Posted on 11/18/2006 5:01:58 AM PST by Squawk 8888
Still remember listening to "Steel Rail Blues" on my two-transistor radio back arund 1964...
If you read the history of the Lake Superior/Edmund Fitzgerald,
Witch of November thing it is just beautiful the way
Lightfoot put it all together, and the eerie, ethereal
guitar sounds just make the right "ambience" for the
drama he was describing...i.e. sailors getting caught in
the lore of the Lake, and about to face eternity
just doing their work.....a masterful job by Lightfoot.
But I have to apologize, I really appreciate his composing skills.
I've lost count of how many Lightfoot concerts I've attended. I've been a fan for about four decades.
He's a genius.
Lightfoot is poetic.
Lightfoot has done a lot of songs with a nautical theme, and IMHO "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is one of the weaker ones. I like "Ghosts of Cape Horn", "Triangle", "Christian Island", and "High and Dry" a bet better.
Although he has had some songs that describe war,or it's
aftermath, it always seems to be a commentary on mans
condition, not really some anti-specific war screed.
Pride of Man- he covers a Hamilton Camp song on 1st album.
Leaves of Grass--on live album
Lost Children--on live album
Patriots Dream--Sundown album
Protocol-Summertime dream album
are a few songs that come to my mind...if you have a chance
pick up some of his albums....and listen to the words....
Try "Minstral of the Dawn"
There were, in my oh so humble opinion, two great story tellers to come out of the 70's, Gordon Lightfoot and Bob Seger. The two men dealt with different themes, but both wrote dynamite lyrics. You can listen to either man's work and put yourself into the situation that they're singing about.
I don't know...he seems to have had a more complete body
of work than Dylan, and seems a bit more poetic, where
Dylan seems to be more of a "beat" poet, Lightfoot seems
to weave word pictures and connections a bit better (at
least in my "weak" mind). But some of songs about the
great outdoors are great..."Mountains and Maryann",
Canadian Railroad Trilogy....Crossroads...Seven Island
Suite...
Never been a Seger fan. But listen to Chris Schultz. His song, "Letters from War" caused him to be invited to the Pentagon to film a video to be sent to Iraq and Afghanistan. In one concert, a song about his mother had the audience crying---then he said, "I made that last part about my mother up. She's fine! But I read in a book "How to write a hit song that you had to have a powerful third verse :)" So he really can tell a story.
I Like:
"Sundown ya better take care if I find you 'been sneakin' 'round my back stair!"
thanks for the ping :)
Mark Schultz.
:-)
Good for Gordon Lightfoot. There's no need for him to trumpet his support for the troops. Just that fact that he does it, is important.
He is my all-time favorite singer. Geez, I gotta go shopping for his albums.
Legendary singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot will accept honorary membership in the Barbershop Harmony Society Saturday, April 22, in Toronto. Lightfoot is being honored by the Society for his support of barbershop harmony and the impact he’s had on the world of music.
A native Canadian, Lightfoot will receive his award during the Champions Show, immediately following an Ontario regional barbershop competition at 7:30 p.m. at the Sir John A. MacDonald Collegiate Institute.
Drayton Justus, president of the Society, will bestow the honor. “It is our great pleasure to honor Gordon Lightfoot in this way,” Justus said. “His music already has etched an indelible mark on modern culture. We like to think his early experience in barbershop harmony encouraged him in some way.”
Lightfoot was a member of the Orillia, Ontario, chapter of the Society. His first barbershop quartet, The Collegiate Four, was formed in late 1952 prior to Lightfoot entering high school. They won first prize on the CBC television talent contest “Pick the Stars” in the fall of 1953.
His second quartet, Teen-Timers, competed in regional barbershop contests and placed second in November of 1955. The group’s performance schedule is said to have rivaled that of groups performing more contemporary music. The quartet disbanded as its members pursued university education.
Lightfoot volunteered his time to perform during a barbershop chapter’s charity auction in 2001. As part of that event, he sang with the award-winning Toronto Northern Lights chorus.
The singer/songwriter has five Grammy nominations, 17 Juno awards and the Governor General’s Award, the highest official Canadian honor, among many other honors.
He joins artists such as Dick Van Dyke, Irving Berlin, Meredith Willson, Victor Borge, the Osmond Brothers, Sherrill Milnes and Gene Puerling in an elite group who also have been honored by the Barbershop Harmony Society.
Contest tickets will be available at the door based on seat availability.
See my post above.
See my post above.
Lightfoot got his musical start singing barbershop harmony. See my post above.
See my post(s) above.
Oh PLEASE! These folks weren't looting luxury items, with the exception of big screen TVs, which were useless in a place without electricity. They were looting anything they could lay their hands on; clothing, booze, beer, appliances. There was nothing beautiful about it, it was simply greed. They had the chance to get something without having to pay for it, and they had the attitude that somebody 'owed' it to them.
I wonder just where that stuff ended up when those folks were shipped out of New Orleans?
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