Hello, please help if you can

[mastenj]

Hey guys
My name is Gord (my dad was a huge fan), I'm 23 and am just starting to get into Lightfoot.
I was wondering which album / collection would be good for a newcomer to Lightfoot get?
Is there a good greatest hits?
I would like to go get a album tonight, but when getting into a artist with a collection such as the one Lightfoot has, it can be a bit overwhelming.
Any help would be great guys.
Ps
My family has a tradition going where the first born son gets a name related to great canadian song writers.
My dad is Neil, I'm Gord, who should my son be?

[killemwithkindness]

Hey guys
My name is Gord (my dad was a huge fan), I'm 23 and am just starting to get into Lightfoot.
I was wondering which album / collection would be good for a newcomer to Lightfoot get?
Is there a good greatest hits?
I would like to go get a album tonight, but when getting into a artist with a collection such as the one Lightfoot has, it can be a bit overwhelming.
Any help would be great guys.
Ps
My family has a tradition going where the first born son gets a name related to great canadian song writers.
My dad is Neil, I'm Gord, who should my son be?

[Auburn Annie]

Oh, boy - do we ever envy you, starting from scratch, as it were. Anyway, the short answer is -- it depends. If money is no object, there's SONGBOOK, a 4 CD box set which runs chronologically through Gord's career. It's $54.99 new but you can get gently used copies for about $10 less.

Alternately, there's a 2 CD set, the UNITED ARTISTS COLLECTION, 49 songs covering his first four albums with UA before he signed with Warners (the 5th album for UA is SUNDAY CONCERT, his only - to date - completely live album.) The UA Collection is $10.99 at Amazon.com.

Or there's GORDON LIGHTFOOT - COMPLETE GREATEST HITS, a 20 song compilation with some from UA and some from Warners. I'm sure others will have suggestions (GORD'S GOLD and GORD'S GOLD II.) Many of us have favorite single albums as well (mine's DON QUIXOTE.)

As for your son, maybe Leonard Cohen, Bruce Cockburn, Ian Tyson, Tom (as in Stompin') Conners, Bryan Adams, Randy Bachman, Stan Rogers, Oscar Peterson, Hank Snow or Guy Lombardo, to name a few.

And if you have a daughter, there's Joni Mitchell, Ginette Reno, k.d. lang, Diane Dufresne, Diana Krall, Loreena McKennitt, Renée Claude, Amanda Marshall, Linda Lemay, Anne Murray, Monique Leyrac, Holly Cole, Diane Tell, Jann Arden, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Terri Clarke and Chantal Kreviazuk to choose from, along with Alanis Morrisette, Shania Twain and, of course, Celine Dion.

Jesse (Winchester) works for both.

[Auburn Annie]

Oh, boy - do we ever envy you, starting from scratch, as it were. Anyway, the short answer is -- it depends. If money is no object, there's SONGBOOK, a 4 CD box set which runs chronologically through Gord's career. It's $54.99 new but you can get gently used copies for about $10 less.

Alternately, there's a 2 CD set, the UNITED ARTISTS COLLECTION, 49 songs covering his first four albums with UA before he signed with Warners (the 5th album for UA is SUNDAY CONCERT, his only - to date - completely live album.) The UA Collection is $10.99 at Amazon.com.

Or there's GORDON LIGHTFOOT - COMPLETE GREATEST HITS, a 20 song compilation with some from UA and some from Warners. I'm sure others will have suggestions (GORD'S GOLD and GORD'S GOLD II.) Many of us have favorite single albums as well (mine's DON QUIXOTE.)

As for your son, maybe Leonard Cohen, Bruce Cockburn, Ian Tyson, Tom (as in Stompin') Conners, Bryan Adams, Randy Bachman, Stan Rogers, Oscar Peterson, Hank Snow or Guy Lombardo, to name a few.

And if you have a daughter, there's Joni Mitchell, Ginette Reno, k.d. lang, Diane Dufresne, Diana Krall, Loreena McKennitt, Renée Claude, Amanda Marshall, Linda Lemay, Anne Murray, Monique Leyrac, Holly Cole, Diane Tell, Jann Arden, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Terri Clarke and Chantal Kreviazuk to choose from, along with Alanis Morrisette, Shania Twain and, of course, Celine Dion.

Jesse (Winchester) works for both.

[mastenj]

Wow, thank you soooo much.
Times are a little tough so I'll probably get the 'Gold I/ II' or 'Complete Greatest', now that I know it has been endorsed by his true fans.
Although I'm in Toronto with plenty of used c.d. stores around so I'll look for the SONGBOOK collection (assuming the bills get paid first).
Also thank you for the name suggestions, alot of beautiful names are in that list.
Anyways thanks for the help, I'll be back to let you know how it's going.
You can watch me discover with amazing artist.

[killemwithkindness]

Wow, thank you soooo much.
Times are a little tough so I'll probably get the 'Gold I/ II' or 'Complete Greatest', now that I know it has been endorsed by his true fans.
Although I'm in Toronto with plenty of used c.d. stores around so I'll look for the SONGBOOK collection (assuming the bills get paid first).
Also thank you for the name suggestions, alot of beautiful names are in that list.
Anyways thanks for the help, I'll be back to let you know how it's going.
You can watch me discover with amazing artist.

[Cathy]

quote:Originally posted by killemwithkindness:
Hey guys
My name is Gord (my dad was a huge fan), I'm 23 and am just starting to get into Lightfoot.
I was wondering which album / collection would be good for a newcomer to Lightfoot get?
Is there a good greatest hits?
I would like to go get a album tonight, but when getting into a artist with a collection such as the one Lightfoot has, it can be a bit overwhelming.
Any help would be great guys.
Ps
My family has a tradition going where the first born son gets a name related to great canadian song writers.
My dad is Neil, I'm Gord, who should my son be?

Stan Rogers (insert your last name here).

Cathy http://www.cathycowette.com

[Borderstone]

Hi KWIK! (Killemwithkindness) I'm Borderstone and... a welcome to you!

Easy question first. I think you should go more modern with your son's name. I say Bryan (as in Adams),if a daughter Jann(Arden). I'd say Celine but that sounds a bit over the top.

I feel also that "Complete Greatest Hits" is the best way to start. It has the best of the hits and a few great tracks. I started with "Gord's Gold" myself but I don't exactly reccomend going that route. It's a bit confusing to hear his songs one way and then find out you've been listening to mostly re-makes.

After "Hits" I'd say,go back to the beginning and get the United Artists (2) CD Collection. It contains his 4 studio albums for that label. Then get Sunday Concert and go in order of release through Warner Brothers. Hope I helped! Bye!

------------------
"A knight of the road,going back to a place where he might get warm." - Borderstone

Yes, start with Songbook and Complete Greatest Hits Collection. Then just find samples of different songs from different albums, and if you hear any you like, just get that one.

Yes, start with Songbook and Complete Greatest Hits Collection. Then just find samples of different songs from different albums, and if you hear any you like, just get that one.

[mastenj]

Thank you all so much for responding.
Last night I picked up 'Complete Greatest Hits'. Now please keep in mind that this is the first time I heard many of these songs. From the first bar of " Early Morning Rain" I was hooked. I spent the better part of last night just reader the descriptions of the songs and enjoying them.
Right off the bat my fav would be; "The wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald", " Cotton Jenny", " Carefree Highway", "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" and of course "Sundown" and "IYCRMM" ( I've done some home work and gone through the site so as not to be to "newbie-ish"). I'm sure there are many more pearls on the disc, these are just the ones that I woke up signing the next day.
Once more thanks you all.
Oh and by the way, what about Sam ( as in Roberts)for a name, it could go either way (boy or girl)?

[killemwithkindness]

Thank you all so much for responding.
Last night I picked up 'Complete Greatest Hits'. Now please keep in mind that this is the first time I heard many of these songs. From the first bar of " Early Morning Rain" I was hooked. I spent the better part of last night just reader the descriptions of the songs and enjoying them.
Right off the bat my fav would be; "The wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald", " Cotton Jenny", " Carefree Highway", "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" and of course "Sundown" and "IYCRMM" ( I've done some home work and gone through the site so as not to be to "newbie-ish"). I'm sure there are many more pearls on the disc, these are just the ones that I woke up signing the next day.
Once more thanks you all.
Oh and by the way, what about Sam ( as in Roberts)for a name, it could go either way (boy or girl)?

[Melissa Majors]

I f you're going to get INTO Gor, then GET INTO GORD and don't forget his older stuff!
For this, I definitely recommend Gordon Lightfoot, The United Artist Years.
It's a 3 cd set of his first 5 albums that were done on the United Artist label. It's just great to have because of the b.s. he had to put up with the buggers when he wanted to part ways with them.

Sogs like The Way I Feel, For Lovin' Me, Ribbon of Darkness, Early Mornin' Rain, and Rich Man's Spiritual, ALL ORIGINAL recordings are on it, THAT'S HOW YOU "GET INTO GORD"!!! LOL

ENJOY

MIKE

[krazykritik]

I f you're going to get INTO Gor, then GET INTO GORD and don't forget his older stuff!
For this, I definitely recommend Gordon Lightfoot, The United Artist Years.
It's a 3 cd set of his first 5 albums that were done on the United Artist label. It's just great to have because of the b.s. he had to put up with the buggers when he wanted to part ways with them.

Sogs like The Way I Feel, For Lovin' Me, Ribbon of Darkness, Early Mornin' Rain, and Rich Man's Spiritual, ALL ORIGINAL recordings are on it, THAT'S HOW YOU "GET INTO GORD"!!! LOL

ENJOY

MIKE