# Gordon Lightfoot is Excellent



## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Awesome arrangements/voice/melodies/lyrics!


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)




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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

*Gordon Lightfoot* was one of the best of the 70s singer-songwriter phenomenon. I still listen to his records, from the first _Lightfoot!_ (1966) to _Summertime Dream_ (1976), a decade of great songs, with great production, singing and presentation.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I have the Gord's Gold compilation that I play once in a great while. A good collection of a couple dozen great songs from the 60s & early 70s. When I was a kid I loved Sundown. It's such a catchy tune with a funky bass line.


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

starthrower said:


> I have the Gord's Gold compilation that I play once in a great while. A good collection of a couple dozen great songs from the 60s & early 70s. When I was a kid I loved Sundown. It's such a catchy tune with a funky bass line.


The '60's and early '70's were great times for music in Toronto. Both the Yorkville coffee-house scene (Lightfoot, Ian and Sylvia Tyson, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell) and the Yonge Street bar scene (The Band, David Clayton-Thomas of Blood, Sweat & Tears, even David Foster for a time.)


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

SanAntone said:


> *Gordon Lightfoot* was one of the best of the 70s singer-songwriter phenomenon. I still listen to his records, from the first _Lightfoot!_ (1966) to _Summertime Dream_ (1976), a decade of great songs, with great production, singing and presentation.


I think Gord's lead guitarist Red Shea made a great contribution to his sound. I heard the trio in a Vancouver coffee-house in 1967. Their energy and precision knocked me out.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Many of my favorite songwriters are Canadian. Joni, Bruce Cockburn, Lightfoot, and even the guys from Rush. Neil Peart always crafted thought provoking, intelligent lyrics. I'd love to collect the Joni archive boxes but I don't have any storage space left for oversized boxes.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I put three of his songs on our car MP3 USB stick (If you could read my mind, Sundown, and Carefree Highway). I tried a couple of his albums last year, but they made less of an impression on me. Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen and kd lang would be my favourite singer/song writers from Canada.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

starthrower said:


> Many of my favorite songwriters are Canadian. Joni, Bruce Cockburn, Lightfoot, and even the guys from Rush. Neil Peart always crafted thought provoking, intelligent lyrics. I'd love to collect the Joni archive boxes but I don't have any storage space left for oversized boxes.





Art Rock said:


> I put three of his songs on our car MP3 USB stick (If you could read my mind, Sundown, and Carefree Highway). I tried a couple of his albums last year, but they made less of an impression on me. Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen and kd lang would be my favourite singer/song writers from Canada.


Y'all didn't mention maybe the best Canadian, Neil Young.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Yeah, not a great Neil Young fan myself.


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## progmatist (Apr 3, 2021)

He's always been a guilty pleasure for me. Whether or not I had to courage to admit it.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Art Rock said:


> Yeah, not a great Neil Young fan myself.


Me, neither. But I have several CDs that I play infrequently. Everybody Knows.... and the archival acoustic release from 1971 are the two I'll listen to more than any others. And Live Rust if I'm getting nostalgic for my senior year in high school which is not very often!


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

Art Rock said:


> Yeah, not a great Neil Young fan myself.





starthrower said:


> Me, neither. But I have several CDs that I play infrequently. Everybody Knows.... and the archival acoustic release from 1971 are the two I'll listen to more than any others. And Live Rust if I'm getting nostalgic for my senior year in high school which is not very often!


Well, I'm not a Leonard Cohen fan. So, there. 

I guess I have to grandfather in *The Band* as a Canadian group, although IMO the best thing about that band was Arkansan *Levon Helm*, and the worst thing was Robbie Robertson. For his name to be the only songwriting credit is an embarrassment.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

SanAntone said:


> I guess I have to grandfather in *The Band* as a Canadian group, although IMO the best thing about that band was Arkansan *Levon Helm*, and the worst thing was Robbie Robertson. For his name to be the only songwriting credit is an embarrassment.


I don't consider any member of The Band to be the "worst thing." They were a great band for a reason. Five very talented and creative people. Although Robertson has a big enough ego for the rest of them.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

When I want to listen to a Canadian band, I turn to *Klaatu*.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

SanAntone said:


> Y'all didn't mention maybe the best Canadian, Neil Young.


Yeah, Neil's output is fantastic. He is the closest thing to Bob Dylan IMO. Some of his lyrics sound like they could have been written by Dylan.


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

SanAntone said:


> Y'all didn't mention maybe the best Canadian, Neil Young.


I mentioned him. A unique figure, his songs had a wide reach.

I remember the film he did at the Grand Ole Opry. I led a music program for adults in recovery and the one song they all wanted to sing was "Heart of Gold."


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

SixFootScowl said:


> Yeah, Neil's output is fantastic. He is the closest thing to Bob Dylan IMO. Some of his lyrics sound like they could have been written by Dylan.


From what I've read, Dylan is a fan of his songwriting.


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

SanAntone said:


> Well, I'm not a Leonard Cohen fan. So, there.
> 
> I guess I have to grandfather in *The Band* as a Canadian group, although IMO the best thing about that band was Arkansan *Levon Helm*, and the worst thing was Robbie Robertson. For his name to be the only songwriting credit is an embarrassment.


Agreed on all points.


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## progmatist (Apr 3, 2021)

Roger Knox said:


> I led a music program for adults in recovery and the one song they all wanted to sing was "Heart of Gold."


About a year ago, Neil sold the rights to his music. Pretty soon, we'll hear Heart of Gold in gold commercials.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Every time I hear Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald I think of this comedy routine.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

pianozach said:


> When I want to listen to a Canadian band, I turn to *Klaatu*.


Klaatu are good, but personally I prefer Harmonium and Pollen in the prog genre (and Martha and the Muffins in new wave).

Another Canadian musician worth mentioning is Loreena McKennitt, who recorded a string of excellent folk albums.


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