Now THAT was very well said, that last sentence specifically. Proper nuance IS musicality. Playing or singing notes as written on a page, mechanically, devoid of emotion, is junk, unless you are just starting out, then it is just what is, which is unfortunate for people that have to listen to it (spent pretty much all of the year or so I was 'learning' to play a couple of different instruments in that mode, at least my singing wasn't too painful). :-/ :-)
One thing that I find so interesting is that people loose their minds when photographs are 'tweeked' and photo shopped because that isn't fair...and it is basically a lie, but those same people don't think that about music being "tweeked" with pitch correction and auto tune. I guess that is why so many of us feel literally NO CONNECTION to new music and still listen to music from the 60's, 70's, 80's, and early 90's.
A lot of people don't know that these guys met in 1953, when they were in elementary school. By the time they were getting widespread attention in '66 and '67, they had been singing together for years. People who sing with their siblings understand how you learn to blend your voices by doing it for years. These guys sing like brothers because of their many years of singing together.
They had a big hit in '58 called Hey Schoolgirl(an obvious Everly Bros ripoff) as Tom and Jerry.The story I heard that around '65 when Sounds wasn't yet a hit Paul was living in a boarding house in England with other young artists like Sandy Denny and Al Stewart when he got word that Sounds had hit.
Like say, the Carpenters? :-) Her, voice, especially, was first class. Her story sucked, and it was largely the people 'handling her' that caused, or at least fanned the flames, and one world class slime ball that she married. A beautiful talent taken way too early. But, as the on the unaccompanied word 'together', in We've Only Just Begun, a truly beautiful blend.
Oh Karen's story was soo sad! But you are right @@MrJdsenior! Superb vocals. Another gifted vocalist who was a gifted lyricist like Paul was John Denver. These two guys were poets as well as musicians. Their messages were deep. Cherish John as well as Simon and Garfunkel. Barbra Streisand's vocals can't be topped either.
@@BarbaraPryor-Smith Yeah, people either seemed to love Denver's music or hate it, for the most part, in my experience. I suspect part of that was that many people do not like country music. For the most part, save a few songs and most anything by Home Free :-) I fit that category. However, I liked John's stuff, quite a bit of folk mixed in with the country, kind of crossover, IMO. My kids loved "Grandma's Feather Bed". John's output was just wholesome and innocent in nature, with some catchy tunes and lyrics, which was nice. As an aside, pretty far aside, the airplane that John died in was the same type aircraft as my father and I were building, sold about half done, and was completed by a friend and is still flying decades later, as far as I know. Stop here if you're not interested, because the rest is on this subject. I came back and put that in after I realized how long winded I had gotten. :-) The accident was really John's fault. The first thought was alcohol, but his blood alcohol was at, or near nil. The builder had done something different with the fuel shut off valve, moving it up and behind his shoulder, rather than the super accessible between the thighs position shown in the plans. John couldn't reach it properly, and he shouldn't have taken off, because he knew that, until he had had an aircraft mechanic relocate the valve to a position he could reach. Also it was highly recommended that you get some time and do a check ride with an experienced Long EZ pilot before setting off on your own (always done with commercially built planes), and IIRC he didn't do that either. I wish he had. I think I remember he had a mechanic clamp a vise grip on the handle so that he could reach it for his short initial hop...not a smart 'fix'. That is fairly typical of aircraft accidents, stacking the deck in terms of multiple problems causing an accident, quite often. The thing I remembered when I saw that incident was the designer, Burt Rutan, telling people in no uncertain terms that they shouldn't mess with any aspect of the fuel system. Modifications are often done by home builders, some nits, some extensive, but he said don't, not there...and someone did. The original owner put many many hours on the plane, and for him it was fine (he was tall), but not for John. That aircraft has a very good safety record overall, and I remember Burt also saying that if you were going to modify the aerodynamics or something that could impact safety to call it something other than a Long EZ, because he didn't want non plans built aircraft impinging the type, and I don't blame him. Well, that got off subject. Sorry. Cheers. Oh, and if you don't know of them, take a look at Home Free, they are some seriously talented guys, and do some fun music, as well. Their original, "Champagne Taste on a Beer Budget" is a hoot. They do some serious and quite beautiful stuff, too. You wanna talk about a blend? And you absolutely will not believe the bass. You need headphones, because a standard speaker system without a good sub will not remotely get to the bottom of his fry range, it is 0th or 1st octave, bottom of the piano stuff. You don't hear it, you feel it...not exaggerating. Here's a technique for those pitches with fry, growl, and sub harmonics. Geoff's group, Voiceplay is a lot of fun, too. Their "Grim Grinning Ghosts" is a fun place to start.
No matter what today's singer try, they will never compare to Simon & Garfunkel's original version. This only shows, the great singers don't need their voices mechanically altered, and why music pre 1990's was the best!
@@Dancestar1981 I think that just happened to be the moment the cat was out of the bag. If Believe hadn't done it, some other song would've done it soon enough. The way it's used all the time today really sucks, but I don't know if there's a way to make the public at large realize that. At least there are still less mainstream bands that don't follow these trends.
I saw Art about 15 years ago in Liverpool. He was in his mid-60's at the time. He sang this, and whether he was in tune or not didn't matter. His voice was AMAZING! He sang for 90 mins+, sang all the S & G hits and his own back catalogue and his voice was as good at the encore (Bridge Over Troubled Water of course!) As he was at the start! GENIUS!
This is so interesting. It's like an artist drawing free hand vs. computer aided design or more crudely a Van Gogh original vs. a paint by numbers reproduction. Also, hearing the voices isolated gave me a greater appreciation as to what each of them is contributing to the song. Art is more melodic and I never noticed how haunting Paul's vocal adds. Great video!
I had a once in a lifetime experience... I Linda Ronstadt 's 3rd encore at red rocks in 1977. We were leaving when she came out for #3. I cut back towards the stage from the path. I ended up between the crowd barrier around the stage and the crowd. About 15 feet from Linda,,,, all alone.... she actually looked at me and smiled. She sang DESPERADO. She was absolutely perfect..... and my heart melted. It is a great talent that sounds bettter live in concert than a studio recording
I was at Springsteen's first ever outdoor concert at Red Rocks. Got there early and sat 2nd row center. A beautiful girl was sitting next to me and Bruce came offstage, right in front of her and I believe (long time ago, no videos to juice the memory) sang a good part of Thunder Road. I was tripping, the moon was full over Denver, and that memory still gives me goosebumps retelling it.
@@Samasiam The people who have not been there for a concert don't understand why its such a special venue. If you sat up high you could watch the planes flying into Stapleton. It was kind of like watching space craft land on Mars . I Was there for The Dead, Kris and Rita, Linda, Jerry Jeff, The Commader... Was also at the Dylan Rolling Thuner hard rain concert. A great few years of my life... Got married in Central City in 77. Stephen Stills came into a little bar I was at in nederland and did a few accoustic songs, and I got shitfaced wth the girlfriend of the Dirt Bands drummer in a bar in vail. Was invited to a party with them but the alcohol and elevation did me in and I went out like a light and never made it to the party.
@W topper Great stories. My years in CO were an amazing experience. Not only was I living where I had dreamed of returning, after my first visit, but I also got to be a heavy equipment operator iin fantastic locales at times, thinking "They're paying me to do this!" I could go on but it would be forever. Springsteen's comment when they came on stage was, "Nice place you got here, a bunch of big rocks." He wasn't being derisive. He was kind of awed. Then, over three hours of pure energy ensued. He'd been somewhat dubious about doing that his first outdoor concert, but it obviously set him on a path.. I'd like to think the incredible atmosphere of Red Rocks and the reception he got that night made the reticence disappear.
About 14 years ago my husband and I had an opportunity to see Art Garfunkel with the Waco Symphony Orchestra. It was an amazing show. The last song was Bridge Over Troubled Water. Do I even need to say that the crowd was extremely enthusiastic!
OMGOSH!!! It was SO awesome to hear Art in my left ear and Paul in my right ear! That was just amazing, almost as if I was sitting right in front of them. And of course we already know this recording wasn’t “fixed.” It just makes it so much better. Just perfect
I remember when this song came out and was an instant classic. The inflection in the voices make the song a treasure. Art’s patterns are consistent and lovely and thank goodness show humanity which is not perfect. Paul and Art never needed auto tuned music. Beautiful!❤
You remember wrong, then. The song flopped on its first release, and then producers added drums and guitar in overdubbing and released it again the next year. Proof that sometimes it takes a long time to make an instant classic.
@@telsonboy as is the single record that Paul did in England with only him singing the song and single guitar as well in 1965. this was during the period Art Garfunkel tried to go to university at Columbia University for Music major in Choir with a minor/supplementary in teaching but found it a waste of time the music and teaching for what he really wanted to be doing.
Fil, your analysis is bang-on. If you autotuned this performance, it would be like taking a Van Gogh painting with all its wild colour and forcing it into a limited set of paint-by-number colour zones.
How ironic that the original "imperfect" version, which was performed by talented and distinct artists who sang with feeling and expression, inspired a lot of "perfect" versions, that lack any feeling, expression, or originality. Thanks for the sort out Fil.
Even before you mentioned the visual art analogy the thought struck me that autotune was like someone going up to a Monet landscape and saying let me improve this by making the leaves more detailed, they're too blurry! Thanks for another interesting analysis!
Simon and Garfunkel had such great songs. It was interesting to see and hear both vocals on the pitch monitoring software. Their voices blended so well together. One of my favorites is "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Great analysis Fil!
Hi Fil, The “original” version of Sound of Silence was released on S&G’s first album “Wednesday Morning 3am”. A folk album if you will. Producer Tom Wilson added the guitars and drums and the original vocal tracks and released the song as a single. The rest, as we say, is history😎
I am so glad you did this. It's important to show just what a great pair of voices are actually like, and how their idiosyncrasies are what give them character and life, rather than being seen as flaws in pitch.
Makes me so grateful to have been born and raised in the 60's and 70's. So much wonderful, real music. I'd be appalled to hear someone apply auto tune to Simon and Garfunkel! Not much of the newer music that I listen to or enjoy. I mostly listen to Christian music in the last 20 years anyway. Appreciate you Fil!
Thank you, Fil, for taking the time to separate the vocals of this classic song for us to hear with such clarity. Simon and Garfunkel's harmonies have touched and affected as many people worldwide as any other vocal duo, and now we have evidence as to what makes them so special. Garfunkel's subtle and fast vibrato is breathtaking when I hear it isolated here, and Simon's faithful support keeps the song's despair from flying out of control. And indeed, all the meaning and expression is right here -- sharp, flat, wobbly, evanescent.
Fil, you are so unique and damn good at what you do. I know you are an artist, singer/songwriter yourself and that gives more credence to what you say and your appreciation of what music was before auto-tune. I love to see that smile on your face when you're analyzing a song - the imperfections you can hear and see...just wow!
Awww, Art and Paul innately autotuned to each other! So perfect! I love these two so much. I pray that while they still are alive here on earth, they can heal their rift. Not for performing for us, but for themselves. Such gifted genuiuses. I cannot thank them enough for their music. 😌💜
Fil…I saw Art Garfunkel live years ago and even while being older and perhaps not taking as care of his voice as he should have Art’s vocals still have a breathtaking quality. Please listen to Art sing “I only have eyes for you” which is truly heaven like and very ethereal. Very spiritual. It’s an amazing voice.
Applauding the fact that you followed thru with a follow-up video. Part 2 provided a persuasive visual contrast using the isolated natural vocals of an original S&G recording. Again you brought in that concept of audio average, this time with microtones, harmonies, and an off-tuned guitar present in a classic. Yep, enjoyed this analysis.
Quick story before I watch the video and comment after. I was into rock and heavy metal when my older brother came home one night. He was wasted on acid. He called me into his room and said "You've got to listen to this it's amazing." and put on the song "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)". When they sang "Hello lamp post, what yer knowin', I've come to watch your flowers growin' " he burst into a fit of laughter. So I started laughing. That's how I fell in love with Simon and Garfunkel. Just a moment between brothers.
Personally I don't care who's sharp, who's flat. Who's slightly above-the-line, who's slightly below the line. All I know is that I've been listening to this song since it was released, and to me it's perfect the way it is. A great blend of 2 very talented singers/voices singing in earnest, singing with feeling, and that's the way it should be. Screw pitch correction, screw Auto-Tune, and just allow the artist to express themselves. You have to allow for expression. Using autotune or pitch correction in a song like this would be like painting the Mona Lisa by numbers. Great Video Fil. I know you appreciate what Simon and Garfunkel put down. Besides, If our ears cannot even detect these slight imperfections without isolating the tracks, then how important is this software? I'd rather hear a note slightly off sung with feeling, than to hear it corrected to dead on by artificial means. After all people.... we are human beings, and singing is a form of human expression.
They were indeed natural autotuning singers, with years of experience to tune in to each other's interpretation of a song's content. Before them we may remember barbershop harmony singers crafting those skills in togetherness live, and after that other teams, like the Golden Gate Quintet among others. Thanks Fil, 'twas a pleasure to listen in again. Rock !
I'd like to see more two-part harmony analyses like this, especially from groups known for close harmonies like the Louvin Brothers/Osborne Brothers/Everly Brothers/Righteous Brothers/Any other brothers/fake brothers (or sisters) you can think of.
Simon and Garfunkel have such an interesting story. "The Sound of Silence" has a story and is one of my all time favorites. It doesn't seem to have a shelf life due to all the covers. The song is timeless. Loved the analysis. 😊👏👏👏
This could be one of the most important videos for an up and coming vocalist to watch in modern times. Vocals resonate and there is a time and place for auto-tune (ie. EDM where tone matching is intentional and resonance is formed through synthesis). However one of the genetic traits of vocals is what I call The Nightingale Effect. It's recognition of the quality of resonance that you would see in examples such as an opera singer or a soul singer. If you remove that you have to refactor your music appropriately and that's not from the heart. It's blueprintable music. The industry loves that, but anyone who watches these videos knows music extends beyond what they want us to listen to and often our ear picks up on the deviation from the normal conformity of music. Amazing video.
This song is one of my very favourites EVER .. And the voices sound absolutely PERFECT to me .. Thank God auto-tune technology wasn't around back then .. Thanks Fil, this was fantastic analysis !
Well done! The vocal separation ended up working great, and you could really see and hear the two voices separately, which really helped to dive deeper into this analysis. The comparison with visual arts at the end was spot on as well.
What a great analysis! Loved that you isolated both of their voices. One of my all time favorite songs by them. Two different voices that blended so well together & expressed emotion. I am so thankful to have grown up without auto-tuning & pitch correction in the classic music from the past.
I think you really helped me to understand why I am not a fan of hard Auto Tuning and pitch corrections. I truly miss "natural" voices. I love listening to this Duo so much. Thank You for teaching me.
I think the expression is intentional, and where Art goes a little high at the end of a long note, it is intended to punctuate the sound. His voice also cracks slightly sometimes to show emotion.
@Peter B I agree -- that little break in Art's voice comes across as a kind of plea which enhances the song's meaning. Like Fil in this video, I certainly enjoy hearing these two singers' expert conveyance of emotion.
That's it, music is emotion expressed. Calling it 'imperfections' seems wrong to me. They are the (supreme) artists and their vocal brush strokes are intentional and rich sound textures. I've studied this song a LOT over the years. I have listened intently to both Art and Paul's parts
Another great analysis. Being at a live show of theirs you could see how they were constantly making eye contact with each other and blending their voices so perfectly. You could close your eyes and feel the music and their voices touching your soul.
I think your enthusiasm is great. To see your obvious enjoyment as you listen makes me smile. I am a musician too and it’s nice to see others with the same depth of appreciation. It’s an amazing song isn’t it?
I think most people these days know this song from Disturbed cover. And he sang it well. But I remember growing up in the 70s...every Sunday my mom would stack the record player with Simon, Beatles, Bee Gees, Abba...As she did the weekly house clean. True talent back then.
As far as harmony before all the auto tuning, my favorite singers were The Andrews Sisters, The Everly Brothers and Simon and Garfunkel. The Andrews Sisters sang such difficult songs, but they always sounded spot on. As always, love to listen to your expertise!!!
I've always been keenly aware of their harmony, but never realized how well their voices blended with the instruments, until I heard their voices without them. Hope that makes sense.
ahhh, the joys of being born in '57 and the baby of the family with 3 siblings. All the good stuff in real time. I can't recall if it was this or I Am A Rock my older sister bought first but while it was different, we loved both, Actually had to stop around the 2 minute mark. Sorta like i don't want to see a guitar being made, i want to hear it and play it. Great work, tho, Fil :)
Your analogy of the painting being 'restored' by a non-artist reminded me of the monkey christ fresco fiasco _Ecce Homo_ in Borja. Much modern music sounds like that looks.
Thank you for taking the time to bring these isolated vocals to us. They are ideal, and hopefully will never be ruined with autotune in a re-release. You are helping me to listen more intentionally to music, especially guitar solos. Love your channel!
So glad you did this video - I am a painter and a singer and I agree with everything you said. We all have originality in our art that someone needs to hear/see/experience. Certain notes take us to certain places emotionally and I noticed as you isolated Art Garfunkel's notes the reasons why I felt strong sense of sadness with this song - beyond the lyrics. He also had a cry in his voice that I never noticed before which also brought up emotions when you played it. Without isolation it is so subtle that I feel it but don't know why - then when you isolated it - now I know why I feel that way. Just marvelous. I am learning so much from you.
We look back at the artist and singers of the past and we celebrate their work and uniqueness of their voices. It is within the imperfections that we find perfection. Not on some line in 440hz tuning but in the natural voice of a fellow human being. Today's music sounds too mechanical to my ears. I can't help but wonder if the producers of today even realize what they are missing out on.
Todays producers seem to be looking not so much for people who can sing great…. But rather, OK singers who can *look* great while singing. Paul and Art sang beautifully together, but were not exactly fashion icons.
You did a wonderful job Fil at analysing this iconic song. On the word grows the Ascension is like the word grows. When singers sing a song they are also thinking of the words meaning. Anyway that's my take. With auto tune or pitch correction you don't get the light an shades of a song which is part of the journey. I loved hearing this song with just the isolated vocals.
Hopefully, Garfunkel & Linda Ronstadt, 2 exceptional singers, won’t be forgotten! Garfunkel had probably the best, most beautiful male voice in pop music. While Simon did not have an exceptional voice, together, they sounded so great! Guess ordinary singers must use auto-tune when attempting to sing anything that Garfunkel sang. They really shouldn’t even try . . .
This was very informative and enjoyable; love all the little details you point out in your analysis. The Sound of Silence was just another song from their first album Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. release in 1964 and has gain strength over the years with numerous cover version, I still preferred Simon and Garfunkel recording.
I remember as a child in the 70s watching a programme on TV that went into the science of how slight imperfections in pitch were more pleasing to the ears than perfect pitch. I remember several sonic experiments that included vocals and instruments. These experiments showed the truth of this perfectly. This was known 50 years ago. Why oh why then are producers so intent on perfect pitch and autotune. It leaves music soulless and without life. Modern music has turned from being human to being robotic. Sad days indeed.
Fil, awesome video! I am huge S&G fan. Sound of Silence was first song I learned to finger pick. I was always struck by Paul's tendency to be "monotone" in the sequences, but seeing the variances reveals so much about what made it great! Thanks.
Art Garfunkel in this song gets the listener to feel the touch of despair lurking in the song through his emotional interpretation which is very slight. You are pitch correction takes that emotion and removes it and replaces it with bland mechanical unemotional singing. This is a very deep and emotional song.
Fil, I have all the original Simon Garfunkel Lp’s since they were new. The records always sounded in tune to me. Back when I was a kid, about 1963, we tuned to a pitch pipe, the piano (which may or may not have been 440) or a tuning fork. So, as long as we were in tune with each other, it probably didn’t really matter. It was all by ear. Also, our record players weren’t always precise, either! We tuned to the record. 8:43
I used to be in a choir and the voice coach taught us not to articulate the sibilant (hissing sound ) at the end of a word like "silence". So for example a word like "peace" at the end of the line would be sung something almost like "peas". If you don't, the sound that comes out through the PA sounds like static interference (maybe PA tech has improved since then) What happens is that the listener hears what they expect to hear, and fills that tiny sound gap.
My high school choir teacher told us the same thing… sing “peas” instead of “peace”… But it wasn’t because of the microphones and PA system. I as because no matter how hard we might try, a choir of 70 or more students were not all going to “pea…….ce” at *exactly* the same moment, and so the sound would be muddled and messy. If, somehow, we could all “…ce” in perfect unison… it could come across as sharp and jarring. (Note, I’m not meaning “sharp” as “slightly above the note”, but more of a “knife-like” reference) When a student asked “how will the audience know we mean “peace” if we all sing “peas”… he told us that there is always one or two who forget, and somehow… that’s enough for the audience to hear “peace” instead of “pease”. While he didn’t specifically say so, I’m sure context cues from the preceding lyrics also help the audience to hear the “…ce” of “peace”
This song and others have been a main stay for all my life. This song in particular is so perfect without being pitch perfect, does that not mean anything to the autotune and pitch perfectionist's. We are human and don't need perfect pitch just good songs and people that try to sing in tune, without computers. Great analysis Fil.🤘
Thank you so much for taking that extra time and doing this Fil. I was around when this song (and many others) came out and we!ļ all knew how great Simon and Garfunkleù were. We have been enjoying this music for years ... now you have SHOWN us why it is so great. God bless you
Fil, I appreciate your taking the time to analyze Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel's vocals separately from "The Sounds of Silence." It was amazing to watch their voices on the pitch monitor. I loved what you said about getting more vocal expression when one sings freely and gets the notes to sit where they do naturally, especially when harmonizing with another singer. I agree that applying auto tune removes the conviction of artistic expression as a whole. Thanks for an eloquent analysis of "Art, not autotune." Cheers, Fil!
Great analysis, Fil! The imperfections in their voices are what give the song its beauty and character. Thanks for again showing that the great singers don’t always sing on the line!
Brilliantly explained so we can all grasp it. I'll never understand how they would want to correct greatness. We appreciate the songs of the past on a level that, apparently, the music industry of today cannot comprehend or appreciate.
In a major triad if the 3rd isn't slightly flat it won't sound in tune. Equal temperament has a lot to answer for. Imperfection is an integral part of perfection.
Hi Fil, I love this song, it’s haunting and mysterious. The harmonies the guys sing are just beautiful - sharp, flat or whatever this is a classic. Thank you for taking the extra time to separate the vocals it was very interesting to see where they took the notes. Thank last final verse part where Art’s vocals just soar is really amazing! This analysis was well worth the extra time and energy. You are the Best!… ROCK … Debbie ☮️🥰
This really brings up a lot of interesting questions on modern production in a bigger sense. There's a profound difference in what we're hearing in most modern recorded music v the old days of trying to capture a performance at its best. Thanks!
Love to hear Simon and Garfunkel music. Bridge over Trouble Water sung in concert and see on video is mesmerizing!! Thank you Fil for all you do educating us so we can value and appreciate music on a whole new level. Would love to hear your rendition cover of Foreigner's That was Yesterday.
Yes! Great analysis and analogy, Fil! So articulate as to serve as a credible "last word" on the subject. I loathe the overuse and subsequent blanketing of "autotune" --something that has become as wideranging ,and actually much worse IMHO, than the dreadfully ubiquitous "gated reverb" of the mid-80's. I'm impressed with your ability to keep your cool while discussing this topic. Thanks!
Fil, I would like to say thanks for explaining everything in such a way that even us non musicians can understand. Great video on this and the other. See you on the next one. 🤘🏼
"Let the art be what it is". And the Paul, too! One of my all-time favourite groups - and regarded as the epitome of great harmonising, yet, as you show, they often didn't exactly hit the notes. The rising pitch on specific notes actually adds both intensity and uplift to particular parts of the song. So why even bother with autocorrection if they sound this good without it? Credit to the engineer, too, for capturing that last "silence" so well at a time when compression technology was still primitive.
It is amazing though how spot on Art is some of this. As a clarinetist you run up & down flats/sharps and change keys all the time. So the variations aren’t surprising to me. No classical composer ever wrote an auto tuned piece. And talk about dynamic changes. Don’t even get me started. The voice is an instrument. Why should it be any different. As far as recognizing singer’s voices I grew up listening to Stravinsky & Perlman. I can instantly tell the difference when someone plays a piece they played. Every singer has their own voice-instrument. Plays let’s say a guitar with their own touch. Knopfler vrs. Clapton. C’mon. If you can’t tell the difference there is something wrong with you even if they’re playing the same song. Imagine auto tuning a guitar? I can’t. It would be a crime against nature. Same with voices. Thanks to you I can now hear auto tune in a heartbeat. Thank you!
Just excellent. The artistic comparison is perfect. To be even more precise, its like someone who is not a painter, grabbing a photograph and trying to get a painted portrait to look a little more like the photo. Its ludicrous. Paintings are not supposed to duplicate a face like a zerox machine, they are supposed to communicate its essence as interpreted by the artist. Improving on art, presupposes the same definition of both 'art' and 'improve', the same idea for its goal, and the talent to accomplish the task. Machinery at the hands of a stranger, can only interfere, obscure and anesthetize art. It would not be a bad idea to 'retire' that software occasionally and give it a rest. Then we are all pretty much stuck with seeing the performance only through an artistic lens.
In my opinion, these two were the greatest duo ever, and Paul Simon the absolute best songwriter. So thankful they were my generation. I loved this song as a teenager, I didn't know it would have such an impact on me now (not a teenager).... ❤️❤️ Thank you for this breakdown of this amazing song... I loved listening to this on my headphones so I can isolate their voices. Awesome video.
Thank you Fil for your continued passionate and eloquent plea for the music industry to refrain from autotuning the Masters, and removing the magnetic artistry originally present. Your ongoing education of so many of us with your patient, positive, and deep-dive into music analysis is top-of-the-mark, and not duplicated anywhere. Thanks for sharing your passion and knowledge with all of us! ❤️💜🎼💜❤️ Yes, Let the art LIVE!!
Funny that because they are technically imperfect it makes me love it even more. I freakin hate auto tune and will take an "imperfect " real voice over auto tuned garbage any day. Great video as usual Fil. Cheers!
Reminds me of a recording session when frustrated harmonizing with myself, trying to hit the line, the sound engineer put a guitar part in and said "here, harmonize to this". I still didn't hit the line, yet the note was exactly what it needed to be!
14:13 agreed, let Art be. And Paul too, of course 😉 I like how you point out that it was harder to isolate the vocals here because they blend so well together. Paul and Art, while both great in their own right, became almost like magic when singing together. It gives me goose bumps when especially on Wednesday Morning 3 AM they alternate between lead and harmony in some of their songs, and my brain stops being able to automatically discern who is singing what. I really love to see the enjoyment on your face when you listen to great music. Your smile speaks for itself. Also, I must admit I did not look it up, but did you talk about Bridge over troubled water yet somewhere? Talking about 'taking a journey through a song', whew. I personally prefer the live version on the Central Park album to the version on the studio album. I've always thought the album version sounded almost 'too clean'. Hard to explain, but it does fit into what you are discussing here: while it's not autotuned or anything, it does have - to my ears - a certain quality that makes it sound less 'real'. And speaking of how overproduction and especially autotune and pitch correction makes things sounds a bit fake: I think the example of a painting would be even better if you'd say someone came along and started to correct asymmetrical faces, making them perfectly symmetrical. But of course, no real face is truly symmetrical, so even if the result may be a perfectly pretty face in theory, it just looks fake and maybe even a bit off-putting to us humans.
So glad you brought up painters at the end... listening to these two amazing ARTISTS and seeing the analysis, I was thinking about someone going back and double checking Michaelangelo or da Vinci or Monet to correct anatomy proportions or color correct. Geez, just look at what spelling and grammar correction try to do as we are typing - so often get it wrong! The computer tries to change my meaning. Thank you for appreciating the ART of this song - I was raised listening to Simon and Garfunkel - so many good childhood memories.
One of Fil’s most eloquent critiques of autotune and defence of the human voice. Conformity is the antithesis of artistic expression.
Conformity, as everyone "comments" in conformity.
Conformity is the antithesis of artistic expression--amen to that!
Off topic, but the words that they were singing, on top of it all…woah.
Now THAT was very well said, that last sentence specifically. Proper nuance IS musicality. Playing or singing notes as written on a page, mechanically, devoid of emotion, is junk, unless you are just starting out, then it is just what is, which is unfortunate for people that have to listen to it (spent pretty much all of the year or so I was 'learning' to play a couple of different instruments in that mode, at least my singing wasn't too painful). :-/ :-)
Fil is a f*****g genius.
And a saint🤘
One thing that I find so interesting is that people loose their minds when photographs are 'tweeked' and photo shopped because that isn't fair...and it is basically a lie, but those same people don't think that about music being "tweeked" with pitch correction and auto tune. I guess that is why so many of us feel literally NO CONNECTION to new music and still listen to music from the 60's, 70's, 80's, and early 90's.
A lot of people don't know that these guys met in 1953, when they were in elementary school. By the time they were getting widespread attention in '66 and '67, they had been singing together for years. People who sing with their siblings understand how you learn to blend your voices by doing it for years. These guys sing like brothers because of their many years of singing together.
yes!!!
They had a big hit in '58 called Hey Schoolgirl(an obvious Everly Bros ripoff) as Tom and Jerry.The story I heard that around '65 when Sounds wasn't yet a hit Paul was living in a boarding house in England with other young artists like Sandy Denny and Al Stewart when he got word that Sounds had hit.
Like say, the Carpenters? :-) Her, voice, especially, was first class. Her story sucked, and it was largely the people 'handling her' that caused, or at least fanned the flames, and one world class slime ball that she married. A beautiful talent taken way too early. But, as the on the unaccompanied word 'together', in We've Only Just Begun, a truly beautiful blend.
Oh Karen's story was soo sad! But you are right @@MrJdsenior! Superb vocals. Another gifted vocalist who was a gifted lyricist like Paul was John Denver. These two guys were poets as well as musicians. Their messages were deep. Cherish John as well as Simon and Garfunkel. Barbra Streisand's vocals can't be topped either.
@@BarbaraPryor-Smith Yeah, people either seemed to love Denver's music or hate it, for the most part, in my experience. I suspect part of that was that many people do not like country music. For the most part, save a few songs and most anything by Home Free :-) I fit that category.
However, I liked John's stuff, quite a bit of folk mixed in with the country, kind of crossover, IMO. My kids loved "Grandma's Feather Bed". John's output was just wholesome and innocent in nature, with some catchy tunes and lyrics, which was nice.
As an aside, pretty far aside, the airplane that John died in was the same type aircraft as my father and I were building, sold about half done, and was completed by a friend and is still flying decades later, as far as I know. Stop here if you're not interested, because the rest is on this subject. I came back and put that in after I realized how long winded I had gotten. :-)
The accident was really John's fault. The first thought was alcohol, but his blood alcohol was at, or near nil. The builder had done something different with the fuel shut off valve, moving it up and behind his shoulder, rather than the super accessible between the thighs position shown in the plans. John couldn't reach it properly, and he shouldn't have taken off, because he knew that, until he had had an aircraft mechanic relocate the valve to a position he could reach.
Also it was highly recommended that you get some time and do a check ride with an experienced Long EZ pilot before setting off on your own (always done with commercially built planes), and IIRC he didn't do that either. I wish he had. I think I remember he had a mechanic clamp a vise grip on the handle so that he could reach it for his short initial hop...not a smart 'fix'. That is fairly typical of aircraft accidents, stacking the deck in terms of multiple problems causing an accident, quite often.
The thing I remembered when I saw that incident was the designer, Burt Rutan, telling people in no uncertain terms that they shouldn't mess with any aspect of the fuel system. Modifications are often done by home builders, some nits, some extensive, but he said don't, not there...and someone did.
The original owner put many many hours on the plane, and for him it was fine (he was tall), but not for John. That aircraft has a very good safety record overall, and I remember Burt also saying that if you were going to modify the aerodynamics or something that could impact safety to call it something other than a Long EZ, because he didn't want non plans built aircraft impinging the type, and I don't blame him.
Well, that got off subject. Sorry. Cheers. Oh, and if you don't know of them, take a look at Home Free, they are some seriously talented guys, and do some fun music, as well. Their original, "Champagne Taste on a Beer Budget" is a hoot. They do some serious and quite beautiful stuff, too. You wanna talk about a blend? And you absolutely will not believe the bass. You need headphones, because a standard speaker system without a good sub will not remotely get to the bottom of his fry range, it is 0th or 1st octave, bottom of the piano stuff. You don't hear it, you feel it...not exaggerating. Here's a technique for those pitches with fry, growl, and sub harmonics. Geoff's group, Voiceplay is a lot of fun, too. Their "Grim Grinning Ghosts" is a fun place to start.
No matter what today's singer try, they will never compare to Simon & Garfunkel's original version. This only shows, the great singers don't need their voices mechanically altered, and why music pre 1990's was the best!
The 90s is a great music decade too! I swear! (Cher's Believe - the first hit to use auto-tune came out in 1998)
@@HawkOfGP There are a few songs from the 90's that are good.
I hate auto tune if I was a professional singer I would absolutely refuse to use it ever
@@HawkOfGP and I blame the popularity of that song using it leading to the death of modern music today
@@Dancestar1981 I think that just happened to be the moment the cat was out of the bag. If Believe hadn't done it, some other song would've done it soon enough. The way it's used all the time today really sucks, but I don't know if there's a way to make the public at large realize that. At least there are still less mainstream bands that don't follow these trends.
I saw Art about 15 years ago in Liverpool. He was in his mid-60's at the time. He sang this, and whether he was in tune or not didn't matter. His voice was AMAZING! He sang for 90 mins+, sang all the S & G hits and his own back catalogue and his voice was as good at the encore (Bridge Over Troubled Water of course!) As he was at the start! GENIUS!
For two singers who individually sound unique unto themselves, when they hit "of silence" in unison, they sound like one voice.
Listening to Art sing is like seeing a beautiful sunset, or sunrise. 🥲
This is so interesting. It's like an artist drawing free hand vs. computer aided design or more crudely a Van Gogh original vs. a paint by numbers reproduction. Also, hearing the voices isolated gave me a greater appreciation as to what each of them is contributing to the song. Art is more melodic and I never noticed how haunting Paul's vocal adds. Great video!
I had a once in a lifetime experience... I Linda Ronstadt 's 3rd encore at red rocks in 1977. We were leaving when she came out for #3. I cut back towards the stage from the path. I ended up between the crowd barrier around the stage and the crowd. About 15 feet from Linda,,,, all alone.... she actually looked at me and smiled. She sang DESPERADO. She was absolutely perfect..... and my heart melted. It is a great talent that sounds bettter live in concert than a studio recording
I was at Springsteen's first ever outdoor concert at Red Rocks. Got there early and sat 2nd row center. A beautiful girl was sitting next to me and Bruce came offstage, right in front of her and I believe (long time ago, no videos to juice the memory) sang a good part of Thunder Road. I was tripping, the moon was full over Denver, and that memory still gives me goosebumps retelling it.
@@Samasiam The people who have not been there for a concert don't understand why its such a special venue. If you sat up high you could watch the planes flying into Stapleton. It was kind of like watching space craft land on Mars . I Was there for The Dead, Kris and Rita, Linda, Jerry Jeff, The Commader... Was also at the Dylan Rolling Thuner hard rain concert. A great few years of my life... Got married in Central City in 77. Stephen Stills came into a little bar I was at in nederland and did a few accoustic songs, and I got shitfaced wth the girlfriend of the Dirt Bands drummer in a bar in vail. Was invited to a party with them but the alcohol and elevation did me in and I went out like a light and never made it to the party.
@W topper Great stories. My years in CO were an amazing experience. Not only was I living where I had dreamed of returning, after my first visit, but I also got to be a heavy equipment operator iin fantastic locales at times, thinking "They're paying me to do this!" I could go on but it would be forever.
Springsteen's comment when they came on stage was, "Nice place you got here, a bunch of big rocks." He wasn't being derisive. He was kind of awed. Then, over three hours of pure energy ensued. He'd been somewhat dubious about doing that his first outdoor concert, but it obviously set him on a path.. I'd like to think the incredible atmosphere of Red Rocks and the reception he got that night made the reticence disappear.
About 14 years ago my husband and I had an opportunity to see Art Garfunkel with the Waco Symphony Orchestra. It was an amazing show. The last song was Bridge Over Troubled Water. Do I even need to say that the crowd was extremely enthusiastic!
OMGOSH!!! It was SO awesome to hear Art in my left ear and Paul in my right ear! That was just amazing, almost as if I was sitting right in front of them. And of course we already know this recording wasn’t “fixed.” It just makes it so much better. Just perfect
I remember when this song came out and was an instant classic. The inflection in the voices make the song a treasure. Art’s patterns are consistent and lovely and thank goodness show humanity which is not perfect. Paul and Art never needed auto tuned music. Beautiful!❤
You remember wrong, then. The song flopped on its first release, and then producers added drums and guitar in overdubbing and released it again the next year. Proof that sometimes it takes a long time to make an instant classic.
The original version, on Wednesday Morning 3AM, with a single acoustic guitar is absolutely haunting.
@@telsonboy as is the single record that Paul did in England with only him singing the song and single guitar as well in 1965. this was during the period Art Garfunkel tried to go to university at Columbia University for Music major in Choir with a minor/supplementary in teaching but found it a waste of time the music and teaching for what he really wanted to be doing.
The slight flat adds to the sense of the song… makes it sound somber instead of bright…thoughtful analysis…thank you and keep’em coming!!!
Fil, your analysis is bang-on. If you autotuned this performance, it would be like taking a Van Gogh painting with all its wild colour and forcing it into a limited set of paint-by-number colour zones.
How ironic that the original "imperfect" version, which was performed by talented and distinct artists who sang with feeling and expression, inspired a lot of "perfect" versions, that lack any feeling, expression, or originality. Thanks for the sort out Fil.
Even before you mentioned the visual art analogy the thought struck me that autotune was like someone going up to a Monet landscape and saying let me improve this by making the leaves more detailed, they're too blurry!
Thanks for another interesting analysis!
Simon and Garfunkel had such great songs. It was interesting to see and hear both vocals on the pitch monitoring software. Their voices blended so well together. One of my favorites is "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Great analysis Fil!
Bridge Over Troubled Water is a great song. I think all their songs are great. Cheers!
Hi Fil, The “original” version of Sound of Silence was released on S&G’s first album “Wednesday Morning 3am”. A folk album if you will. Producer Tom Wilson added the guitars and drums and the original vocal tracks and released the song as a single. The rest, as we say, is history😎
I am so glad you did this. It's important to show just what a great pair of voices are actually like, and how their idiosyncrasies are what give them character and life, rather than being seen as flaws in pitch.
Makes me so grateful to have been born and raised in the 60's and 70's. So much wonderful, real music. I'd be appalled to hear someone apply auto tune to Simon and Garfunkel! Not much of the newer music that I listen to or enjoy. I mostly listen to Christian music in the last 20 years anyway. Appreciate you Fil!
Thank you, Fil, for taking the time to separate the vocals of this classic song for us to hear with such clarity. Simon and Garfunkel's harmonies have touched and affected as many people worldwide as any other vocal duo, and now we have evidence as to what makes them so special. Garfunkel's subtle and fast vibrato is breathtaking when I hear it isolated here, and Simon's faithful support keeps the song's despair from flying out of control. And indeed, all the meaning and expression is right here -- sharp, flat, wobbly, evanescent.
It amazes me that Paul Simon wrote such powerful music when he was so young (and continued to change his style as the years carried on).
Fil, you are so unique and damn good at what you do. I know you are an artist, singer/songwriter yourself and that gives more credence to what you say and your appreciation of what music was before auto-tune. I love to see that smile on your face when you're analyzing a song - the imperfections you can hear and see...just wow!
Awww, Art and Paul innately autotuned to each other! So perfect! I love these two so much. I pray that while they still are alive here on earth, they can heal their rift. Not for performing for us, but for themselves. Such gifted genuiuses. I cannot thank them enough for their music. 😌💜
My favorite version of this song is from Wednesday Morning, 3am - the acoustic version. Two voices, one guitar and all that lovely echo.
Fil…I saw Art Garfunkel live years ago and even while being older and perhaps not taking as care of his voice as he should have Art’s vocals still have a breathtaking quality. Please listen to Art sing “I only have eyes for you” which is truly heaven like and very ethereal. Very spiritual. It’s an amazing voice.
Applauding the fact that you followed thru with a follow-up video. Part 2 provided a persuasive visual contrast using the isolated natural vocals of an original S&G recording. Again you brought in that concept of audio average, this time with microtones, harmonies, and an off-tuned guitar present in a classic. Yep, enjoyed this analysis.
Quick story before I watch the video and comment after. I was into rock and heavy metal when my older brother came home one night. He was wasted on acid. He called me into his room and said "You've got to listen to this it's amazing." and put on the song "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)". When they sang "Hello lamp post, what yer knowin', I've come to watch your flowers growin' " he burst into a fit of laughter. So I started laughing. That's how I fell in love with Simon and Garfunkel. Just a moment between brothers.
Mechanical voices vs. human voices. No contest for me. Give me natural tones every time. Great analysis as always Fil. Thank you. ✌
Personally I don't care who's sharp, who's flat. Who's slightly above-the-line, who's slightly below the line. All I know is that I've been listening to this song since it was released, and to me it's perfect the way it is. A great blend of 2 very talented singers/voices singing in earnest, singing with feeling, and that's the way it should be. Screw pitch correction, screw Auto-Tune, and just allow the artist to express themselves. You have to allow for expression. Using autotune or pitch correction in a song like this would be like painting the Mona Lisa by numbers. Great Video Fil. I know you appreciate what Simon and Garfunkel put down. Besides, If our ears cannot even detect these slight imperfections without isolating the tracks, then how important is this software? I'd rather hear a note slightly off sung with feeling, than to hear it corrected to dead on by artificial means. After all people.... we are human beings, and singing is a form of human expression.
They were indeed natural autotuning singers, with years of experience to tune in to each other's interpretation of a song's content.
Before them we may remember barbershop harmony singers crafting those skills in togetherness live, and after that other teams, like the Golden Gate Quintet among others.
Thanks Fil, 'twas a pleasure to listen in again. Rock !
I could listen to Simon and Garfunkel for hours; and have actually when I was going to OK State. These two were masters of their trade!!
I'd like to see more two-part harmony analyses like this, especially from groups known for close harmonies like the Louvin Brothers/Osborne Brothers/Everly Brothers/Righteous Brothers/Any other brothers/fake brothers (or sisters) you can think of.
Simon and Garfunkel have such an interesting story. "The Sound of Silence" has a story and is one of my all time favorites. It doesn't seem to have a shelf life due to all the covers. The song is timeless. Loved the analysis. 😊👏👏👏
This could be one of the most important videos for an up and coming vocalist to watch in modern times. Vocals resonate and there is a time and place for auto-tune (ie. EDM where tone matching is intentional and resonance is formed through synthesis). However one of the genetic traits of vocals is what I call The Nightingale Effect. It's recognition of the quality of resonance that you would see in examples such as an opera singer or a soul singer. If you remove that you have to refactor your music appropriately and that's not from the heart. It's blueprintable music. The industry loves that, but anyone who watches these videos knows music extends beyond what they want us to listen to and often our ear picks up on the deviation from the normal conformity of music. Amazing video.
This song is one of my very favourites EVER .. And the voices sound absolutely PERFECT to me .. Thank God auto-tune technology wasn't around back then .. Thanks Fil, this was fantastic analysis !
God isn't real, or interested in autotune.
@@morbidmanmusic Um, OK 🤔
Well done! The vocal separation ended up working great, and you could really see and hear the two voices separately, which really helped to dive deeper into this analysis. The comparison with visual arts at the end was spot on as well.
What a great analysis! Loved that you isolated both of their voices. One of my all time favorite songs by them. Two different voices that blended so well together & expressed emotion. I am so thankful to have grown up without auto-tuning & pitch correction in the classic music from the past.
I think you really helped me to understand why I am not a fan of hard Auto Tuning and pitch corrections. I truly miss "natural" voices. I love listening to this Duo so much. Thank You for teaching me.
I think the expression is intentional, and where Art goes a little high at the end of a long note, it is intended to punctuate the sound. His voice also cracks slightly sometimes to show emotion.
@Peter B I agree -- that little break in Art's voice comes across as a kind of plea which enhances the song's meaning. Like Fil in this video, I certainly enjoy hearing these two singers' expert conveyance of emotion.
That's it, music is emotion expressed. Calling it 'imperfections' seems wrong to me. They are the (supreme) artists and their vocal brush strokes are intentional and rich sound textures. I've studied this song a LOT over the years. I have listened intently to both Art and Paul's parts
You are a born teacher, able to explain clearly even to non musicians. I appreciate your efforts to extend music appreciation. ❤
Another great analysis. Being at a live show of theirs you could see how they were constantly making eye contact with each other and blending their voices so perfectly. You could close your eyes and feel the music and their voices touching your soul.
I think your enthusiasm is great. To see your obvious enjoyment as you listen makes me smile. I am a musician too and it’s nice to see others with the same depth of appreciation. It’s an amazing song isn’t it?
I think most people these days know this song from Disturbed cover. And he sang it well. But I remember growing up in the 70s...every Sunday my mom would stack the record player with Simon, Beatles, Bee Gees, Abba...As she did the weekly house clean. True talent back then.
I know the original and I’m 42
As far as harmony before all the auto tuning, my favorite singers were The Andrews Sisters, The Everly Brothers and Simon and Garfunkel. The Andrews Sisters sang such difficult songs, but they always sounded spot on. As always, love to listen to your expertise!!!
Art Garfunkel was so underrated. The voice of an angel
@DonnaLew52 - YES!
I've always been keenly aware of their harmony, but never realized how well their voices blended with the instruments, until I heard their voices without them. Hope that makes sense.
Another great one like this is Mrs. Robinson and a really good one off the final studio album they did together, America.
ahhh, the joys of being born in '57 and the baby of the family with 3 siblings. All the good stuff in real time.
I can't recall if it was this or I Am A Rock my older sister bought first but while it was different, we loved both,
Actually had to stop around the 2 minute mark. Sorta like i don't want to see a guitar being made, i want to hear it and play it.
Great work, tho, Fil :)
Your analogy of the painting being 'restored' by a non-artist reminded me of the monkey christ fresco fiasco _Ecce Homo_ in Borja. Much modern music sounds like that looks.
I was looking for this information. Thank you for what you do. So knowledgeable.
Thank you for taking the time to bring these isolated vocals to us. They are ideal, and hopefully will never be ruined with autotune in a re-release. You are helping me to listen more intentionally to music, especially guitar solos. Love your channel!
They sound amazing, with or without the musical instruments. Thank you Fil!
So glad you did this video - I am a painter and a singer and I agree with everything you said. We all have originality in our art that someone needs to hear/see/experience. Certain notes take us to certain places emotionally and I noticed as you isolated Art Garfunkel's notes the reasons why I felt strong sense of sadness with this song - beyond the lyrics. He also had a cry in his voice that I never noticed before which also brought up emotions when you played it. Without isolation it is so subtle that I feel it but don't know why - then when you isolated it - now I know why I feel that way. Just marvelous. I am learning so much from you.
Wonderful that you could isolate each voice to show what a gem this performance is. Thanks Fil.
Simon and Garfunkel are a great folk duo. I really enjoy their music. Thanks for sharing this analysis video. Cheers, Fil! ✌️
Loved all their music
We look back at the artist and singers of the past and we celebrate their work and uniqueness of their voices. It is within the imperfections that we find perfection. Not on some line in 440hz tuning but in the natural voice of a fellow human being. Today's music sounds too mechanical to my ears. I can't help but wonder if the producers of today even realize what they are missing out on.
Todays producers seem to be looking not so much for people who can sing great…. But rather, OK singers who can *look* great while singing.
Paul and Art sang beautifully together, but were not exactly fashion icons.
You did a wonderful job Fil at analysing this iconic song. On the word grows the Ascension is like the word grows. When singers sing a song they are also thinking of the words meaning. Anyway that's my take. With auto tune or pitch correction you don't get the light an shades of a song which is part of the journey. I loved hearing this song with just the isolated vocals.
Hopefully, Garfunkel & Linda Ronstadt, 2 exceptional singers, won’t be forgotten! Garfunkel had probably the best, most beautiful male voice in pop music. While Simon did not have an exceptional voice, together, they sounded so great! Guess ordinary singers must use auto-tune when attempting to sing anything that Garfunkel sang. They really shouldn’t even try . . .
Roy Orbison.
This was very informative and enjoyable; love all the little details you point out in your analysis. The Sound of Silence was just another song from their first album Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. release in 1964 and has gain strength over the years with numerous cover version, I still preferred Simon and Garfunkel recording.
So do I it’s the best version in my opinion
Wonderful analysis, Fil. I loved it! :) "Expression is in the micronotes"
I remember as a child in the 70s watching a programme on TV that went into the science of how slight imperfections in pitch were more pleasing to the ears than perfect pitch.
I remember several sonic experiments that included vocals and instruments.
These experiments showed the truth of this perfectly.
This was known 50 years ago. Why oh why then are producers so intent on perfect pitch and autotune.
It leaves music soulless and without life. Modern music has turned from being human to being robotic.
Sad days indeed.
Fil, awesome video! I am huge S&G fan. Sound of Silence was first song I learned to finger pick. I was always struck by Paul's tendency to be "monotone" in the sequences, but seeing the variances reveals so much about what made it great! Thanks.
Art Garfunkel in this song gets the listener to feel the touch of despair lurking in the song through his emotional interpretation which is very slight. You are pitch correction takes that emotion and removes it and replaces it with bland mechanical unemotional singing. This is a very deep and emotional song.
I'd add that Simon's low, deceptively monotonic harmony and his own expressive inflections make the message even darker and more urgent.
Fil, I have all the original Simon Garfunkel Lp’s since they were new. The records always sounded in tune to me. Back when I was a kid, about 1963, we tuned to a pitch pipe, the piano (which may or may not have been 440) or a tuning fork. So, as long as we were in tune with each other, it probably didn’t really matter. It was all by ear. Also, our record players weren’t always precise, either! We tuned to the record. 8:43
Another excellent review. Thanks Fil, for proving we don't need perfection. Just talent, beautiful lyrics, music, and harmonies. Glorious.
The line "People writing songs that voices never shared" seems eerily prescient, no?! 🤔🎶
I used to be in a choir and the voice coach taught us not to articulate the sibilant (hissing sound ) at the end of a word like "silence". So for example a word like "peace" at the end of the line would be sung something almost like "peas". If you don't, the sound that comes out through the PA sounds like static interference (maybe PA tech has improved since then) What happens is that the listener hears what they expect to hear, and fills that tiny sound gap.
My high school choir teacher told us the same thing… sing “peas” instead of “peace”…
But it wasn’t because of the microphones and PA system. I as because no matter how hard we might try, a choir of 70 or more students were not all going to “pea…….ce” at *exactly* the same moment, and so the sound would be muddled and messy. If, somehow, we could all “…ce” in perfect unison… it could come across as sharp and jarring. (Note, I’m not meaning “sharp” as “slightly above the note”, but more of a “knife-like” reference)
When a student asked “how will the audience know we mean “peace” if we all sing “peas”… he told us that there is always one or two who forget, and somehow… that’s enough for the audience to hear “peace” instead of “pease”.
While he didn’t specifically say so, I’m sure context cues from the preceding lyrics also help the audience to hear the “…ce” of “peace”
Chilling. They were magnificent.
That was interesting seeing voice play around the target notes. They were so awesome! Thanks for this analysis!
This song and others have been a main stay for all my life. This song in particular is so perfect without being pitch perfect, does that not mean anything to the autotune and pitch perfectionist's. We are human and don't need perfect pitch just good songs and people that try to sing in tune, without computers. Great analysis Fil.🤘
Fil, another great video! Thanks!
Beautiful classic. And isolated...incredible!
Thank you so much for taking that extra time and doing this Fil. I was around when this song (and many others) came out and we!ļ all knew how great Simon and Garfunkleù were. We have been enjoying this music for years ... now you have SHOWN us why it is so great. God bless you
Fil, I appreciate your taking the time to analyze Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel's vocals separately from "The Sounds of Silence." It was amazing to watch their voices on the pitch monitor. I loved what you said about getting more vocal expression when one sings freely and gets the notes to sit where they do naturally, especially when harmonizing with another singer. I agree that applying auto tune removes the conviction of artistic expression as a whole. Thanks for an eloquent analysis of "Art, not autotune." Cheers, Fil!
Great analysis, Fil! The imperfections in their voices are what give the song its beauty and character. Thanks for again showing that the great singers don’t always sing on the line!
Brilliantly explained so we can all grasp it. I'll never understand how they would want to correct greatness. We appreciate the songs of the past on a level that, apparently, the music industry of today cannot comprehend or appreciate.
UA-cam is messing with your videos with commercials in the middle of a sentence. Bad thing for them to do! Love this song❣️
excellent analysis and why older music sounded so much better!
In a major triad if the 3rd isn't slightly flat it won't sound in tune. Equal temperament has a lot to answer for. Imperfection is an integral part of perfection.
Yet another brilliant analysis of two of our country’s greatest duets, Fil. Thank you!
Hi Fil,
I love this song, it’s haunting and mysterious. The harmonies the guys sing are just beautiful - sharp, flat or whatever this is a classic. Thank you for taking the extra time to separate the vocals it was very interesting to see where they took the notes. Thank last final verse part where Art’s vocals just soar is really amazing! This analysis was well worth the extra time and energy. You are the Best!… ROCK … Debbie ☮️🥰
This really brings up a lot of interesting questions on modern production in a bigger sense. There's a profound difference in what we're hearing in most modern recorded music v the old days of trying to capture a performance at its best. Thanks!
Love to hear Simon and Garfunkel music. Bridge over Trouble Water sung in concert and see on video is mesmerizing!! Thank you Fil for all you do educating us so we can value and appreciate music on a whole new level. Would love to hear your rendition cover of Foreigner's That was Yesterday.
Yes! Great analysis and analogy, Fil! So articulate as to serve as a credible "last word" on the subject. I loathe the overuse and subsequent blanketing of "autotune" --something that has become as wideranging ,and actually much worse IMHO, than the dreadfully ubiquitous "gated reverb" of the mid-80's. I'm impressed with your ability to keep your cool while discussing this topic. Thanks!
@J. Kliban nice to see you here!
@@terischick9562--holy mackerel! We gotta stop meeting like this! 😂
@@j.kliban9156 😂😂
This recording just proves the rule: Real is Best!
Fil, I would like to say thanks for explaining everything in such a way that even us non musicians can understand. Great video on this and the other. See you on the next one. 🤘🏼
Vindication! Thanks for all the hard work that is obvious on this analysis. You are phenomenal!!
"Let the art be what it is". And the Paul, too! One of my all-time favourite groups - and regarded as the epitome of great harmonising, yet, as you show, they often didn't exactly hit the notes. The rising pitch on specific notes actually adds both intensity and uplift to particular parts of the song. So why even bother with autocorrection if they sound this good without it? Credit to the engineer, too, for capturing that last "silence" so well at a time when compression technology was still primitive.
It is amazing though how spot on Art is some of this. As a clarinetist you run up & down flats/sharps and change keys all the time. So the variations aren’t surprising to me. No classical composer ever wrote an auto tuned piece. And talk about dynamic changes. Don’t even get me started. The voice is an instrument. Why should it be any different. As far as recognizing singer’s voices I grew up listening to Stravinsky & Perlman. I can instantly tell the difference when someone plays a piece they played. Every singer has their own voice-instrument. Plays let’s say a guitar with their own touch. Knopfler vrs. Clapton. C’mon. If you can’t tell the difference there is something wrong with you even if they’re playing the same song. Imagine auto tuning a guitar? I can’t. It would be a crime against nature. Same with voices. Thanks to you I can now hear auto tune in a heartbeat. Thank you!
At least let the art be what it is - I couldn't agree more! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and expertise.
Just excellent. The artistic comparison is perfect. To be even more precise, its like someone who is not a painter, grabbing a photograph and trying to get a painted portrait to look a little more like the photo. Its ludicrous. Paintings are not supposed to duplicate a face like a zerox machine, they are supposed to communicate its essence as interpreted by the artist. Improving on art, presupposes the same definition of both 'art' and 'improve', the same idea for its goal, and the talent to accomplish the task. Machinery at the hands of a stranger, can only interfere, obscure and anesthetize art. It would not be a bad idea to 'retire' that software occasionally and give it a rest. Then we are all pretty much stuck with seeing the performance only through an artistic lens.
In my opinion, these two were the greatest duo ever, and Paul Simon the absolute best songwriter. So thankful they were my generation. I loved this song as a teenager, I didn't know it would have such an impact on me now (not a teenager).... ❤️❤️ Thank you for this breakdown of this amazing song... I loved listening to this on my headphones so I can isolate their voices. Awesome video.
Thank you Fil for your continued passionate and eloquent plea for the music industry to refrain from autotuning the Masters, and removing the magnetic artistry originally present. Your ongoing education of so
many of us with your patient, positive, and deep-dive into music analysis is top-of-the-mark, and not duplicated
anywhere. Thanks for sharing your passion and knowledge with all of us!
❤️💜🎼💜❤️
Yes, Let the art LIVE!!
Great harmonies they had always. Fun analysis, thanks Fil😊🎙🎼🎶🧑🤝🧑
Thanks Fil! I heard this song first in 1968 while watching the film Graduate. (Dustin Hoffmann diving ín his father's pool)
Do the Everly Brothers, the duo that inspired Paul and Art to closely harmonize.
👍
he has at least twice
Thank you for this - love these guys ❤️
Funny that because they are technically imperfect it makes me love it even more. I freakin hate auto tune and will take an "imperfect " real voice over auto tuned garbage any day. Great video as usual Fil. Cheers!
Reminds me of a recording session when frustrated harmonizing with myself, trying to hit the line, the sound engineer put a guitar part in and said "here, harmonize to this". I still didn't hit the line, yet the note was exactly what it needed to be!
14:13 agreed, let Art be. And Paul too, of course 😉
I like how you point out that it was harder to isolate the vocals here because they blend so well together. Paul and Art, while both great in their own right, became almost like magic when singing together. It gives me goose bumps when especially on Wednesday Morning 3 AM they alternate between lead and harmony in some of their songs, and my brain stops being able to automatically discern who is singing what.
I really love to see the enjoyment on your face when you listen to great music. Your smile speaks for itself. Also, I must admit I did not look it up, but did you talk about Bridge over troubled water yet somewhere? Talking about 'taking a journey through a song', whew. I personally prefer the live version on the Central Park album to the version on the studio album. I've always thought the album version sounded almost 'too clean'. Hard to explain, but it does fit into what you are discussing here: while it's not autotuned or anything, it does have - to my ears - a certain quality that makes it sound less 'real'.
And speaking of how overproduction and especially autotune and pitch correction makes things sounds a bit fake: I think the example of a painting would be even better if you'd say someone came along and started to correct asymmetrical faces, making them perfectly symmetrical. But of course, no real face is truly symmetrical, so even if the result may be a perfectly pretty face in theory, it just looks fake and maybe even a bit off-putting to us humans.
So glad you brought up painters at the end... listening to these two amazing ARTISTS and seeing the analysis, I was thinking about someone going back and double checking Michaelangelo or da Vinci or Monet to correct anatomy proportions or color correct. Geez, just look at what spelling and grammar correction try to do as we are typing - so often get it wrong! The computer tries to change my meaning. Thank you for appreciating the ART of this song - I was raised listening to Simon and Garfunkel - so many good childhood memories.