The now legendary Silver Apples were an American electronic rock group from New York. They are a pioneering fusion of rock and electronic music. Until 2008 when I picked up this cd of their first two lps all I heard of them was their reputation. Silver Apples (1968), Contact (1969) show where ELP & the British electronic movement sprung from. The first lp is spacey oscillators & drums with cosmic lyrics, the second is slightly more grounded with more emotion lyrics plus banjo (!) to give a sweet country turn. A group that was undone by a corporate lawsuit over cover art!
Simon & Garfunkel were one of the best-selling music groups of the 1960s. I’ve had all their lps – some more than once as played them to grey. On the self is The Complete Studio albums: a 3 cd set of all the Columbia studio lps: Wednesday Morning 3 A.M. (1964); Sounds of Silence (1966); Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme 1966); [The Graduate (1967 Dave Grusin)]; Bookends (1968); Bridge Over Troubled Waters (1970).
Paul Simon, along with Bob Dylan were my two first poet idols. I later discover my influences were really their prime influencers: TS Eliot & Alan Ginsberg. In my high school note books I wrote ‘inspired’ imitations of both that were word salads as opposed to actual poetry but it was an excellent way to start. Nearly every ‘folk’ group in Cape Breton did their own versions of those early songs: Parsley, Sage; Homeward Bound; Sounds of Silence.
The Graduate soundtrack is a separate release but represented a major jump for the the pair & works well as a soundtrack. Each release was a musically different as Simon mastered Top 10 songwriting. They incorporated spoken sections, sound manipulation without alienating their teen fans. Though I do skip some of it now, then I felt it was amazing.
I was also convinced they were lovers to sound so in harmony. With the last lp they had hit such a music peak fans were shocked & dismayed over the breakup of the group. The last lp is a sonic masterpiece with directions that Paul pursued successfully for most his solo career. (coming next week). Each lp has strong nostalgic emotional pull on me & take me back to my life as a teenager, as struggling queer boy trying to find an emotional anchor. I was disappointed to find neither of them was even bi.
I think of all their songs my favourite is For Emily, Where Ever I May Find Her. What is yours?
TOpoet 
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