Released two years after they disbanded, Simon & Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits went into the top 5 in both the US and UK. It breaks many fundamental rules of compiling a greatest hits album – it’s not in chronological order, it substitutes live versions of hit songs, and it leaves off several important tracks. Somehow this collection makes it all work. The aforementioned live versions chosen here are all exceptional. “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)” is warmer than its studio version and both “For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her” and #1 single “Bridge Over Troubled Water” are showstoppers featuring Art Garfunkel’s soaring vocals.
Two other US #1 singles appear, the duo’s first hit “The Sound of Silence” and the “coo coo ca choo” of “Mrs. Robinson” from The Graduate OST. Besides the title track, all the other hits of Bridge Over Troubled Water appear with the upbeat folk rock of “Cecilia” closing out the set. While the collection is missing key tracks like “The Dangling Conversation”, “A Hazy Shade of Winter”, and “The Only Living Boy in New York” – what is included here is some of the best folk rock of the 60s and early 70s. While other collections gather more of the duo’s essential tracks, the enduring popularity of this album made it a must for inclusion on Simon & Garfunkel: The Complete Albums Collection.
10/10
The Light Appears 