Gordon Lightfoot Forums - What GL cover art is YOUR favorite ?

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- - What GL cover art is YOUR favorite ? (http://www.corfid.com/vbb//showthread.php?t=12303)

This idea has had some variations and much discussion under other threads with different premises. The difference here is to focus first on the covers, and then, if whomever replies wishes to, the comparisons to the music in the album versus the cover are sought as well.

In a nutshell - what do you think of what's ON the album, and if so, what is the connection to what's IN the album ?

Art for Music's sake. Connections ?

No "valid" justification is necessary in your reply! i.e. your idea need not have a rationalization, as the subject is intrinsically fuzzy stuff, anyway.

I am curious which old LP/old45/CD/DVD-CD cover art is your favourite ! Just cause... is good enough, but any insights to the music are welcome.

Also, if it comes to mind, how did it (cover art)affect your first purchase, or later, listening-while-reading impression of your first GL purchase, or subsequent ?

As suggested already, Cold On the Shoulder is my opener.

It seems noteworthy as it stands out to me as having the appearance of a canvasse oil-painting. Not being an artist myself, I don't know, but I can picture a photo being taken, and an artist re-touching (?) over it to make it a painting so to speak. OR, one he** of a good artist start to finish. If That's the case, WOW !

On the COTS album, Gordon looks classic 70's rough--and-ready (in his own words), the woman behind his right SHOULDER (this tie-in to the name possibility was raised in another thread as well), versus SHOULDER of the road.

While I do not wish to expand here on what is "Cold", and which "Shoulder" here as explained above, which would clearly be unfairly borrowing from another post on COTS and the "shoulder, what's cold," and other aspects that were well covered for that particular album cover, from essentially those two key words point of view in another thread.

Rather, with that thought starting with two words and ALL they could mean on just ONE album cover in a great thread, think of all the other aspects of the cover of that album ALONE. That is inspiring for me to consider cover art in general.

With the COTS cover, what of the candle burning low and long, the woman looking admiringly, the music in progress as evidenced by the scratch sheets on the table ?

And Gordon looks quintessentially mid 70's for him, as on Sundown and Gord's Gold, but is not engaged in being "photographed" or "drawn" by an artist; rather, we seem to be catching him in the middle of "the process" (of writing).

Does that mean we are in fact looking at the man at work for real ? Or are we seeing an artist's conception of the process.

It is so photo-realistic, plus (just guessing) re-touched art over the photo, maybe a combination of all the above, make for a real piece of art in my opinion.

And that's before we even BEGIN to approach his REAL artwork - his music !

The denim and lots of Native-American-Art- appearance silver-and-turqoise (medallions ?) on his shirt are characteristic for COTS,and the cover of Dream Street Rose the most IMHO, and to a lesser extent on Sundown, I think. (for mid 70's)

I bought the album on a lark as maybe my 4th choice I could afford in about '75. The wax candle melting in the Chianti-bottle suggests time spent writing the sheet music scratch notes on the table....

Gordon looks very serious, almost dark and depressed... and yet there are so many bright and cheery songs on the album. And, conversely, so many introspective poetry songs (The Soul Is The Rock), story songs (Cherokee Bend), and just plain FEEL-GOOD songs (Bend In The Water).

Enough of my starter. What of:

Don Quixote cover art ?

Does the photo correspond to the contents ? I'd like to see a Cervantes-based Man of La Mancha theme myself, or something Arthurian.

So what do you think of ANY of his albums' covers, and anything else that ties in to them ?

Your thoughts ? no wrong answer. no vast knowledge necessary. just "works for me, because..."... or "I don't like it because....its a photo taken from the floor, and there is gum on his boot soles..." LOL j/k

BTW - thanks to Florian and Charlene and our leaders who made so much work and change over the last...several hours/days/?.

What album cover and what thoughts I ask you...?

- geo Steve

[ June 30, 2006, 11:04: Message edited by: geodeticman ]

I deleted your partial post for you Steve....did you hit SEND too soon?
lol

I love the photo on Don Quixote....

Hi Char...thanks I hope we did not collide in Cyberspace ! see if exiting the thread, re-entering, and see what's changed? 'preciate it

I love the Quixotic photo as well, and have mused over the barrel, wooden pavillion or ...barn? on the DQ album cover. Wouldn't mind having the bread to own a leather shirt like THAT !
Thanks Char..on my oops... should now be good. - geo Steve

yup Char thats exactly what happened... fumble fingers strike again...actually one of the left pinky keys on my Windows XP office pro software-based Laptop keyboard assignments MUST have a send function... i KNOW i am not hitting "add reply" below...weird..... and doesn't it really ADD to my thread posting opener ! LOL
thanks again - Steve

I think my favorite would be the Sundown album cover. It is a nice rustic picture, went with the "hippie" era.

Now as far as connections, the songs on the albums are regarding wandering, lack of ties that bind, freedom that isn't necessarily desired. Which of course also goes with the "hippie" era

[ June 30, 2006, 11:38: Message edited by: brink- ]

Steve-daughter Lisa has a laptop with keys close together-lighttouch-little square area instead of mouse...good grief.....it will take me forever to get used to it...my nails are too long for those keys!

Sundown is lovely too-so many great ones....

Char & Brink:

major changes made to the opening post by me, finally re-edited (twice !) after my mis-sent first fumble-finger - final copy with new questions et al around 10am MST. Thanks for your sharp eyes Char and thanks to both of you for the posts ! Have a great day - Steve

Too many great ones to really say one. But if I have too it would be {Don Quixote,} followed closely by {Sundown,} {Gord Golds vol 1,} and {Endless Wire.}

http://cass187.ucsd.edu/~sunspot/don_quixote.jpg

http://www.oldies.com/images/boxart/...5992721127.jpg

http://cass187.ucsd.edu/~sunspot/gords_gold.jpg

http://cass187.ucsd.edu/~sunspot/endless.jpg

I have the Endless Wire one, in a picture frame,on my wall in my stereo TV room. Also a photo of Gord in concert in 1980 for Olympic Tribute, that was sent to me by Early Morning Productions Inc. {Also in my TV stereo room.}

And finally a drawing by Vicky Land, for the Front Page Challenge program. Really proud of that one as MR. Lightfoot autographed it. Him up front, with the Locomotive, and workers behind him.{The Last Spike.} The actual sketched they used for that show, which was taped in, 'Confederation Centre For The Arts,' in Charlottetown PEI. 1989. {also in my room.}

Colonial Advocate.(The Last Spike.)

[ June 30, 2006, 17:09: Message edited by: Jesse -Joe ]

DQ is my favorite cover.

The songs go perfectly with the picture and vice versa. Can't say enough about it. Love it !

Bill :)

I think that COTS is also my number one
http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/7...gaphoto3lh.jpg
closely folowed by TWIF
http://www.gordonlightfoot.com/TheWayIFeel-cover.gif
With Waiting For You probably at the bottom

http://cass187.ucsd.edu/~sunspot/gords_gold.jpg

This'll be my favorite. I also like APPT.

For albums, Gord's Gold. "Cover" art - as in magazines? - the Crawdaddy cover.

It's sometimes a tough call for the best but the least liked are alwasy a sinch.

Out of all regular studio LPs (1966 debut to Harmony),I definetly agree with the "Don Quixote" cover as the best one.
Although the picture has nothing to do with the song,it's a nice outdoor picture in the country. :) Could have even been used for Sundown,I think.

Secondary to that,I'd go with the cover to Gords Gold 2,even though it's not one of my real LP favorites. It's simply just a really nice picture. :)

3rd (and I'll just go this far) would be Sundown. Again,just a really simplistic and (as mentioned) rustic. I would have preferred a picture on the back as well though. :rolleyes:

Least: The cover of Dream Street Rose. It looks like their trying to disguise how "big" Gordon had gotten at the time by using an animated picture. He also looks like he's in pain or something. :confused:

Then there's "Salute" & "Back Here On Earth". I like flowers but Gord doing the hippie thing and holding one up to his nose? :rolleyes: :D

I didn't like the Salute cover either. He was frowning, and I think so it was because he had bell pausy (forgive the spelling, don't know anything about how it's spelled). The Harmony cover really didn't look so good, either.

John - you have your admiring woman in your picture - just like in COTS album you're holding.

I can't help but think of how you two got together and that miracle that saved your life with her help.

You two are fortunate indeed...
- Steve

Jessie - thanks for the interesting reply. What if I pick one of the covers you've shown, and see if you agree...

Endless Wire - as you mentioned... but... I think Gord looks somewhat angry on this cover. Remember - not a knowledge-based reply. Just my opinion. I wonder if he was angry ?

On EW, I seem to recall another few photos somewhere that show Gord and his motorcycle that day, I think he was riding out (?) of Vegas. That red leather jacket was somehow significant IMHO of the different tone of EQ compared to say , DQ.

DQ (I do like it, too) looked like a pastoral setting. The green ties into woodlands (and thru the valleys..) so I guess I am seeing more connection to the music than I thought at first.

But on EW - the tie seems to me possibly that the SONG EW seems a bit angry in the lyrics. Very different than say, Tatoo, my favourite song from EW. So different than the cover countenance would suggest. What do you think ?

No answers are wrong here.........at least the opinion parts ;)

Steve

Great post! I never gave much thought into theme based album cover art for Gords albums. I think I'm going to have to stand'em up against the wall and stare'em down and try to figure them out.

My favorite? Probably DQ or Sundown.