I been mothered, fathered, aunt and uncled,
Been Roy Haleed and Art Garfunkeled.
I just discovered somebody’s tapped my phone.
-A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara’d into Submission)
By Simon & Garfunkel
I’ve felt really sorry for Artie for a while now. He has a beautiful voice, sometimes achingly so. Yet, I think he’s perceived like, say, Andrew Ridgely of WHAM!, lost in the light of his more creative partner.
Certainly, I don’t have nearly the number of solo Garfunkel albums as I have of Paul Simon albums, though I do own Breakaway, and The Animals’ Christmas (with Amy Grant).
I’ve had relationships like Paul seem to have with Art, on (as Tom and Jerry), and off (Paul goes to London), and on (“Sound of Silence” breaks), and off (Art makes movies such as Catch-22, which I saw twice in one day – had to do with affairs of the heart) while Paul goes solo, then on (“My Little Town”), then off, then on (Central Park reunion in 1981), then off (the clash over “Hearts and Bones”), with occasional reunions since then.
Anyway, Art turns 65 today, less than a month after Paul. His current music seems to be gaining some acclaim, if not great sales. I wish him well.