In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon

Tells the story of Simon's rise from boy in Queens New York, making music as a duo with his friend to rise as perhaps the greatest songwriter of our time.

The direction and editing are very well done, the visuals add so much.

I remember his early years with Garfunkel. The public story line was how much of a collaboration it was. In reality it was more like 99% Paul. Garfunkel's voice added an ethereal beauty to the vocals. But as I got deeper into the story I was reminded of the amazing directions Simon's music took. Not content with doing the same old thing he forged a kinship with musicians from South Africa and Brazil. He really is a musical genius.

This tells the story of his latest album, a miracle in itself considering he is now completely deaf in one ear. This entire album was born from a dream.

The documentary is almost faultless; its editing and concept make it one of the best documentaries I have watched. Paul's story is told and weaved within a contemporary narrative as he works on his new album, 7 Psalms. There are no talking heads, all the voice overs or narration is done with people that are introduced through archival footage and it is therefore seamless. The documentary ends with him and Edie (his wife) ,in his studio, singing a couple of verses of a song from his 7 Psalms album. This sets up a sense that he realizes that he may be reaching the end of his creative journey, and then it fades to the credits. But if you wait until just after the credits roll on episode 2, you are treated to a haunting version of Sound of Silence, recorded during a rehearsal. It is night, and he is singing to an empty hall, and in the distance people are walking along the footpath and just casually gazing towards the sound as they walk past. It is a slow and very moving and neatly provides a bookend to an amazing career as it was this song that launched his career all those years ago. The versions are worlds apart; his youthful version launched his career was a driving folk rock version with twanging guitars and drums, this version, matured and just reflecting where he is now.

I am a huge fan of Paul's and he has been part of my life since almost the beginning. I learnt to play the guitar by emulating his style and have memories of spending many, many hours trying to master songs like Kathy's Song, and this documentary is an is an absolute enjoyment from start to finish and tops everything off.

Great history of the first years of his and Garfunkel's lives and careers. Those albums and performances are in the pantheon of 60's musical creations. Way too much footage, though, of him noodling his new album. And isn't the guitar lick he channeled in a dream the same one from Anji 60 years ago?

But the episode ends with a completely unnecessary and cruel remark about his ex partner: After saying his five year friendship with him was his first great friendship with someone who got him, he then says Garfunkel is now someone he never wants to see again. At this point in their lives, was it really necessary to make such a cruel public rejection? I'm sure he had the clout to remove that even if it wasn't his choice to include it.

The historical overview of Simon and Garfunkel and their breakup is excellent. Less excellent is Paul Simon in his homemade Texas studio putting together his latest solo album.

So lets's talk about the Simon and Garfunkel history, then, where we learn some very insightful things. Paul Simon is an excellent songwriter and his songwriting during the 1960's was beautiful, mesmerizing and groundbreaking. It spoke to the generation that grew up in the NYC metropolitan area and were impacted by the major events of the 1960's including assassinations and an extremely unpopular war. For the most part this generation was Liberal, open minded socially, politically, musically. Anti-war, anti-racism, pro-women's rights, pro-culture in general. These were Simon and Garfunkel's people and they are the one's who showed up for the Simon and Garfunkel reunion in Central Park in 1981 in an extremely emotional outpouring of love. A love of a by gone time of open mindedness and culture that Simon and Garfunkel represent.

Simon's songwriting spoke to this cultured generation but he had vital help - the beautiful, angelic voice of Art Garfunkel which transformed Simon's songs from very good to the stratosphere of angelic beauty. And why these albums are all classics.

Simon needed Garfunkel and they never should have split up. What they created together was not just good songs but something far more - great art!

Why the split? It wasn't either musician it was a comic turned movie maker, Mike Nichols, who pushed Garfunkel into acting. A horribly bad, selfish move by Nichols who knew full well it would break up the pair. An unconscionable act of sabotage that destroyed great art. I can't watch any of Nichols movies because of this.

Let me begin by saying some thought Paul said at the end of episode 1 that Garfunkel was a person he never wanted to see again. But that's not what he said. He was talking about himself never wanting to "see" or be that person again. Himself, being that way..

I really enjoyed it. They were truly a unique duo and so talented. Still are, really. Unfortunately, and also ironically, Paul has lost most of his hearing but he's still writing songs. Reminds me of Johnny Cash at close to the end of his life, and his reflecting on his life through song.

It brought back a lot of memories of troubled, but good, times in a lot of ways.