Bridge Over Troubled Water: Amended.

Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel is a timeless album. Just the highlights (Cecilia, El Condor Pasa, Bridge Over Troubled Water, The Only Living Boy in New York and The Boxer) can give it that distinction.

Having said that, I can’t stand the order of the songs. I’ll admit that I don’t know the ins and outs of major label record release practices in 1970, so maybe there’s a logical reason for the particular order they went with. From where I sit, though, I can’t imagine why they would put “Bridge Over Troubled Water” as track one. It is a sweeping and deeply emotional song that FEELS like a climax, and yet it is the first thing listeners hear when they cue up the 37 minute album.

I originally sought to create a new order of Bridge Over Troubled water so the title track occurred at a more appropriate point in the album. After some tinkering, though, I made a few other alterations. “El Condor Pasa” was the easy choice for track one, with it’s cinematic introduction. I wanted to place more upbeat songs near the beginning to settle listeners in, so I placed “Keep the Customer Satisfied” in the two slot to create a longer buildup to the folk-pop joy of “Cecilia.” This isn’t too much of a departure from the original order, but I think it makes the album flow a little bit better.

The significant improvement that the amended version offers is the “The Boxer,” “The Only Living Boy in New York,” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” combination which occurs over tracks six, seven, and eight. This is the climax that such a consistently gorgeous album deserves. These three heavy hitting songs build on each other’s emotional intesnity, with the title track coming at the listener’s most vulnerable point, after “Only Living Boy in New York” fades out. This highlights each individual song, as listeners hear the album consistently setting high standards for delicate, beautiful folk-pop and then effortlessly topping those standards.

Following the album climax is the lighthearted emotional purge of “Why Don’t You Write Me.” The album retains this feel until the end, allowing listeners to recuperate, gather thoughts, and relax following the heaviness of the peak. I’m sure the Bridge Over Troubled Water tracklist can be rearranged any which way to create an enjoyable listening experience, the remarkable quality of the individual songs ensures that. Still, I think I’ve landed on an especially effective way to rearrange Bridge Over Troubled Water. I encourage you to give it a listen and let me know how you feel about the pacing, maybe compare it directly to the original if you’d like. I have the playlist linked below!