http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1175407.html (comments at bottom of article)
Lightfoot still casting a magical spell at 71
By STEPHEN COOKE Entertainment Reporter
Sat. Apr 3 - 4:53 AM
Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot performs for a crowd at the Halifax Metro Centre on Friday. (INGRID BULMER / Staff)
If you had to pick one body of song, and one voice, to serve as the musical lifeblood of this country, you’d be hard-pressed to find an artist who encapsulates it better than Gordon Lightfoot.
Personally, I was hearing his music in the womb — my father’s sparse collection of LPs consisted largely of Lightfoot classics — and his music hasn’t lost its captivating power over the years.
Even at age 71, Lightfoot can still cast a spell over an audience, and with his faithful quartet, he did just that at the Halifax Metro Centre on Friday evening with tunes that are practically part of our genetic code as well as underappreciated gems that still bear the stamp of a master in their imagery and emotion.
At first, it was those lesser-known corners of his catalogue that dominated the set, as Lightfoot came out with his 12-string acoustic guitar to croon Triangle, a 3/4-time tale of hardy seafarers underlined by the sound of an accordion from Mike Heffernan’s keyboard.
The dark and mysterious tone of 14 Carat Gold was augmented by lighting that resembled autumn leaves, while Never Too Close floated by on Terry Clements’ pure and simple guitar. Lightfoot prefers simple arrangements, and throughout the night his band delivered with clarity and economy, and the Metro Centre’s concert bowl setup seemed a lot more intimate for it.
"Thanks for coming out on a Good Friday evening, it feels good to be starting our tour in Atlantic Canada," he greeted the audience.
"Of course, I always think of it as the Maritimes," he added with a grin. "And I’m reminded of the words of Mark Twain who said in 1897, ‘The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.’ "
Lightfoot has been getting a lot of mileage out of the Twain quote since he was mistakenly reported via Twitter last month to have passed on, but the audience responded with enthusiasm and cries of "We love you, Gord!"
There would be several more such outpourings of affection over the course of the night, often greeted by offhand comments like, "Well, we love the work."
These days, Lightfoot’s voice is softer and less sonorous than what most remember of his records of the ’60s and ’70s, but few of the songs suffered as a result. The nostalgic tone of Did She Mention My Name carried even more of a bitter ache in its inquiry about a love that had long ago moved on, while the deceptively titled Carefree Highway carries even more melancholy in its memorable line, "The morning-after blues, from my head down to my shoes," as he slips out the door after seeing an old flame. Time doesn’t dull the regret, or prevent those brief flickers of hope from rising anew.
If anything, Lightfoot’s singing grew stronger over the course of the evening. After ending the first half with a sprightly medley that included Ribbon of Darkness and Sundown, with Clements’ classic, almost leering, guitar hook, he returned to the stage with the powerful narrative The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
If a song can attain iconic status, this once certainly has, but Lightfoot doesn’t let that overshadow its tribute to the men who perished and the bravery of their final moments.
"You’ve probably heard about the kerfuffle over the lyrics," Lightfoot informed the crowd of his decision to rewrite part of the song based on new evidence about the Edmund Fitzgerald’s sinking. "The first reports I ever read in Newsweek said a hatch had failed to close.
"I hope you like the new lyrics I put in there, now that it’s been proved in a National Geographic documentary that the ship broke in half."
Lightfoot was in good spirits throughout the evening, occasionally sharing some hoary old jokes — "Why is the moon pale? Because it’s been up all night" — and at one point asking the audience to share its best loon calls.
"Wow!" he reacted to the chorus of ghostly cries. "Well, if you’re feeling particularly adventurous during this next number, you can let out a call. You can call back and forth."
I didn’t hear too many calls as Lightfoot sang Ring-Necked Loon, a beautiful portrait of nature with him eloquently capturing the majesty of one of his favourite sights and sounds. On songs like this and the epic Don Quixote, he is, as he describes himself in song, "a painter passing through," creating canvases in sound with his longtime cohorts, using the simplest of brush strokes (literally, in the case of drummer Barry Keane) to complete the picture.
After a trio of songs dedicated to his kids and his "ex-old ladies" — If Children Had Wings, Waiting for You and Fine as Fine Can Be — Lightfoot turned to the timeless If You Could Read My Mind, with its paperback novel and wishing-well ghost as fixed in the mind as any song’s imagery.
Finally came the panorama of the Canadian Railroad Trilogy, perhaps not as energetic as in its original recording 43 years ago — like the history it captures, it has faded somewhat over time — but Lightfoot’s investment in its legacy and the importance of its memory of "the dead men too silent to be real" has not diminished.
It was a fitting way to wrap up the warm glow of an evening spent in the company of a master craftsman.
(
scooke@herald.ca)
RECOMMEND THIS STORY?
77 votes
COMMENTS
(12)
POST YOUR COMMENT
glennmarg wrote:
This story is closed to comments.
A great show- it was an honour to be in the presence of this Canadian Legend.
oiseau wrote:
Wish I could have gone. We all should be proud of him.
eleleth wrote:
Yes, I am sorry I missed this concert too, it may have been my last chance to see him in concert live. What a great voice and put that to his engaging poetry and he is the real deal. I often walk around singing "bittergreen" to myself but my all time fave of his is not one of his hits (but should be) is "Pussywillows, Cattails" soft rain and roses. Ah yes, take me back Gordie and proud to have your music/discs in my collection for those reasons.
citygal wrote:
This was my ninth time seeing Gord and somehow it seemed to be the best. It is painfully obvious that his love of music is what gets him out of bed every morning. His voice may not be as strong as what it once was, but his passion is tenfold greater ... Couldn't have asked for a better night!
king solomon wrote:
It was a great concert. While the voice is fading, the legend is growing.
Gerald wrote:
I also have been a Lightfoot fan for many years.....the thing of it is..the minute I hear his voice in any one of his songs on the radio it seems to magically take me right back to a time and place and people that I hadn't thought of for a long time! That happens everytime I hear him singing, no matter where I am or what I'm doing! He's definitely a Canadian treasure!
mike444 wrote:
Thanks for the write-up. I've spent the morning listening to Lightfoot, coincidentally I woke up singing "If you could read my mind" without having any knowledge of the concert last night. Lightfoot is indelibly etched upon every Canadians psyche.
headlesshorseman wrote:
It was a magical evening as written; and it was so special just to be in this Canadian legends prescence. As noted the voice has weakened but his strength of character and poetic prose has endured and will stay with us forever...
Gearjammer wrote:
Tremendous Gordie, we luv you.
ElizabethG wrote:
Wonderful concert! He is a masterful storyteller. Listening to him brought back memories of my childhood-- singing his songs along with the radio. Now as an adult I can better appreciate the soulfulness of his lyrics, and what a truly gifted artist he is. Thank you to my friend Wendy for taking me along!
ILOVENS wrote:
My Hero. Still puts on a fantastic show!!!!!!
Kimber wrote:
An outstanding concert. Thank you, Gordon, for coming to Halifax and once again, delighting your fans in a manner that only you could. You are were, are, and always will be....a beautiful talent.
Halifax pics and paper review
