#38: The Sound of Silence: Simon and Garfunkel:1964 – cover version by Disturbed: 2015
The Sound of Silence of course belongs to Simon and Garfunkel. It was released in 1964 on their Wednesday Morning 3.00AM album and was a resounding but wonderful flop! The two gave up the idea of being musos and went their own ways for a time. Until Tom Wilson, a record company producer, discovered that the song was getting some radio airplay. Wilson rearranged the song from its original acoustic version and added drums, electric and bass guitars thus transforming it into a folk rock piece. This was done without the knowledge of Simon and Garfunkel but the song took off and aren’t we thankful for that!
Simon & Garfunkel – The Sound of Silence (from The Concert in Central Park) – YouTube
It is a hauntingly beautiful song and like all brilliant song lyrics the words are as meaningful today as ever. Silence does actually have a sound. It is in the silent, and often disturbed, internal dialogue of the inner man, it is in our dreams and in the lonely, dark and damp streets, it is in the miscommunication of people who talk but their words say nothing and those who hear but they are not really listening, it is in those who write but their words are not shared, they never find a voice and so remain silent. And then there are the neon gods who flash a message, shallow and fast but have become so important in our lives that they have replaced real relationships and real communications. We have become so familiar with this fast, shallow, disconnected level of communication that it has grown amongst us like a cancer; but no one dares disturb the sounds of silence. It is a sad song with a quite disturbing message.
Which brings me to my next point. As much as I love Simon and Garfunkel’s version of Sound of Silence, I prefer the heavy metal band Disturbed 2015 cover. Even Paul Simon, when he heard Disturbed’s cover of The Sound of Silence contacted lead singer David Draiman to praise him.
Read More: Paul Simon Endorses Disturbed’s ‘Sound of Silence’ Cover | https://ultimateclassicrock.com/paul-simon-disturbed-sound-of-silence/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral
I am indebted to my step son for sharing Disturbed’s cover version. It is unlikely I would have found it myself but I am happy to share it with you. Whereas Simon and Garfunkel have beautiful harmonising voices and their song is hauntingly sad, Disturbed’s version is raw, full of passion with a disturbing edge but by golly; it is good!
Disturbed “The Sound Of Silence” 03/28/16 | CONAN on TBS – YouTube
Way leads onto Way 