zombywoof Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 For me Lightfoot is one of those guys who I would listen to on the radio (unless it was Edmund Fitzgerald which would get my hand reaching for the dial pretty quickly) but did not care for enough to buy one of his LPs. But I could see where a Hummingbird 12 string would work as the square shoulder B45-12 was essentially an HB albeit from late 1964 on with heavier bracing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cabarone Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 Wow, I guess I am really in the minority here...I (almost) never tire of hearing Wreck...I love those "saga" songs he wrote...maybe it's because I first really paid attention to him by transcribing the lyrics of "Ballad of the Yarmouth Castle" for a teacher in high school...he gave me a pass to the library and his copy of Sunday Concert to get it done...pretty sure he just wanted me to give GL a close listen (it worked)...and...gulp...I just can't listen to anything Joplin did...she just sounded like a slurring, sloppy drunk to me...grossly overrated, imho...however, the Full Tilt Boogie Band was Killer! BTW, 'woof, I'll be hitting the local GC (probably Monday) to see if they still have this 'bird that've got listed (giving them time to remove the temptation)...they also have a 12 string and I want to play to for just the reason you theorize... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mking Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 I saw Gordon Lightfoot at the Portsmouth Amphitheater in Portsmouth Virginia on June 26, 2010 and there was NOTHING wrong with his voice, his stamina, or his performance! In all my 63 years this is without a doubt one of the most magical concerts I've ever attended, and I've attended a lot! So, to hear that he is still going strong is so good to know. Those of you out there that have not seem him in concert, try and do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 Always loved Lightfoot. He had a way with a song. Now, for some Lightfoot humor, care of another Canadian, Burton Cummings: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_rh5slFWPlY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hall Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 Great dehanners! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly campbell Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 Happy 80th Gordon Lightfoot. One the greats of our generation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 Great dehanners! The clip does underscore the vocal mannerisms that make Lightfoot instantly recognizable. It's funny, but you know if Lightfoot sang "Maggie Mae," that's exactly what he'd sound like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted November 21, 2018 Author Share Posted November 21, 2018 Also the pride of Canada, Burton Cummings not only does Lightfoot singing Rod Steward, but also the Guess Who and Roy Orbison! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jlmcx06aiAI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 That was absolutely awesome! Burton Cummings doesn’t get enough recognition! QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 I get-it regarding Wreck of The Edmunds Fitzgerald." It can be very monotonous----UNLESS----lol----you're really into folk music and storytelling. Historically, it's one-heck-of-a-true story and pretty accurate. Still, it can be awfully meandering if you're not into the storytelling stuff. Basically three chords and a cloud of dust, aside from some versions substitute an Em for a G at times. Takes a Gordon Lightfoot kind of talent to pull that off in such a big way. Almost a seven minute song and it got eons of air time on Top Forty radio. Master songwriter.........I used to hate his Canadian Railway Trilogy. Really did. Thought it was way-too-long and meandering, and as a song for mainstream radio it probably is, but, the lyrics tell a great story. Only seen Lightfoot "live" one time. Back in the early-mid 90's in Kansas City. He did the Canadian Railway Trilogy with just one guy on guitar backing him. It was far more intimate hearing it that way than with a full-blown orchestra as on the recording. Anyway, everyone likes what they like. No real right or wrong to it. You either dig it or you don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 I get-it regarding Wreck of The Edmunds Fitzgerald." It can be very monotonous----UNLESS----lol----you're really into folk music and storytelling. Historically, it's one-heck-of-a-true story and pretty accurate. Still, it can be awfully meandering if you're not into the storytelling stuff. Basically three chords and a cloud of dust, aside from some versions substitute an Em for a G at times. Takes a Gordon Lightfoot kind of talent to pull that off in such a big way. Almost a seven minute song and it got eons of air time on Top Forty radio. Master songwriter.........I used to hate his Canadian Railway Trilogy. Really did. Thought it was way-too-long and meandering, and as a song for mainstream radio it probably is, but, the lyrics tell a great story. Only seen Lightfoot "live" one time. Back in the early-mid 90's in Kansas City. He did the Canadian Railway Trilogy with just one guy on guitar backing him. It was far more intimate hearing it that way than with a full-blown orchestra as on the recording. Anyway, everyone likes what they like. No real right or wrong to it. You either dig it or you don't. MP - Just a few thoughts about your thoughts. Gordon's United Artist albums from the late '60s are the real deal. Forget the Gord's Gold remakes with strings, etc. Listen to the original recording of Canadian Railroad Trilogy, The Circle is Small, Early Mornin' Rain, I'm Not Sayin' and so many others. And thank god, you get none of that nasel-droning crap which started in earnest with The Edmund Fitzgerald. When he got into doing that, he would pucker his lips on purpose to get the effect, and it drove me crazy! It was clearly an effect he wanted to get, at the expense of the beauty inherent in his voice. But of course Gordon went through all kinds of highs & lows. When I saw him twice in the early '70s, the first time he was absolutely on fire, and the ultimate performer with incredibly tight performances that left you rather spellbound. The second time, I'd say at the peak of his popularity, he unfortunately was under the influence of something (probably alcohol), and his overall performance was a pathetically disjointed mess in all aspects. So it goes - we can't all be firing on all cylinders all of the time. His early Warner Bros records indeed had some wonderful stuff, but it clearly was aimed at a broader pop market. Nothing wrong with that (I do consider the original version of If You Could Read My Mind one of his finest pieces). But the most beautiful essence of Lightfoot's work lies in those '60s UA recordings - some of the most genuine material to come out of the folk era, imho. Maybe you've already listened to it, but if not, get a copy of Gordon Lightfoot - The United Artists Collection, which is a quite comprehensive compilation. What a wonderful voice, writer, and player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 Good info, Bobouz, on the different sound of Gordon Lightfoot before & after the United Artists years. . . however, probably not as dramatic as the sound of Elvis before & after the Big Belt Buckle era. OP Doug- your post #1 is such a fine tribute to GL. . . threads such as these, and those that post a well known standard, could only possibly be better if there was an invite extended to other forumites who might have an interesting version that those here might cherry pick some ideas to add to their own covers. A favorite EMR cover of mine is from Eva Cassidy, a person whose voice was silenced way too soon. Love her little vocal additions (guitar = classical?)to the melody: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 MP - Just a few thoughts about your thoughts. Gordon's United Artist albums from the late '60s are the real deal. Forget the Gord's Gold remakes with strings, etc. Listen to the original recording of Canadian Railroad Trilogy, The Circle is Small, Early Mornin' Rain, I'm Not Sayin' and so many others. And thank god, you get none of that nasel-droning crap which started in earnest with The Edmund Fitzgerald. When he got into doing that, he would pucker his lips on purpose to get the effect, and it drove me crazy! It was clearly an effect he wanted to get, at the expense of the beauty inherent in his voice. But of course Gordon went through all kinds of highs & lows. When I saw him twice in the early '70s, the first time he was absolutely on fire, and the ultimate performer with incredibly tight performances that left you rather spellbound. The second time, I'd say at the peak of his popularity, he unfortunately was under the influence of something (probably alcohol), and his overall performance was a pathetically disjointed mess in all aspects. So it goes - we can't all be firing on all cylinders all of the time. His early Warner Bros records indeed had some wonderful stuff, but it clearly was aimed at a broader pop market. Nothing wrong with that (I do consider the original version of If You Could Read My Mind one of his finest pieces). But the most beautiful essence of Lightfoot's work lies in those '60s UA recordings - some of the most genuine material to come out of the folk era, imho. Maybe you've already listened to it, but if not, get a copy of Gordon Lightfoot - The United Artists Collection, which is a quite comprehensive compilation. What a wonderful voice, writer, and player. Good info there. GL probably got sucked into the "star-maker machinery behind the popular song", like a lot of other people in the 1970's. Artists grow and change, and it isn't always for the better. It took me some time to adjust to the electric Dylan, and by the time Elvis went Vegas, I had lost all interest in his music. Sometimes, the thing that originally draws us to an artist is the image we get stuck with. But think if the Beatles had stopped with "I wanna hold your hand", and "She Love you (yeah, yeah, yeah)." I saw Lightfoot live for the first and only time right around 1970, and he was brilliant at that point. I agree that the original "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" is a spectacular song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted November 22, 2018 Author Share Posted November 22, 2018 I am pleased to see the tremendous response to one of my favourite artists. A true artist endures. Fads come and go but the mark of true art is in its longevity. Thanks for all of your thoughtful views on Lightfoot and his music. This is one of the reasons I keep coming back to this forum. Yes, there are heated discussions now and then and our fair share of internet trolls but mostly it is a place of thoughtful conversations without the distractions of those things that divide us. Music, and a love of fine instruments unites more than it divides. So thank you again. In response to bobouz (thanks for that excellent post), you are correct that GL went through a number of changes throughout his musical career and not all of them were healthy or good. Fame carries a price that many artists pay for, some with their lives. This is why I appreciate GL even more because not only did he live through these challenging moments in his life, but he is able to look at himself honestly and reflect on his life through his music. One of his lesser-known songs from his more mature period is the 1998 "A Painter Passing Through". It is a beautiful song in which Gord reflects on his fame and fortune and his mature life. Give a listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0f0XmgCZ9E Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cabarone Posted November 23, 2018 Share Posted November 23, 2018 Good info there. GL probably got sucked into the "star-maker machinery behind the popular song", like a lot of other people in the 1970's. Artists grow and change, and it isn't always for the better. It took me some time to adjust to the electric Dylan, and by the time Elvis went Vegas, I had lost all interest in his music. Sometimes, the thing that originally draws us to an artist is the image we get stuck with. But think if the Beatles had stopped with "I wanna hold your hand", and "She Love you (yeah, yeah, yeah)." I saw Lightfoot live for the first and only time right around 1970, and he was brilliant at that point. I agree that the original "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" is a spectacular song. Maybe it's because it's the first version I heard, but the version on "Sunday Concert" has always been my favorite...found out recently it's his, too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted November 23, 2018 Share Posted November 23, 2018 Thanks for the tip bobouz... I really only have been exposed to the “Gords Gold” remakes. You have me curious. Beautiful and Song For A Winters Night are truly gorgeous songs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The G Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 Enjoyed going through these posts . And yes I too can credit Gordon Lightfoot for lighting the initial fire to start my guitar playing motivation and obsession. A beautiful Black Day in July if I recall...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted February 2, 2019 Author Share Posted February 2, 2019 Enjoyed going through these posts . And yes I too can credit Gordon Lightfoot for lighting the initial fire to start my guitar playing motivation and obsession. A beautiful Black Day in July if I recall...... Gordie is a great one to have as an inspiration! Thank, Ken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly campbell Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 Happy Birthday Gordon. Thanks for all the great music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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