All full of thoughts, all full of rhymes
The Times gave Gordon Lightfoot his due the other day: a full page for his obituary. The news of his passing led me to revisit his album Gord's Gold from the mid-'70s. This is a greatest hits collection from when he was with Reprise Records – the sweet spot of his storied career. It was a two-record set in the days of vinyl. A few of the tracks were actually re-recordings of his earliest stuff, but those remakes are the only versions I know.
Maybe it was the years that have passed since I last listened to that album, but the songs really hit home this time around. One minute I was singing along at the top of my lungs, and the next minute I was close to crying. For all his hard living, Lightfoot was a master songwriter if ever there was one. I hope the kids are smart enough to break out old Gord's records once in a while. There aren't many better things to listen to.
Tough call for "have a great weekend" song this week, between Edmund Fitzgerald and If You Could Read my Mind. Here's one vote for Mind.
ReplyDeleteI locked onto Lightfoot when I was a teenager and never let go. His early albums and songs, like Early Morning Rain and Canadian Railroad Trilogy caught me with his meaningful lyrics and ear catching guitar, many times a twelve string. He made his way through a rocky personal life and commercial success with Sundown and Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,
ReplyDeleteAnd I tracked him to the end, seeing many shows along the way. For my money, his best albums came midway through his career arc. The best of the best , for me, were Don Quixote and Summer Side of Life. RIP Gordon.
DeleteOne more thing. I read that the Mariner’s Church in Detroit(the “musty old hall”) rang it’s bell 30 times on Lightfoot’s passing. Twenty nine times for the crew of the EF and once for Gordon.
DeleteThe legend lives on...
ReplyDeleteWhen Walt Disney pasted
ReplyDeleteWalter Cronkite said he hoped another genius came along to take the reins. Exactly my thoughts about a genius who could put unforgettable words together in a song.
If you went to summer camp between 1962 and 1965, Gordon Lightfoot songs were a staple around the campfire. I first heard "Early Mornin' Rain" in 1964 (by Peter, Paul & Mary) in 1964...
ReplyDeleteI probably heard the Kingston Trio's version of "For Lovin' Me" even earlier than that...
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