What Songs Mirror the Essence of Simon and Garfunkel's Classics?

[pivoxa15]

What are some songs that are similar to the great hits of Simon and Garfunkel?

 

[turbo]

That's tough! Their voices were a perfect match and Simon's song-writing was inspired.

If you want to back up a bit, the Everly Brothers had perfect harmonies, though their songs were often more than a bit sappy. Fast-forward to the Sweethearts of the Rodeo for those tight Everly Brothers harmonies with Nashville/country songs. "Midnight Girl in a Sunset Town" is a great one.

 

[pivoxa15]

That's tough! Their voices were a perfect match and Simon's song-writing was inspired.

If you want to back up a bit, the Everly Brothers had perfect harmonies, though their songs were often more than a bit sappy. Fast-forward to the Sweethearts of the Rodeo for those tight Everly Brothers harmonies with Nashville/country songs. "Midnight Girl in a Sunset Town" is a great one.

It could just be me but the song in the youtube doesn't seem 'big'. I was looking for 'big' songs like 'Bridge over trouble waters', 'Mrs Robinson', 'Sound of silence'. Everly Brothers had some of those.

'Big' may not be good word to describe those songs. Its just that those songs I pointed out have music that one instaneously 'recognise' and enjoy. It's hard to say. Some of the famous classical musics by Bethovan or Mozart are like that as well.

 

[turbo]

I know what you mean. S&G's voices were always up-front, and the instrumentation was always crafted to frame that. Hard to find that quality in later work. You might want to sample some Brewer and Shipley stuff, though the song-writing does not approach S&G, IMO.

 

[Andre]

It could just be me but the song in the youtube doesn't seem 'big'. I was looking for 'big' songs like 'Bridge over trouble waters', 'Mrs Robinson', 'Sound of silence'. Everly Brothers had some of those.

'Big' may not be good word to describe those songs. Its just that those songs I pointed out have music that one instaneously 'recognise' and enjoy. It's hard to say. Some of the famous classical musics by Bethovan or Mozart are like that as well.

Perhaps you're interested in the "name that music" thread. Now why did that die?

 

[Art]

Some of the Rolling Stones rock ballads would be on a par as would the likes of Battle of Evermore by Led Zeppelin

 

[BobG]

I know what you mean. S&G's voices were always up-front, and the instrumentation was always crafted to frame that. Hard to find that quality in later work. You might want to sample some Brewer and Shipley stuff, though the song-writing does not approach S&G, IMO.

They weren't over produced. Something you can't say about Paul Simon's later work.

I'd say Eric Taylor's "Dean Moriarty" and "Saturday" are like that. They grab you right off the bat and I kind of felt like I'd heard the "Dean Moriarty" song before the first time I heard it. (Of course, I might have - he was a band member and husband to Nanci Griffith and played or wrote a few songs for some other artists before he finally made an album in '95.)

 

[turbo]

I guess if I were to pick a songwriter with a fantastic voice and great production values, I'd pick Marc Cohn. Boz Scagg's "Come on Home" CD gets a lot of play, too, as does Dwight Yoakum's "This Time". Yoakum's producer is his lead guitarist - killer licks.

 

[J77]

umm...

The Beatles?

 

[fuzzyfelt]

Funny, there is a song being played a lot at the moment, and every time I hear it I expect it to break into the 'li la li' chorus of Simon and Garfunkle's the boxer. It sounds a bit the same, but isn't as powerful (big?), doesn't have the harmonies, nor quite as narrative, but does have similar a similar gentle melody and folksy guitar.


For many of those other things, maybe the Mamas and Papas?

 

[SpaceTiger]

'Big' may not be good word to describe those songs. Its just that those songs I pointed out have music that one instaneously 'recognise' and enjoy. It's hard to say. Some of the famous classical musics by Bethovan or Mozart are like that as well.

Queen was really big on drama and production and were even known to incorporate classical music, though their lyrics tended to be a bit more idiosynchratic. As already mentioned, there are many songs in the Beatles' catalog that fit your description and I would recommend Abbey Road in particular. Also, Oasis, who I sometimes consider to be the poor man's classic rock, had a number of epic tracks that were also very catchy (e.g. All Around the World, The Masterplan).

More recently, the Decembrists have made a name for themselves making epic tunes with a more traditional flavor. Might be worth a listen.

 

[DaveC426913]

Try some Moxy Fruvous or Flying Pickets, both vocally very strong, even a-capellesque (ouch!).

 

[pivoxa15]

umm...

The Beatles?

They have a few good ones but their songs cater for the mass population whereas I feel S&G are catered for a smaller population (the educated?? as both S and G were educated in university). Or maybe the sensitive?

 

[Art]

They have a few good ones but their songs cater for the mass population whereas I feel S&G are catered for a smaller population (the educated?? as both S and G were educated in university). Or maybe the sensitive?

Bridge Over Troubled Waters was in the album charts for years! S & G had a huge following from all walks of life.

 

[pivoxa15]

Bridge Over Troubled Waters was in the album charts for years! S & G had a huge following from all walks of life.

Offcourse but compare them to the Beatles...

Maybe Savage Garden is like a modern version of S&G.

 

[Andre]

Maybe Josh Groban?

 

[fleem]

besides the Everly Brothers, Beatles, Queen, & others mentioned, there's...
Peter, Paul, and Mary
some of The Fifth Dimension
some of the Mamas and the Papas
Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young)
The Hollies

 

[Andre]

http://www.livevideo.com/video/9596E37147DC4D5D8198233CF67F25FE/michael-junior-you-ll-never-.aspx

 

[J77]

They have a few good ones but their songs cater for the mass population whereas I feel S&G are catered for a smaller population (the educated?? as both S and G were educated in university). Or maybe the sensitive?

You can't say that!

Not all "educated" people have attended university.

If you want some "sciency" type songs -- with a bit of pretention -- maybe check out the Flaming Lips: The Soft Bulletin.

Back to artists who have stood the test of time... Bowie! (A favourite among many academics I know -- perhaps he fits your "educated" category )

 

[Ouabache]

Seals & Crofts, they have excellent duo harmonies & strong folk elements
e.g Summer Breeze, Hummingbird

 

[ilendahill]

The Kings of Convenience are the closest comtempory band, I reckon.

 

[fuzzyfelt]

Not sure how he was educated, but I just remembered a fact that others here might find interesting if it hasn't been mentioned before, that the father of the singer and songwriter of the Eels, Mark Oliver Everett, was Hugh Everett, who proposed MWI.

edit: now I remember where I heard this, it was on an ad for this show, that I haven't seen.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7113098.stm

 

[Andre]

Remakes of greatest Simon and Garfunkel hits by the Gregorian Masters of Chant

Sound of silence

Scarborough fair

Bridge over troubled water