“Old Friends Never Sounded Better” by Jim DeRogatis is an informative text that discusses the significance of the folk-rock group “Simon & Garfunkel” in the 1960s. Long hair, free love, and psychedelic rock—the 1960s are commonly reduced to a set of easy-to-replicate images, phrases, and styles. Once branded as immoral and revolutionary, the counterculture of the 1960s is now playfully imitated. An alternative counterculture has always existed in America. Dating all the way back to the colonization of America, the evidence of an alternative culture can be traced through nearly every century. The stereotypical of path middle class of Americans was going out of style quickly. Along with the protest, the counterculture known today as “Hippies” spread a like wildfire. Kids grew their hair out, smoked pot, and dropped out of school. Some of the lifestyle changes included sexual freedom, less work, less ambition, and more being stoned meditation and thoughtfulness, more bicycle riding, more walking and more hitch-hiking. Many of the hippies expressed themselves by wearing colorful clothes and a lot of decorative types of jewelry. Change was most defiantly in the air. 

Folk singers such as Simon and Garfunkel were leading and supporting this growing movement. With a new counterculture came new drugs. Although countless musicians consistently used or experimented with different drugs, and this usage affected the popularity of their music. It is questionable whether it was perceived in a good way or a bad way.  Most artists used drugs such as cannabis, LSD, and magic mushrooms to open up new creative pathways for writing. Artists also used these drugs while performing. Not only were the musicians trying drugs, but many of their fans were using while listening to their music to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of hallucinogenic drugs. The 1960s were a time of upheaval in society, fashion, attitudes and especially music. Before 1963, the music of the sixties still reflected the sound, style and beliefs of the previous decade and many of the hit records were by artists who had found mainstream success in the 1950s. In 1963 and the years to follow, many social influences changed what traditional music was and gave birth to the diversity that we experience with music today. The assassination of President Kennedy, the escalation of the war in Vietnam and the progress of the Civil Rights Movement all significantly impacted the mood of American culture and the music began to reflect that change. Around 1963 The Beatles arrived on the music scene and the way people viewed and interacted with music and musicians changed forever.

Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the most popular recording artists of the  1960s and became counterculture icons of the decade's social revolution. Their biggest hits—including “The Sound of Silence,” “Mrs. Robinson,”  “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” and “The Boxer”—reached number one on singles charts worldwide. Their often rocky relationship led to artistic disagreements, which resulted in their breakup in 1970. Their final studio record, Bridge Over Troubled Water, was their most successful, becoming one of the world’s best-selling albums. Jim DeRogatis begins by stating the obvious. DeRogatis describes how the “sunny ideals” of the first half of the century were slowly fading out and the “dark side” was emerging. He mentions the riots, assassinations, and the overall decomposition of American society. A few artists including Simon & Garfunkel were able to capture these vibes and turn them into magical music for the rising counterculture. The first track by Simon & Garfunkel that DeRogatis analyzes is “America”. The track involves “two daydreaming lovers who set out to find the heart of America by hitchhiking through Michigan”. The next album that DeRogatis talks in detail about is “Bookends”. “Bookends” in contrast to the soundtrack album, follows a unified concept, exploring a life journey from childhood to old age. Side one of the album marks successive stages in life, the theme serving as literal bookends to the life cycle. Side two mostly consists of fresh material for The Graduate soundtrack. Simon's lyrics primarily revolve around youth, disillusionment, relationships, old age, and mortality. Much of the material was crafted alongside producer John Simon who joined the recording process when Paul Simon suffered from writer’s block. As a result, the album was recorded gradually over the period of a year, with production speeding up around the later months of 1967. Simon & Garfunkel composed music with very peaceful melodies and soothing voices. These vibes given off by their music was fully embraced by hippies because it was relatable to them. Their music was perfect for people who were under the influence of LSD. “Under the influence of psychedelic drugs, many artists had begun to use the studio to create imaginative new worlds that existed only in the listeners’ imaginations.” The album “Bookends” contained the song “Mrs. Robinson”. The song was a smashing hit after it appeared on the soundtrack for the movie “The Graduate”. The song had a “galloping rhythm” backed up with the classic peaceful voices of the duet.

The song, “The Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel perfectly captures the diversity and changing mood of the 1960s. This song isn’t only just about the ignorance and willingness of people to follow a set regime, but also about consumerism. When they mention how the “words of the prophets are written on the subway walls” could also again reference the ads placed there, focusing on how as humans we see so many products on a daily basis that we feel obligated to buy, making these companies so rich that they might as well be gods. The Sound of Silence being the reluctance to speak up against a company, so their product remains on shelves. We treat these large companies as if they were gods. In the song, there is a verse that entails “bowed and prayed” to these gods showing how we look up to these big companies. “People talking but not speaking” references the fact that people are happy to live life as it is, without speaking out about any real issues. “People hearing without listening” could be seen as people who might censor things that go own beliefs or people who take in information without processing it. The song demonstrates human beings as machines as opposed to men. Simon & Garfunkel were musical pioneers in the 1960s. The group will without a doubt go down in history as one of the most influential folk-rock groups of all time, along with the album “The Bookends.”
