Simon & Garfunkel: The Concert in Central Park

1982
8.3| 1h30m| NR| en
Details

The Concert in Central Park is a live album by Simon & Garfunkel. On September 19, 1981 the folk-rock duo reunited for a free concert on the Great Lawn of New York's Central Park attended by more than 500,000 people. They released a live album from the concert the following March (Warner Brothers LP 2BSK 3654; CD 3654). It was arranged by Paul Simon and Dave Grusin, and produced by Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, Phil Ramone and Roy Halee. The concert was also shot on videotape, televised by HBO in 1982, and subsequently released on various home video formats. The VHS and DVD contain two songs that were omitted from the live album: "The Late Great Johnny Ace" and "Late in the Evening (Reprise)". "Johnny Ace" was disrupted by a fan rushing the stage who came very close to attacking Paul. This incident was both frightening and coincidental, as the song is an elegy upon the murder of John Lennon just one year earlier.

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Reviews

Karry Best movie of this year hands down!
Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.
Brenda The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.
erik-484 There isn't much to say about the vocal duo of Simon & Garfunkel that hasn't already been said. Their music (mostly written by Paul Simon) has provided the soundtrack for some of the most profound moments of the 1960s and 1970s. This concert, in particular, finds these two musical geniuses together again for the first time in 10+ years (September 1981). Though some of their exchanges in between songs are a bit chilly, their musical execution is pure precision. It's clear that their decade of separation has, in many ways, helped Simon & Garfunkel mature as musicians. The simple harmonies and musical settings of the original LPs resonate in this performance - and they are enhanced as these middle-aged performers try new things with their old favorites.What's more awe-inspiring is the decision to include many of Paul Simon's material from his solo career - and to exclude Art Garfunkel's (with the exception of his pandering, ineffectual quasi-love song, "Heart in New York", that is clearly the weak point in the concert). Though Simon enjoyed more critical acclaim, one of the things that made S&G so special in the 1960s is that they were a team of two equal musicians with distinct gifts. Art, for his part, appears pleased to join in Paul's songs throughout the concert. In fact, on "Slip Sliding Away", Art moves stage left while Paul sings the solo verse. The camera catches Art merrily singing along like any normal concert-goer, before returning to the mic to harmonize on the refrain.There is nothing overly exceptional about the cinematography of this video (not that you need it for a 1981 concert of folk musicians), but it does an adequate job of capturing all the musicians on stage. The opening aerial view of Central Park gives the viewer an idea of the enormity of the concert (500,000+ in attendance). When it's all said and done, this video lets the performance of two great musicians stand alone.This is, arguably, S&G's finest concert EVER, when you consider the scope of music and the fact that these men are in the musical prime of their life. Regardless of age or musical taste, you can't help but enjoy this epic concert.
InjunNose This concert film had some fun moments, but it never felt like a full-fledged Simon and Garfunkel reunion. Simon's solo numbers (which make up slightly more than half the set) all get big, lush arrangements, while the S&G songs sound spare and sloppy and tossed-off. What a shame. The duo does shine on 'Mrs. Robinson' (a great opener) and 'Bridge Over Troubled Water', as well as on Simon's then-fairly recent 'Late in the Evening'. Unfortunately, Garfunkel gets to perform only one of his solo songs, 'A Heart in New York'. It doesn't help matters that, up until the last several numbers of the concert, these old friends seem pretty tense around one another. If you're a fan of Simon and Garfunkel or of Paul's solo career (or both), you'll enjoy "Concert in Central Park" to some degree. Still, you'd be much better served by getting the "Old Friends Live On Stage" DVD that was just released. The duo was spectacular throughout their 2003-04 tour, and the concert on the new DVD (well, the set is actually culled from *two* concerts) is much longer.
El Guapo-2 You don't have to be a S&G fan to enjoy this concert film, showcasing the singer/songwriter and his harmonizing companion after almost ten years of professional separation.Some of the highlights are: Bridge Over Troubled Water, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, Out in the Evening, Kodachrome, and "The Graduate" standards, of course.I can't think of a better way to unwind or relax or if you just want to listen/watch some good music.
Hermit C-2 This pleasant documentation of the 1981 reunion of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel is a must-see for die-hard fans, of course, but it's likely to please the more casual listener also. The duo's much-ballyhooed get-together shows that even though the partners may have been unequal in songwriting talent, there was still something special about them when they reunited to harmonize on their classics. Simon's post-Garfunkel compositions work well too, and a highlight is his "Slip-Slidin' Away," in which his soaring voice on the chorus wraps beautifully around Artie's. "Late in the Evening" is a standout also, showcasing the band of top-notch New York musicians assembled for the occasion, including Steve Gadd and Richard Tee.