Bridge Over Troubled Water [Import]

The most famous songs here are the title track and "The Boxer", both recognized classics. The remainder of the album varies between driving rock songs and gentler, more reflective songs that point back to the duo's folk origins.

In the first category are "Keep the Customer Satisfied" and "Baby Driver", both cheerful, fun, and silly. The cover of the "Everly Brothers' "Bye Bye Love" is nice enough, but adds little - it's a weaker song than most of the originals on the album and the cover is no better than the original version. The only thing distinctive about it is that it is the only live performance on an album that was originally released as entirely studio recordings. "Cecilia" was released as a popular single, but has never appealed to me.

The slower songs are more thoughtful and often beautiful, generally songs of loss and sorrow that seem to reflect the collapse of the artists' relationship. These include the lovely "So Long Frank Llloyd Wright", "The Only Living Boy in New York", and the sad, but ultimately hopeful "El Condor Pasa".

"Song for the Asking" is a somewhat weaker tune, but not without its merits. "Why Don't You Write Me", which was on the original album, could be dropped with little loss, and the bonus track, "Feuilles-O", isn't much of a bonus at all.

Overall, this is a beautiful album with numerous good songs and some great ones.

The other songs on here I like best, besides the title track and "The Boxer," are the haunting "El Condor Pasa," "Baby Driver" (it's fun and upbeat despite not being a classic), "The Only Living Boy in New York," and the beautiful understated closer "A Song for the Asking." Overall the songs are well-crafted and mature, just that on a classic album such as this, they should all measure up to the standard set by the two greatest songs it has to offer, instead of having as many clunkers as it has.