Simon Amp; Garfunkel Albums

[Desmond Hutchins]

Greattips. Am going tonight to a Simon and garfunkel road show. Loved them since university in late 60s. Them, Joni Mitchell, and Lenoard Cohen. Ive dropped Joni from my playlist long since.. Im still listening to S & G in the car: the free concert in Central Park. Ill be in the cable sweater and jeans, or the blazer and white T.

My European history teacher gave me a weird assignment toward the end of senior year. She wanted me to watch The Graduate. I don\u2019t care to speculate why she wanted me to watch The Graduate, but watch it I did, and it immediately became my favorite movie. I sympathized with Dustin Hoffman\u2019s character in a deep and probably telling way. I\u2019m sure I cribbed all of his mannerisms and one-liners and became insufferable for the remainder of that year.

The Graduate turned me on to Simon & Garfunkel, and now I own multiple brown turtlenecks. Coincidence? Paul and Art made some big fits in the \u201860s, but nobody really ever talks about their style. I\u2019m here to change that. Please join me for another trip to the New Experimental Hours style archive.

You know those \u201850s flashback scenes in Mad Men when Don, a young copywriter, is shown wearing post-war suits with lots of buttons and wide lapels? This picture reminds me of that, except Paul and Artie are wearing skinny, terrible bow ties and pompadours. This was back when they called themselves Tom & Jerry.

1964: The US continues to dig its heels into Vietnam, and a folk duo called Simon & Garfunkel quietly release their debut LP Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.. This photograph is from the cover shoot. Suits have changed a lot. Lapels, jackets, and trousers have narrowed, and the fabrics have become more muted. This era of tailoring was mined endlessly in the 2000s\u2013most notably by J. Crew\u2013and it remains my favorite suiting silhouette. Designers currently prefer a slouchier fit, but I\u2019m reluctant to buy another suit since I wear one fewer than five times per year.

Paul and Artie looked really handsome at prom. I hope they had fun, but they probably fought all night. Paul is already on his professorial shit, wearing corduroy jackets and a bad haircut. Art\u2019s suit is great. Just the right proportions.

Most people throw on a windbreaker or t-shirt or hoodie to go hiking in the woods. Not Simon & Garfunkel. Paul uses the opportunity to cosplay as a badass. Say it to my face, bitch. I\u2019m Paul Simon. I wrote \u201CKathy\u2019s Song.\u201D Who will love a little sparrow?

Is it just me, or is Art kind of a sex symbol? He\u2019s hot. He knows how to work the camera. I can\u2019t figure out what he\u2019s wearing in this picture, but it doesn\u2019t matter. I always said I preferred Paul, but I think I might be on Team Art after all. Paul is a genius songwriter, but he\u2019s not a babe like Arthur Fugging Garfunkel.

You can\u2019t write a song called \u201CBleecker Street\u201D and not be versed in the art of the turtleneck. I love that Paul and Art are matching. Substantial belt buckles, Cuban heels, washed out jeans, and smoking cigarettes indoors: the 1960s seemed pretty chill.

What on earth is going on here? Is that a crushed velvet wizard\u2019s coat? Over a v-neck sweater? Maybe this is Paul\u2019s typical \u201CI\u2019m shopping at F.A.O. Schwarz\u201D look. Art is starting to dress like an old man. He was 27 at the time.

I don\u2019t think people listen to the album much anymore. Am I wrong? My theory: Simon & Garfunkel are more of a greatest hits act these days. It\u2019s a good album for sure, but it\u2019s also got its share of whiffs. \u201CEl Condor Pasa,\u201D \u201CKeep the Customer Satisfied,\u201D \u201CWhy Don\u2019t You Write Me.\u201D I\u2019d rank it fourth in their catalog \u2013 miles ahead of the debut but nowhere near as good as Sounds of Silence, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, or Bookends. Please weigh in in the comments.

Simon & Garfunkel have reunited over the years, of course. Most famously in 1981 for their concert in Central Park. (Great album, and they looked cool as hell.) They also reunited for a buddy cop show on a fledgling network called FOX. That\u2019s the promo photo above. In the pilot, Art learns how to stand. Riveting stuff.

Simon & Garfunkel look like this now. They\u2019re old men. Art\u2019s having fun with his wardrobe. I respect that. Paul\u2019s doing his thing, too. Look closely, and you\u2019ll notice that his blazer is made of velvet. Ensconced in velvet. Around the release of Graceland (1986), Paul learned how to wear a crisp t-shirt under a blazer, and that\u2019s been his go-to look ever since.

I don\u2019t think I know a single person who dislikes Simon & Garfunkel. That would be strange. They seem sort of underrated\u2013at least at this moment in history. Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and The Stones can never be underrated. Maybe Simon & Garfunkel can? Where am I headed with this?

Listen to the albums. There are only five of them. They\u2019re all great, and three of them are classics. The live albums are phenomenal, too, and the comps kick ass. Paul looks like a Bassett Hound on the cover of the big one from 1972. You just can\u2019t go wrong when you turn on Simon & Garfunkel.

You can\u2019t go wrong channelling their style, either. Just pretend it\u2019s autumn all the time. Put on a cable knit sweater, a faded pair of jeans, a vest, and a wool coat. You are now Mr. Autumn Man, and you love Simon & Garfunkel.

3a8082e126