Simon and Garfunkel met in elementary school inQueens, New York City, in 1953, where they learned toharmonize and Simon began writing songs. As teenagers, under the name Tom & Jerry, they had minor success with "Hey Schoolgirl" (1957), a song imitating their idols, theEverly Brothers. In 1963, they regrouped and were signed toColumbia Records as Simon & Garfunkel. Their debut album,Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. (1964), sold poorly; Simon returned to a solo career, this time in England, while Garfunkel resumed his studies atColumbia University. In 1965, a remixed version of "The Sound of Silence", became a USAM radio hit, reaching number one on theBillboard Hot 100. They released their second album,Sounds of Silence, in 1966, and toured colleges nationwide. They assumed more creative control on their third album,Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, released in 1966. Their music featured prominently inMike Nichols's 1967 filmThe Graduate, and in 1968 thesoundtrack album and the duo's fourth album,Bookends, featuring the hit version of "Mrs. Robinson", alternated at number one on theBillboard Top 200.
Paul Simon andArt Garfunkel grew up in the 1940s and 1950s in the predominantly Jewish neighborhood ofKew Gardens Hills inQueens, New York, three blocks away from one another. They attended the same schools: Public School 164 in Kew Gardens Hills, Parsons Junior High School, andForest Hills High School.[10][11] They were both fascinated by music; both listened to the radio and were taken withrock and roll as it emerged, particularly theEverly Brothers.[12] Simon first noticed Garfunkel when Garfunkel was singing in a fourth-grade talent show, which Simon thought was a good way to attract girls. They became friends in 1953, when they appeared in a sixth grade adaptation ofAlice in Wonderland.[11][13] They formed a streetcornerdoo-wop group, the Peptones, with three friends, and learned toharmonize.[14][15] They began performing as a duo at school dances.[16]
Simon and Garfunkel later attended Forest Hills High School,[17] where in 1956 they wrote their first song, "The Girl for Me"; Simon's father sent a handwritten copy to theLibrary of Congress to register a copyright.[16] While trying to remember the lyrics to the Everly Brothers song "Hey Doll Baby",[18] they wrote "Hey, Schoolgirl", which they recorded for $25 at Sanders Recording Studio in Manhattan.[19] While recording they were overheard by promoter Sid Prosen, who signed them to his independent label Big Records after speaking to their parents. They were both 15.[20]
1957 publicity photo of Simon & Garfunkel as Tom & Jerry
Under Big Records, Simon and Garfunkel assumed the name Tom & Jerry; Garfunkel named himself Tom Graph, a reference to his interest inmathematics, and Simon Jerry Landis, after the surname of a girl he had dated. Their first single, "Hey, Schoolgirl", was released with the B-side "Dancin' Wild" in 1957.[13][21] Prosen, using thepayola system, bribed DJAlan Freed $200 to play the single on his radio show, where it became a nightly staple.[22] "Hey, Schoolgirl" attracted regular rotation on nationwideAM pop stations, leading it to sell more than 100,000 copies and to land onBillboard's charts at number 49 and number 45 inCanada.[22][23] Prosen promoted the group heavily, getting them a headlining spot onDick Clark'sAmerican Bandstand alongsideJerry Lee Lewis.[24] Simon and Garfunkel shared approximately $4,000 from the song—earning two percent each from royalties, the rest staying with Prosen.[25] They released two more singles on Big Records ("Our Song" and "That's My Story") neither of them successful.[19][26][27]
After graduating from Forest Hills High School in 1958,[28] the pair continued their education should a music career not unfold. Simon studied English atQueens College, City University of New York, and Garfunkel studied architecture before switching to art history atColumbia College, Columbia University.[21][29][30] While still with Big Records as a duo, Simon released a solo single, "True or False", under the name "True Taylor".[25] This upset Garfunkel, who regarded it as a betrayal; the emotional tension from the incident occasionally surfaced throughout their relationship.[31]
Simon and Garfunkel continued recording as solo artists: Garfunkel composed and recorded "Private World" for Octavia Records, and—under the name Artie Garr—"Beat Love" for Warwick Records; Simon recorded withthe Mystics and Tico and the Triumphs, and wrote and recorded under the names Jerry Landis and Paul Kane.[26][31][32] Simon also wrote and performed demos for other artists, working for a while withCarole King andGerry Goffin.[26][33]
After graduating in 1963, Simon joined Garfunkel, who was still at Columbia University, to perform again as a duo, this time with a shared interest infolk music.[34][32] Simon enrolled part-time inBrooklyn Law School.[35] By late 1963, billing themselves as Kane & Garr, they performed atGerde's Folk City, aGreenwich Village club that hosted Monday nightopen mic performances.[36] They performed three new songs—"Sparrow", "He Was My Brother", and "The Sound of Silence"—and attracted the attention ofColumbia Records stafferTom Wilson, a prominent A&R man and producer (who would later become a key architect ofBob Dylan's transition from folk to rock).[37][38] As a "star producer" for the label, he wanted to record "He Was My Brother" with a new British act, the Pilgrims.[39] Simon convinced Wilson to let him and Garfunkel audition in the studio, where they performed "The Sound of Silence". At Wilson's urging, Columbia signed them.[39]
Simon & Garfunkel's debut studio album,Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., produced by Wilson, was recorded over three sessions in March 1964 and released in October.[40] It contains five songs by Simon, three traditional folk songs, and four originals.[40] Simon was adamant that they would no longer use stage names.[41] Columbia set up a promotional showcase at Folk City on March 31, 1964, the duo's first public concert as Simon & Garfunkel.[41]
Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. sold only 3,000 copies on release. Simon moved to England,[42] where he toured small folk clubs and befriended folk artists such asBert Jansch,Martin Carthy,Al Stewart, andSandy Denny.[43][44][45] He also met Kathy Chitty, who became the object of his affection and is the Kathy in "Kathy's Song" and "America".[46]
A small music publishing company, Lorna Music, licensed "Carlos Dominguez", a single Simon had recorded two years prior as Paul Kane, for a new recording byVal Doonican that sold well.[47] Simon visited Lorna to thank them, and the meeting resulted in a publishing and recording contract. He signed to theOriole label and released "He Was My Brother" as a single.[47] Simon invited Garfunkel to stay for the summer of 1964.[47]
Near the end of the season, Garfunkel returned to Columbia for class.[48] Simon also returned to the US, and resumed his studies at Brooklyn Law School for one semester, partially at his parents' insistence. He returned to England in January 1965, now certain that music was his calling.[49] In the meantime, his landlady, Judith Piepe, had compiled a tape from his work at Lorna and sent it to theBBC in hopes they would play it.[49] The demos aired on theFive to Ten morning show, and were instantly successful. Oriole had folded intoCBS by that point, and hoped to record a new Simon album.[50]
Simon recorded his first solo album,The Paul Simon Songbook, in June 1965, featuring future Simon & Garfunkel staples including "I Am a Rock" and "April Come She Will". CBS flew Wilson over to produce the record, and he stayed at Simon's flat.[50] The album was released in August; although sales were poor, Simon felt content with his future in England.[51] Garfunkel graduated in 1965, returning to Columbia University to pursue a master's degree in mathematics.[30][52]
Simon & Garfunkel on the cover ofCash Box, January 22, 1966
In the United States, Dick Summer, a late-night DJ atWBZ in Boston, played "The Sound of Silence"; it became popular with a college audience.[53] It was picked up the next day along theEast Coast of the United States. When Wilson heard about this new wave of interest, he took inspiration from the success of the folk-rock hybrid that he had created with Dylan in "Like a Rolling Stone" and crafted a rock remix of "Sound of Silence" using studio musicians.[54] The remix was issued in September 1965, and it eventually reached theBillboard Hot 100.[55] Wilson did not inform the duo of his plan, and Simon was "horrified" when he first heard it.[55]
By January 1966, "The Sound of Silence" had topped the Hot 100, selling more than one million copies.[56] Simon reunited with Garfunkel in New York, leaving Chitty and his friends in England behind. CBS demanded a new album to be calledSounds of Silence to ride the wave of the hit.[57] Recorded in three weeks and consisting of rerecorded songs fromThe Paul Simon Songbook plus four new tracks,Sounds of Silence was rush-released in mid-January 1966, peaking at number 21Billboard Top LPs chart.[58] A week later, "Homeward Bound" was released as a single, entering the USA top ten, followed by "I Am a Rock" peaking at number three.[58] The duo supported the recordings with a nationwide tour of the US including a performance during the first Spring Weekend of theUniversity of Massachusetts Boston where the duo was the headline act.[59] CBS continued its promotion by re-releasingWednesday Morning, 3 A.M., which charted at number 30.[60] Despite the success, the duo was derided by some critics as a manufactured imitation of folk music.[58]
Since they consideredThe Sounds of Silence a "rush job" to capitalize on their sudden success, Simon & Garfunkel spent more time crafting the follow-up. For the first time, Simon insisted on total control in aspects of recording.[61] Work began in 1966 and took nine months.[62] Garfunkel considered the recording of "Scarborough Fair" to be the point at which they stepped into the role of producer, as they were constantly besideengineerRoy Halee mixing.[62]Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme was issued in October 1966, following the release of several singles and sold-out college campus shows.[63] The duo resumed their college circuit tour eleven days later, crafting an image that was described as "alienated", "weird", and "poetic".[64] Manager Mort Lewis also was responsible for this public perception, as he withheld them from television appearances unless they were allowed to play an uninterrupted set or choose the setlist.[64] Simon, then 26, felt he had "made it" into an upper echelon of rock and roll while retaining artistic integrity; according to his biographer Marc Eliot, this made him "spiritually closer toBob Dylan than to, say,Bobby Darin".[65] The duo choseWilliam Morris as theirbooking agency after a recommendation fromWally Amos, also a friend of Wilson's.[65]
During the sessions forParsley, Simon and Garfunkel recorded "A Hazy Shade of Winter"; it was released as a single, peaking at number 13 on the national charts.[62] "At the Zoo", recorded in early 1967 for a single release, charted at number 16.[66] Simon began work for their next album around this time, tellingHigh Fidelity he was no longer interested in singles.[67] He developedwriter's block, which prevented the duo from releasing an album in 1967.[68] Many other successful artists at the time were expected to release two or three albums each year, and the lack of productivity worried Columbia executives.[67] Amid concerns for Simon's apparent idleness, Columbia Records chairmanClive Davis arranged for up-and-coming producerJohn Simon to kick-start the recording.[69] Simon was distrustful of label executives; on one occasion, he and Garfunkel recorded a meeting with Davis, who was giving a "fatherly talk" on speeding up production, to laugh at it later.[70] The duo's rare television appearances at this time saw them performing on network broadcasts asThe Ed Sullivan Show,The Mike Douglas Show, andThe Andy Williams Show in 1966, and twice onThe Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1967.[citation needed]
Meanwhile, directorMike Nichols, at that time filmingThe Graduate, had become fascinated with Simon & Garfunkel's records, listening to them extensively before and after filming.[71] He met Davis to ask for permission to license Simon & Garfunkel music for his film. Davis viewed it as a perfect fit and envisioned a best-selling soundtrack album.[65] Simon was not as receptive and was cautious of "selling out". After meeting Nichols and being impressed by his wit and the script, he agreed to write new songs for the film.[65]Leonard Hirshan, a powerful agent at William Morris, negotiated a deal that paid Simon $25,000 to submit three songs to Nichols and producerLawrence Turman.[72] When Nichols was not impressed by Simon's songs "Punky's Dilemma" and "Overs", Simon and Garfunkel offered another, incomplete song, which became "Mrs. Robinson"; Nichols loved it.[72]
Simon & Garfunkel's fourth studio album,Bookends, was recorded in fits and starts from late 1966 to early 1968. Although the album had long been planned, work did not begin in earnest until late 1967.[73] The duo were signed under an older contract that specified the label pay for sessions,[70] and Simon & Garfunkel took advantage of this, hiring viola andbrass players and percussionists.[74] The record's brevity reflects its concise and perfectionist production; the team spent more than 50 hours recording "Punky's Dilemma", for example, and rerecorded vocal parts, sometimes note by note, until they were satisfied.[75] Garfunkel's songs and voice took a lead role on some of the songs, and the harmonies for which the duo was known gradually disappeared. For Simon,Bookends represented the end of the collaboration and became an early indicator of his intentions to go solo.[76]
Prior to release, the band helped put together and performed at theMonterey Pop Festival, which signaled the beginning of theSummer of Love on theWest Coast.[77] "Fakin' It" was issued as a single that summer and found only modest success on AM radio; the duo were much more focused on the risingFM format, which played album tracks and treated their music with respect.[78] In January 1968, the duo appeared on aKraft Music Hall special,Three for Tonight, performing ten songs, largely taken from their previous album.[79]Bookends was released by Columbia Records in April 1968, 24 hours before theassassination of Martin Luther King Jr. which spurred nationwideoutrage and riots.[80] The album debuted on theBillboard Top LPs in the issue dated April 27, 1968,climbing to number one and staying at that position for seven non-consecutive weeks; it remained on the chart as a whole for 66 weeks.[77]Bookends received such heavy orders weeks in advance of its release that Columbia was able to apply for award certification before copies left the warehouse, a fact it touted in magazine ads. The album became the duo's best-selling to date, helped by the attention for theGraduate soundtrack ten weeks earlier, creating an initial combined sales figure of more than five million units.[81]
Davis had predicted this, and suggested raising the list price ofBookends by one dollar to $5.79, above the then standard retail price, to compensate for a large poster included in vinyl copies.[81][82] Simon scoffed and viewed it as charging a premium on "what was sure to be that year's best-selling Columbia album". According to biographer Marc Eliot, Davis was "offended by what he perceived as their lack of gratitude for what he believed was his role in turning them into superstars".[81] Rather than implement Davis' plan, Simon & Garfunkel signed a contract extension with Columbia that guaranteed them a higherroyalty rate.[81] At the1969 Grammy Awards, the lead single "Mrs. Robinson" became the first rock and roll song to receiveRecord of the Year, and also wonBest Contemporary Pop Performance by a Duo or Group.[83]
Bookends, alongside theGraduate soundtrack, made Simon & Garfunkel the biggest rock duo in the world.[81] Simon was approached by producers to write music for films or license songs; he turned downFranco Zeffirelli, who was preparing to filmBrother Sun, Sister Moon, andJohn Schlesinger, who was preparing to filmMidnight Cowboy.[81] In addition toHollywood proposals, Simon declined a request by producers from theBroadway showJimmy Shine (starring Simon's friendDustin Hoffman, who also starred inMidnight Cowboy).[84] He collaborated briefly withLeonard Bernstein on a sacredmass before withdrawing from the project due to "finding it perhaps too far afield from his comfort zone".[84]
Mike Nichols, director ofThe Graduate, was impressed by the duo's performance styles and asked them both to play parts in his next film,Catch-22. Garfunkel was cast as CaptainNately, and Simon as Dunbar. However, the screenwriter,Buck Henry, felt the film was already crowded with characters, and wrote Simon's part out.[85][86] Garfunkel left to begin filming in Mexico in January 1969 (this is the subject of the song "The Only Living Boy in New York"). Simon remained behind and prepared for them to record their next album after filming ended,[86] but the film's production lasted longer than expected, forcing Garfunkel to return to the studio intermittently.[87][88] The resulting frictions exacerbated existing tensions in the duo's relationship;[86] Simon wrote in his memoir: "I think if Artie had become a big movie star he would have left. Instead of just being the guy who sang Paul Simon songs, he could be Art Garfunkel, a big star all by himself … This made me think about how I could still be the guy who wrote songs and sing them. I didn't need Artie."[89]
Following the end of filming in October, the first performance of what was planned to be the last Simon & Garfunkel tour took place inAmes, Iowa.[90] The US leg ended in the sold-outCarnegie Hall on November 27.[91][92] Meanwhile, the duo, working with directorCharles Grodin, produced an hourlongCBS special,Songs of America, a mixture of scenes featuring notable political events and leaders concerning the US, such as theVietnam War,Martin Luther King Jr.,John F. Kennedy's funeral procession,Cesar Chavez and thePoor People's March. It was broadcast only once, due to tension at the network regarding its content.[93][94] The BBC said that "one million viewers responded by turning the dial and watching the figure skating onNBC instead."[95]
The recording ofBridge over Troubled Water was difficult, and Simon and Garfunkel's relationship had deteriorated. "At that point, I just wanted out", Simon later said.[106]
In 1972, Simon toldRolling Stone magazine:
During the making ofBridge over Troubled Water there were a lot of times when it just wasn't fun to work together. It was very hard work and it was complex, and both of us thought – I think Artie said that he felt that he didn't want to record – and I know I said I felt that if I had to go through these kind of personality abrasions, I didn't want to continue to do it. Then when the album was finished Artie was going to [act in the film]Carnal Knowledge and I went to do an album by myself. We didn't say that's the end. We didn't know if it was the end or not. But it became apparent by the time the movie was out and by the time my album was out that it was over.[107]
At the urging of his wife, Peggy Harper, Simon called Davis to confirm the duo's breakup.[108] For the next few years, they spoke only two or three times a year.[109]
In the 1970s, the duo reunited several times. Their first reunion wasTogether for McGovern, a benefit concert for presidential candidateGeorge McGovern at New York'sMadison Square Garden in June 1972.[15] In 1975, they reconciled when they visited a recording session withJohn Lennon andHarry Nilsson.[110] For the rest of the year, they attempted to make the reunion work, but their collaboration only yielded one song, "My Little Town", that was featured on Simon'sStill Crazy After All These Years and Garfunkel'sBreakaway, both released in 1975.[110] That year, Garfunkel joined Simon for a medley of three songs onSaturday Night Live, guest-hosted by Simon.[111] In 1977, Garfunkel joined Simon for a brief performance of their songs onThe Paul Simon Special, and later that year they recorded a cover ofSam Cooke's "(What a) Wonderful World" withJames Taylor.[15] Old tensions appeared to dissipate upon Garfunkel's return to New York in 1978, when the duo began interacting more often.[109] On May 1, 1978, Simon joined Garfunkel for a concert held atCarnegie Hall to benefit the hearing disabled.[112]
The group performing in the Netherlands in 1982
By 1980, the duo's solo careers were not doing well.[109] To help boost morale for New Yorkers duringa serious economic decline in the city, concert promoter Ron Delsener suggested a free concert inCentral Park.[113] Delsener contacted Simon with the idea of a Simon & Garfunkel reunion, and once Garfunkel had agreed, plans were made.[114] The concert, held on September 19, 1981, attracted more than 500,000 people, at that time the largest ever concert attendance.[15]Warner Bros. Records released a live album of the show,The Concert in Central Park, which went double platinum in the US.[15] A 90-minute recording of the concert was sold toHome Box Office (HBO) for more than $1 million.[115] The concert created a renewed interest in Simon & Garfunkel's work.[116] They had several "heart-to-heart talks", attempting to put their disagreements behind them.[109] The duo undertook a world tour beginning in May 1982, but their relationship grew contentious; for the majority of the tour, they did not speak to one another.[117]
Warner Bros. pushed for the duo to extend the tour and release a new studio album.[117] Simon had new material ready, and, according to Simon, "Artie made a persuasive case that he could make it into a natural duo record."[118] They quarreled again as Garfunkel refused to learn the songs in the studio and would not give up his longstandingcannabis and cigarette habits, despite Simon's requests.[119] Instead, the material became Simon's 1983 albumHearts and Bones.[15] A spokesperson said: "Paul simply felt the material he wrote is so close to his own life that it had to be his own record. Art was hoping to be on the album, but I'm sure there will be other projects that they will work on together."[119] Another rift opened when the lengthy recording of Simon's 1986 albumGraceland prevented Garfunkel from working with engineerRoy Halee on his Christmas albumThe Animals' Christmas (1985).[120] In 1986, Simon said he and Garfunkel remained friends and got on well, "like when we were 10 years old", when they were not working together.[118]
In 1990, Simon and Garfunkel were inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame. Garfunkel thanked Simon, calling him "the person who most enriched my life by putting those songs through me"; Simon responded, "Arthur and I agree about almost nothing. But it's true, I have enriched his life quite a bit." After performing three songs, the duo left without speaking. In August 1991, Simon staged his own concert in Central Park, released as a live album,Paul Simon's Concert in the Park, a few months later. He declined an offer from Garfunkel to perform with him at the park.[121]
We are indescribable. You'll never capture it. It's an ingrown, deep friendship. Yes, there is deep love in there. But there's also shit.
– Garfunkel describing his decades-long relationship with Simon[122]
By 1993, the relationship had thawed, and Simon invited Garfunkel on an international tour.[123] Following a sold-out 21-date run at theParamount Theater in New York and an appearance at that year'sBridge School Benefit in California, they toured the Far East.[15] They became acrimonious again for the rest of the decade.[15] Simon thanked Garfunkel at his 2001 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist: "I regret the ending of our friendship. I hope that some day before we die we will make peace with each other," adding after a pause, "No rush."[15]
In 2003, Simon and Garfunkel received aLifetime Achievement Award at the45th Annual Grammy Awards, for which the promoters convinced them to open with a performance of "The Sound of Silence". The performance was satisfying for both, and they planned a full-scale reunion tour. The Old Friends tour began in October 2003 and played to sold-out audiences across the United States for 40 dates until mid-December,[124] earning an estimated $123 million.[125] A second US leg commenced in June 2004, consisting of 20 cities. Following a 12-city run in Europe in 2004, they ended their nine-month tour with a free concert alongVia dei Fori Imperiali, in front of theColosseum in Rome, on July 31, 2004. It attracted 600,000 fans, more than their Concert in Central Park. In 2005, Simon and Garfunkel performed three songs for aHurricane Katrina benefit concert inMadison Square Garden, including a performance with singerAaron Neville.[126]
The duo at the 2010 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival[122]
In February 2009, Simon and Garfunkel reunited for three songs during Simon's two-night engagement at New York'sBeacon Theatre. This led to a reunion tour of Asia and Australia in June and July 2009.[125] On October 29, 2009, they performed five songs at the 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert at Madison Square Garden. In January 2010, Garfunkel developed vocal problems following damage to hisvocal cords as the result of an incident in which he had briefly choked on a piece of lobster.[127] Their headlining set several months later at the 2010New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival was difficult for Garfunkel. "I was terrible, and crazy nervous. I leaned on Paul Simon and the affection of the crowd," he toldRolling Stone several years later.[122] Garfunkel was diagnosed withvocal cord paresis, and the remaining tour dates were canceled. They reunited two months later to perform "Mrs. Robinson" at anAmerican Film Institute Life Achievement Award tribute to directorMike Nichols, in whatRolling Stone suggested might have been their last performance together.[127] Garfunkel's manager, John Scher, informed Simon's camp that Garfunkel would be ready within a year, which did not happen, damaging relations between the two. Simon continued to publicly wish Garfunkel better health and praised his "angelic" voice. Garfunkel regained his vocal strength over the course of the next four years, performing shows in aHarlem theater and to underground audiences.[122]
In 2014, Garfunkel toldRolling Stone that he believed he and Simon would tour again, but said: "I know that audiences all over the world like Simon and Garfunkel. I'm with them. But I don't think Paul Simon's with them."[122] In a 2015 interview with Nigel Farndale forThe Daily Telegraph, Garfunkel said: "How can you walk away from this lucky place on top of the world, Paul? What's going on with you, you idiot? How could you let that go, jerk?"[128] In 2016, Simon denied that a reunion was possible as he did not enjoy performing under their fractious relationship.[129] In November 2024, Garfunkel said he had been a "fool" and that he and Simon had reconciled as friends.[89] In April 2025, Garfunkel was asked about a potential reunion and said "we may give it a try and see where it leads".[130]
Over the course of their career, Simon & Garfunkel's music gradually moved from a basic folk rock sound to incorporate more experimental elements for the time, includingLatin andgospel music.[6] According toRolling Stone, their music struck a chord among lonely, alienated young adults near the end of the 1960s.[131] According toPitchfork, though Simon & Garfunkel were a highly regarded folk act "distinguished by their intuitive harmonies and Paul Simon's articulate songwriting", they were more conservative than thefolk music revivalists ofGreenwich Village.[132] By the late 1960s, they had become the "folk establishment ... primarily unthreatening and accessible, which forty years later makes them an ideal gateway act to the weirder, harsher, more complex folkies of the60s counterculture".[133] Their later albums explored more ambitious production techniques and incorporated elements of gospel, rock, R&B, and classical, revealing a "voracious musical vocabulary".[132]
Simon & Garfunkel received criticism at the height of their success. In 1968,Rolling Stone critic Arthur Schmidt described their music as "questionable ... it exudes a sense of process, and it is slick, and nothing too much happens."[134]New York Times critic Robert Shelton said that the duo had "a kind of Mickey Mouse, timid, contrived" approach.[135] According toRichie Unterberger ofAllMusic, their clean sound and muted lyricism "cost them some hipness points during thepsychedelic era ... the pair inhabited the more polished end of the folk-rock spectrum and was sometimes criticized for a certain collegiate sterility."[6] He noted that some critics regard Simon's later solo work as superior to Simon & Garfunkel.[6]
^abBookends (2001 Remaster) (liner notes). Simon & Garfunkel. US:Columbia Records. 2001. CK 66003.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
Charlesworth, Chris (1997). "Bridge Over Troubled Water".The Complete Guide to the Music of Paul Simon and Simon & Garfunkel. Omnibus Press.ISBN978-0-7119-5597-4.
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