A Must-Have for S&G Junkies!

Author's Rating:

Pros: A great live performance by a pair of reunited old friends!

Cons: some of the band music is a little over the top on a few songs

The Bottom Line: 
If you don't own this, get it...you don't know what you're missing. Great performance, a bit of nostalgia, and some songs as you've never heard them before.

Author's Review
Simon and Garfunkel's Concert in Central Park was a dream come true for thousands of their fans who thought they'd never see them perform together again. This concert was truly a gift for those who love them. It starts out with a few favorites..."Mrs. Robinson," "Homeward Bound," "America." In my opinion, the very opening of "Mrs. Robinson" isn't particularly smooth but this initial uneasiness very soon gives way to a stunning joining of voices. "Scarborough Fair" is amazing with Paul and Art's voices blending just as perfectly as they do in studio recordings.

One thing I noticed about this concert is that Paul sings quite a few songs from his solo career while Art only does one ("A Heart In New York"). This seems rather unbalanced, however in the end you will appreciate it. It gives us a chance to hear new versions of these songs with Art joining in. One in particular, "American Tune", absolutely makes the whole concert! This is a song that should have originally been performed by Simon & Garfunkel, not by Simon alone. This is a song meant for Art's voice. I also thoroughly enjoyed the pair singing "Kodachrome." I like this song with just Paul but it's even better with Art's harmony. Paul Simon has a lot of great solo work but all the backup singers in the world can't compare to what Art brings to his music. Their voices seem to be made for each other. That is the beauty of their Concert in Central Park...getting to hear these songs as they would have been had Simon & Garfunkel stayed together.

Finally, they move back to the older songs with "The Boxer." I don't think this version sounds as good as the studio recording but the additional verse is included here. After an encore, they very appropriately sing "Old Friends." It seems even more poignant performed here by two old friends reuniting one last time. The concert closes with "59th Street Bridge" and "Sound of Silence" which was a nice way to end...back to what we loved about Simon & Garfunkel so long ago. It wouldn't have been the same had they ended with a song from Paul's solo career.

There is very little talking on this video. They greet the audience at the opening and say a few words here and there. So you don't get a whole lot of interaction between the performers and fans. However, as the concert progresses, you do see that the feelings of friendship between Paul and Art are still there somewhere. We can see them chatting between songs, occasionally patting each other on the back, a laugh here or there, and finally somewhat of a hug after the last song is finished.

This is a great video to own if you are a true S&G fan! I've watched it many times and never tire of it. It's one thing to listen to a cd or tape but quite another to see them together once again. Even after a decade apart, their voices blend seamlessly in one great song after another!