Art Garfunkel Reveals Emotional Reunion With Paul Simon
· Ultimate Classic RockArt Garfunkel admits to tearing up during a brief reunion with former bandmate Paul Simon more than a decade after their last Simon and Garfunkel show. Still, it's a memory Garfunkel says he'll always "cherish."
"I met with Paul Simon for the first time in years just recently. We had a lunch," Garfunkel tells The Sun. "It was very, very warm and wonderful. There were tears. I was crying at a certain point because I felt I had hurt him – but there were hugs."
The most recent Simon and Garfunkel album dates to 1970's Bridge Over Troubled Water. They reunited for tour appearances over the years, notably producing 1982's The Concert in Central Park, but haven't shared a stage since the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 2010.
READ MORE: Ranking Every Paul Simon and Simon & Garfunkel Album
Simon has since retired from touring. Garfunkel later battled vocal cord paresis but has recovered to produce a pending album with his son. Garfunkel and Garfunkel's Father and Son is due on Nov. 8.
Father and Son includes an update of Simon and Garfunkel's "Old Friends" but the elder Garfunkel said he and Simon avoided talk of their '60s-era successes. "No, we didn't," he admits. "That speaks for itself." Still, it seemed clear that a long-hoped-for reconciliation had taken place.
"I like to think I'm a man who has a lot of love. There are no relationships of mine that don't have love at the bottom," Garfunkel said. "I love everyone. I can't imagine holding a position of dislike and clinging to it. It’s all meant to be resolved so we can die easy."
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Garfunkel and Garfunkel's Father and Son also includes covers of the Beatles ("Blackbird"), Cyndi Lauper ("Time After Time"), Cat Stevens (the title track), the Everly Brothers ("Let It Be Me"), Eurythmics ("Here Comes the Rain Again") and American Songbook favorites like "Blue Moon."
"Let It Be Me" has added resonance since the Everly Brothers were a foundational influence on Simon and Garfunkel. They also covered the Everlys' "Bye Bye Love" on Bridge Over Troubled Water. "Anybody with ears knows that Don and Phil are not surpassed for harmony," Garfunkel argues. "Nobody is as good – not even Simon and Garfunkel. The blend of those two voices is supreme."
Garfunkel's son, Art Jr., interrupts: "I disagree," he said. "I think Simon and Garfunkel are equally as good or better." Art Sr. then laughs, exclaiming: "I'll take a pass at this point!"
40. Carly Simon, 'No Secrets' (1972)
"You're So Vain" is one of music's most blistering digs at a real-life person. "You probably think this song is about you," Simon scolds during the song's chorus, which includes backing vocals by Mick Jagger, one of the men rumored to be the track's subject. The other tracks on Simon's third album, No Secrets, are just as good. Unlike some of her more delicate folk-leaning counterparts, Simon was unafraid to exhibit a sultrier style of songwriting and embraced sexual tension and emotional honesty in her work. For many female songwriters in the '60s, this was an unconventional approach, but as Simon proved time and time again, sensuality and independence could go hand-in-hand. (Allison Rapp)
39. Kris Kristofferson, 'Kristofferson' (1970)
Kris Kristofferson's self-titled debut didn't find much commercial success when it was released in 1970, but it did find a singer-songwriter sweet spot, delivering the traditional honesty of a country record combined with rock's counterculture themes. Fellow singer-songwriters immediately recognized Kristofferson's artistry: country stars Ray Price and Johnny Cash covered "For the Good Times" and "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down," respectively, while Sammi Smith gave a woman's perspective to "Help Me Make It Through the Night." And then there was Janis Joplin's posthumously released hit cover of "Me and My Bobby McGee," a nostalgic tale of two drifters who transverse the American South. (Rapp)
38. Harry Chapin, 'Verities and Balderdash' (1974)
Harry Chapin's breakthrough fourth album is best remembered for its chart-topping single "Cat's in the Cradle," which rightfully became his signature song and serves as a microcosm for the rest of the LP. Verities & Balderdash is full of cinematic folk-rock vignettes about ordinary people seeking love and connection amid the mundanity of their daily lives. If that sounds a bit heavy-handed and ripe for sentimentality, that's because it is — but Chapin intersperses his melodramatic character studies with buoyant pop songs ("I Wanna Learn a Love Song") and zany, self-deprecating yarns ("30,000 Pounds of Bananas," "Six String Orchestra"). The most striking song is "What Made America Famous?," a seven-minute tale about a hard-luck family caught in a house fire that challenges listeners' assumptions about who can be heroes. (Bryan Rolli)
37. Neil Young, 'On the Beach' (1974)
Even in the ‘70s Neil Young was moving albums like chess pieces around the board. On the Beach was recorded after 1975's Tonight’s the Night but was released a year before that classic. It arrived to little fanfare at the time, but it’s become a fan favorite since then. Ambling rockers like “Revolution Blues” and album opener “Walk On” have rightfully taken their place among classic Young songs in his extensive catalog. (Matt Wardlaw)
36. Sheryl Crow, 'Sheryl Crow' (1996)
Tuesday Night Music Club, Crow's 1993 debut, was a massive hit, but 1996’s follow-up confirmed that her talent wasn't a one-time fluke. Songs like “A Change Would Do You Good” and “If It Makes You Happy” echo the debut's rootsy feel while finding new territory in which to roam. In the end, Crow crafts a record that feels very much her own, strengthening the foundation for a long career. (Wardlaw)
35. Gordon Lightfoot, 'Sundown' (1974)
A Gordon Lightfoot album is a comforting thing, and 1974’s Sundown may be the peak of his career. The songs unfold at a laid-back pace while forging an intriguing atmosphere along the way. The album’s title track is among his most popular singles and a brief detour toward a darker path. The results of Sundown - a trip to more country-influenced songwriting - feel natural in the setting and turn out to be among Lightfoot’s best moments. (Wardlaw)
34. Peter Gabriel, 'So' (1986)
Peter Gabriel’s fifth solo album doesn’t exactly scream “singer-songwriter” — it’s way more band-driven and experimental than anything else on this list. (The former Genesis singer didn’t — and doesn’t — do the “piano-and-vocal” thing very often.) But it’s easily the most personal statement from one of rock’s great chameleons, with Gabriel embracing his love of vintage soul (“Sledgehammer”), African music (“In Your Eyes”) and bare-bones balladry (“Don’t Give Up,” a duet with Kate Bush). No surprise, the public responded to this brighter, hookier sound: The album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, transforming him from a major niche artist into a world-famous pop star. (Ryan Reed)
33. David Crosby, 'If I Could Only Remember My Name' (1971)
There are words, sure — the childlike titular refrain of “Music Is Love,” the peace-seeking platitudes of “What Are Their Names” — but David Crosby’s debut solo LP vibrates almost entirely on an instrumental plane. Several tracks are built solely on jazz-like “doo-da” vocalizing, with the singer’s CSNY bandmate Graham Nash offering sublime harmonies on wordless highlights like “Tamalpais High (At About 3),” “Song With No Words (Tree With No Leaves)” and a cappella closer “I’d Swear There Was Somebody Here.” If I Could is one of the ‘70s’ most star-packed albums, featuring guest spots from Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and multiple members of Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead and Santana. It’s striking, then, how egoless it all feels — everyone drifting on whispering winds into Crosby’s psych-folk sunset. (Reed)
32. Paul McCartney, 'Flaming Pie' (1997)
On Flaming Pie, Paul McCartney stopped trying to outrun his past and finally embraced his legacy, resulting in his strongest solo album since 1982's Tug of War. Macca was inspired by his work on the Beatles' Anthology, and his old band's fingerprints are evident all across Flaming Pie, from George Martin's lush production and Ringo Starr's cameo on "Really Love You" to the album title itself, derived from a story John Lennon told Mersey Beat in 1961 about the origins of the Beatles' name. Musically, Flaming Pie shows off all of McCartney's strengths, from breezy pop-rock ("Young Boy") to snarling blues-rock (the Steve Miller-assisted "Used to Be Bad") to disarming balladry ("Beautiful Night"). Other highlights include the rollicking title track, which cribs its bouncy piano melody from "Lady Madonna," and the elegant acoustic number "Calico Skies," as effortlessly beautiful as anything McCartney wrote with the Beatles. (Rolli)
31. Bob Dylan, 'The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan' (1963)
Bob Dylan was just 22 when he released his second album, but The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan showed signs of a clever and percipient songwriter whose knack for getting right to the heart of the matter struck a chord with fans and critics alike. From "Blowin’ in the Wind” to “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” to “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” Dylan goes from acute social commentary to sentimental heartbreak in less than a half-hour. This was poetry written in the musical style of folk heroes Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger but with an eye toward the future, and from which all singer-songwriter albums would be compared. (Rapp)
30. Leonard Cohen, 'Songs of Leonard Cohen' (1967)
It is no wonder that Leonard Cohen, who began his career as a novelist and poet, transitioned so seamlessly into songwriting. His debut album, 1967's Songs of Leonard Cohen, contained several of his most timeless songs, including "Sisters of Mercy," "So Long, Marianne" and "Suzanne." Cohen's vocal is serious but not unfeeling, his writing romantic but slightly cynical. The LP sounds like something from an ancient era, and Cohen would continue to use similar themes throughout his career: war, depression and the complexities of relationships between men and women. (Rapp)
29. James Taylor, 'Sweet Baby James' (1970)
James Taylor was driving to meet his new nephew when he hit upon the idea for a "cowboy lullaby" for the baby who was named after him. "Sweet Baby James" was born, and it's just one of the tales tucked into 1970’s same-titled album, a defining moment in his burgeoning career. Working with producer Peter Asher, Taylor grew as a singer-songwriter on his second album. Some of his best-known songs are here, including “Fire and Rain” and “Steamroller Blues." (Wardlaw)
28. Todd Rundgren, 'Something/Anything?' (1972)
Todd Rundgren is a musical polymath: able to competently play every traditional pop instrument; sing like a soul singer or hard rocker, depending on his mood; and produce/compose in styles ranging from adult-contemporary to prog. And he essentially does all that on his third album, the double-LP Something/Anything?: leafing through mid-tempo sweetness (“I Saw the Light,” “Hello, It’s Me”), smoldering psych-blues (“Black Maria”), surging power-pop (“Couldn’t I Just Tell You”) and art-rock experimentation (“I Went to the Mirror”). The fun of a Rundgren album is losing yourself in the sprawl — you never know what unexpected sound might be lurking in the shadows. (Reed)
27. Cat Stevens, 'Tea for the Tillerman' (1970)
Stevens hit his stride on his fourth album, a collection of songs about spiritual quests delivered in an earnest voice and folk-rock shadings. It was a turn in direction from the baroque pop of his earlier work, and Stevens continued down this path on a series of similarly themed records. Tea for the Tillerman is his masterpiece and includes some of his best songs: "Where Do the Children Play?," "Wild World" and "Father and Son," among them. (Rapp)
26. Paul Simon, 'Still Crazy After All These Years' (1975)
Paul Simon was flush with material for 1975’s Still Crazy After All These Years, working with a rich palette of songs. The revival stylings of “Gone at Last” took on an evangelical vibe, elevated by the presence of Phoebe Snow and the Jessy Dixon Singers, and the reunion with Art Garfunkel in “My Little Town" became another hit for the duo. Add backing by the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, and you have one of Simon's most accomplished records in a long career filled with them. (Wardlaw)
25. Jackson Browne, 'Running on Empty' (1977)
No album has ever chronicled the agonies and ecstasies of the road in such crystalline detail as Jackson Browne's Running on Empty. Browne and his band recorded the LP onstage, on buses and in hotel rooms while on tour, and it consequently vacillates between euphoria and exhaustion. The title track is both a boisterous love letter to the road and a bittersweet rumination on the sacrifices it entails. The acoustic blues dirge "Cocaine" could serve as an antidrug PSA with how ragged Browne sounds. The album climaxes with the stunning one-two punch of "The Load-Out" and "Stay"; the former is a tribute to Browne's tireless road crew, while the latter basks in the adulation of a rapt audience cheering for one more song — the type of crowd that makes all the other hardships detailed on Running on Empty worthwhile. (Rolli)
24. Billy Joel, ' The Stranger' (1977)
Billy Joel was on fire in the late ‘70s, churning out hit singles and chart-topping albums like chocolates in a candy factory. And that classic run truly began here, on his sleek and adventurous fifth LP, which showcases Joel at his peak of hook-craft and adventure. The slice-of-life epic “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant,” Joel’s own favorite from his catalog, veers from high-octane pop to clarinet-led jazz; soft-rock ballads “She’s Always a Woman” and “Just the Way You Are” hide harmonic nuance behind their surface-level schmaltz; “Only the Good Die Young” explores youthful lust amid a snappy, boogie-ing groove; and the sax-stacked working-class rocker “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)” packs in enough interesting musical detail to give you a heart attack-ack-ack-ack-ack-ack. (Reed)
23. Billy Joel, '52nd Street' (1978)
Billy Joel sticks to The Stranger's winning jazz-rock formula on 52nd Street, a lush, hook-laden tour de force that's more cynical and bleakly funny than its predecessor. "Big Shot" crackles with punchy guitar riffs and sneering vocals, while "My Life" is a breezy middle finger to the people who try to tell Joel how to live. The ballads are less treacly this time around, from the full-throated despair of "Honesty" to the delicate, Latin-tinged "Rosalinda’s Eyes." But the centerpiece of 52nd Street is "Zanzibar," a whip-smart Steely Dan homage about a dejected barfly who strikes out with a waitress. It's one of the jazziest and most acerbic songs in Joel's catalog, a direction he would abandon starting with 1980's rock- and new wave-influenced Glass Houses. (Rolli)
22. Bruce Springsteen, 'The River' (1980)
Bruce Springsteen had a surplus of songs left over from his 1978 Darkness on the Edge of Town album, but more importantly he was on a creative roll that resulted in the sprawling double LP The River. Those elements combine on one of his most diverse records. There's a sobering tone to songs like “Point Blank,” “Independence Day” and the title track, and the feeling was one that Springsteen's rabid fan base easily identified with. The River became his first No. 1 album in a career now filled with them. (Wardlaw)
21. Al Stewart, 'Year of the Cat' (1976)
Few songwriters have aimed for the sweet spot of folk-pop and progressive rock — perhaps few have even tried. But Al Stewart’s vivid storytelling was always a bit left of center, and in the mid-‘70s, he found the perfect sonic companion in producer-engineer Alan Parsons. Together, they reached a pinnacle on Stewart’s dazzling seventh LP, Year of the Cat, enriching shadowy travelogues with waves of keyboards, guitars, percussion and orchestrations. Songs like “Lord Grenville” and “On the Border” nailed that rare middle ground between catchy, literary and artful. But the true peak is the closing title track, a nearly seven-minute epic built on an instantly memorable piano riff. (Reed)
20. John Lennon, 'John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band' (1970)
On his first solo album following the Beatles dissolution, John Lennon lets loose. Heavily shaped by his experiences with primal scream therapy — a form of psychotherapy in which the patient confronts repressed life experiences through spontaneous noise — Lennon delivers a loud, brutal and deeper personal LP. He cries for his late mom (“Mother”), obliterates the concerts of social classes ("Working Class Hero") and even finds time to reject religion. It’s Lennon at his most raw and unapologetic, and even though the abrasive nature of John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band rubbed some fans the wrong way — namely those who yearned for the gentler “Give Peace a Chance” version of the former Beatle — it remains a pivotal release in the icon’s catalog. (Corey Irwin)
19. Nilsson, 'Nilsson Schmilsson' (1970)
The two biggest chart hits by Harry Nilsson — one of the great singer-songwriters of his generation — weren't even written by him: 1969's cover of Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin'" made it to No. 6 thanks to its inclusion in the Oscar-winning Midnight Cowboy, and "Without You," originally a Badfinger song, made it all the way to No. 1. The latter track can be found on Nilsson Schmilsson, his seventh and only Top 10 album, a great display of Nilsson's breadth of style. There's straight-up rock 'n' roll, loose takes on '50s hits, playful novelty songs and lush pop that sounds like new standards. Nilsson could be wildly inconsistent from album to album, but everything falls together perfectly on the sublime Nilsson Schmilsson. (Michael Gallucci)
18. Bob Dylan, 'Highway 61 Revisited' (1965)
Establishing himself as a champion of folk music was only the beginning for Dylan ... or maybe it was the end. Fans entranced by the mostly acoustic numbers on his first few LPs were shocked by his continuing style shift on Highway 61 Revisited. Using rock musicians as the backing band on every song, with the exception of the closing "Desolation Row," Dylan further distances himself from his past here. "Something is happening here, but you don't know what it is," he sings on "Ballad of a Thin Man." It's for us to figure it out. Dylan effectively launches himself into a new era and pushes all other singer-songwriters to do the same. (Rapp)
17. Paul McCartney, 'McCartney' (1970)
First, the timeline: Paul McCartney’s debut solo album came out in April 1970, roughly one week after a Q&A-style press release that left the Beatles’ future ambiguous. (“Temporary or permanent?” he wrote of the band’s break. “I don’t know.”) The controversial Let It Be, out one month later, still overshadows the homespun charm of McCartney — a shame, since their mutual warts-and-wall aesthetic makes them simpatico companion pieces. McCartney’s one-man-band approach recalls his goofiest White Album experiments — from the borderline-beatboxing of the madcap “That Would Be Something” to the hazy folk charm of “Junk,” a song he penned during the Beatles’ India retreat of 1968. Macca is capable of polished pop perfection, of course. But some of his most fascinating songs are consciously low-stakes — the sound of a genius slumming for the hell of it. (Reed)
16. Warren Zevon, 'Excitable Boy' (1978)
Warren Zevon's songwriting could be both dark and humorous, and was always impeccably structured. He remains one of his generation’s greatest storytellers - look no further than “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner” and “Werewolves of London” on his breakthrough LP, Excitable Boy, which features assists from pals Jackson Browne, Mick Fleetwood and the best of Los Angeles' session players. Criminally under-appreciated, Zevon hits his stride here: witty, verbose and melodic. (Wardlaw)
15. Neil Young, 'Harvest' (1972)
Not long after the members of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young went their separate ways, Neil Young enlisted various country session musicians, a group he affectionately dubbed the Stray Gators, for his fourth album. (His old bandmates made an appearance, too, along with Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor.) The album touches on Young's usual themes — southern identity in "Alabama," the crippling impact of heroin addiction in "The Needle and the Damage Done" — but the country-tinged melodies and softly sung lyrics make Harvest one of his most popular LPs. And with "Heart of Gold," it gave Young his only No. 1 hit. (Rapp)
14. Jackson Browne, 'Late for the Sky' (1974)
Three years before 1977's Running on Empty, Jackson Browne was already deeply engaged in writing songs that sounded like weary dispatches from the road. He builds to a release that's both cathartic and freeing in the end throughout Late for the Sky, especially in the title track. Browne sketches out a gripping travelogue across eight songs and 41 minutes, encompassing dreamers and fools before it all comes crashing down in the LP's final act, the great “Before the Deluge.” (Wardlaw)
13. Joni Mitchell, 'Clouds' (1969)
Not only did Joni Mitchell write all of the material on 1969's Clouds, she also produced most of the album, her second. The record had a lot to live up to. "Both Sides, Now" had already become a new standard — Judy Collins' 1967 version was a Top 10 hit, and Frank Sinatra followed up with his take a year later. Clouds is filled with unconventional chord structure and nuanced harmonies, providing a portrait that revealed wisdom beyond Mitchell's 23 years. It marks the start of one of her most prolific and emotionally turbulent points in her career. (Rapp)
12. Nick Drake, 'Pink Moon' (1972)
Nick Drake was a man of mystery, and his fingerpicked folk followed suit: fragile, insular and poetic, his voice rarely rising above a half-whisper. Pink Moon, the singer-songwriter’s third and final LP, is now inextricably linked to his death at age 26, following roughly two years later from an overdose of a prescribed antidepressant. But this stark, shockingly brief album leaves an impression without any sort of armchair psychology: Songs like “Harvest Breed” and “Free Ride” showcase Drake’s love of harmonic tension and intricate guitar patterns; and few lyrics are more fascinating than the title track, its lunar image somehow both friendly and foreboding. (Reed)
11. Tom Petty, 'Wildflowers' (1994)
Written in the midst of a splintering marriage and struggles with substance abuse, Tom Petty's Wildflowers features some of his most poignant, insightful work. From the completely ad-libbed opening title track to the hit "You Don't Know How It Feels" to the closing glimmer of hope "Wake Up Time," the album finds Petty at his most vulnerable and creative states. Although it includes every member of the Heartbreakers besides drummer Stan Lynch, Wildflowers is unequivocally a singer-songwriter's record - at once deeply personal and surprisingly universal. (Rapp)
10. Bruce Springsteen, 'Nebraska' (1982)
Unlike much of Bruce Springsteen's previous work, 1982's Nebraska highlights sparsely arranged songs that are solemn, serious and sometimes borderline broody. It begins with the title-track narrative written from the perspective of 19-year-old Charles Starkweather, a real-life spree killer who murdered 11 people, and concludes with something just as bleak, "State Trooper." In between are more stories about folks whose desolation has gotten the best of them. The result is one of the most striking records in Springsteen's catalog. (Rapp)
9. John Lennon, 'Imagine' (1971)
With Imagine, Lennon finds a balance between his Beatles persona and the harshness he displayed on John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. The result is the defining LP of his solo career. Importantly, Lennon doesn’t extinguish his fiery nature but simply packages it in a way more easily digestible for the average music fan. He still lambasts societal norms (“I Don’t Wanna Be a Soldier”) and finds time to skewer former Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney (“How Do You Sleep?”). Even Imagine’s iconic title track isn’t the feel-good tune most make it out to be. By wrapping the songs with his own charming brand of sweetness, Lennon effectively showcases both sides of himself. The result is a timeless album that remains pertinent to this day. (Irwin)
8. Van Morrison, 'Astral Weeks' (1968)
After leaving the Irish rock band Them in 1966, Van Morrison released his first solo album a year later. Despite the Top 10 hit "Brown Eyed Girl," Morrison was unhappy with the results and his record company. So he retreated to New York, signed a new record deal and went into the studio with a bunch of jazz-trained musicians and a handful of songs that stretched the boundaries (time and otherwise) of pop music. No album sounded like Astral Weeks before it arrived in November 1968 and few have sounded like it since. A complex mix of progressive folk music, jazz solos, winding narratives (three of the album's eight songs clock in at more than seven minutes, one is close to 10) and free-form imagery and singing, the LP has become a benchmark in artistic freedom and integrity, and remains Morrison's best and most inspired work. (Gallucci)
7. Paul Simon, 'Graceland' (1986)
Inspired by a trip to South Africa, Paul Simon injected his 1985 triumph Graceland with an arsenal of new sounds. Accordion, saxophone, trumpet, pedal steel and various styles of percussion can be heard throughout the album. Now classic songs like "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" and "You Can Call Me Al" get the most attention, but "The Boy in the Bubble," "Under African Skies," "Homeless" and "Crazy Love, Vol. II" reveal the depth of Simon's songwriting here. Graceland remains a groundbreaking piece of work that's sold more than 14 million copies worldwide. (Wardlaw)
6. Bob Dylan, 'Blonde on Blonde' (1966)
There's something for everyone on Blonde on Blonde, one of rock's first double albums. It completes Dylan's prolific and creative trilogy during a few short months between 1965-66 but still manages to stand apart from Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited. Blonde on Blonde is more fiery, filled with tongue-twisting and literary-inspired lyrics and rollicking music. But it's all balanced by ballads "Just Like a Woman," "Visions of Johanna" and the 11-minute "Sad Eyed Lady of the Low Lands." Combining elements of blues, rock, folk and country, Blonde on Blonde remains one of Dylan's wildest and most energetic works. (Rapp)
5. George Harrison, 'All Things Must Pass' (1970)
No other musician can relate to the unique position of George Harrison: playing third fiddle in the Beatles next to two of popular music’s most renown songwriters, John Lennon and Paul McCartney. But there was an obvious upside to having his songs repeatedly rejected: When it came time to release his proper solo debut, months after that band’s collapse, the cup had runneth over. All Things Must Pass is technically a triple LP, the bonus third disc padded out with a selection of aimless instrumental jams. But the first two records might be the most consistent from any Beatle, post-breakup. The first side presents the full spectrum of Harrison’s creativity at that moment: the gently atmospheric folk of “I’d Have You Anytime” (co-written by Bob Dylan); the gospel-influenced, Krishna-praising “My Sweet Lord”; the lightly twangy hard-rocker “Wah-Wah” and the Phil Spector-ized ballad “Isn’t It a Pity." (Reed)
4. Neil Young, 'After the Gold Rush' (1970)
In one sense, After the Gold Rush sounds embryonic in context with the rest of Neil Young’s catalog. But at the same time it sounds so fully formed. The spare title track demonstrates just how much emotion the singer-songwriter could convey with little more than his voice and a piano. Young attempts several things here: a solo record, a Crazy Horse album and even the spirit of Crosby, Stills & Nash, with whom he was working at the time. Because of this, After the Gold Rush ends up as Young's most diverse and greatest album. (Wardlaw)
3. Carole King, 'Tapestry' (1971)
Like Joni Mitchell's Blue — which was recorded around the same time at the same Hollywood studio — Carole King's Tapestry marked a turning point in popular music. Unlike Mitchell's masterpiece, which stalled at No. 15, Tapestry went to No. 1 and spent more than 300 weeks on the Billboard chart. Both are vital works that helped shape singer-songwriters over the decades (Mitchell even sings backup here). King just turned 29 and was already a veteran of the music industry when she released her second solo LP in early 1971. She reworked a couple of the '60s classic hits she co-wrote with ex-husband Gerry Goffin as stripped-down piano ballads ("Will You Love Me Tomorrow?," "[You Make Me Feel Like] A Natural Woman"), but more importantly she opened her heart on new songs like "So Far Away" and "It's Too Late." Tapestry's influence over the years is incalculable. Let's just say some of the world's greatest records never would have been made without Tapestry paving the way. (Gallucci)
2. Bob Dylan, 'Blood on the Tracks' (1975)
Bob Dylan wasn't in the best place in January 1975, when he released his 15th album, Blood on the Tracks. While his 1974 reunion with the Band, Planet Waves, reached No. 1, the bulk of his '70s material was made up of forgettable cover songs, instrumentals and soundtrack recordings. Then came Blood on the Tracks, Dylan's best album since his mid-'60s creative run that culminated in Blonde on Blonde and his most personal record. Inspired by his crumbling marriage, Blood on the Tracks took some cues from the spate of singer-songwriters who shared their innermost feelings all over their records. From the mixed-up confusion of "Tangled Up in Blue" to the remorse that carries "You're a Big Girl Now" to the seething "Idiot Wind," the songs here track a breakup through its various stages. Dylan has never sounded more vulnerable. (Gallucci)
1. Joni Mitchell, 'Blue' (1971)
Joni Mitchell pretty much redefined the singer-songwriter template with her fourth album. Inspired by a breakup, and moving on in its aftermath, Blue brought an open-diary element to the genre, allowing singer-songwriters to get way more personal in their work moving forward. From the jubilant "A Case of You" to the mournful "River," the album — spare and intimate, with Mitchell often accompanying herself on just guitar or piano — opened a world of possibilities for both Mitchell and her contemporaries. The '70s singer-songwriter movement most likely would have steered in a different direction if not for Blue, one of popular music's all-time greatest albums and a landmark moment for artists who have something to say with their work. (Gallucci)
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