Simon & Garfunkel for Prog Folk?

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   As many of you may have noticed, I've been on quite a "Classic Era" Prog Folk kick lately. (it's been WONDERFUL!)
As I've been listening to many albums that are totally new to me, I find myself marveling at how often Simon & Garfunkel come to mind. Now I can't help but feel/wonder that S & G might have had some profound effect on the Folk and Prog Folk musics appearing and developing across The Pond (in both the British Isles and Europa). 

So, has there ever been a discussion as to whether Simon and Garfunkel deserve a place in the PA database--in proto-prog (follk) if not in the mainframe of the sub-genre?

I grew up with S & G playing almost daily around me as my mother and her brother were huge fans.

Now as I listen to their five albums I do hear many elements that would qualify them as proggy: organs, drums, fuzzy electric guitars ("A Simple Desultory Philippic," "Somewhere They Can't Find Me"), Psychedelic Folk Rock arrangements ("A Simple Desultory Philippic," "Blessed," "Somewhere They Can't Find Me," "Richard Cory," "A Most Peculiar Man," "A Hazy Shade of Winter," "The Boxer") incorporation of strings and orchestral instruments and arrangements ("Dangling Conversation"--before The Beatles) (and Mellotron in "The Boxer") as well as harpsichord, celestina, and other anachronistic instruments, aggressive vocals ("I Am a Rock," "Mrs. Robinson," "A Hazy Shade of Winter"), bombastic drums ("Homeward Bound," "The Boxer"), effects, multiple motifs in songs, great electric bass lines, incorporation of theatric and television voice samples ("7 O'clock News/Silent Night"), very poetic and often politically-motivated lyrics (some quite acerbic like "A Simple Desultory Philippic," "7 O'clock News/Silent Night"), coverage of old/ancient/anarchronistic songs ("de Lessus' "Benedictus"), aggressive vocal and instrumental performances reminiscent of Comus and Martin Cockerham, as well as incredible guitar and vocal musicianship (including groundbreaking vocal and instrumental arrangements of "Scarborough Fair/Canticle")--often of the most angelic kind. Plus, the fact that the band definitely "progressed" over the course of their seven years on the map: from covers of traditional American folk songs (a trend that was soon paralleled in Britain, Ireland, France, and Germany) .

The existence of many songs that have been covered by progressive pop and rock bands is another reason to consider them for inclusion. "America," "Sound of Silence," "A Hazy Shade of Winter," "The Boxer," et al.

Anyway, just opening a discussion. I imagine that this will resonate more with American readers, but when I look at the dates of S & G's output (1964-1970) and compare the sounds and patterns of sourcing/inspiration, I find them ahead of, if not comparable to, British bands of the same era. What think you, People of the ProgArchives?

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