Bookends by Simon and Garfunkel, released in 1968 by CBS records, value £50

PAUL Simon and Art Garfunkel are both from Queens, New York. They first met at school in a production of Alice in Wonderland. Paul played the white rabbit, Art was the Cheshire cat. With the Everly Brothers as role models the two friends recorded a song Hey, Schoolgirl in 1957. The record was released under the names Tom (Graph) and Jerry (Landis). It reached the top 50 but it was their only hit until their collaboration as Simon and Garfunkel; ten years later they became international superstars. Recorded between 1966-68, Bookends is one of their most superbly crafted albums beginning with Save The Life of My Child to the vivid imagery of Old Friends. It is claimed that it includes a couple of songs left over from the film The Graduate that didn't make the final soundtrack, although the song Mrs Robinson from the film was the album's biggest hit.

Listed as a concept album concerning friendship and ageing, Paul was inspired by two old men sitting at opposite ends of a park bench looking like bookends on a shelf. He imagined them discussing the vagaries of life, youth, growing up, love, disillusionment, relationships and mortality. Most of the songs are indeed about growing up and eventually becoming old. The song America, a hauntingly, beautiful wistful song, follows two young lovers embarking on a life together, travelling the country hoping for a life of love and stability only to see their dreams fade away. Paul wrote this song after his girlfriend Kathy Chitty left him in New York to return home; she didn't like the fame that came with success in the music world, she was just a shy girl from England. Paul was heartbroken when she left, his verse Kathy I'm lost, says it all. Perhaps he should have gone after her, but he didn't, instead he poured his heart into his songs and gave them to the world.

Bookends is a hugely successful album that spent 66 weeks in the album charts, many at the top. Critically acclaimed as their best, the final piece of music is the Bookends Theme with the profound final words of advice: "Preserve your memories, they're all that's left you."

This album is still felt by many to be their finest work.