S&G at MSG -- some random thoughts

I caught the last of three Simon & Garfunkel shows at Madison Square Garden. There were notices posted saying that the show was being filmed -- I don't think these notices were referring to the big screen above the stage, because they had a camera on a big crane that was sweeping over the crowd , and none of those shots appeared on the big screen. So I guess we can expect a DVD sometime in the near future. Hopefully they'll have the good sense to throw in the Songs for America special as a bonus feature.

Overall a very good show -- the first songs seemed a little ragged, but things improved as the show went on. This may seem strange, but I was actually more impressed with Paul's singing than Arties. You see, I knew Artie could still hit the high notes on BOTW, but Paul's singing on his recent solo tours has been more of the sing/talk variety, which I thought was simply a way of covering up diminished vocal abilities. Well, it turns out he can still sings his material the old fashioned way when he wants to.

But what impressed me most was the sound -- this was the best sounding concerts I've ever seen (or rather, heard) at Madison Square Garden. For one thing, it wasn't too loud -- they didn't turn the knobs up to 11, and with a relatively well-behaved, mature audience, they didn't need to. And there wasn't any of that fake echo and reverse that turns to mush in the barn-like acoustics of the ventue. I used to think the Grateful Dead were the only band who gave a damn about how their concerts sounded -- well, you can add S&G to the list.

The high point for me was The Only Living Boy in New York, which is one of my favorite S&G tracks, and one that I've never seen performed live before. Sure, there were a few disappointments -- no "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her," or "April Come She Will". No horns on "Keep the Customer Satisfied." No extra verse on "The Boxer." We got Leaves that Are Green (yes!), but they dropped Song for the Asking (doh!). And I guess I'll never get to see them perform "Save the Life of My Child." But hey, that's just wishful thinking on my part.

 

I was there the first night. We got all the verses on The Boxer., however we were missing 1/2 of At The Zoo (after the 1st verse, went right into "The monkeys stand for honesty") & Keep The Customer Satisfied (no "deputy sheriff"). We had the swooping camera, but no notice about filming. What was really great was to finally hear them perform the "records" rather than just the songs. I have seen or heard them perform The Sounds Of Silence countless times before, but this was the first time I have ever heard them do the electric arrangement. Same thing with The Boxer, first time I have ever heard it performed with the "booms" intact. The Only Living Boy In New York (my all-time favorite S&G recording-as opposed to fave song), was truly the high point of the night (well, My Little Town wasn't too shabby either)! I assumed that Kathy's Song replaced For Emily.., so I wasn't too upset about that.

 

from billboard.com

With Simon & Garfunkel's first major tour in 20 years doing monster business at the box office, organizers say the trek has the potential to extend into next year. "We're in very preliminary discussions about extending dates into next spring," Art Garfunkel's manager, John Scher, tells Billboard. "There is a possibility we could continue and do more. We're getting interest from all over the world."

The tour has dates on the books through Dec. 21 in Tampa, Fla. A camera crew was present at the duo's hometown concerts at New York's Madison Square Garden this week, prompting speculation that a chronicle of the tour may be in the works. A spokesperson says there are no plans to release anything at present, and that the taping was for archival purposes only.

Simon & Garfunkel's recent "Essential" collection was released via Sony's Legacy imprint, but the pair is understood to not be formally tied to that or any other label at this point.