The one hundred ninety-seventh album: #197 Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water
Sometimes, you listen to a song, it feels like a perfect number, but then it doesn't stick the landing. Bridge Over Troubled Water is an amazing piece, performed well, delicate and sweet with a lovely message. The big, more bombastic finish overrules that though, and that's unfortunate. The album doesn't quite continue on that tone - El Condor Pasa sounds quite different, though still focusing on the lyrics, and it already has a different feel, while Cecilia is so different that the R&B-like rhythm is surprising, but it stays a joyous party song. The album, at this point, really feels like it's veered further into pop for a few songs, the folk disappearing a bit for something more danceable and joyous, even if the lyrics of Keep the Customer Satisfied don't quite fit the mood (but the juxtaposition makes the point far better).
So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright, changes that of course, going back into the sweeter, more sentimental sounds that with just that bit of knowledge really sounds like the duo's farewell. The Boxer, which feels like the other big song, starts the second side in a similar vein, a song that hits deep, beyond what you would get from just lyrics or music. It's an amazing performance, simple but so effective.
The album alternates between the upbeat rhythms and slower, more folksy numbers. The latter are more effective most of the time, with the best of the former at the start of the album, and at times they're more filler as the main contents of this album, and why it should be praised, are these gentle, sensitive songs that speak to (especially) Paul Simon's frame of mind at the time.