Simon and Garfunkel - The Concert in Central Park

Rating:
Summary: Desrves more than 5 stars!
Review: This video was recored live in Central Park on September 19, 1981. I think it deserves more than 5 stars. I think is the greatest video that ever was. Simon and Garfunkel sing infront of 500,000 people. It contains 2 extra songs that were cut from the album; The late great Johnny Ace, and Late in the evening(reprise). Durring The Late Great Johnny Ace, a duranged fan jumps on stage after Paul sings about John Lennon being shot. Paul gets real scared and the bouncer comes and grabs the kid and takes him away. The highlight of the evening I think is when Paul sang 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover. Art sings an OK version of Bridge over troubled water. Paul and Art play with an amazing backing band too. Also much of the dialogue that was cut from the record, is restored on the tape. Things such as intro's of songs, Paul introduces the band, and Paul had a speech about fireworks. I think it is great and you should buy it. You can't be considered a Simon and Garfunkel fan without it.

Rating:
Summary: Ladies and gentlemen "Simon and Garfunkel"
Review: To the 1/2 million people that attended this historic central park concert, the sound of Mayor Ed Koch introducing Simon and Garfunkel was the was the beginning of a very special evening. Both Paul and Art are native new yorkers, who will always have a special rapport with the NY crowd as seen in this spectacular DVD. Long overdue, this DVD of the central park show, has both adequate sound and picture quality. The audiophiles out there, might not be happy with the lack of super-sonic surround sound, but who cares? Simon and Garfunkel never sounded better, and they are backed by an all-star session band including, Steve Gadd, the late Richard Tee, Grady Tate, Anthony Jackson, and Pete Carr to name a few. Some of the live cuts actually sound better than the original studio versions. "Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover" has a down right jazz funk feel to it and "Mrs. Robinson" is more upbeat than the original studio version. I was one of those lucky people in Central Park that evening, but this DVD gives me a better view, then I ever had that night and lots of great memories as well. At $10 dollars, this disc is a steal and should be in every baby boomers music library.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Best
Review: This is arguably one of the greatest concerts ever performed. In front of an estimated half a million people in New York's Central Park, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel put in the performance of their lives.

What makes this concert so good? Well, it's hard to know where to begin. I'll start with the performers themselves. Very much at the top of their game on this night, the duo's voices sound perfect. Despite 10 years apart, and some obvious tension remaining, they slip easily back into perfect harmony . Garfunkel sings along on Simon's solo tracks as though they'd always been singing them together.

The set list is also fantastic. Combining S & G standards like "Homeward Bound", "The Sound of Silence" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water" with Paul Simon solo material and even a Garfunkel solo number. The whole set runs from start to finish perfectly.

Finally, the atmosphere generated by the huge crowd is fantastic. Sitting in your lounge room you can almost feel like you are there. The applause for Art's heart-wrenching rendition of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" must have created a small earthquake.

Overall, this concert is just a pleasure no matter what sort of music fan you are. Two of music's greatest performers at their peak.

Rating:
Summary: Simon and Garfunkle - Revisited.
Review: I was happy to see Simon and Garfunkle in concert on their recent "Old Friends" tour, and was more than pleased by the performance of two men who, by all rights, should've been retired and not in the best of vocal form. The afterglow of the Philadelphia show led me to acquire this DVD from the 1981 Central Park reunion show. Since most of the songs from the current tour are reflected by the Central Park set list, it was worth it for me.

This DVD is actually better than I originally remember from watching it on TV. Maybe I was just too wrapped up in my new wave years (I was a junior in college at the time the album was released), but both men were in strong form vocally. It also meant that, as a greatest hits sort of show, all the bases are essentially covered. Even the Paul Simon solo material comes across as well matched (in particular, "American Tune" which rings truer in the post 9/11 world as it did back then). The instrumentation is a bit dated, Richard Tee's keyboards especially, but that's more the fault of the times than of performance.

And the performances here are superb. Oddly, the one major musical flub from the disc is "The Late Great Johnny Ace." It was Simon's tribute to John Lennon and is when a fan charges the stage, distracting Simon from the microphone. Art Garfunkle is relegated to only one solo hit here, and naturally it's "A Heart In New York." Just as "counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike" gets a huge outburst of applause (it did here in Philly, too), "Heart" brings the crowd to express itself with exuberence.

On the other hand, when Art begins to sing "Bridge Over Troubled Water," it's hard not to notice that he can still sound like the folk singing choirboy of the sixties, and even more so for "The Sound of Silence." Despite all the infighting, back biting and legendary arguments that Simon and Garfunkle have shared over their career, there is no denying that - as a duo - they created magic. After 20 years, I'm glad "The Concert In Central Park" is in my DVD library.

There are a few minuses: A serious lack of extra features. Jamming two songs into one chapter, and not just once but six times. Crappy liner notes/graphics. The fact that you can still sense the personal tension between Art and Paul. (They were supposed to produce an album entitled "Think Too Much" together after the tour, the resulting album was Paul's "Hearts and Bones.")

PS: I eagerly await the inevitable "Old Friends" concert CD and DVD, and would also recommend Paul Simon's "Concert In The Park" from 1991.

Rating:
Summary: Greatest Concert I've Seen Yet
Review: This concert deserves more than a mere 5 stars. This has got to be the best concert I've seen yet. I wasn't around for the actual concert, but seeing it on video was good enough for me. I've been a long time fan of Simon and Garfunkle...particularly Paul Simon...but I think this showed us yet again that they've still got it. Art did an ok job of Bridge Over Troubled Water, and his harmony was ok. I don't really think he was quite on the ball that night though. He seemed ike he really enjoyed being on stage and it seemed like he missed it, too. Paul's performance was, to say the least, wonderful. My favorite parts were "50 Ways to Leave your Lover" and "Still Crazy After All These Years". This is definately a concert worth buying!

Rating:
Summary: A memorable night
Review: After watching the DVD, how I wish I was there as one of the audiences. Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" was probably one of the most powerful version I've heard. Personal favourite still goes to "Sound of Silence". In this song, the crowd just listened silently (some snapshots of the quiet crowds are really complimentary), and the duo gave their best performance of the night: Garfunkel's high voice is so hauntingly beautiful and Simon's deep voice is so mellow and soulful - which is what makes this duo legendary.
The songs and the performance were undoubtedly great. But what is most memorable to me are those small gestures the two old friends exchanged during the concert, e.g. padding on the back of each other. Despite what we've heard and read, they are still the very best of friends.

Rating:
Summary: disapointed fan
Review: I was disapointed in this dvd because i thought it would include the late great johnny ace but of course it didnt, also they deleted a lot of talking from simon and garfunkle, like when they introduced band members and when art talks before the heart in new york song.
its not bad but it sure cut out a lot of the concert that i liked, oh well i guess im stuck with it, i sure would like to return it after all its not the real concert just a cut up version

Rating:
Summary: Simon and Garfunkel with this incredible folk-rock album
Review: The Central Park concert is one of my favorite moments in Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel carrer but is very sad because the group broke-up(I now, they come back again).The solos of the tracks are in my opinion the best part of the show.The sound and image have a good quality.But "Mr Robinson" is in my opinion the best song played in the concert and "Bridge over Troubled Water" is perfectly.If you enjoy a great folk live album, buy this DVD because Simon and Garfunkel is brilliant music

Rating:
Summary: Superb revival of a classic
Review: I bought the LP second hand from a college jumble sale back in the early 80's; the previous owner must have been mad to part with it. It's been one of my favourite albums for 20 years, even if only for the soft bass sounds echoing off the trees (?) which make you feel you're in the Park too. My record player died a couple of years ago and I was well chuffed to see the familiar album cover on the DVD shelf of our local supermarket. I didn't hesitate in buying it as I had just bought a DVD player. Even on my el cheapo surround system it sounds great but I'd love to hear it on a 'proper' system to do it full justice. Excellent renditions of S&G evergreens, definitely not to be missed. The kids weren't impressed though.

Rating:
Summary: Simon and Garfunkel - The Concert in Central Park-superb
Review: This dvd is much more than entertainment.this dvd presents simon and garfunkels life works in just under 1 and a half hours.The picture quality is not superb dvd quality but considering it was filmed and recorded in 1981 the best job in mixing it has been achieved. There are some great renditions of the classics such as mrs robinson,scarbourough fair,feelin groovy,sounds of silence and the boxer. The camera work and sound is spectacular and you really get a sense of what the atmosphere must have been like for the audience in this historic event. a spectacular performance by 2 elite singer/songwriters.All though there are no special features this is a must have for simon and garfunkel fans or fans of th 60's. Many peopel and even Art himself suggest that this was not his best performance but i beleieve he is exceptional and it is shown when singing such songs as scarbourough fair and bridge over trouble water in particular.