...Of course this is dated, kids; it was recorded in the mid 1960s, and several of the tracks were quickly re-recorded and re-dubbed in an effort to get something quickly out to the public to take advantage of the surprising smash success of the single "Sounds Of Silence", which the producers had dragged back into the sound mixers studio and re-cut with an electric guitar track overlaid on the locals while Simon and Garfunkel were touring in Britain with Donovan.

In essence, a listener should understand that this album was originally cut to showcase a new and innovative classical folk duo singing terrific harmonies and clear crisp acoustic guitars on mostly original folk music written by Simon himself. This is evident if one listens to the pristine unedited tracks like "Flowers Never Bend With The Rainfall", "Kathy's Song", "April Come She Will", or "A Most Peculiar Man". This is a terrific early snapshot of genius in the rise, and should be treated as such. Calling it sophomoric is like denying Dylan's brilliance in straight folk music before he went electric. Duh! To expect more of Simon at that point is to misunderstand when this was recorded, and to neglect just how dynamic and brilliant his rapid evolution to a position of prominence alongside the new voices of Dylan, Donovan, and Joan Baez really was.

This is an important and seminal album, one that clearly demonstrates the talents and artistry of a poetic powerhouse on the rise, and it should be appreciated for what it is rather than trying to form-fit it into some revised formulaic idea of what it should have been by people too young and ignorant of the rapidly evolving folk scene in the sixties to understand what they are criticizing. Take an old folkie's word for it; this is a great first album, and I highly recommend it. Enjoy.

Most fanatics will direct you towards "Bookends" or "Bridge Over Troubled Water", but the comfortable variances among "Sounds Of Silence" deserve recognition too. Sure, songs like "Leaves That Are Green" and "We've Got A Groovy Thing Goin'" don't carry the musical or emotional weight of their more ambitious later work, and the morbid lyrics of "Richard Cory" deserve a more somber interpretation, as they do on "April Come She Will", but hey, it's only their second album! The Beatles never cited these two as an influence, but hearing this makes you wonder if they cued up this album while passing the peace pipe during the recording of "Rubber Soul". Simon & Garfunkel easily shift themselves into a Byrds-ian jangle stomp on "Blessed", "I Am A Rock" and the title track. If Dylan went electric, why can't they?

There are hints though, of the more complex music they would produce later. An echoing trumpet trails throughout "Somewhere They Can't Find Me" and "Leaves That Are Green" gets its playfulness from a sprinkling harpsichord. It's a noticeable stir for a duo whose first album was loaded heavy with Christian spirituals; now they're singing about robbery, Soho and suicide. Highly recommended for eclectic folk taste.

Though many people (including the artists, I believe) decry the overdubbing of electric instruments on this LP (especially the title track), I think it makes this one of S&G's most listenable albums.

The title track, previously issued as an acoustic folk number on their debut album, gains tremendsouly from the dubbing, both artistically and commercially. Note that the original acoustic version disappeared with nary a trace, while the electrified reworking topped the pop charts and launced S&Gs careers. The electric overdubbing adds a sting to the bitterness not achieved by the acoustic rendition.

Though Simon may have refined his talent on subsequent albums, his every-man poetics were well in place on songs like "Blessed," "April Come She Will," and a rewrite of Edward Robinson's "Richard Cory." The angry young man of "Sounds of Silence" can also be heard on the closing number, "I Am a Rock." Perhaps the only real misstep is the poorly aging "We've Got a Groovy Thing Goin'."

Simon's melodies are as haunting as his lyrics, and the duo's harmonies blended sweet and bitter, linking backward to the folk tradition and forward to the rage of the times.

The only complaint I have of this album is the studio overdubbing. For example, the song 'Sounds of Silence', it sounds like crap, get rid of the drums and let us hear S&G. I have Wednesday Morning 3am and that has a 'non-edited' Sounds of Silence, and it is truly magnificent. The drums on, "I am a rock" could also be cut. But, of course, S&G make up for this "musical rape"(done by the studio, without either's consent) by coming out with a song like "Anji", "A most Peculiar man", and "We've got a groovy thing goin'."

For those that can't tell this album was predominantly made for the charts, you will love it, for others you will love it as well. But before you get 'SOS' get PSRT, BOTW, Bookends, or Wednesday Morning 3AM, those albums show the true essence of S&G. This album is definanly essential for any musical collection.

The folk rock genre got big when, unbeknownst to Pauls Simon, a producer added drum, bass, and guitar tracks to his folk version of "Sounds of Silence." (Further manipulation: that isn't even S+G on the cover, it's two lookalikes! They were in England at the time and there was a deadline.) Nevertheless, Simon dove into the new genre with some maturing songwriting on this good followup to the "Silence" single. The tone of this album has the dark angst of youth, but "Leaves That Are Green" "Kathy's Song" "Richard Corey" "April Come She Will" and "I Am a Rock" are all magic. Well worth your time.