71. Simon & Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (1966)

1. Scarborough Fair/Canticle
2. Patterns
3. Cloudy
4. Homeward Bound
5. Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine
6. 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)
7. Dangling Conversation
8. Flowers Never Bend With The Rainfall
9. Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert MacNamara'd Into Submission)
10. For Emily Whenever I May Find Her
11. Poem On The Underground Wall
12. 7 O'clock News/Silent Night

A perfect album as the weather begins to turn chilly and cloudy (go figure). That is, once it makes up its mind. Damned weather, it's about as reliable as the French. Especially if you take all their petrol and pensions!

Anyhow, this is the first we hear from the glorious soothing voices of Simon and Garfunkel, especially Simon because Garfunkel was kind of the '60s equivalent to apl.de.ap from the Black Eyed Peas, in that it was widely agreed that he had too stupid of a name for anyone to give a shit about his work outside the band (Can you hear that? It's the sound of Filipinos boycotting my blog!). Wonderful harmonies abound here.

Unfortunately, this album is a lot like Aftermath, in that it's got a smattering of classics amongst a regrettable amount of songs that just aren't as good. It's not like I'm being haunted by the Spectre of Filler again, but I can feel his icy breath on my neck as I write this. No, it's not that bad, but I just can't bring myself to care about songs like 'Cloudy', they just seem so slight.

There are a good number of triumphs here, however. 'Scarborough Fair/Canticle' is an arresting take on the folk classic, intertwined with anti-war lyrics that manage to stay far short of preachy and overwrought. Combine this with the intricate guitar and harpsichord and you've got yourself a Sawng.

The other great songs manage to conjure an autumnal sense of wistfulness that permeates across the whole album. 'Homeward Bound' and '59th St Bridge Song' both succeed in those terms. They make me feel...well, groovy. Or as groovy as it is possible to feel without the aid of psychedelics.

There's some weirdo songs on this album too! 'Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine' is supposed to be a satire on advertising, but 'A Simple Desultory Philippic' is a hilarious send up of Bob Dylan's folk rock style.  The music sounds like a low budget version of 'Subterranean Homesick Blues' while Simon complains about things like 'I've been Ayn Randed, nearly branded a communist 'cause I'm left handed," It's a hard song to take seriously, but this is such an over the top parody for the usually serious group that its humor is its strength.

The final song, a mixture of Silent Night and a news broadcast, is really quite the downer ending. Listening to the reports remind you of just how insane and chaotic the '60s must've seemed. It's fascinating from a historical mindset.

This album, while it may have its fair share of forgettable songs, the good songs kick so much ass you'll forget the rest of them even existed. 8/10