Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme
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Album Summary
Now here's a record that came straight from the soul of a generation — 'Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme' was laid down at Columbia Records' studios and released in October 1966, the third studio offering from Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. Produced by Bob Johnston with engineering from the masterful Roy Halee, this album arrived right in the thick of the folk-rock movement, when the world was hungry for music that had something real to say. Simon brought his poet's pen and Garfunkel brought that voice — and together, with Johnston and Halee shaping the sound, they created something that felt timeless from the very first needle drop.
Reception
- The album climbed to No. 3 on the Billboard 200, cementing Simon & Garfunkel as one of the defining acts of the mid-1960s American music scene.
- The single 'Homeward Bound' had already primed the world for this record, reaching No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming one of the duo's most recognizable early anthems.
- Critics embraced the album's sophisticated songwriting and meticulously polished production, recognizing it as a significant step forward in the artistic ambitions of popular music.
Significance
- This album stands as one of the finest examples of the folk-rock fusion that defined the mid-1960s, weaving acoustic roots deep into the fabric of contemporary pop with a grace that few of its contemporaries could match.
- From the ancient melody of 'Scarborough Fair / Canticle' to the biting social commentary of '7 O'Clock News / Silent Night,' the record demonstrated that Simon & Garfunkel were not just hitmakers — they were artists operating on a whole other level.
- The album's literary lyricism and celestial vocal harmonies helped raise the bar for what popular music could be, influencing a generation of songwriters who understood that a song could carry the weight of poetry without losing its melody.
Samples
- For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her — sampled by various artists drawn to its ethereal atmosphere, making it one of the more revisited deep cuts from the album in later decades.
Tracklist
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A1 Scarborough Fair / Canticle 64
3:13
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A2 Patterns 119
2:45
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A3 Cloudy 92
2:13
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A4 Homeward Bound 92
2:32
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A5 The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine 90
2:47
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A6 The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) 130
1:49
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B1 The Dangling Conversation 91
2:41
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B2 Flowers Never Bend With The Rainfall 110
2:15
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B3 A Simple Desultory Philippic —
2:15
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B4 For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her 145
2:08
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B5 A Poem On The Underground Wall 112
1:59
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B6 7 O'Clock News / Silent Night 132
2:04
Artist Details
Simon & Garfunkel — that's Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, baby — came together in the early 1960s right out of Queens, New York, weaving folk, pop, and a little rock and roll into some of the most achingly beautiful harmonies this world has ever heard, giving us timeless masterpieces like "The Sound of Silence," "Mrs. Robinson," and "Bridge Over Troubled Water" that spoke straight to the soul of a generation wrestling with war, change, and the search for meaning. These two cats became the soundtrack of the 1960s counterculture movement, their music threading through the threads of social unrest, love, and longing in ways that made them not just musicians, but poets of their time. Even after they went their separate ways in 1970, their legacy never faded — because when the music is that real, that honest, it just doesn't die.
