Art Garfunkel

On his own, Art Garfunkel exhibits many of the same strengths that marked his work with Paul Simon -- an angelic tenor voice, a fine sense of understatement and subtlety, and a genius for harmony vocals. Unfortunately, that's not enough to support a solo career, and without a strong creative voice to play off, Garfunkel's albums end up seeming as empty as they are pretty. Angel Clare is all too typical. When given good material, such as Randy Newman's "Old Man" or Van Morrison's "I Shall Sing," Garfunkel is in his element, but when the material slips, as on "Mary Was an Only Child," so does the value of his performance. Breakaway keeps that from being a problem, thanks to a soaring rendition of Stevie Wonder's "I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)" and the aching "99 Miles From L.A." There's even a Simon and Garfunkel reunion on "My Little Town."

Watermark is the high point of Garfunkel's solo career. Built around a Jimmy Webb song cycle, its evocation of longing and loss makes it a perfect vehicle for Garfunkel's voice (even though the cover of Sam Cooke's "[What a] Wonderful World," cut with Paul Simon and James Taylor, was the only hit).

Beyond that, Garfunkel's recordings are pretty much fans-only affairs. Fate for Breakfast is a slick and unsuccessful attempt at mainstreaming Garfunkel's sound; Scissors Cut is too dull to leave a mark; Lefty strikes out; and Garfunkel proves only that a greatest-hits package is not necessarily the same thing as a best-of album. No surprise, then, that the singer went on hiatus, returning in 1997 for Across America, an oldies-dependent live album that reminds us why the duo was billed as Simon and Garfunkel and not the other way around (though the duet with Taylor on "Cryin' in the Rain" is unexpectedly poignant), and Songs from a Parent to a Child, a must-hear for those wondering how well Garfunkel harmonizes with his young son. Still, it may be premature to write him off, as Everything Wants to Be Noticed convincingly evokes the wistful charm of his early albums as it explores the difficulties of late-life romance. A bit more of this, and Garfunkel may yet earn a reputation that doesn't depend on an ampersand. (J.D.CONSIDINE)

From the 2004 The New Rolling Stone Album Guide