Favorite G.L. song

[Christian Kuschel]

My all-time favorite song is still "The Last Time I Saw Her Face", in my opinion the most touching piece of music ever written about love lost.
Gordon has always been a performer who delivered flawless albums with absolutely no sub-standard filler material - which is why this is a very hard choice.
Personal runners-up are "The Mountains & Maryann" and "Carefree Highway", but actually there is no G.L. song I don´t like (except for a few tracks off the last two regular 1993 and 1998 releases).

Hi Cristian, I agree, the lyrics are outstanding. I have not heard him perform that in concert since the mid eighties. I remember him stating on stage it was a tough one to do.

[Florian]

Hi Christian,

"The Last Time I Saw Her Face" is truly a beautiful song. I just wanted to add that it is one of the few songs Gordon Lightfoot did not compose himself. If I'm not mistaken it was written by Ewan McColl.

[Christian Kuschel]

Hi Florian -

you are mistaken, I´m afraid. Gord did a beautiful rendition of Ewan´s "The FIRST Time I Ever Saw Your Face", but Gord´s "LAST Time" is an original Lightfoot tune. Both are wonderful pieces of music, and God bless the time you experience between these two occasions...

Christian


quote:Originally posted by Florian:
Hi Christian,

"The Last Time I Saw Her Face" is truly a beautiful song. I just wanted to add that it is one of the few songs Gordon Lightfoot did not compose himself. If I'm not mistaken it was written by Ewan McColl.

[Florian]

Hi Christian,

You are correct, I mixed up the *First* and the *Last* time

The First Time ... Ewan McColl
The Last Time ... Gordon Lightfoot

Sorry.

[Florian]

P.S.:

Christian,

as you live in Germany, how did you become a Gordon Lightfoot fan? When did you first hear his music?

[Christian Kuschel]

Hi Florian -

back in late 1973 or early 1974 they showed a clip of Gordon performing "Sundown" on the national ZDF Channel. I went out and bought the vinyl album (and subsequenently everything else Gordon released before and after that - some on vinyl, some on CD).

I spent a lot of time in Canada over the last ten years (including Ontario, of course) and fell in love with country. I also came to an even better understanding of the inspiration of a lot of Gord´s songs.

His music has always been around me since 1973, so it feels a bit like listening to a good friend´s voice whenever his music plays in my car or at home.

With the general exception of 1993´s "Waiting For You" I still enjoy each and every Lightfoot album over and over again, and the "Songbook" collection was a gift from heaven. Both the booklet and the so far unreleased tracks are brilliant, and I´m grateful I did not think twice about spending a lot of money even though I had most of the original tracks already.

Christian

[Christian Kuschel]

... and I added a word that didn´t belong there. Actually the song´s called "THE FIRST TIME I SAW HER" - i.e. all of her, not just the face. Must´ve been thinking of THAT face again.. sorry. It starts with the words "The last time I saw fer face", though.

Anyway, a beautiful song (and a beautiful woman it reminds me of...sigh)...

Cheers,
Christian

[A Painter]

Christian & Florian,
You are both very lucky to have spent some time in Canada. I'm sure it makes you appreciate the meaning behind many of GL's songs. To me, they remain images in my mind. I just wish I could spend some time there myself. In fact, my ideal holiday would be to tour ALL of Canada, and finish with seeing Him live in concert.
Oh, dream on Alan.


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"some people join the party, and others say goodnight"

[char]

The time and place dictate what song I love! When we are driving north of Toronto and heading towards Orillia or Georgian Bay to the beach that is closest to Christian Island I think of Gord on his boat, sailing and writing about love and sorrow and it's like I am 16 again. The first snowfall at night readily brings Song for a Winter's Night to my mind. Thinking of a lost love at 17 of course brings up the haunting IYCRMM. Gord's songs are the background music for so much of my life! Geez, I feel all weepy!
Char