195. JF Robitaille and Lail Arad Discuss Simon & Garfunkel, Bridge Over Troubled Water

Singer-songwriters JF Robitaille and Lail Arad pay YMAAA a visit to discuss Simon & Garfunkel’s 1970 album Bridge Over Troubled Water. They talk about how they came to love the album and which tracks are the most meaningful to them, as well as sharing some stories they have learned about how certain tracks were made. JF and Lail also talk about working as a duo and making their first album together—the just-released Wild Moves.

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Follow Lail at the following places online!

@lail.arad on Instagram

@lailaradmusic on Facebook

@lailarad on YouTube

I highly recommend Lail’s Substack, Lail Arad’s Foggy Notions. You can subscribe at https://lailarad.substack.com/.

To keep up with The Songs of Joni Mitchell...

Website: https://songsof.co.uk/

Instagram: @thesongsofjonimitchell

Following JF couldn’t be easier! He’s at @jfrobitaille on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior. This show has an account on Instagram at @youmealbum.

2:57 JF and Lail join the show

3:13 Lail remembers “claiming” Bridge Over Troubled Water as a favorite album at age 10

6:05 It took JF a while to come around to Bridge Over Troubled Water

8:33 Is there too much production on the title track?

14:17 Bridge Over Troubled Water was a different kind of album for Simon & Garfunkel

17:17 “El Condor Pasa” is just one example of Simon using other artists’ music, sometimes without attribution

22:07 Lail, JF and Al discuss the message behind “So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright”

25:44 Lail, JF and Al talk about the “happy accident” that shaped the sound of “Cecilia” 

31:15 Al learned why the chorus of “The Boxer” is “lie la lie”

32:17 JF, Lail and Al talk about the other songwriting and production choices made for “The Boxer”

40:27 Al was puzzled by the cover of “Bye Bye Love”

44:13 JF likes “Song for the Asking” as an album closer

45:06 “The Only Living Boy in New York” is a standout track for JF

48:08 JF and Lail think of “Keep the Customer Satisfied” and “Baby Driver” as being paired together

50:04 JF and Lail explain why they chose this album for this episode

51:53 JF and Lail talk about their origins as a duo

55:04 Lail and JF discuss the differences between working solo and working together

1:03:00 Lail talks about the fun atmosphere of the Wild Moves recording sessions

1:04:42 JF cites the influences behind “The Waterfront”

1:06:50 Lail discusses the Songs of Joni Mitchell project

1:10:42 JF and Lail talk about their upcoming recording and tour plans

Outro music is from “Swim Towards Your Troubles” by JF Robitaille and Lail Arad.