One at a Time: "Bookends" (1968) by Simon and Garfunkel

#233 "Bookends" (1968) by Simon and Garfunkel

This one gives me a little bit of trouble. It's such a good album, with songs on it that are just so kickass.

I mean, just having "America" and "Mrs. Robinson" on it and then a bunch of crap would've been enough to make me consider this a great album. Of course, there's not a bunch of crap, there's "Save the Life of My Child," "Old Friends," "Fakin' It," "A Hazy Shade of Winter," and "At the Zoo," which are all very good songs.

But it's so short, and it takes its gimmick-tracks a little too far. I don't mind when "concept" albums have introductory tracks and reprise tracks, but "Bookends" has its theme as the opener, and then it's reprise as the end of the first side, which puts it in the middle of the track listing. Then it has "Voices of Old People," which is somewhat intriguing, but really it's just two minutes of old people talking. It's not quite as effective as the last time the duo did a track like that, "7 O'Clock News/Silent Night" on their previous album. When we take out those three, and the comparatively mediocre "Punky's Dilemma," the album is only 20 minutes long. Those are a strong twenty minutes, which sure enough put the album above most of the albums I've covered already, but still not better than "Tapestry."

1. "Tapestry" (1971) by Carole King
2. "Bookends" (1968) by Simon and Garfunkel
3. "The Bends" (1995) by Radiohead
4. "Honky Chateau" (1972) by Elton John 
5. "The Slim Shady LP" (1999) by Eminem