ON THIS DATE (48 YEARS AGO) October 22, 1966 - Simon & Garfunkel: A Hazy Shade Of Winter b/w For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her (Columbia 4-43873) 45 single is released in the US. A Hazy Shade of Winter is a song written by Paul Simon, recorded and released by Simon & Garfunkel in 1966, and then included on their 1968 album, Bookends (although it also appeared on their Live from New York City, 1967). It peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 making it the second highest-charting song on the album after Mrs. Robinson, which reached #1 when it was released on the back of its inclusion on the soundtrack of The Graduate. Critic Richie Unterberer described the song as one of [Simon and Garfunkels] best songs, and certainly one of the toughest and more rock-oriented. The lyrics evoke the passage of the seasons, but (as the title suggests) focusing on the gloominess of winter. The chorus of the song repeats: But look around, leaves are brown now And the sky is a hazy shade of winter Look around, leaves are brown Theres a patch of snow on the ground. Song Review by Richie Unterberger, allmusic Hazy Shade of Winter was a sizable hit for Simon & Garfunkel in late 1966, reaching number 13, although its not quite as frequently played or famous as their biggest smashes. Thats unfortunate, as Hazy Shade of Winter was one of their best songs, and certainly one of the toughest and more rock-oriented by a duo more noted for being relatively mild and dignified. A brusque, stiff drum rhythm sets the pace on the opening instrumental section, built around an edgy, up and down guitar riff; the melody and arrangement of the instrumental section are duplicated on the tracks subsequent vocal choruses. The lyric is one of Simons more downbeat early ones, particularly on the chorus, with its images of leaves turning brown (perhaps subconsciously influenced by the brown leaves in John Phillips slightly earlier California Dreamin?) and the sky looking like a hazy shade of winter. Though the verse is less melodically memorable than the chorus, its commendably urgent and well-arranged, particularly in the lonely bleats of trumpet after some of the lines, and the part at the ending where the bass and a bassoon busily bring the verse to a climax. Theres only a brief bridge here -- and were not talking about the 59th Street bridge! -- which, though not as vital a part of the song as the main courses, does serve the purpose of adding a little bit more of a dark clouds gathering feel. Its also nifty how the song comes to an unexpected dead, final stop on the last chorus, after the line about a patch of snow on the ground. In the 1980s the song was revived from an unexpected quarter, when the Bangles put it on the soundtrack of Less Than Zero.
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 03:44:16 +0000
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