bilbopooh's Full Review: Songs From a Parent to a Child by Art Garfunkel
On July 7th, I had the distinct pleasure of being able to see Art Garfunkel perform with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. When the time came for him to make his entrance, stepping from the pitch blackness covering the stage into the spotlight, he sang a beautiful song called The Things We've Handed Down. The longest song on this album, it echoes the wonder of all parents upon witnessing the births of their children. This one backtracks a little, since James Garfunkel was about six when the album came out. But it must have been beautiful for him to hear the love his parents had for him even before they knew who he was. "Don't know why you chose us. Were you watching from above? Is there someone there that knows us, said we'd give you all our love?...Are you a poet or a dancer, a devil or a clown, or some strange new combination of the things we've handed down?"
It's clear from just the few pictures of Father and Son included in the lyric book for this CD that Art Garfunkel has handed down his looks to his son. To see the two together, you would almost think that James was a clone. Judging by Good Luck Charm, the eighth track, James may also have inherited his father's singing talent. And though Mr. Garfunkel has made it clear that he only wants his son to do what makes him happy, he does want to share with James the incredible gift which has brought such joy to his life.
He writes, on the back of the lyric book next to a family photo of him, Kim, and Jim, "My darling son, I want you to know Music, Melody, a thing called a Song, and this thrill that I get in my throat -- Singing. Your Daddy's work is making things -- with all the beauty and care I have. I surprise myself when I make these things. I see who I am in the shape I make. It's a silver Disc and I made it for you. Know me, my son. Love life through its gifts. Daddy"
Any of you dads out there ought to be bawling by now. What father hasn't felt the same way, wanting to share that which is most precious to him with the person or people most precious to him? It is our rare privilege to be able to share this tender moment with Art and his son, and to be inspired ourselves.
Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet? is a traditional lullabye performed as a duet with wife Kim Cermak Garfunkel. It starts off the album and makes another appearance just before the end.
Morning has Broken has always been one of my favorite hymns. Its sheer beauty is perfectly suited to Art's lilting voice as he sings of greeting the new day, robed in all of God's majesty, with humble gratitude towards the Creator.
Daydream is a bouncy little tune with all the drowsy exuberance of Feelin' Groovy. Once in a while, you have to escape from the world and bask in the warm glow of your own little daydream.
Baby Mine was featured in Disney's Dumbo and is a gentle testament to the love between parent and child similar to the more recent Tarzan lullabye, You'll Be in My Heart.
Secret O' Life is a quiet song all about appreciating life and not letting it pass you by. "The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time...Isn't it a lovely ride?"
You're a Wonderful One is a simple affirmation of love and affection, and the title says it all. Very energetic, it will get you toes tapping. I Will, a Lennon and McCartney tune, runs along a similar premise, but the softly echoing tune is much more lullabye-like.
Good Luck Charm, with James Garfunkel's lead vocals, has a very Elvis-y feel to it. While James's voice may not quite resonate like his Daddy's, and his enunciation is rather lacking at times, he sings DARN good for a six-year-old. I think his voice sounds a little muffled at times here because of the Elvis impersonation.
I know he often sings at his dad's concerts, and I'd be surprised if this was the last we heard from him on an album. He's nine now, and it will be interesting to see if he continues to follow in his father's footsteps as he gets older. At any rate, we can tell that he's having a good time, and that's what counts. It's especially entertaining to hear his high voice collapse into several seconds of delighted giggles before the track ends.
Lasso the Moon is a beautiful little song about all the things he would do for his son if he had the means. "If I were an angel in Heaven's Holy Host, I'd sing to you a verse of glory...If I had a lariat made of dreams come true, I would lasso the moon for you."
Dreamland, a Mary Chapin Carpenter song which was also performed at that concert, is a whimsical little song about the pleasures which await in Dreamland.
Finally, the album ends with The Lord's Prayer and the traditional bedtime prayer, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, leaving the peaceful feeling that an earthly father and a Heavenly Father are both nearby for protection.
While none of these songs were written by Mr. Garfunkel, when he sings them it seems as though they were created just for this purpose. This CD will send parent and child cozily off to dreamland together, guided by Art Garfunkel's gentle voice and the affectionate words upon which it glides.
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