Personnel includes: Paul Simon (vocals, guitar); Art Garfunkel (vocals);

Fred Carter, Jr. (guitar); Jimmy Haskell, Ernie Freeman (strings); Larry Knechtel (keyboards); Joe Osborn (bass); Hal Blaine (drums) Los Incas.

Producers include: Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, Roy Halee.

Recorded between August 11 and November 15, 1969. Originally released on Columbia Records (9914). Includes liner notes by Bud Scoppa.

After half a decade of pop superstardom, America's favorite folk-rock duo were just about ready to go their separate ways (at least Simon was), but not before releasing this gem of a swan song. Possibly S&G's most diverse album, BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER firmly established them as creators of pop standards on a par with Irving Berlin or Johnny Mercer. The title tune alone, a beautifully unfolding gospel-tinged vow of emotional commitment, places them in the pop hall of fame forever.

The story obviously doesn't stop there. Foreshadowing Simon's solo work, the jubilant love song "Cecilia" and the poignant, yearning "El Condor Pasa" both turn to the traditions of other cultures for musical inspiration. The highly metaphorical "The Boxer" is the only real throwback to Simon's more self-conscious early work. The transcendent production of "The Only Living Boy in New York" puts a pop sheen on an early example of Simon's nascent Randy Newman influence. What a way to say goodbye.

What the critics say...

Rolling Stone (12/11/03, p.112) - Ranked #51 in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" - "...The partnership at its best..."
Rolling Stone (5/15/03, p.137) - 5 stars out of 5 - "...An album about the end--a casually ambitious look back at an expiring musical partnership (Simon and Garfunkel) and decade (the Sixties)..."
Q (1/00, p.140) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...[Their] final record is probably their best. It's certainly their most consistent....notable for the strength of its melodies, the force of its lyrics and the Abbey Road-style sophistication of its production."
Uncut (8/01, p.92) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...One of the biggest-selling albums in pop history..."