CoronaVinyl Day 31 ('60s Soundtrack): The Graduate Soundtrack

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Today's CoronaVinyl category is '60s soundtracks.  I have a couple, but none is as iconic at The Graduate.  If you've never seen The Graduate, I highly recommend it.  A coming-of-age dramedy, it was Dustin Hoffman's first feature role, and he kills it as Benjamin Braddock, the recent college graduate who doesn't have any real aim in life, but does manage to have an affair with the wife of a family friend (Mrs. Robinson) before falling in love with her daughter (Elaaaiiiinnnnnne!!!!).  The movie is funny and poignant.  The cinematography is stunning, and it has some of the most iconic scenes and lines in movie history.  You should watch it.  But don't just take my word for it.  The film is generally recognized as one of the best of all-time, landing at #7 on the AFI's original list of the top 100 movies of all-time.

Part of what makes the film great is the soundtrack, which is a mix of songs by Simon & Garfunkel and original instrumental score music by Dave Grusin.  There are two versions of both "Sounds of Silence" and "Mrs. Robinson" on the album, although interestingly enough, neither version of "Mrs. Robinson" is the actual full version that was released on the group's Bookends album.

Favorite song from Side 1:  "Sounds of Silence"
"Sounds of Silence" is featured several times in the film, and it is the first track on Side 1 of the album, with a reprise version capping off Side 2.  The version on Side 1 is the one you're most likely more familiar with.  It's a fantastic song with an interesting story.  After Simon & Garfunkel originally recorded it in 1964 as part of their debut album, the song and album didn't go anywhere, and Simon & Garfunkel actually broke up, with Simon going to England.  But then the song started to be played on college radio stations a year later.  The original version was completely acoustic, and producer Tom Wilson decided it should have an update.  After all, in the meantime, Dylan had gone electric, so why not Simon & Garfunkel?  So Wilson hired some musicians to overdub electric guitar, bass, and drums into the song.  You can actually hear the switch from acoustic to electric at the beginning of the song, just after the line "Hello darkness, my old friend."  It's subtle, but the guitar sounds a little different, and the tempo picks up a little.  Anyway, the song went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, prompting Paul Simon to come back to the U.S. to reunite with Art Garfunkel and make some more music together.  In addition to The Graduate soundtrack, they put out another four studio albums between 1966 and 1970 -- eventually propelling them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Favorite song from Side 2:  "The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine"
It was a toss-up between this and Grusin's "A Great Effect," as the latter is played in the movie during one of the more ridiculous scenes when Benjamin and Elaine are on a date.  There are tassels involved.  If you've seen the movie, you should know what I'm talking about.  But I went with "The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine."  The song was originally release on the duo's 1966 album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, but this version is an alternate version.  It's a punchy, psychedelic song that satirizes the advertising world.