The sheer depth and breadth of Art Garfunkel’s career is substantial, and this compilation acts as a starting point for those that are too young or were otherwise unable to pick up Garfunkel’s music up to this point. Eir largest hits – Bridge Over Troubled Water and The Sound of Silence – are presented alongside lesser-known tracks. I find that the later registers of the disc – the first disc contains The Thread and Barbara, while the second one presents listeners with April Come She and A Heart in New York – provide further fleshing out of the aforementioned weight of Garfunkel’s body of songs.
I feel that Sony Legacy has cleaned up some of the older tracks, providing listeners with new Garfunkel experiences. The entirety of the package paints a solid portrait, and the presence of Garfunkel’s poetry seems like something that only could be present in a boxed set or similar money sink.
Sony Legacy has a great release on their hands for this reason; the $14-ish album simply provides listeners with a better package than any other reissue house could. Make sure to check the Sony Legacy website for a slate of the company’s releases through the end of the year and into 2012. If they are as solid of a release as The Singer, there is no reason why individuals should not gift these for birthdays and holidays.
Top Tracks: Bridge Over Troubled Water, So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright
Rating: 8.3/10
Art Garfunkel – The Singer (CD) / 2012 Sony Legacy / 34 Tracks / http://www.artgarfunkel.com / http://www.sonylegacy.com
John Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as Sargeant, is the founder and editor-in-chief of NeuFutur Magazine, where he has covered independent music, PC hardware, consumer tech, and gaming culture since 1998. With over 25 years of continuous digital publishing experience, he has written thousands of hands-on game and record reviews, conducted in-depth hardware field testing, and analyzed digital media monetization trends. His work prioritizes first-hand evaluation and long-term product testing.
Beats: Independent Music, PC Gaming & Peripherals, Consumer Tech, Webmaster Tools
Testing & Ethics: All hardware, software, and media reviews are conducted through hands-on evaluation in accordance with NeuFutur’s editorial independence standards; sponsored consideration is strictly excluded from editorial ratings.
Contact: editor@neufutur.com