There are some very nice moments in this concert DVD (Kathy's Song, the Everley Brothers sequence, Sounds of Silence, American Tune, Slip Sliding Away, etc.) and, especially now in 2008, one is reminded of how timeless (and timely) Paul Simon's lyrics are. However, this whole concert seemed overly staged and forced compared to the Central Park Concert. Central Park was a phenomenon; an amazing, one-time, convergence of time, place, atmosphere, attitude, spirit and incredible, incredibly beautiful music. If you want to get both DVD's, great, but if you want definitive video evidence of S&G's greatness, Central Park will always be the one.

Paul Simon wrote these songs years ago, and Art Garfunkel
gave them beauty and form in his singing. At first that
would seem to be it. We can just buy the original album.

But these artist continue to create these songs. As mature
men, they bring a dimension to the songs that they could not
do when they were younger.

It is like the songs turned about and helped to develop the
songwriter and singer in turn. There is an integrity and
beauty that is emerging.

They show us what the word artist means as a life's calling.

Perhaps universities around the world could adopt this DVD as a study in body language. As wonderful as the music is, it is often overshadowed by Paul Simon's dour and disinterested presence. At times it seemed as if he couldn't put enough distance between himself and Art Garfunkel. And it is perhaps understandable since Garfunkel comes off as more than a little self-satisfied and show-bizzy.

But the music . . . it certainly says something about the strength and power of this music when it can still move you in spite of the palpable animosity of the singers (or at least one of them).

There is a refreshing lack of musical window dressing here . . . no army of backing vocalists and no horn section, just a top notch band playing tight, streamlined arrangements allowing plenty of space for the vocals to stand out. Jim Keltner (drums) and Pino Palladino (bass) are especially effective and sensitive, reproducing all of the iconic parts and still adding their own individual touch.

In spite of the on-stage drama, I still highly recommend the DVD to S&G fans and fans of music in general.

I saw the Central Park concert on PBS in the late eighties or early nineties (how time flies), but of coure I had heard their music for years on the radio, before they stopped playing anything older than 5 minutes (it seems). This DVD was excellent from a technical point of view, and it was certainly more enjoyable to watch as they were actually speaking to each other. Their voices have deteriorated slightly with age, but they still put forth a remarkable show, and it was a refreshing change to see them show their idols and inspiration, the Everly Bros, the respect they felt they clearly deserved. I feel the vocal quality of the Central Park concert is better for obvious reasons, but this is a good show nonetheless. Whatever one may think of their eccentricities or social behavior (or lack therof), their music is indeed timeless, and this DVD is an excellent addition to anyone's music performance library.

This DVD includes not only the reunion concert, but also stills, discussion and takes from past recording sessions. You learn things such as "The Only Living Boy in New York" refers to Art Garfunkle leaving to film Catch 22 (Art was Tom in Tom and Jerry ~ the initial name for the group.)

All, in all, a wonderful trip down memory lane with all the songs a fan would remember.