“The Concert in Central Park”, released in February 1982
on Warner Bros. Records, is the first live album by American folk rock duo
Simon & Garfunkel. It was recorded in September 1981 at a free benefit
concert in Central Park, New York City, where the pair performed in front of
more than 500,000 people. Proceeds went toward the redevelopment and
maintenance of the park, which had deteriorated due to lack of municipal
funding. The concert and album marked the start of a short-lived reunion for
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. The concept of a benefit concert in Central Park
had been proposed by Parks Commissioner Gordon Davis and promoter Ron Delsener.
Television channel HBO agreed to carry the concert, and worked with Delsener to
decide on Simon and Garfunkel as the appropriate act for this event. Besides
hit songs from their years as a duo, their set-list included material from
their solo careers, and covers. The show consisted of 21 songs, though two were
not used in the live album. Among the songs performed were the classics
"The Sound of Silence", "Mrs. Robinson", and "The
Boxer"; the event concluded with a reprise of Simon's song, "Late in
the Evening". Ongoing personal tensions between the duo led them to decide
against a permanent reunion, despite the success of the concert and a
subsequent world tour.
The album and a film were released the year after the concert. Simon and Garfunkel's performance was praised by music critics and the album was commercially successful; it peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 album charts and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The video recordings were initially broadcast on HBO, and were subsequently made available on Laserdisc, CED, VHS and DVD.
The duo were disappointed with their performance, particularly Garfunkel, who felt that he sang poorly. Simon said that he did not immediately realize the magnitude of the event: "I didn't get what had happened – how big it was – until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news ... and later that night on the front pages of all the newspapers. Then I got it."
The album and a film were released the year after the concert. Simon and Garfunkel's performance was praised by music critics and the album was commercially successful; it peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 album charts and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The video recordings were initially broadcast on HBO, and were subsequently made available on Laserdisc, CED, VHS and DVD.
The duo were disappointed with their performance, particularly Garfunkel, who felt that he sang poorly. Simon said that he did not immediately realize the magnitude of the event: "I didn't get what had happened – how big it was – until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news ... and later that night on the front pages of all the newspapers. Then I got it."
“The Concert in Central Park”, lansat in februarie 1982
de Warner Bros. Records, este primul album live al grpului folk-rock American Simon&Garfunkel.
A fost inregistrat in septembrie 1981, ca un concert gratuit in Central Park,
New York City, unde duo-ul a cantat in fata a peste 500.000 de oameni. Încasările
s-au îndreptat către reamenajarea și întreținerea parcului, care s-a deteriorat
din cauza lipsei fondurilor municipale. Concertul si albumul au marcat
inceputul unei scurte reintalniri intre Simon si Garfunkel. Conceptul de
concert de beneficiu a fost propus de catre comisarul parcurilor Gordon Davis
si promoter-ul Ron Delsener. Canalul de televiziune HBO a transmis concertul si
a lucrat cu Delsener ca sa-I convinga pe Simon si Garfunkel sa decida corespunzator
pentru acest eveniment. Pe langa slagarele lor ca duo, de-a lungul anilor,
lista de concert a continut si cantece solo si cover-uri. Spectacolul a constat
in 21 de cantece, desi doua nu au fost folosite in albumul live. Printre
cantecele cantata au fost clasicele "The Sound of Silence",
"Mrs. Robinson", and "The Boxer", evenimentul incheindu-se
cu o reluare a cantecului lui Simon “Late in the Evening”. Persistenta
tensiunilor personale dintre cei doi a condus i-a condus la decizia de a nu se
reuni permanent, in ciuda succesului concertului si a turnelui mondial ulterior
acestuia.
Albumul si un film au fost lansate in anul urmator concertului. Performanta lui Simon si a lui Garfunkel a fost laudata de criticii muzicali si albumul a fost un success comercial; a atins locul 6 in Billboard 200 album chart si a fost certificate cu dublu platina de catre RIIA. Inregistrarile video au fost difuzate initial pe HBO si ulterior au aparut pe Laserdisc, CED, VHS si DVD.
Duo-ul a fost initial dezamagit de performanta, in special Garfunkel care a simtit ca a cantat slab. Simon a spus ca el nu a realizat imediat magnitudinea eevenimentului: “Nu m-am prins de ceea ce tocmai se intamplase, cat de maret fusese, pana cand am ajuns acasa si am deschis televizorul vazand ca era peste tot la stiri…si mai tarziu in noapte pe primele pagini ale ziarelor. Atunci am inteles.”
Albumul si un film au fost lansate in anul urmator concertului. Performanta lui Simon si a lui Garfunkel a fost laudata de criticii muzicali si albumul a fost un success comercial; a atins locul 6 in Billboard 200 album chart si a fost certificate cu dublu platina de catre RIIA. Inregistrarile video au fost difuzate initial pe HBO si ulterior au aparut pe Laserdisc, CED, VHS si DVD.
Duo-ul a fost initial dezamagit de performanta, in special Garfunkel care a simtit ca a cantat slab. Simon a spus ca el nu a realizat imediat magnitudinea eevenimentului: “Nu m-am prins de ceea ce tocmai se intamplase, cat de maret fusese, pana cand am ajuns acasa si am deschis televizorul vazand ca era peste tot la stiri…si mai tarziu in noapte pe primele pagini ale ziarelor. Atunci am inteles.”
List of tracks
"Mrs. Robinson" (Simon)
"Homeward Bound" (Simon)
"America" (Simon)
"Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" (Simon)
"Scarborough Fair" (Traditional, arr. by Paul
Simon and Art Garfunkel)
"April Come She Will" (Simon)
"Wake Up Little Susie" (The Everly Brothers
(Felice and Boudleaux Bryant))
"Still Crazy After All These Years" (Simon)
"American Tune" (Simon)
"Late in the Evening" (Simon)
"Slip Slidin' Away" (Simon)
"A Heart in New York" (Benny Gallagher, Graham
Lyle)
"The Late Great Johnny Ace" (Simon)
"Kodachrome/Maybellene" (Simon/Chuck Berry
(Chuck Berry, Russ Fratto, Alan Freed))
"Bridge over Troubled Water" (Simon)
"50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" (Simon)
"The Boxer" (Simon, Garfunkel)
"Old Friends / Bookends Theme" (Simon)
"The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)"
(Simon)
"The Sound of Silence" (Simon)
"Late in the Evening" (Reprise) (Simon)
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