Recorded - November 9, 1969, and possibly other dates.
Released - January 26, 1970
#1 for weeks of February 28 & March 7, 14, 21 and 28 & April 4, 1970.
"A perfect album, and a masterpiece". Those are just some of the words that apply to Bridge Over Troubled Water the final album by Simon & Garfunkel. From the lavishly produced "The Boxer" to the joyful "Keep The Customer Satisfied", to the melancholia of "The Only Living Boy In New York", the album is quite emotionally diverse. As perfect as the album's other ten tracks are, the highlight, and the song that soars above them all, is the title track itself.
"Bridge Over Troubled Water" was composed by Paul Simon alone during the summer of 1969. When it came time to record the song, Paul let Art Garfunkel sing lead instead. While the liner notes of the album give only one single recording date, it is more likely that the song took multiple days or even months to perfect. I mean, just listen to this song's arrangement, it is absolutely grand!
One wouldn't even begin to imagine just how much this song builds up by the first few minutes alone. For the first verse and chorus, there is only a restrained piano and an equally mellow Art on vocals. As a result, the listener's concentration is placed on the lyrics. The overall effect adds an very personal and intimate nature to the song.
By the second stanza, a watery organ line is added and the piano becomes a bit more intricate. Art's vocals in the chorus now go from gentle, to a more heavy-hearted plea. Little by little, this gentle and unassuming song is being built up. Just before the third verse starts, the strings, bass and drums start to creep their way in. Atmospherically, we are moving out of the small "Studio" and into a wide open field.
When the third and final stanza appears, the song reaches new levels of grandiosity. The combination of close heavenly harmonies on the verse, and an absolutely powerful and triumphant vocal on the choruses, makes for what is unquestionably one of the top vocal performances of all time. Add on top of this the now Cathedral-esque drum and string parts and one can't help but feel at least a little bit moved.
I've already reviewed several very emotionally powerful songs. To name a few: "Georgia On My Mind", "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" and "Something". Yet if there was ever a song that could convince the listener that there was goodness in this world, that even through the tough times, there's always a silver lining. If there ever was a song that could convince someone who's reached the end of their tether that life is worth living, it's "Bridge Over Troubled Water".
Final Verdict - The swan song of Simon & Garfunkel, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is a perfect piece of music. The song manages to transcend its status as a six week chart topper and Billboard's top song of 1970.
Coming Up Next - "Let It Be" by The Beatles.
Until Next Time, I'm Dr. Rock and Simon & Garfunkel's music is a bridge over all of life's troubles.
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