album fourth studio album american music duo produced album released april united_states columbia_records duo risen fame years prior hit albums sounds silence sage radio singles touring colleges simon approached director write songs film graduate released weeks prior soundtrack album propelled band stardom contrast soundtrack album follows unified concept exploring life journey childhood old age album marks successive stages life theme serving literal life cycle largely consists unused material graduate soundtrack simon lyrics largely revolve youth relationships old age mortality material crafted alongside producer joined recording process suffered writer block result album recorded gradually period year production speeding later months initial sales substantial album produced number hit single robinson album mainly hit duo native country united_kingdom countries peaked number considered breakthrough group placing level artists beatles bob_dylan rolling_stones forefront cultural movement 1960s album continued receive critical acclaim recent years duo finest efforts background burst national scene hit single sound silence waves radio period duo broken failure debut release wednesday morning following release sounds silence duo recorded released sage brought new critical commercial success duo simon felt finally upper rock roll importantly retaining artistic integrity making closer bob_dylan wrote biographer duo chose booking agency recommendation mutual friend producer sessions duo cut shade winter decided release single peaked number national charts similarly recorded zoo single release early charted lower number simon began work time noting writer high fidelity interested singles anymore hit dry spell writing led simon album horizon artists time expected release albums year lack productivity duo worried executives columbia_records amid concerns simon columbia_records chairman arranged coming record producer kick start recording simon suits label occasion brought tape recorder meeting davis giving talk speeding production order laugh later director filming graduate fascinated duo past efforts listening nonstop filming weeks obsession met ask permission license music film davis viewed perfect fit envisioned best selling soundtrack album simon immediately receptive viewing movies akin selling creating artistic integrity meeting impressed wit script agreed write new songs film powerful agent negotiated deal paid simon submit songs producer weeks later simon emerged new tracks dilemma overs particularly taken duo offered new song later robinson developed loved recording production recorded fits starts session group june duo signed older contract specified label pay sessions folk duo recording costs said took advantage hiring viola brass players viola players arrived duo intrigued sound musicians tuning instruments recording spent nearly night columbia expense trying find random sound record reflects production team spent studio hours recording example recorded vocal parts note note satisfied simon close attention vocal takes line perfect took bigger role aspects production harmonies band famous gradually disappeared favor songs sung solo member album planned long advance work begin earnest late months work duo produced tracks ended dilemma save life child overs october writer magazine attended recording session duo simon assistant engineer columbia recording studio 52nd street new_york_city observations reported november edition magazine team working relationship built listening asking advice taking building morale obvious enjoy working word come partner ideas tried accepted rejected time passes time little dilemma aside moment simon begins work title song new album work slowed beginning new year departure columbia duo completed production recording america february final version robinson february old friends closing theme march simon felt album use studio duo albums composition music theme opens closes played acoustic guitar additional instruments audio sample band hit sound silence plays sounds near end second track save life child credited production assistance song created bassline playing synthesizer help author finds elements variously supported groove distorted electronic sounds complement song subject matter suicide suburban youth overs explores jazz oriented style larger selection chords form group previous styles voices old people sound recorded tape collection audio recordings elderly find photographs illness living conditions old friends title generally conveys introduction ending sections repetition song builds loose formal structure includes acoustic guitar soft mood additional element introduced midway track orchestral arrangement conducted dominated strings notes horns instruments added duo cease singing creating builds single high sustained note strings song final song reprise theme consists miscellaneous unrelated songs unused graduate possessing rock based sound unified folk songs simon felt album second composed tracks didn mean lot weren recorded melodies occasionally deleted suit lyrics song generally follows similar chord structure melodic outline funky rock beat references beatles tomorrow knows dilemma breezy minimal musically soft jazz style percussion seemingly improvised guitar lines dominated seventh chords robinson opens instantly recognizable pop rock guitar hook carries track verse consists syllables form stable foundation inclusion meaningless syllables arises unfinished nature song pitched director particularly liked verse shade winter follows rock tinged sound fairly straightforward verse refrain structure zoo uses rock groove key major lyrics according disc jockey author album shares thematic qualities concept album beatles sgt released months prior zoo old friends benefit respectively notes sgt pepper notable colorful psychedelic shapes contrasted moody black white gray sounds concept albums fairly common rock groups time request sweetheart enjoyed massive success format unlike beatles nearly year confirmed influence sgt pepper interview commenting terribly impressed light path led simon smoked writing convinced high write felt drug negative effect caused retreat found tour thoughts grew dark times attributed pain comes songs high contains major themes including youth life love relationships old age mortality simon work loosely autobiographical designed function personal artistic statement simon feeling especially style day planned album concept began writing telling going start writing album cycle songs want early ones youth song old age want feel song fit originally released primarily vinyl opens closes disc theme brief acoustic piece compared english rock band evokes time innocence save life child dramatic story involving drugs violence mother child relationship according song deals individual crises crowded urban settings references larger societal forces hint perspective song america follows young lovers apparently impromptu romantic traveling alliance board bus look america protest song creates cinematic tells singer search literal physical america disappeared country beauty ideals overs includes themes love marriage old friends portrait old men years youth men sit park bench like strange feels nearing lifetime song joined theme time vocal accompaniment duo piece closes entire suite resigned preserve memories left opens finds protagonist shortcomings suggested simon relationship dilemma employs breakfast food images hollywood film industry takes abrupt left turn verse singer begins admired soldier robinson collects wide ranging images address social constant jesus loves eponymous character god heaven welcome song includes famous reference athlete new_york_yankees simon favorite baseball teams features explicit homage beatles simon meaningless phrase john_lennon sings shade winter older track dates simon days england song follows hopeless poet manuscripts unpublished rhyme unsure achievements life sharp contrast zoo concludes album simon described cycle life song indicates personalities certain zoo animals represent particular walks people song originally intended possible children book according rock journalist record meditation passage life psychological impact life accumulating losses song cycle describes life death romantic ideal release commercial performance prior release band helped performed signaled beginning summer love west_coast issued single summer found modest success radio duo focused rising format played album cuts january duo appeared special tonight performing songs largely album regarded best photographers commissioned shoot album cover viewed close reflection simon released columbia_records april historical context hours assassination activist spurred nationwide outrage riots album served comfort food tumultuous times nation album debuted issue dated april climbing number staying position seven non consecutive weeks remained chart total weeks received heavy orders weeks advance release columbia able apply award certification copies left warehouse fact touted magazine ads record duo best selling album date fed buzz created release graduate soundtrack album weeks earlier creating initial combined sales figure million units united_kingdom number hit likewise album charted highly australia france peaked countries number duo held complicated relationship davis simon particularly outraged suggested raising list price dollar standard retail price davis explained including large poster copy extra dollar necessary cover cost simon instead viewed charging premium sure year best selling columbia album according biographer davis offended perceived lack gratitude believed role turning superstars implement davis price increase plan signed contract extension columbia guaranteed higher royalty rate critical reception reviews release largely positive british publication nme gave record stars called inspiring descriptive music noting album imaginative times confusing know composer getting rival newspaper use ratings system called thoughtful clever produced album reviewer chris criticized songs particularly performed beatles beatles conviction praising opining words capture america today lot sickness tragedy rolling_stone reviewer wrote music questionable found music questionable nice admit liking sense process slick happens later reviews positive minutes stunning vision america search said allmusic writer gave stars pitchfork_media called moment duo settling losing folk revival emphasizing quirky production techniques match soaring vocals called group musically daring album accolades robinson rock roll song win record year 11th annual grammy awards honor duo group lists legacy album alongside graduate soundtrack propelled biggest rock duo world simon approached numerous film producers desired write music films license track turned preparing film brother sun likewise shoot addition hollywood proposals producers broadway starring simon friend lead asked original songs simon declined eventually paired collaborated short time sacred mass eventually withdrew project finding far comfort zone disc jockey author writes represents career convergence musical personal societal forces placed center cultural rolling_stone credited record striking chord lonely young adults near end decade writing lyric shade winter time time time defined moment generation edge adulthood viewed band accomplished work time breakthrough production songwriting piece work said simon interview playboy line song america gone look america began appearing spray painted vacant buildings abandoned factories town michigan mentioned song loose group artists eventually known paint began phrase city population vastly noting song sense nostalgia era city residents track listing songs written composed noted tracks produced tracks produced produced track produced track produced produced personnel credits adapted allmusic chart positions
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