Survey: 15 Songs

Kim · 07-19-2000, 12:27 PM

...that someone should listen to to get a *feeling* about the music of Gordon Lightfoot.
So what songs (and possibly why) would you recommend me listening to (as a beginning

)?

Thanks for answers

------------------
Greetings
--
Faktor 1
www.dani.at
www.usscygnus.at

Faktor 1 · 07-19-2000, 12:27 PM

...that someone should listen to to get a *feeling* about the music of Gordon Lightfoot.
So what songs (and possibly why) would you recommend me listening to (as a beginning

)?

Thanks for answers

------------------
Greetings
--
Faktor 1
www.dani.at
www.usscygnus.at

Tom · 07-19-2000, 02:56 PM

Faktor, let me get this straight . . .
Are you asking what song do we think would be the perfect Gord song to listen to for a first time listener? Gee whiz, that's about as hard to answer as what is your favorite Gord song. And the reason I say that is because, we each in our own way, listen to Gord for different reasons. Whether it is for the sound of his one-of-a-kind voice, his unparalleled lyrical talent, his insightful and uncanny look into our emotions, the stories he tells via his songs, or because he looks so d--- good in a pair of jeans and t-shirt!
The best I can advise is to get the Sundown album and listen to it.
Get Gord's Gold and listen to it. Get Summertime Dream and listen to it. Before you know it, you'll be hooked like the rest of us. Wait and see.

Mary Ann · 07-19-2000, 02:56 PM

Faktor, let me get this straight . . .
Are you asking what song do we think would be the perfect Gord song to listen to for a first time listener? Gee whiz, that's about as hard to answer as what is your favorite Gord song. And the reason I say that is because, we each in our own way, listen to Gord for different reasons. Whether it is for the sound of his one-of-a-kind voice, his unparalleled lyrical talent, his insightful and uncanny look into our emotions, the stories he tells via his songs, or because he looks so d--- good in a pair of jeans and t-shirt!
The best I can advise is to get the Sundown album and listen to it.
Get Gord's Gold and listen to it. Get Summertime Dream and listen to it. Before you know it, you'll be hooked like the rest of us. Wait and see.

Dorothea · 07-20-2000, 03:09 PM

Faktor
Only 15...
There are over 200 greats!

Start off with the original Gords Gord.

Frank.

Frank v · 07-20-2000, 03:09 PM

Faktor
Only 15...
There are over 200 greats!

Start off with the original Gords Gord.

Frank.

gathrb · 07-20-2000, 09:19 PM

I agree with Mary Ann, I'd start off with the SUNDOWN album. If they don't like that, then they won't like Gordon Lightfoot.

------------------
"...If YoU fEeL iT yOu BeTtEr BeLiEvE iT, yOu'Re GoNnA sEe It, YoU nEeD tO kNoW/iT iS rIsInG lIkE a FeAtHeR, dIpPiNg & DaNcInG fRoM bElOw/ThErE's A nEw WaVe ThAt Is BrEaKiNg In ThE wAkE oF a PaSsInG sHiP/eVeRy NaTiOn'S gOnNa Be ShAkEn, PuT iT tOgEtHeR, dOn'T lEt It SlIp..."

Tom · 07-20-2000, 09:19 PM

I agree with Mary Ann, I'd start off with the SUNDOWN album. If they don't like that, then they won't like Gordon Lightfoot.

------------------
"...If YoU fEeL iT yOu BeTtEr BeLiEvE iT, yOu'Re GoNnA sEe It, YoU nEeD tO kNoW/iT iS rIsInG lIkE a FeAtHeR, dIpPiNg & DaNcInG fRoM bElOw/ThErE's A nEw WaVe ThAt Is BrEaKiNg In ThE wAkE oF a PaSsInG sHiP/eVeRy NaTiOn'S gOnNa Be ShAkEn, PuT iT tOgEtHeR, dOn'T lEt It SlIp..."

Janice · 07-20-2000, 10:35 PM

Now, I would recommend starting off with the albums Summer Side Of Life and Don Quixote. Those were the two that hooked me. Then came Gords Gold.

Janice

LouiseAnne · 07-21-2000, 02:03 AM

Faktor:

DEFINITELY "Summertime Dream" which contains some great ones:

"Race Among the Ruins"
"Cherokee Bend"
"Protocol"
"Too Many Clues in This Room"
"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" (of COURSE)
"Never Too Close"
"I'm Not Supposed to Care"

Actually, if you can manage to find them (at E-Bay or Amazon), to me, the best albums to start with are "Shadows" and "Dream Street Rose". Some of my all-time favorite songs and some I personally feel are true masterpieces. Of course, many would disagree with me because, as Mary Ann said, we all look for different things in Gord's music. But tracking down these albums would be well worth the effort to you. They contain some very beautiful songs:

"Hey, You"
"If You Need Me"
"Mr. Rock of Ages"
"On the High Seas"
"Ghosts of Cape Horn"
"The Auctioneer" (He didn't write it, but does a marvelous rendition)
"Triangle" (Like a chocolate chip cookie -- can't just listen once. Gotta hit the rewind button or lift up the needle and put it down at the beginning again)
"She's Not the Same"

Anyway, I don't mean to go on. You might even start with "Gord's Gold Volume II which has a many of the songs off the three albums above and some choice cuts from several others. It might be a good place to start because it has a pretty good cross-section of his work.

And, believe me, once you start listening to Gord, you won't be able to get enough. The addiction will take control and you will soon end up with every album you can get your hands on.

Stay loose, eh?

LAMS

------------------
"Love and maple syrup
go together like the
sticky winds of winter
when they meet....
If you go into the forest
Gaze up through the trees
The sky is white.
You can understand
What makes the forest
Greet the man
Like a mother's only
child ..."

[This message has been edited by loveandmaplesyrup (edited July 21, 2000).]

loveandmaplesyrup · 07-21-2000, 02:03 AM

Faktor:

DEFINITELY "Summertime Dream" which contains some great ones:

"Race Among the Ruins"
"Cherokee Bend"
"Protocol"
"Too Many Clues in This Room"
"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" (of COURSE)
"Never Too Close"
"I'm Not Supposed to Care"

Actually, if you can manage to find them (at E-Bay or Amazon), to me, the best albums to start with are "Shadows" and "Dream Street Rose". Some of my all-time favorite songs and some I personally feel are true masterpieces. Of course, many would disagree with me because, as Mary Ann said, we all look for different things in Gord's music. But tracking down these albums would be well worth the effort to you. They contain some very beautiful songs:

"Hey, You"
"If You Need Me"
"Mr. Rock of Ages"
"On the High Seas"
"Ghosts of Cape Horn"
"The Auctioneer" (He didn't write it, but does a marvelous rendition)
"Triangle" (Like a chocolate chip cookie -- can't just listen once. Gotta hit the rewind button or lift up the needle and put it down at the beginning again)
"She's Not the Same"

Anyway, I don't mean to go on. You might even start with "Gord's Gold Volume II which has a many of the songs off the three albums above and some choice cuts from several others. It might be a good place to start because it has a pretty good cross-section of his work.

And, believe me, once you start listening to Gord, you won't be able to get enough. The addiction will take control and you will soon end up with every album you can get your hands on.

Stay loose, eh?

LAMS

------------------
"Love and maple syrup
go together like the
sticky winds of winter
when they meet....
If you go into the forest
Gaze up through the trees
The sky is white.
You can understand
What makes the forest
Greet the man
Like a mother's only
child ..."

[This message has been edited by loveandmaplesyrup (edited July 21, 2000).]

LouiseAnne · 07-21-2000, 02:10 AM

Faktor:

Florian has many many midis on this website of Gord's music and he also has a section which contains the words to all of Gord's songs. You might try listening to these midis and reading the lyrics. It will lack one essential element -- Gord's beautiful voice, but it WILL give you an idea of what his music is about. You might find you're partial to the ballads or the love songs or the "highway songs" or one of the many other categories Gord's work falls into. Get a few that interest you and then look for them on albums to hear the entire "package". Just a suggestion.

If you want something more specific (please forgive the length of this post. It's not ALL words. Mainly LISTS -- lol) :

DEFINITELY "Summertime Dream" which contains some great ones:

"Race Among the Ruins"
"Cherokee Bend"
"Protocol"
"Too Many Clues in This Room"
"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" (of COURSE)
"Never Too Close"
"I'm Not Supposed to Care"

Actually, if you can manage to find them (at E-Bay or Amazon), to me, the best albums to start with are "Shadows" and "Dream Street Rose". Some of my all-time favorite songs and some I personally feel are true masterpieces. Of course, many would disagree with me because, as Mary Ann said, we all look for different things in Gord's music. But tracking down these albums would be well worth the effort to you. They contain some very beautiful songs:

"Hey, You"
"If You Need Me"
"Mr. Rock of Ages"
"On the High Seas"
"Ghosts of Cape Horn"
"The Auctioneer" (He didn't write it, but does a marvelous rendition)
"Triangle" (Like a chocolate chip cookie -- can't just listen once. Gotta hit the rewind button or lift up the needle and put it down at the beginning again)
"She's Not the Same"

Anyway, I don't mean to go on. You might even start with "Gord's Gold Volume II which has a many of the songs off the three albums above and some choice cuts from several others. It might be a good place to start because it has a pretty good cross-section of his work.

And, believe me, once you start listening to Gord, you won't be able to get enough. The addiction will take control and you will soon end up with every album you can get your hands on.

Stay loose, eh?

LAMS

------------------
"Love and maple syrup
go together like the
sticky winds of winter
when they meet....
If you go into the forest
Gaze up through the trees
The sky is white.
You can understand
What makes the forest
Greet the man
Like a mother's only
child ..."

loveandmaplesyrup · 07-21-2000, 02:10 AM

Faktor:

Florian has many many midis on this website of Gord's music and he also has a section which contains the words to all of Gord's songs. You might try listening to these midis and reading the lyrics. It will lack one essential element -- Gord's beautiful voice, but it WILL give you an idea of what his music is about. You might find you're partial to the ballads or the love songs or the "highway songs" or one of the many other categories Gord's work falls into. Get a few that interest you and then look for them on albums to hear the entire "package". Just a suggestion.

If you want something more specific (please forgive the length of this post. It's not ALL words. Mainly LISTS -- lol) :

DEFINITELY "Summertime Dream" which contains some great ones:

"Race Among the Ruins"
"Cherokee Bend"
"Protocol"
"Too Many Clues in This Room"
"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" (of COURSE)
"Never Too Close"
"I'm Not Supposed to Care"

Actually, if you can manage to find them (at E-Bay or Amazon), to me, the best albums to start with are "Shadows" and "Dream Street Rose". Some of my all-time favorite songs and some I personally feel are true masterpieces. Of course, many would disagree with me because, as Mary Ann said, we all look for different things in Gord's music. But tracking down these albums would be well worth the effort to you. They contain some very beautiful songs:

"Hey, You"
"If You Need Me"
"Mr. Rock of Ages"
"On the High Seas"
"Ghosts of Cape Horn"
"The Auctioneer" (He didn't write it, but does a marvelous rendition)
"Triangle" (Like a chocolate chip cookie -- can't just listen once. Gotta hit the rewind button or lift up the needle and put it down at the beginning again)
"She's Not the Same"

Anyway, I don't mean to go on. You might even start with "Gord's Gold Volume II which has a many of the songs off the three albums above and some choice cuts from several others. It might be a good place to start because it has a pretty good cross-section of his work.

And, believe me, once you start listening to Gord, you won't be able to get enough. The addiction will take control and you will soon end up with every album you can get your hands on.

Stay loose, eh?

LAMS

------------------
"Love and maple syrup
go together like the
sticky winds of winter
when they meet....
If you go into the forest
Gaze up through the trees
The sky is white.
You can understand
What makes the forest
Greet the man
Like a mother's only
child ..."

Wingdrops · 07-23-2000, 11:22 AM

Faktor-

Sundown is a good choice. I personally would not go with Summertime Dream, even tho it is also a great album.

My reason is that the Wreck is a song that many people absolutely detest due to its length and repetitiveness. Hard to believe, but I saw it somewhere on a list of most hated songs (along with "I Am Woman," "(My baby takes the) Morning Train," "MacArthur Park" and anything by Barry Manilow or Yoko Ono). Although I like Wreck, it would not have hooked me as a fan.

For that reason, I think that IYCRMM is the best starting point. Gord's voice is so beautiful on that album. And those of us who have been fans forever tend to forget that IYCRMM was the launching point for Gord's success in the US charts. Since that's the song that hooked the USAmericans, I would select that album to introduce a new listener.

By the way, I would not pick either Gord's Gold album as a starter. For one thing, I do not like the remix of the UA songs as much as the originals (with minor exceptions). I also miss the backup vocals on High&Dry. GG1 and GG2 are good pocket versions of Gord's work, good primarily when you can't have access to the whole body of work. I tend to think that a new listener might tend to stop buying Gord after buying GG1 and GG2, thinking that he/she already had enough of the "essential" Lightfoot. Start with a real album, not a "greatest hits," if you want to get the flavor of an artist.

------------------
"And the laughter came too easy for life to pass me by." - SDYS

[This message has been edited by 2Much2Lose (edited July 23, 2000).]

2Much2Lose · 07-23-2000, 11:22 AM

Faktor-

Sundown is a good choice. I personally would not go with Summertime Dream, even tho it is also a great album.

My reason is that the Wreck is a song that many people absolutely detest due to its length and repetitiveness. Hard to believe, but I saw it somewhere on a list of most hated songs (along with "I Am Woman," "(My baby takes the) Morning Train," "MacArthur Park" and anything by Barry Manilow or Yoko Ono). Although I like Wreck, it would not have hooked me as a fan.

For that reason, I think that IYCRMM is the best starting point. Gord's voice is so beautiful on that album. And those of us who have been fans forever tend to forget that IYCRMM was the launching point for Gord's success in the US charts. Since that's the song that hooked the USAmericans, I would select that album to introduce a new listener.

By the way, I would not pick either Gord's Gold album as a starter. For one thing, I do not like the remix of the UA songs as much as the originals (with minor exceptions). I also miss the backup vocals on High&Dry. GG1 and GG2 are good pocket versions of Gord's work, good primarily when you can't have access to the whole body of work. I tend to think that a new listener might tend to stop buying Gord after buying GG1 and GG2, thinking that he/she already had enough of the "essential" Lightfoot. Start with a real album, not a "greatest hits," if you want to get the flavor of an artist.

------------------
"And the laughter came too easy for life to pass me by." - SDYS

[This message has been edited by 2Much2Lose (edited July 23, 2000).]

Ferret Mike · 07-25-2000, 01:35 PM

2M2L, I was thinking that exact thought as I was reading the other posts. I think it is actually kind of a bridge between an older Gord sound and his more current sound, IMHO. A subtle change and a natural progession but a change nevertheless. Anyway, if you're not blown away by Poor Little Allison, Minstrel of the Dawn, Approaching Lavender, Sit Down Young Stranger, IYCRMM, Pony Man, and the others, THEN you cannot be a Gordon Lightfoot fan!!!

jay · 07-25-2000, 01:35 PM

2M2L, I was thinking that exact thought as I was reading the other posts. I think it is actually kind of a bridge between an older Gord sound and his more current sound, IMHO. A subtle change and a natural progession but a change nevertheless. Anyway, if you're not blown away by Poor Little Allison, Minstrel of the Dawn, Approaching Lavender, Sit Down Young Stranger, IYCRMM, Pony Man, and the others, THEN you cannot be a Gordon Lightfoot fan!!!
________
Paxil class action

Ferret Mike · 07-25-2000, 01:41 PM

And also, I am surprised at LAMS recommendation. What abour Summer Side of Life and her signature song?? Add Miguel, 10 Degrees and Getting Colder, Go My Way (which I love), Redwood Hill, Talking In Your Sleep, and the others and you have another disc like IYCRRM: you can't love Lightfoot without loving SSOL.

jay · 07-25-2000, 01:41 PM

And also, I am surprised at LAMS recommendation. What abour Summer Side of Life and her signature song?? Add Miguel, 10 Degrees and Getting Colder, Go My Way (which I love), Redwood Hill, Talking In Your Sleep, and the others and you have another disc like IYCRRM: you can't love Lightfoot without loving SSOL.
________
The cigar boss

fezo · 07-25-2000, 03:28 PM

And ... don't forget Christian Island ...

Silver Heels · 07-25-2000, 03:28 PM

And ... don't forget Christian Island ...

LouiseAnne · 07-25-2000, 04:19 PM

LOL -- okay, please forgive my "faux pas."

"Summertime Dream" just is my personal favorite album. Actually, it's really "Dream Street Rose", but I didn't want to recommend one that is so hard to find.

"Stay Loose" is from "East of Midnight" and, yes, it's my signature, but well, geez, I didn't want to start listing EVERY album. Let's face it. They're ALL good. I was just trying to come up with a starting point. That post I made was too long as it was. LOL!

I apologize if anyone got upset. As it was said already in this thread, everyone seems to listen to Gord for their own personal reasons and that's why we all have conflicting views on "favorites." My own personal taste ... I don't really like "Beautiful" and "Softly" that much. But EVERYONE ELSE seems to love those songs. And I DO like "Wreck", which apparently is not a big favorite. But that's okay. That's why the world is so interesting. We all have our own tastes.

Stay loose, eh?

LAMS

loveandmaplesyrup · 07-25-2000, 04:19 PM

LOL -- okay, please forgive my "faux pas."

"Summertime Dream" just is my personal favorite album. Actually, it's really "Dream Street Rose", but I didn't want to recommend one that is so hard to find.

"Stay Loose" is from "East of Midnight" and, yes, it's my signature, but well, geez, I didn't want to start listing EVERY album. Let's face it. They're ALL good. I was just trying to come up with a starting point. That post I made was too long as it was. LOL!

I apologize if anyone got upset. As it was said already in this thread, everyone seems to listen to Gord for their own personal reasons and that's why we all have conflicting views on "favorites." My own personal taste ... I don't really like "Beautiful" and "Softly" that much. But EVERYONE ELSE seems to love those songs. And I DO like "Wreck", which apparently is not a big favorite. But that's okay. That's why the world is so interesting. We all have our own tastes.

Stay loose, eh?

LAMS

Dan · 07-25-2000, 10:49 PM

quote:Originally posted by loveandmaplesyrup:
My own personal taste ... I don't really like "Beautiful" and "Softly" that much. But EVERYONE ELSE seems to love those songs. And I DO like "Wreck", which apparently is not a big favorite

Leslie,

I enjoy "Beautiful" and "Softly" but they are by far not my favorites by any stretch of the imagination. I love "Wreck" and at least 100 others! I drive my kids nuts because I know every word of every song, even the ones I don't care for.

Dan

Ferret Mike · 07-27-2000, 11:38 AM

Silver Heels, I don't forget Christian Island. I've always liked that song--even the rhythm of the song suggests the gentle rocking of a boat anchored near a shore to me. But I am surprised at how many people on this site revere it Well, I guess it does evoke only the most pleasant images --peaceful and serene. Maybe that explains it . . .


	You are at: Home - Discussion Forum