Maps of Music

Bridge over Troubled Water (1970)

Where the lyrics of Bridge over Troubled Water take you, and where it was really made.

The third and final part of "The Boxer" was recorded inside St. Paul's Chapel at Columbia University, a church building rather than a studio.

Key places

Recorded at CBS Columbia Square in Los Angeles (1970)

Recording site CBS Columbia Square — CBS Columbia Square in Los Angeles is listed as a recording location for this album. The source does not specify which session took place here. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Main part of The Boxer in Nashville (1968)

Recording site Nashville — The second, main part of The Boxer was recorded in Nashville at Columbia Studios, December 6 to 8, 1968. The point marks the city center, not the exact studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Final part of The Boxer in a university chapel (1970)

Recording site St. Paul's Chapel at Columbia University — The third, final part of The Boxer and the horns were recorded inside St. Paul's Chapel at Columbia University, Garfunkel's alma mater. The strings were recorded at Columbia Studios. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Fifth and final studio album by the American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel
• Released January 26, 1970 through Columbia Records
• Paul Simon wrote all songs except "Bye Bye Love" by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant
• Eleven tracks on the album
• Producer Roy Halee helped shape the sound

Background

• Art Garfunkel took an acting role in Catch-22 after the duo's soundtrack for The Graduate
• Filming of Catch-22 started in January 1969 and lasted about eight months
• Simon had no new songs finished when filming began; the duo planned to collaborate after filming ended
• The album followed a musical pattern similar to Bookends (1968), partly leaving behind their traditional folk rock style
• The duo declined invitations to perform, including at the Woodstock Festival, because they were busy recording
• The album was described as their "most effortless record and their most ambitious"

Recording

• Simon wanted a gospel piano sound on the title track and hired session musician Larry Knechtel
• The Boxer took over 100 hours of sessions at several locations
• The second, main part of The Boxer was recorded at Columbia Studios in Nashville, December 6–8, 1968
• The third and final part of The Boxer was recorded at St. Paul's Chapel at Columbia University
• Cecilia was developed in a session in the summer of 1969 at a rented house on Blue Jay Way in Los Angeles
• Simon & Garfunkel became the first musicians to use 16-track recording, though only two 8-track recorders were available

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel met in school in Queens, New York City, in 1953, where they learned to harmonize.
• As teenagers they performed as Tom & Jerry; their 1957 single "Hey, Schoolgirl" sold more than 100,000 copies.
• They regrouped in 1963 and signed to Columbia Records as Simon & Garfunkel.
• Their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. (1964), sold poorly.

Members

• Paul Simon: singer-songwriter and guitarist.
• Art Garfunkel: singer, with occasional percussion.

Career

• "The Sound of Silence" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 after a rock remix in 1965.
• The Graduate (1967) and Bookends (1968) made them the biggest rock duo in the world.
• Bridge over Troubled Water (1970), their final studio album, became one of the best-selling albums of all time.
• They split in 1970 and reunited several times, including the 1981 Central Park concert attended by more than 500,000 people.
• They won seven Grammy Awards and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
• They have sold more than 100 million records.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Melody Maker: Richard Williams found a few dull moments but judged the album worth hearing
• Contemporary critical response to the album was mixed
• Williams praised Simon's constantly surprising timing and his guitar work

Reappraisal

• The album is widely considered the peak of the duo's artistic output in French coverage
• Retrospective critics praised the album's warmth and rich sound
• Some later reviewers judged the album overproduced and inflated, especially The Boxer
• Overall reception became generally positive over time

Records

• Topped the charts in over ten countries
• Received six Grammy Awards at the 1971 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year
• Included among the 200 definitive albums of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• Ranked 172nd on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2020

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The "silver girl" in the title track refers to Simon's wife Peggy and her first gray hairs, not a drugged hypodermic needle as some in the United States believed.
• The album's sleeve and label credits name Ted Brosnan as recordist.
• The album won five Grammy Awards in 1971, including the one for Album of the Year.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com · fr.wikipedia.org

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