By NOEL MURPHY
THEY were the voice of a generation, musician commentators with a lyrical insight into a world of beauty, contradiction and social ills.
The songs of Simon and Garfunkel, folk rock heroes of the ’60s, have become timeless over the passing decades. It’s hardly surprising tributes such as the Mark Shelley and John Robertson show headed Geelong’s way might continue to strike a powerful chord with the public.
“We love Simon and Garfunkel music,” Robertson said simply.
He’s the Garfunkel of the duo; lean, white and legitimately curly-haired.
“We’ve been in a duo together for 26 years. We’ve got a bunch of guys in the band who love the stuff, we’ve got an audience who thinks they’re back in their teenage years when they’re listening to this magnificent music.
“Every time I mention the fact that we’re doing this show, somebody will say, ‘Oh wow, I’d love to come see it’. When we asked the players that we wanted to play with us, they all say, ‘We love that music and we’d love to do it’.”
Shelley, who plays Paul Simon, was of like mind.
“They’re such great songs,” he said.
“Paul Simon’s probably, I think, one of the premier songwriters, certainly of this era…such great songs, wonderful memories and music to die for.”
Shelley and Robertson will bring their Simon and Garfunkel concert to Geelong Performing Arts Centre on 9 May.
The music remains timeless, etched in the memories of fans they touched at the time and generations since who have discovered their songs.
With record sales of more than 70 million, Simon and Garfunkel’s best-loved songs include hits such as The Boxer, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Feelin’ Groovy, Homeward Bound, Scarborough Fair, America and Sounds of Silence.
“I listened to this stuff, I first remember this stuff, in primary school sitting cross-legged on the wooden floor, listening to Sounds of Silence and The Boxer and those things – it takes me right back to then,” Shelley said.
“And, as a guitar player, I learned to play a lot of the songs in the Paul Simon way, with the double bass notes and the finger-picking. It’s just been a delight to come back all that way and now do a whole show of those songs.”
