Shadows

Kilgore · 08-22-2005, 02:07 AM

Just felt the need to post this. Shadows, what a great album

Borderstone · 08-22-2005, 05:46 PM

I concur and say "ditto" to that as well!

Although personally,if it were me,I'd have substituted "Forgive Me Lord" for "Blackberrry Wine". Again,great album but I feel "B.W." is a somewhat thin song. Out of all the tracks on Shadows,I listen to that one the least. I think it could have been louder and more boisterous.

Shazia · 08-22-2005, 07:21 PM

It is a very enriching, wholesome album. I do love Blackberry Wine as a song, it is actually one of my favorites there, but there are times during the song where I cringe at the way it is sung. Sorry. It's whenever he says "Blackberry Wine" at certain times of the song.

The song I like the least there is All I'm After, but since it's between Baby Step Back and Triangle, I listen to it anyway. I don't dislike the song All I'm After per se though. It's just the one that does not do anything for me, in contrast to all the other songs on the album.

BILLW · 08-22-2005, 07:28 PM

Gord seems to like a few songs from Shadows a lot. He's playing the heck out of them.

Bill

Shazia · 08-22-2005, 07:38 PM

Don't get me wrong...I love Dream Street Rose, but I think Shadows is just as good!

Shazia · 08-22-2005, 07:39 PM

Sorry. I don't know why I brought Dream Street Rose into the equation. I did that on impulse. I guess I said that because I don't believe that Gordon's albums necessarily diminished in quality after the start of the 80s decade.

jeffyjo · 08-22-2005, 09:50 PM

And for me, "All I'm After" is what pushes the album from A+ to A++.

Different strokes, I guess.

Jeff

Shazia · 08-22-2005, 11:14 PM

Different strokes indeed! :D

The Rez · 08-23-2005, 02:48 AM

Shadows . . . open air Universal Amphitheater . . . alone . . . the summer breezes of a distant evening . . .

The exercise in "C" . . . the backstory?

The answer: "If I told you it wouldn't be yours."

Shadows . . . the song made mine . . . remains

seahawk11 · 08-23-2005, 09:51 AM

I think Shadows is his best work...such mature and inventive songwriting. Triangle is my all time favorite song, by anyone!

Borderstone · 08-23-2005, 02:12 PM

Misty Moppens! :D Love yer name by the way,any relation to "Floora-Moppen???" LOL!! :D

Anyhow,why didn't "Shadows" and it's single's do well? A few reasons:

1. The '80s were very unkind to a number of artists from the '70s,they were thought of as "out of the loop". Gord (so they said) didn't fit the times,so radio shied away and the Mtv videos didn't really "capture" Gord's songs either.

2. Warner Bros. records (USA) was not behind him 100% at that time. Partially due to his drinking problem. (Gee,WB & other labels didn't sem to mind their drugged out rock bands though!) They didn't do much to promote it either!

3. A new generation (mine) of teens weren't to keen on listening to a singer our Dads' age! (Not me by the way,I never stopped liking Sundown & Carefree Highway & "Wreck". )

Shazia · 08-23-2005, 02:26 PM

Other less mentioned songs that I adore on the album are:

Heaven Help the Devil
Thank You For the Promises
I'll Do Anything

I could repeat Baby Step Back over and over again.

joveski · 08-23-2005, 06:56 PM

i agree with shazia about all i'm after... never liked it from day 1

bjb · 08-23-2005, 07:46 PM

Shazia/Joveski, I'm puzzled about what doesn't appeal to you, is it the lyrics, the melody, or what?

08-23-2005, 09:21 PM

All I'm After...great song! My favorite part of the song is when Gord sings "I think we've got it made". Great sound to that particular piece. It's a harmony piece. Who's joining in? Is it the band or is it Gord harmonizing with Gord?

TC

Shazia · 08-23-2005, 11:14 PM

bjb, I truthfully do not know exactly what it is about the song that makes it my least favorite!

I think it's more because of the melody than the lyrics though...

I don't mind the song though! Don't get me wrong...

Shazia · 08-24-2005, 12:02 AM

This is strange. Now that I think about it, I kind of like the song All I'm After better now, than when I had written it before.

I don't know what is going on.

It's analogous to feeling sick, calling the doctor for an appointment, than all of a sudden feeling different (for the better) on the day of the appointment. I guess. Oh well.

I'll see how I feel about the song tomorrow!

joveski · 08-24-2005, 07:02 PM

it just seems out of place to my ears, on the rest of the album. i dont know why!. it must be the melody cause it has a similar instrumental feel to others on the album

jeffyjo · 08-24-2005, 11:18 PM

Exactly. It's the yearning and sadness that is masked as optimism in "All I'm After". The harmonies build into "I think I've got it made", but at that very moment, you know he doesn't believe it.

It's such a brilliant song because the words say one thing, but his vocals and the excellent use of harmony at that point reveals the core of the feelings.

Does that make sense?

Shazia · 08-24-2005, 11:40 PM

MistyPoppens:

As far as Dream Street Rose is concerned, I tend to think of that album when I listen to Endless Wire, as opposed to Shadows, but now that I think of it, the production of Dream Street Rose and Shadows seems so similar now...yep!!

It is such a satisfying album for me...after the album is done I like to repeat several of the tracks...particularly Heaven Help the Devil and Baby Step Back...the latter one is so catchy to me, even if it sounds like Sundown...but who cares...Baby Step Back, Slide On Over, and Sundown are all part of the Sundown family :D

Jeffyjo, your statement does make sense, it's okay. Well I can say ONE thing though...that little sliding dobro (well, I THINK it is that) in All I'm After kind of keeps the melody going!

MB · 08-25-2005, 05:39 PM

Best album GL made. It's always been my favorite. His songwriting had matured, and his voice was at it's peak. Sundown is a close second, but Shadows is definitly his best (IMHO).
Mikey

Borderstone · 08-25-2005, 08:48 PM

Along with "Triangle" and the best known tracks,I really dig,"I'll Do Anything". It seems like a cross between light country & a tango (light).

Shazia · 08-25-2005, 11:15 PM

I also like how his songwriting matured too. I think about the songs on "Lightfoot!" and then I listen to, say, the Cold on the Shoulder album, and my, his voice and songs develop over time very nicely!

Am I the only one who thinks that, say, Cold On The Shoulder is almost, if not equally rich, as the Shadows album?

Pardon my fixation on Cold on the Shoulder

but I think that's one of his finest albums, let alone Shadows...

08-26-2005, 02:42 PM

Shadows is one of my top five Gord albums. It has something for everyone. The title track is exquisite - it has so much feeling and imagery. Baby Step Back is probably my least favorite. I think Gord has done it at every concert I've attended, and I still wonder what the fascination is. It just seems repetitive to me.

Shazia, I love Cold on the Shoulder too. What a great follow-up to Sundown. My favorite is Now and Then.

BILLW · 08-26-2005, 02:55 PM

Regarding "Baby Step Back" I think it may be a guy thing. With lines like "I was born to fight" it doesn't get much better than that, LOL. And like they used to say on American Bandstand "it's good a good beat and you can dance to it"...

Bill


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