| # | Track Title | Artist | Composer | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patterns | Paul Simon | 2:47 | |
| 2 | Cloudy | Paul Simon, Bruce Woodley | 2:23 | |
| 3 | The Dangling Conversation | Paul Simon | 2:39 | |
| 4 | Scarborough Fair / Canticle | Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel | 3:12 | |
| 5 | The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) | Paul Simon | 1:56 | |
| 6 | For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her | Paul Simon | 2:07 | |
| 7 | 7 O'Clock News / Silent Night | Paul Simon | 2:05 | |
| 8 | A Hazy Shade Of Winter | Paul Simon | 2:18 | |
| 9 | At The Zoo | Paul Simon | 2:25 | |
| 10 | A Poem On The Underground Wall | Paul Simon | 4:30 | |
| 11 | Red Rubber Ball | Paul Simon, Bruce Woodley | 2:29 | |
| 12 | Blessed | Paul Simon | 3:40 | |
| 13 | Anji | Davey Graham | 2:29 | |
| 14 | A Church Is Burning | Paul Simon | 3:29 | |
| 15 | Fakin' It | Paul Simon | 3:19 | |
| 16 | Save The Life Of My Child | Paul Simon | 2:49 | |
| 17 | America | Paul Simon | 3:38 | |
| 18 | You Don't Know Where Your Interest Lies | Paul Simon | 2:21 | |
| 19 | Punky's Dilemma | Paul Simon | 2:15 | |
| 20 | Comfort And Joy | 1:51 | ||
| 21 | Star Carol | 1:46 | ||
| Total Time: | 56:28 | |||
Album Notes
All songs written by Paul Simon except track 3 by I. Campbell; tracks 7, 8 traditional; track 16 by Jackson C. Frank.
Date of US Release October 28, 1997
The Collected Works was a triple-disc box set that included all of the duo's albums, but no rarities. For the average fan - even the fairly dedicated fan - that set contained most everything they would need, even if the sound quality was a little below average. Old Friends is a three-disc box set that was designed to replace The Collected Works, but it fails to achieve its goals, despite its improved remastered sound. Part of the reason is the contents itself - all five albums plus the rarities on this set could have fit on three discs, offering a real complete recorded studio works, but the compilers decided to truncate the albums and toss on a handful of rarities. The result certainly isn't bad - after all, it features all of the hits, most of the major album tracks, the 1975 reunion ''My Little Town,'' and a couple of good rarities, like ''Blues Run the Game'' - but it isn't all it could have been. If you already own The Collected Works, Old Friends serves little purpose unless you're a collector or audiophile, and if you're a neophyte, you're better off obtaining the original albums, not this well-intentioned and enjoyable but ultimately unsuccessful compilation.
Date of US Release October 28, 1997
The Collected Works was a triple-disc box set that included all of the duo's albums, but no rarities. For the average fan - even the fairly dedicated fan - that set contained most everything they would need, even if the sound quality was a little below average. Old Friends is a three-disc box set that was designed to replace The Collected Works, but it fails to achieve its goals, despite its improved remastered sound. Part of the reason is the contents itself - all five albums plus the rarities on this set could have fit on three discs, offering a real complete recorded studio works, but the compilers decided to truncate the albums and toss on a handful of rarities. The result certainly isn't bad - after all, it features all of the hits, most of the major album tracks, the 1975 reunion ''My Little Town,'' and a couple of good rarities, like ''Blues Run the Game'' - but it isn't all it could have been. If you already own The Collected Works, Old Friends serves little purpose unless you're a collector or audiophile, and if you're a neophyte, you're better off obtaining the original albums, not this well-intentioned and enjoyable but ultimately unsuccessful compilation.