my life. I really enjoy What’s On the Table because you remind me of the music I grew up listening to. And maybe I had forgotten about some of these songs until you brought them back. Thank you.
I love this album so much. Like you, I have also listened to this since I was a young child. I am 61 now, and love it just as much (if not more) today as I did then.
Simon & Garfunkel, one of my favorites!!! Everyone wishes they could sing Bridge Over Troubled Water but very few people can. Cecilia is one of the best songs to sing to. I love the excitement in both of your voices and body language!!! Perfect On The Table songs. Stay Groovy!!!!
Always interesting, fun and entertaining to see “What’s on the Table.” I love Simon and Garfunkel. My personal favorite song of theirs has to be “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Beautiful song and I love the lyrics.
Covers are great, but they take time to produce. So, might I suggest that for your next “What’s on the Table”, you sing along with one of the songs from start to finish. I would have loved to hear you keep going with “The Boxer” or any other song on this album. Think about it.
Girls it would do my heart much Justice to hear you perform Bridge Over Troubled Waters and I can honestly say that I feel I’m not alone on this.
I hope that one day you will fulfil the dream I have of hearing you sing this song❤❤❤❤❤❤
Great review Mona n Lisa- My two all time favorite songs by Simon n Garfunkel are I am A Rock and of course Sounds of Silence. Paul Simon is one the the best song writers around. He is as close to Dylan than anybody else. My favorite four albums would be Sounds of Silence, Bookends, Bridge of Trouble Water and then Parsley, Sage ,Rosemary and Thyme. Art had such a beautiful voice that blended with Paul so perfectly. Now on the album you reviewed my 4 songs would be – The only Living Boy In New York, Bridge of Trouble Water, The Boxer and So Long Frank Lloyd Wright.
Ladies a cd I would love to have you review would be by Dion DiMucci solo album he did called
Dion Yo Frankie- you will need to listen to this one from start to finish. Dion was a big star in the 50’s 60’s with the Belmonts. So go to You Tube and listen to this cd. I think you will like and enjoy it. Peace & Love and you know where you got the Groovy word from…. Hello Lamp post etc..
Joe
Thank you, Mona and Lisa, for this walk down memory lane. My father owned this album & we played it many times throughout my childhood (on my father’s old turntable and huge old speakers). Hearing these songs again really takes me back. I love Simon’s writing in general, and this album in particular.
I’m a fairly recent ‘Twinhead’* , so this is the first ‘On The Table’ I’ve watched. It’s really sweet listening to you two chat about music you love. Thanks for this.
*Not sure what we groupies call ourselves.
Love watching your What’s on the table Mona and Lisa very interesting and entertaining. My favourite Simon and Garfunkel i think is Keep The Customer Satisfied. Bridge over troubled water is a fantastic album.
“Scarborough Fair/Canticle” is my favorite from Simon & Garfunkel.
Love seeing you relaxed discussing music, what could be better!? When it comes to harmonies Simon and Garfunkel are obviously giants. In my opinion, “The Boxer” is one of the best harmonic blending of voices ever recorded with The Beatles’ “Because” and MLT’s “Dreams” (no lip service – honestly).
“Sound of Silence” is probably my favorite of theirs. “Scarborough Fair”, “Homeward Bound”, “Mrs. Robinson”.
What a fantastic cover you did with “The 59th Bridge Street Song (Feelin’ Groovy)”! Better than the original.
Will “Pet Sounds” be laid down On The Table?
Fantastic! Thank you,
Tomás
Keep the Customer Satisfied is probably my favorite of theirs. Also Cecillia. So much to love about their music. Paul Simon is such a great writer and musician.
Hello
Love this segment What’s on the Table. Simon and Garfunkel have always been on my list as a favorite group since Mrs. Robison in 1968. So i went back and found other music from them and has upset when they broke up but they left behind great music. I do love your version of Mrs. Robinson. One thing want to put out is the blending of your voices. Just listening to this What’s on the table video, you both sang Cecilia and just like that your voices blend beautifully. That is a god given talent and you both do it so good. That is hard to do on a un rehearsed time and just to jump in the sing? Wow. I so appreciate you both and it is soothing to hear you sing and play your instruments. Other songs I love from Simon and Garfunkel , The Boxer, America, just to name a couple but their list is endless to me.
It would have been interesting if they had kept their duo act name as Tom and Jerry, as it does have a nice catchy ring to it. I wonder if they changed it to Simon and Garfunkle just to avoid the cat and mouse reference to the cartoon characters.
This was my favorite S&G album with Bookends in 2nd. I would love to hear you do Bridge over Troubled Water! I’m getting goose bumps just thinking about it. And maybe Baby Driver just to hear Mona go “vroom bapa ba pa. These WOTT videos are possibly my favorite parts of the MLT club. Your reactions to the music are pure magic! It’s the next best thing to being there with you!
Great choise, you once again picked one of my favourite albums. That one is definitely in the top ten list, there`s so many amazing songs there. Paul Simon`s playing and songwriting was the reason i spent months practising, learning how to fingerpick like him. I never managed to see Simon&Garfunkel live, but i saw Paul Simon some years back. He`s often in Denmark, because he lived in Copenhagen for a while before they got famous, and has friends here. One of them is a friend of mine too, and he told me Paul Simon was giving an intimate concert, only room for ca. 100 people, and i managed to get a ticket. It was just him and an acoustic guitar, playing, and talking about how he wrote the the songs. That is my most cherished concert memory, just sitting there listening to all those amazing songs he`s written. He is one of the great poets and songwriters of the 20th. century.
That was cool, Thank you Ladies for sharing your wonderful memories . I did see Simon & Garfunkel early 2000’s with the Everly Brothers . seeing a Duo sing with a Duo who they were inspired by was very cool . one of my favorite concerts.
How do you keep doing this? You’ve shot me back to my youth, AGAIN, to the time my older sister brought this album home. On Fridays & Saturdays, late at night, I’d put it on our high-fidelity console at low volume. Then I would lay on the floor between the speakers and just listen. I did this most weekends until summer rolled around and other interests came to the fore, but I’ll never forget this album.
However, there is an album that I did forget about, but having remembered it I think it would be a fun WOTT choice: Van Morrison’s “Blowin’ Your Mind!”. My favorite track, and even favorite Van Morrison song, “Brown Eyed Girl” is here and some other cool sort of psychedelic tunes, even “T.B. Sheets”, which is more bluesy but fits right in, and one of the better versions of “Midnight Special”.
And yes, I’ll say it again, What’s On The Table is the best!
Oh, this album was huge when it was released. It was near the level of a Beatles album where we would listen to it over and over and over when we first got it. So many great songs on it but one favorite of mine is “Only Living Boy in New York”. It just struck me for some reason and remains a favorite even today. One thing I remember is that I was in a duo in the late 1970s both of us guitarists and we would harmonize when we sang. The Boxer was on our play list and when it came to the line “cut him ’til he cried out’ I imitated Dylan when I sang that line. Why??? I have no idea. But it made my singing partner laugh when I did it the first time. So, I kept it in the song. Great album…….timeless. Mike.
Love hearing your story about singing Cecelia at the bus stop when you were little and that old lady telling you both you should be on TV. She is right! Great also to learn about how Simon and Garfunkle was one of your earliest influences and had a big role in your learning about harmonies. While I had a Simon and Garfunkle greatest hits album when I was young, never listened through this album, so had a listen to the whole album today, and it’s great, and some of the songs are so great had to hear it a couple times. Bridge over Troubled Water, El Condor Pasa (If I could), Cecilia, The Boxer I know well. Keep the Customer Satisfied is great, reminds me of my first job as a young teenager at a big sports stadium serving customers at one of the fast food kiosks, and I know that feeling ..”I get slandered” all too well serving customers! The Only Living Boy in New York, I never heard before but I love it, so beautiful, makes your spirit float in the sky! Baby Driver sounds almost like an early Beach Boys tune, like it! It’s an awesome album.
I’ve know the song “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” since I was very little, my parents had a compilation album of many great pop songs and this was one of their favourites. A little trivia, Paul Simon was inspired by a Bach piece “O Sacred Head, now wounded” when he wrote this song. My favourite Simon Garfunkle songs would be Bridge Over Troubled Water, Sounds of Silence, and El Condor Pasa (If I Could). That last song I first heard when I was 10 watching a movie “Voyage of The Yes” in 1973. About a couple of teenagers on a sailboat voyage from San Francisco to Hawaii encounter a storm and lose the sail, and it becomes a survival adventure. What stands out is one of them has an acoustic guitar and he sings El Condor Pasa (If I Could). The song/music gives them hope and motivation to keep surviving despite their dire situation (no wind, no food, and bit by a shark) and that song becomes the theme music of the movie. That guitar and song in a way saved their lives, how powerful and important music is, eve for survival! I guess Simon and Garfunkle had an impact on me too from when I was little. Was a tune I use to hum back then. There was also a 2014 movie called “Wild” with Reese Witherspoon who embarks on a journey in the wild after a loss of a loved one to figure life out, and that song is also a theme song of the movie.
Really enjoyed your discussion of this album, and I will keep an eye out for it when I return to scouring the used record stores!
For an album recommendation, check out Beach Boys “The Beach Boys Today”, one of their 1965 pre Pet Sounds albums where you can hear them evolve away from surfing/car songs to more sophisticated themes. It’s a fun album for these summer days with gobs of rich harmonies. Thanks so much, that was so fun!
Trying to choose one favorite S&G song is as difficult as choosing one MLT song! Like many others, I became a huge fan of theirs in 1966 with the release of “Sounds of Silence”. From then on I made it a point to watch for each new album. After their breakup in 1970 I continued to be a huge Paul Simon fan. I love listening to the two of you talk about how much you love these songs. It seems they were/are as important to you as they were/are to me, even though there’s a 45 year difference in our ages! If I had to pick just one it would probably be “The Boxer”. I learned how to finger pick with that epic song. Just so you know, I absolutely Love these WOTT segments! This one is my favorite so far, probably because I think it has been the longest yet. I wish you were on TV too. I would love to watch you do a full hour long Music & Comedy show every week. You are so much fun. Thanks and much love to you both.
This was really cool. I grew up listening to Simon and Garfunkel Early sixties, before the British wave took us all down to Liverpool! I believe Art Garfunkel has never gotten the credit he deserves as one of America’s finest vocalists. His voice was angelic. You mentioned Tom and Jerry, I still have an original 45 rpm entitled The Lone Teen Ranger by Jerry Landis in my collection.Of course it Paul Simon. Great time listening to them with the two of you, especially when you share your memories of those concerts! Thanks much!!
Excellent choice album to focus on in this latest WOTT edition… Right off the get go, growing up as a kid in the 70s, on the radio, ( and guilty of singing wrong misheard lyrics…lol) I enjoyed listening/ singing along with/to all S & G songs played on the radio but but “Cecelia” and ” Bridge Over Troubled Water”, ” Mrs. Robinson”, “Kodachrome” stand out as my faves… and fast fwd some yrs back, I got some S & G Greatest Hits CD compilations … by the way, nice tea mug collections featured in this edition?… Thoroughly enjoyed listening and watching and great black n white in sync clothing coordination , Groovy Thumbs Up??
Two of the most recognizable voices in the world. And one of the most prolific Albums ever recorded.
I grew up in so many ways with Simon and Garfunkel. I was actually allowed to listen to them. The Boxer has been for many years a favorite of mine.
A bit of background on Bridge Over Troubled Water…. Simon and Garfunkel got into an argument over who would sing lead. Neither one wanted to do it. Finally they decided each to sing it. When it came to Arts turn Simon had them record it when he was done, Paul said well that’s done. And it has stayed this way.
Bless you ladies, for bringing many memories back?❤
Yes, super album and the songs sound as fresh now as they did then (I was 18 when it came out). There Goes Rhyming Simon is also a fave of mine.
One of my favourite albums ladies,lovely review. Just out of interest have you ever recorded or performed Norwegian Wood.The reason i`m asking is I don`t recall it on any of your albums. But I`ve heard it covered by other artists.
A special memory of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” for me was in 1971. OK, I’ve told my age now, so don’t laugh. I still can remember back that far. LOL! It was the first week of college and several of us were in the music room, messing around and waiting for the instructor. Someone started playing this song on the piano. A couple of us picked up our guitars and started playing along. Then we started singing the song. One of the guys and I started singing in harmony then a couple more joined in. The professor entered the room while we were performing and just stood there while we carried on. When we finished, she said that the other guitar player and I had extremely good musical ears. Neither of us could read music at the time to any degree. He and I went on and played in a band together for the next year with some other guys. “Bridge Over Troubled Water” has been special for me since then. You two would do a tremendous job on some of their tunes, I’m sure.
I think the Boxer would be perfect for you two to cover, great song and it would give Mona a workout on the bass harmonica!
Love the Funkel brothers; Simon and Gar. ?
What we used to jokingly call them. But, all jokes aside we had tremendous respect and admiration for Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. Loved their music. Hated when they broke up. I used to have that album, but it is gone like most of my old vinyls. Nice discussion. I really enjoyed your “What’s on the Table.” ?❤
That was such a wonderful discussion of two of my very favorite artists BY two of my favorite artists. Simon & Garfunkle shaped my music and my past as well and I truly loved this album. You can almost get tears during the piano introduction on Bridge Over Troubled Waters … it is an incredible piece of music. Thank you both for being so groovy and open with you memories and your feelings.
Hi Mona and Lisa.,
I really like so much of session “What’s on the table”., is good watch and listen you talking, smiling and telling your memories about the songs. is like be at the table too.
I believe that Sound of silence, The Boxer, Bridge over troubled water or Cecilia, with a
“MLT touch” would be amazing.. ( as always ).
Thanks and Stay groovy.
So fun to hear your comments and your spontaneous singing harmonies – always amazing! I didn’t realize there were so many great songs on this album. Yet my favorite Paul and Art song is Sounds of Silence; Excellent material for a duo session after the new album!
Thank you Mona & Lisa! You made my day yet again. My favourite What’s on the table so far. It was great seeing you both just glowing in your appreciation of this album. Very infectious; now I have a strong craving to listen to my Simon & Garfunkel albums. Loved your charming story of you singing Cecilia at the bus stop. Loving seeing & hearing a snippet of your great performance of The 59th Street Bridge Song. As long as I’ve listened to music I have always been captivated by their albums. As you mentioned such great voices that magically go so well together. My favourite album of theirs is Bookends but I love everything they did. The Only Living Boy In New York always mesmerizes me. I listen to Paul Simon a lot as well. Such a brilliant writer & a musical innovator. Here is a great performance of All I Have To Do Is Dream by Paul Simon, Edie Brickell, their daughter and Woody” Harrelson that they did early on in Corona virus lockdown.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aez4HpH2P7M
I have this album too and I like it very much though it´s maybe not even the best of them. What makes it interesting is that the duo was already skipping up at this point. I think “So Long Frank Lloyd Wright” is Paul´s way to say goodbye to Art though he let Art sing the song. “Only Living Boy In New York” tells also that everything is not well within the duo.
You wanted to know my favorite S&G song. There are lot of them but to pick up just two I would say “America” or “The Boxer”
Oops! I just watched your great discussion of the album, and now I see that you have apparently not yet recorded any songs from it. Well, what’s keeping you, M and L?!
I inherited that album from an older sibling when I was young and I think I wore the grooves off. I used to sing Baby Driver while riding my bike around the neighborhood. I think my favorite song off the album is The Boxer. Growing up I really identified with the lyrics. All in all, my favorite Simon and Garfunkel song is Hazy Shade of Winter. I am in awe of Paul’s playing that catchy hook of an intro, and the lyrical phrasing in the song. What few public performances I have done, I always got the best feedback on the Paul Simon/Simon and Garfunkel tunes I did. Like you, always a fan of the harmonies, songwriting and Paul’s finger picking guitar playing.
Fantastic album choice. I was 20 years old when this album came out in 1970. Music production started changing In the 1970’s. This is one of the few albums with all wonderful songs. Albums came out with some hits and a lot of not so groovy music. Music started changing in the 70’s going from using all studio musicians to more actual band members. This album is mostly famous studio musicians of The Wrecking Crew.
In 1970, I entered Canada as an American Vietnam War Objector. The local Unitarian Church helped such as me find lodging with families who belonged to it. My first new home was with a lovely couple with three teenage children. Their son Adrian had just learned “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” (it was a current hit then), and he sang it to me with his guitar. I was blessed with a new and permanent life as a Canadian, and I shall always remember that experience with the song and that family as my own personal bridge over troubled waters. Thank you, Mona and Lisa, for performing it.
Soooooo Happy I kept my membership up – worth every penny and getting better
P:)
A good choice. Simon and Garfunkel have always been one of my favorites. You brought up a good point that they paint a picture with not only their words, but their music. The Sounds of Silence is one of my all time favorite tunes. Nice job ladies! I enjoy listening to what you have on the table. After listening to this session, I am definitely “feeling groovy”. 🙂
Wonderful Insights, your joy and excitement shows through, a pleasure to watch and listen to.
Love your adhoc vocals, you sound so tuned into each other
P:)
A great album choice. Played it many, many times and have a few copies of it because of wear and tear on it. Simon and Garfunkel music is as great a tutorial on harmony as the Beach Boys and Everly Brothers and I will include the Osmonds in here especially if you are interested in 4 part harmonies. All of them used their voices as additional instruments in the mix which makes them so memorable to me. I love harmony and the kinds of music that are heavily influenced by it. Hint, hint.