CoronaVinyl Day 266 (G): Breakaway by Art Garfunkel

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Today's CoronaVinyl category is "G," and included in my recent acquisitions from my neighbor were two Art Garfunkel solo albums.  I'm going with his second solo studio album, 1975's Breakaway.

Of course, along with Paul Simon, Garfunkel was part of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame duo Simon & Garfunkel.  After the two split in 1970 to pursue solo careers, Garfunkel took a few years off from music, focusing on acting.  He had roles in 1970's Catch-22 and 1971's Carnal Knowledge.  Garfunkel, who also managed to get an MA in Mathematics from Columbia in 1967 while signing in Simon & Garfunkel, also taught math at a high school in Connecticut for a couple years.

In 1973, he got back into music and released his first solo album, Angel Clare.  Breakaway followed two years later, and it did pretty well, reaching #7 on the Billboard album chart, as well as #6 in Canada and #7 in the UK.  It eventually became Garfunkel's only solo album to go platinum in the U.S.

The album is what you'd expect from Garfunkel -- a folksy soft pop/rock album.  There are a few covers, and all of the songs are written by other artists (including several who helped record the album).  Garfunkel had contributions from a ton of big-name artists, including his old pal Simon, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Toni Tennille of Captain & Tennille, Steve Cropper of Booker T. & The MGs, singer-songwriter Stephen Bishop, Rolling Stones sideman Nicky Hopkins, Bruce Johnston of The Beach Boys, veteran session drummer and Beatles solo collaborator Jim Keltner, Van Morrison's drummer Rick Schloss, Derek & The Dominos drummer Jim Gordon, Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section members Barry Beckett, Roger Hawkins, and David Hood, Wings drummer Denny Siewell, Wrecking Crew members Larry Knechtel and Joe Osborn, Beatles friend and collaborator Klaus Voorman, and Little Feat pianist Bill Payne, among others.

The two women on the album cover are, on the left, actress Helena Kallianiotes, and on the right, actress Laurie Bird, with whom Garfunkel had a relationship from 1974 to 1979, when she committed suicide in their New York apartment by overdosing on Valium.

Breakaway produced three Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.  "My Little Town" -- a duet with Simon -- went to #9, his cover of The Flamingos' 1959 hit "I Only Have Eyes For You" went to #18, and "Break Away" went to #39.  All three hit #1 on the Billboard Easy Listening (now Adult Contemporary) chart, and "I Only Have Eyes For You" went to #1 on the UK pop chart.

Favorite song on Side 1:  "I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)"
First Peter Frampton got me with this song back in December, and today, Garfunkel did it to me again.  It's the first song on the album, and as it started, I again thought to myself Oh, I recognize this one.  I didn't realize this was an Art Garfunkel song.  Oh shit, it happened again.  It's a Stevie Wonder cover.  I'm a sucker for this song, no matter who sings it.  Garfunkel's cover is pretty faithful.

Favorite song on Side 2:  "My Little Town"
There's something soothing about hearing Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel harmonize.  This one sounds like it could have been on one of their classic albums.