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Art Garfunkel - Across America
Sony Music Video/Sony BMG . R4 . COLOR . 65 mins . G . PAL

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I think it’s a fair thing to assume that most of us could rattle off more Paul Simon solo hits than we could Art Garfunkel hits. In fact, many of us would battle to get past just one, Bright Eyes from the movie Watership Down. I guess this is because, as the songwriter for Simon and Garfunkel, Simon's solo hits mostly have that same degree of quality. Poor old Arty, on the other hand, has a few good songs that he managed to snaffle from who knows where, but by and large, he's made some duff choices.

When the duo broke up in 1970, it wasn't without considerable acrimony. The bickering that plagued their last album, Bridge Over Troubled Water, was ultimately enough to drive the wedge into their partnership that took a long time to remove. There has been the odd concert and performance here and there, as recently as this year’s Grammy Awards in fact, but there have been no new songs, and at best some live reworkings of Simon’s solo hits.

Although Paul Simon may be the one that most of us know, Art Garfunkel is still doing the thing that he always done, and that is singing. He has an incredibly sweet and gentle voice and a natural ability to harmonise. His solo career is hardly hit-strewn, and even in this show he calls heavily upon the Simon and Garfunkel songbook. That’s not a criticism, though - hey, he was a part of their creation and very much a part of their sound, so he has every right to do so! Besides, that's what most of us want to hear anyway, right?

This show was recorded in 1996 at the Registry Hall, Ellis Island in front of a relatively small number of fans who appreciate the intimacy. It is the musical culmination of a marathon walk across 40 of the United States that took Garfunkel 12 years to complete, in various stages. It was a kind of, 'get-back-to-humanity' thing, and the 65-minute show consists of songs from the two shows, intercut with interview and diary type extracts from that walk, shot at various places along the way. This is a kind of video diary, but each piece is short and Garfunkel talks about the particular song we are about to hear, or shares his thoughts on various parts of America’s society. This generally works quite well, but some of the audio editing is a bit sloppy as the concert audience gets cut off or kicks-in mid-applause.

There is one special guest, Art's buddy James Taylor, and their duet is performed outdoors to passers-by oblivious to the fact that they are actually hearing two of America’s most revered performers. He is also joined on stage by his wife and son (proof that cloning may already be a reality), and a handful of competent muso friends including Michael Brecker. This performance is so gentle it could almost be called an unplugged show.

For those that miss the Simon and Garfunkel double act, well despair not, for those on again, off again concert tour rumours are definitely on again. Until then, you could try what I did, jamming this DVD into the player with one of Paul Simon’s solo DVDs, but you’ll find that it just doesn’t work... For the time being, we’ll just have to appreciate them individually.

Track listing:

Program Open: America
A Heart in New York
A Poem on the Underground Wall
Scarborough Fair
Homeward Bound
Cecilia
Crying in the Rain
El Condor Pasa (If I Could)
All I Know
Bright Eyes
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Mrs Robinson
The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)
April Come She Will
The Sound of Silence
Grateful
Closing Credits:Goodnight My Love

  Video
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Contract

As this is a Disney Channel co-production, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that it's a full frame presentation (and therefore not 16:9 enhanced). It boasts that it has been recorded in 1125/60 high definition format, which essentially means that it will look good on digital television. On DVD it still looks fine, with good sharpness and a nice clear image. Colours are very solid with no problems, not even from stage lighting. There is no evidence of noise, and only some of the outdoor footage filmed on Art's 12-year trek across the States shows any sign of age or grain. It is still of good quality, it just looks a little softer.

There are no problems with shadow detail, even in the darker areas of the stage, and there are no problems with flaring either. There are no instances of shimmer, marks or specks, and no layer change. In all, this is a pretty solid effort that fans will have no issue with.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, while good, sounds a little forced in that there is no real separation and a very even balance between the left and right as well as the rear and front, like someone has taken a stereo audio mix and shoved it in 5.1 directions. Therefore the music, the vocals and the audience reaction all tend to sound a little echoed at times, though this effect is only minor. The sound range is quite good, with crisp highs and deep resonating lows. There are no issues with clarity or synchronisation, and there are no subtitles. There is minimal instrumentation throughout much of the show, and as such things sound slightly hollow at times, compounded by the lack of directional sound. When music is stripped back like this it is not really suited to being pushed in all directions, and would have benefited from being pushed to the front a little more.

There are two extras included, being a discography and a biography. They total just six screens of text, so are light on to say the least. The biography is pretty much in point form, and the discography lists only Art's solo material.

This is quite a good DVD. The concert and interview/road trip footage runs for just over an hour, and the songs are well presented and well performed. The tunes should just about all be familiar, even if at times it seems a little strange to be hearing Garfunkel sing the parts that Simon would normally sing. Still, as for the songs he has chosen well, and Simon and Garfunkel fans should be quite pleased with the end product.


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  •   And I quote...
    "Drawing heavily on his Simon and Garfunkel legacy, this is a smooth and gentle ride best suited to a peaceful, late night viewing… "
    - Terry Kemp
      Review Equipment
    • DVD Player:
          Akai
    • TV:
          TEAC CT-F803 80cm Super Flat Screen
    • Receiver:
          Pioneer VSX-D409
    • Speakers:
          Wellings
    • Centre Speaker:
          Wellings
    • Surrounds:
          Wellings
    • Subwoofer:
          Sherwood SP 210W
    • Audio Cables:
          Standard RCA
    • Video Cables:
          standard s-video
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