Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (Remastered)

iTunes Review

Two singers, four herbs, twelve cuts — this 1966 release placed the duo’s crystalline harmonies amidst driving acoustic guitars, twinkling harpsichords and dabs of strings to extraordinary effect. It’s the songs, though, that are the real focal point. “Scarborough Fair/Canticle” (the source of the album’s title) counterpoints a 17th Century folk ballad with a Simon-penned antiwar song and features Garfunkel’s haunting lead vocals. Simon displays his growing self-assurance as a songwriter throughout PSR&T, whether he’s offering a lovelorn road ballad (“Homeward Bound”), a lighthearted reverie (“The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy))” or a sketch of urban alienation (“Poem On The Underground Wall).” Sometimes he displays the literary ambitions of youth, as in “The Dangling Conversation.” More often, his poetic effects are beautifully realized, as in “For Emily, Wherever I Made Find Her.” There’s a yearning spirit found in these tracks, one that resonated with a huge audience in the late ‘60s. The eloquence with which Simon and Garfunkel expressed this spirit makes Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme an evergreen creation.