http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/...NE04/709150355
Gordon Lightfoot's comeback from an abdominal hemorrhage in 2002 that left him in a coma for nearly two months is a remarkable story. Not many coma victims wake up and go on tour, especially years after they stopped making hits.
Many of Lightfoot's songs, however, never went away. The best of his considerable catalog live on through oldies and classic rock radio, and classic songs such as "Sundown," "If You Could Read My Mind" and "Carefree Highway" have certainly earned their stay.
Given all that he's been through Lightfoot sounded good Thursday night at the Louisville Palace, but there's no denying that time and illness have brought significant changes to his voice.
His fans didn't seem to mind but Lightfoot's warm, resonant baritone -- once simultaneously authoritative, melancholy and a bit sly -- has lost much of its lower register. It's surprising how much that changes the impact of some songs.
"Sundown," for example, will always be a good song, but Thursday night's version lacked the subtle menace that made it stand out on Top 40 radio. As sung by the young Lightfoot it carried a threat. Now it just brings back memories.
"If You Could Read My Mind" fared better because the fragility of Lightfoot's voice played into the song's storyline. In his introduction, Lightfoot called the song "sappy," but for a gentle song about broken hearts it's surprisingly unsentimental. "Restless" was also strong, and there's no stopping the epic "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," always on the short list of history's most unlikely Top 5 hits.
Lightfoot's band was a study in tastefulness and nuance, accompanying him and his acoustic guitar with a spare, intimate sound that fit the songs perfectly.
Rick Haynes (bass), Terry Clements (guitar), Barry Keane (drums) and Mike Heffernan (keyboards) -- all longtime colleagues of Lightfoot's -- were remarkably patient, sprinkling a handful of notes just where they were needed.
Reporter Jeffrey Lee Puckett can be reached at (502) 582-4160.
Louisville Courier: Lightfoot's Songs Overshadow Voice
