Johnny Cash and Paul McCartney started the trend, and Bob Dylan followed in stride. Now Art Garfunkel is joining the club of legendary musicians who have released an album to reflect their pasts.
In Some Enchanted Evening, Garfunkel performs some of the songs that first inspired him to become a musician. Songwriting credits include George Gershwin, Irving Berlin and Rodgers and Hammerstein. The album is at the height of easy listening, and it is reminiscent of a '50s pop record that would have had people snapping their fingers and smiling gaily.
However, with the lengthy discography Garfunkel had with Paul Simon, Evening comes off covered in sugar and unable to translate to this century.Garfunkel's voice has transformed from the emotionally haunting falsetto it once was to one that is lilting and languid. The vocals on this album are cheesy and unchanging, with the same tone and range in every song. On I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face
Garfunkel can be pictured singing under a spotlight in a sequined tuxedo.Evening is a ballad album. Its fastest song is It Could Happen to You which is slightly catchy but leaves the listener no more than bobbing his or her head. Keyboard dominates the album, accompanied by classical guitar, saxophone, bongos and shakers.
It's clear Art Garfunkel has the talent to perform covers, as proven by his rendition of I Only Have Eyes For You off his platinum-selling 1975 album, Breakaway. However, it seems he has outgrown his cover days.
Garfunkel will never be able to match the beauty of Bridge Over Troubled Water, but the final song, If I Loved You is arguably as close as he will get to his old days of greatness. There is more emotion in his voice and less cheesiness, with just a guitar behind him.
At the ripe age of 65, Garfunkel has made an album for those of his generation, but one that won't gain him many younger fans. The music is good for that relaxing spa weekend right before the next round of Botox injections.
It could have been a sweetly nostalgic way for Garfunkel to begin his retirement, but with so much genius in his history, Evening pales in comparison to Cash, McCartney and Dylan. Apparently only some artists can reflect the past in style.
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Susan Tebben
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