Art Garfunkel Album: “Everything Waits to Be Noticed [Japan Bonus Track]”

I've only recently "discovered" Art Garfunkel's music separate from Simon &... I had always heard that his albums were a delight, but I never took the plunge until earlier this year, when I purchased the exquisite WATERMARK, mainly because I'm a huge fan of Jimmy Webb's songwriting.

EVERYTHING WAITS TO BE NOTICED had me a little worried, seeing as I wasn't sure if Art's vocal skills would be overwhelmed in an album that was also featuring other musicians/singers. I discovered within a few minutes that my fears were unfounded. When the "other" singers are heard, they blend in so perfectly with Garfunkel that you hardly notice them. In most cases it sounds like some of the beautiful vocal arrangements heard on Art's other albums.

Garfunkel's voice is every bit as angelic as it has always been, and the "new" styles of singing he sometimes uses on this album still sound just like Art Garfunkel to me. If that makes any sense... What it does mean is that he's still simply one of the best "pure" singers we've ever had.

As for Garfunkel's first attempts at songwriting, there is no way to guess which songs are his and which were written by "seasoned" songwriters. His creations are nothing short of superb, and I hope he continues to explore this avenue of creativity. Just hanging around Mr. Simon probably gave him better songwriting lessons than just about anyone else could have gotten in the past 50 years. Not that Garfunkel's songs are similar to Mr. Simon's, but they are memorable in their own right, and as lovely as the songs on many of Garfunkel's classic albums of the past.

Sometimes you know upon first listening that you will spend a lot of time with a given album, and I am sure that this one will be a friend to my ears for many, many years to come. EVERY Art Garfunkel fan needs this extraordinary release in his or her music library.

I love Art Garfunkel and always get his albums. In recent years, however, those records just seem like collections of covers Art has lent his gorgeous voice to. What a surprise this one is! First of all, Art cowrote a number of these songs. Second, he seems to be thriving amid the collaboration with Sharp, Mondlock, and producer Buddy Mann. This is certainly his best solo album since WATERMARK (his collaboration with Jimmy Webb) and maybe his best ever. I love "Bounce" and "The Thread" especially. Way to go, Artie!

I found myself playing the songs back in my head in the morning. That hasn't happend to me for 10 years. Stunning. Beautiful. Capable of generating goose-bumps. His best work. In some of his earlier work he laid down tracks on top of himself to build the harmonies, which was effective but did not have the emotion and contrast that Ms. Sharp brings. Definitely the best album I have purchased in over a year.

I read the reviews of this CD. I got tickled.

The voices do exactly what exceptional singing should do, make you think about the sound, not who is singing. The seamlessness of these three singers mesmerized me the first night I had it on. On the second listen I sat in my darkened living room just to feel the harmonies and the brilliance of the collaborations.

This is the kind of CD that makes me glad I swore off commercial radio. Why listen to the nattering new generation when there are writers and singers who sing about my 50 year old life?

This is the best album I have purchased all year. The songwriting is subtle and romantic without being cloying and sappy. There are definite echoes of the best of Simon and

Garfunkel, but the harmonizing of the three performers, especially Maia Sharpe is mesmerizing. I have listened to it over and over again for a week in my car and have yet to get sick of it. Pour yourself a really good glass of wine, put it on and sit back and feel good.