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Simon and Garfunkel - The Concert in Central Park

Simon and Garfunkel - The Concert in Central Park

List Price: $14.98
Your Price: $11.24
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Review by Someone who was There.
Review: I remember this concert well...but as they say of the '60s, if your can remember it you weren't there. I was a teen back then (September 1981) and like most of the hundreds of thousands of others there I was smoking myself a "J". Me and a friend got a good place as everyone packed in hours before the show. Then I had to take a leak. Unfortunately it took an hour of stepping over a mass of stoned people to find somewhere to go, and as the concert started I gradually found my way back.

Mrs. Robinson starts it off. Then Homeward Bound, America, Me and Julio, Scarborough Fair, April Come She Will, Still Crazy, Late in the Evening, and it ends with Old Friends, Bookends, Sounds of Silence, and everything in between. During Sounds of Silence you can get a quick glimpse of me as they do a close up of me for a few seconds. I'm the one behind the girl with glasses with a mustache...me, not the girl, and you can see me blowing out smoke either from a cigarette of a joint.

It was a true musical happening.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Australian DVD has 5.1 surround sound mix too
Review: A magic concert that needs to be seen by all, not just S&G fans. If you already own the album of this, then buy it as an accompanying piece.

Thankfully the Australian DVD has been given a 5.1 surround sound mix as well. But it is important to note that it is only simulated which means it is a pseudo surround sound. Obviously the concert was originally only recorded in 2 channel stereo. In 1981, that may have been the only option.

A long awaited DVD anyway!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good songs, bad sound
Review: I've always liked Simon and Garfunkle. I also like most of their solo work following the break-up. And all their greatest hits are here, just as you would expect.

However, the sound mixing is poor. I'm spoiled by 5.1 surround sound, I guess. This substandard stereo mix was disappointing. It didn't even have enough volume. And there was too much ambient audience noise. But for S & G fans, it's a must-own DVD.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Ageless, Timeless - Priceless
Review: On a spring Sunday in 1982, a 13-year-old boy in Northern Europe happened to open the tv and see a huge outdoors concert. In the course of approximately one and a half hours, the boy became a fan of those two men: one tall, curly-haired and angel-voiced, the other dark and short, playing the guitar with a unique touch. As the boy did not have a VCR at the time, he did not have a chance to see the concert again. Twenty-one years later the boy, now a man and fast approaching middle age, places a DVD on the tray - and he is reunited with the holy show: Simon & Garfunkel's 'Concert in Central Park'.

I do not have the habit of writing about myself, but now I am obliged to do so, because 'Concert in Central Park' possesses an immeasurable amount of personal value to me.

It really took an unreasonably long time to convert 'Concert in Central Park' into a DVD. The product does not have any real extras, but the content speaks for itself. The additions (in respect of LP and CD) of 'Late in the Evening (reprise)' and the first-ever performance of Simon's solo 'The Late Great Johnny Ace' alone make this DVD a piece of popular music history. Paul's wild shriek just before the band cuts into the crowd-inciting rumba sequence of 'Late in the Evening (reprise)' is pure rock & roll power. And yes, the angry spectator's stage invasion is there in the middle of 'Johnny Ace'.

Interestingly enough, there are some differences to be heard in the music. Intros to some songs are longer than on LP/CD and a few harmonies sound more authentic on this DVD. Some short between-songs announcements are cut out and, unfortunately, Paul's opening speech after 'Homeward Bound' is shortened somewhat. I do not know if it is only me, but I think that mixing is more sophisticated here. In addition to singing of the headliners, you can also fully enjoy (not to underestimate anybody's input) the fine guitars of David Brown and Pete Carr, the groovy drums of Paul's trusted man Steve Gadd as well as the dominant keyboard-playing of another cohort Richard Tee. Essentially, the introduction of the superb band is included in the film just before the very last song.

The friction between Paul and Art is no secret, and it is at places visible in this concert as well. They have little direct contact during the set, and the occasional back-patting seems a bit constrained. During Paul's solo numbers, Art sits at the back and looks uneasy. Paul also seems to make a little fun of Art a couple of times: for example, Art's less-than-deep one-liner 'I'm so in the mood' prior to the glorious 'American Tune' causes Paul to make faces that imply something else than infinite respect to his long-time partner.

The performers, luckily, concentrate on the music and do few tricks to woo the audience. In the end of a touching neighbourhood tune 'A Heart in New York', Art does a Statue of Liberty routine. It is no artistic triumph as such but inspires the crowd into a mighty roar.

Simon & Garfunkel's 'Concert in Central Park' is definitely one of the most important individual concerts in the history of popular music. Although it now turns out the music had gone through some tidying-up when released on LP, the songs are in the starring role. Skilful camera work and successful sound reproduction make the concert a comprehensive and a most enjoyable experience on the screen, too.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: This DVD sure go well with Every Brother reunion with me.
Review: Both of them is superd and have their own unit way, both of this concert is "a must.. for the newer generation rocker wanna be", even Donny and Marie Osmond also learn from them beside "Master of Moon River". Trust me this DVD will bring your sweet memory back to the future 60s 70s and still rocking.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: This DVD sure go well with Every Brother reunion with me.
Review: Both of them is superd and have their own yunit way, both of this concert is "a must.. for the newer generation rocker wanna be", even Donny and Marie learn from them beside "Master of Moon River".

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Wonderful bit of Memorabilia
Review: A truly wonderful concert! A tribute to the true poets of the 60s. The concert includes many of the best loved compositions from the S&G years: Mrs. Robinson, The Boxer, America, The Sound of Silence. It is truly a gift from the past. Drama here too: an ominous moment when Paul is singing about Lennon's death (The Late Great Johnny Ace) and an audience member rushes him--he finishes the song fine. What is most enchanting is to see the two of them enjoying themselves, and enjoying each other. For all of those (like me) who have worried about whether friendship survives after the breakup (so many of them) of the great acts of the 60s, it is wonderful to see these two pat each other's backs. They enjoy each other, and the music shows it. Marvelous concert!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: SEE THEM IN CONCERT
Review: If you like Simom & Garfunkel. Go to www.SGtickets.com to win your free tickets to see Simon & Garfunkel in concert in the city of your choice. It's free and easy...

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Very Good video quality, sound is good no 5+1
Review: Attention Dvd include "The Late Great Johnny Ace" not write on tracklist.
Video Quality: Very Good
Sound Quality: Very Good . not 5+1
This dvd not have extra feature!!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: DOES have "The Late Great Johnny Ace," but it's not perfect
Review: I can't say enough good things about the concert and the performance. The music is wonderful and the duo sounds great together. The harmonies are lovely.

The 4 stars (rather than 5) is primarily for what the DVD lacks -- there are no extra features, and the instrumental solos seem very muted as compared to the vocals.

But the person who said that "The Late Great Johnny Ace" was cut must have gone off to the bathroom for a bit -- it's definitely there. It's true that the song title is not on the liner notes -- which is, perhaps, suggestive of how much care went into this DVD -- but the full song, complete with the fan coming up on stage while Paul Simon is singing, is there.

I hope they come out with a special edition of this DVD with improved sound mixing, better chapter selection (as others have noted, it's annoying to have two songs grouped into a chapter -- it should be one song, one chapter), accurate liner notes, and extra features (perhaps some commentary).


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