A little less folksy. A little less tempered. A little more gutsy. A little more attitude. When I first heard Bookends, “A Hazy Shade of Winter” was the song that reinvigorated my mood and warmed me up faster to the broader Simon & Garfunkel catalog. There’s a reason why The Bangles chose to cover it, as opposed to “Punky’s Dilemma” or “Old Friends”. “A Hazy Shade of Winter” showed a rock & roll side to the duo as they rode on a wave of popularity with The Graduate soundtrack.

“Hang on to your hopes, my friend. That's an easy thing to say. But if your hopes should pass away, simply pretend that you can build them again.”