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Mastered on MoFi’s renowned system at the label’s California studio and housed in mini-LP- style packaging, Mobile Fidelity’s numbered-edition hybrid SACD of Bookendspresents the duo’s timeless effort in reference-quality sound. Playing with superb clarity, definition, and purity, this collectible reissue magnifies the brilliance of the extended production sessions that took place over the course of 18 months at Columbia’s iconic 52nd Street Studio.
Simon himself said that Bookends possesses “the most use of the studio” of any Simon & Garfunkel effort. The plain truth of his observation comes to fore on this audiophile SACD. The full bloom and natural decay of notes; weight and impact of low-end frequencies; lushness, breathiness, and air of the omnipresent harmonies; separation and imaging of the wood, string, and brass instruments; timbres and in-the-room realism of Simon’s lead vocals — these critical traits and more are rendered with elevated accuracy, detail, and presence.
And that’s exactly what Simon, Garfunkel, and producer Roy Halee intended while taking as many as 50 hours to nail a single track. Envisioned from the start by Simon as a way to capture the age’s zeitgeist, and inspired by the broad strokes of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde, Bookends pairs its sonic flair — and diverse arrangements that incorporate folk, rock, jazz, pop, and baroque elements — with arresting lyrics that address restlessness, uncertainty, alienation, love, and heritage.
The first half of Bookends traces the cycle of life from beginning to end, with the final words to “Bookends Theme” — a call to “preserve your memories/they’re all that’s left you” — echoing as the overarching and recurring theme of the album. Before the pair lands on that advice, Simon & Garfunkel use irony (“Save the Life of My Child”), metaphor (“America”), suggestion (“Overs”), field recordings (“Voices of Old People”), and descriptive imagery (“Old Friends”) to cover everything from the loss of innocence to institutional hypocrisy and fears of loneliness.
Released amid a tumultuous political and cultural climate, Bookends retains enormous significance and relevance more than five decades later in a 21st century facing many of the same issues. Its central motifs — searching for meaning and identity; dealing with loss and disappointment; negotiating the split between authenticity and ersatz; reconciling with what one sacrifices over a lifetime; confronting life stages that involve sadness, bewilderment, and disappointment — are universal concerns. And the “America” Simon & Garfunkel pursues remains more elusive than ever.
As does our collective want for a lasting hero (“Mrs. Robinson”), tendency toward affectation (“Fakin’ It”), and inclination to wishfully insert ourselves into circumstances rooted in whimsical fantasy (“Punky’s Dilemma”), particularly when we need an escape. Though the songs on the album’s second half were not devised as part of a unified narrative, they speak a related language steeped in disillusionment, anxiety, and doubt. None more so than on the grayscale “A Hazy Shade of Winter.”
“Simply pretend,” Simon sings,” that you can build [hopes] again,” knowing full well he’s not even fooling himself. Like few albums before or since, Bookends exposes the human condition from the inside-out amid an environment that isn’t what it often appears — or what we originally sought.
Track Listing
Bookends Theme
Save the Life of My Child
America
Overs
Voices of Old People
Old Friends
Bookends Theme
Fakin’ It
Punky’s Dilemma
Mrs. Robinson
A Hazy Shade of Winter
At the Zoo
Music Vinyl LP's
Alan Parsons – I Robot – MoFi Ultradisc 180g 33RPM Vinyl Box Set
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MASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES: ULTRADISC ONE-STEP LP ELEVATES THE AUDIOPHILE STANDARD WHILE OFFERING ONE-FLIP CONVENIENCE Most audiophiles know Alan Parsons Project’s I Robot by heart. Engineered by Parsons after he performed the same duties on Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, the 1977 record reigns as a disc whose taut bass, crisp highs, clean production, and seemingly limitless dynamic range are matched only by the sensational prog-rock fare helmed by the keyboardist. Not surprisingly, it’s been issued myriad times. Can it be improved? Relish Mobile Fidelity’s stupendous UltraDisc One-Step 180g 33RPM box set and the question becomes moot.
Alan Parsons – I Robot – MoFi Ultradisc 180g 45RPM 2LP Box Set
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MASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES: ULTRADISC ONE-STEP SET IS THE ULTIMATE ANALOG VERSION OF 1977 AUDIOPHILE STANDARD Audiophiles don’t need any introduction to the Alan Parsons Project’s I Robot. Engineered by Parsons after he performed the same duties on Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, the 1977 record reigns as a disc whose taut bass, crisp highs, clean production, and seemingly limitless dynamic range are matched only by the sensational prog-rock fare helmed by the keyboardist. Not surprisingly, it’s been issued myriad times. Can it be improved? Relish Mobile Fidelity’s stupendous UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP box set and the question becomes irrelevant.
Bill Evans and Jim Hall – Undercurrent – Mofi Vinyl
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Diverse Set Encompasses Ballads, Waltzes, Hard-Swinging Bop
Bill Evans catapulted to the top of the jazz world in June 1961 after reeling off three straight masterpiece sessions at New York’s Village Vanguard with his trio. Yet the emotional highs came to a screeching halt shortly thereafter when bassist Scott LaFaro died in a car accident. Devastated, Evans refrained from playing for nearly a year. If not for an inspirational collaboration of tremendous creative outpouring, one wonders what fate may have befallen Evans. Undercurrent, the outcome of two studio sessions with guitarist Jim Hall, is that project.
Bill Withers – Still Bill – 180g Mofi Vinyl
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Mastered On Mobile Fidelity's Renowned Mastering System And Pressed At Rti For Definitive Sound.
As it celebrates its 50th anniversary, Bill Withers' Still Bill remains true to its title – and stands as the greatest male-fronted soul album not made by a singer named Marvin, Al, Sam, James, or Ray. Though the saying "keeping it real" did not exist in popular parlance when Withers released his sophomore effort on Sussex Records, no words better capture the music's approach, mindset, and value. Every facet of Still Bill radiates honesty, truth, and emotion. These characteristics – along with Withers' strong singing, hybrid arrangements, and deceptively simple songwriting – have allowed the album to endure to the point where it sounds as fresh today as in 1972.
Bill Withers’ Greatest Hits 180g Mofi Vinyl
Bill Withers’ Smooth Soul Voice, Mellow Grooves, and Gospel Accents Inform Beloved Work: Booker T. Jones, Al Jackson, and Stephen Stills Among Guests.
A veritable template for British soul contemporaries like Sam Smith and an extension of the timeless fare explored by Van Morrison, Curtis Mayfield, and Al Green, Bill Withers’ Greatest Hits belongs in every music lover’s library.
Billy Joel – 52nd Street 180g 45RPM 2LP Mofi Vinyl
Mainstream Perfection: Melodic Devices, Passionate Singing, Sophisticated Arrangements, Jazzy Backdrop Walk Down 52nd Street
Some artists embrace their success by repeating the steps that originally granted them fame. Billy Joel did the opposite, refusing to be contained by prescribed approaches or constrained by a given label. The follow-up to the breakthrough TI, 52nd Street further expands on its predecessor's bold production techniques and inventive arrangements, incorporating more sophisticated textures as well as reflecting a jazz edge gleaned from New York City's thriving club scene.
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