My wish for Art Garfunkel (LONG)

[Laurie Campbell]

Reading the article from Q magazine proved to be interesting. The
writers desperately tried to make it a controversial article, from the
title HE DIDN'T WRITE THE SONGS! To inflammatory comments placed next to
a photo of him and Paul (notice who's sitting in *front* (it was Paul) ).
Art didn't say anything quite as controversial as that but it is clear
that there is, once again, a rift between him and Paul.

Perhaps because he was on my mind, I pulled out my "Up 'Til Now"
cassette. I never realized it before, but I think when Jimmy Webb wrote
"Skywriter" (he admits he had Art in mind), he put in the lyrics a
central truth about the relationship between Simon and Garfunkel, from
Garfunkel's perspective.

Some people say I'm losing touch with harsh reality
Because I can't accept the way it is with you and me
Stop living in the past, like some old pilot from a war
that would not end,
Like a barnstormer
Safe with my martial wings
How could I ever fall?
So serenely do I glide above it all.

I think it's true that Art has never really accepted the breakup
entirely. He still thinks of how he would harmonize on Paul's solo work.
It's probably somewhat true that because of this Art has never fully
realized his own potential. He has stayed with what is comfortable for
himself and had to be forced to stretch. Columbia would insist on
something different, he would resist, but finally give in. Usually it
wasn't as bad as he thought.

My wish for Art Garfunkel is that he find a voice that is uniquely his
own, something new and exciting that will revitalize him and his career
in the U.S. I think lack of success in record sales bothers him,
emphasizing the jealousy that is between him and Paul. And sometimes it
must seem to him that Paul is trying to steal even the little bit of
limelight he has, by harping on things like Art's hold on the song
"Bridge Over Troubled Water." It's a sore subject with Paul even now.
Why does he sing it in concert? "Just to remind people that I wrote this
song." Art must feel that comments like that are rather mean-spirited,
though I don't think that's true. Paul is just reacting to the same
jealousy that Art feels. Each feels, in one way or the other, that the
other is the "lucky" one. That makes them continually harp on the things
that they can do that the other one can't. Paul harps on Art's lack of
songwriting ability, Art harps on the fact that he sings better than
Paul.

If Art were to discover some new style for himself, using the vocal
ability he only stretches when he's working with Paul -- discovering new
ways of expressing himself that transcend all his former work, then
collaborations between Art and Paul wouldn't be as fraught with the
competitive tug-of-war as they are.

Art actually has a very interesting tone in his voice that I can only
describe as a "wail". You can hear it in "The Concert in Central Park"
when he sings "Me and Julio" with Paul. Especially where he says, "Wo-oh
in a couple a'days they come to take me away but the press let the story
leak . . ." He also hits it in the "Born at the Right Time" documentary
about Paul when he sings a few notes of some old R & B tunes. This is a
whole vocal range, a whole genre that Art has never experimented with on
his own. He stays with what is comfortable, and he does what he does
very well. But by stretching himself he could show that he's not "living
in the past" -- "chasing smoke but never touching down . . ." (lines from
"Skywriter").

Some people think of Art as a team player who is never as good alone as
he is when he's singing with someone else, i.e., Paul or James Taylor.
I'm not sure that's true. He just needs to find his own musical home
separate from the past. If he does, maybe Paul will knock on his door,
eager for an equal collaboration, and they will finally be able to
respect each other as equals without jealousy.

Well, I can dream can't I?

Laurie