I've been listening to his albums for years. Can't believe I just recently listened to Cold On The Shoulder. One of his best for sure. Gord released amazing album after amazing album. Best folk/country discography of all time.
He really did, didn't he? The consistently high standard he held himself to meant there really never was a bad album. I don't think any song from the debut onward was bad. I like some more than others, we all do, but each one was labored over.
I took a course in the Spring of '75 with the promotions director of Warner/Reprise - Nashville. My term paper was a multi-media study of Lightfoot. In it, I demonstrated his significant loss of vocal ability by contrasting Peaceful Waters (from the first album) with A Tree Too Weak to Stand (from the recently released Cold on the Shoulder). My thesis: he needed to lay off the Canadian Club and Chivas and get more sleep. I also observed that The Circle is Small "would have made a good single," a suggestion that was apparently taken to heart when it was rearranged and released as such three years later -- ten years after the original recording.
This is great, part 2 popped on My YT today! Great stuff Brett. I’ve been asked a few times what is My favorite Gord song. Impossible to answer for Me,almost like picking Your favorite child. It would have to be more like My top 20,or so, and most would be the less popular ones, yet golden gems to Me. I’ll let You scratch Your head a bit more on the 53 of 61 trivia! No contest, just fun!
Holy Cow!!!! This has been so interesting and so much different than mine. For me, the tumult and darkness of the time is what makes Sundown such a masterpiece. Same as Blood on the Tracks or Neil's On the Beach. The inclusion of the well placed curse words adds to the impact of the songs and was, I believe, a very intentional move by Gord as he slaved over his songs. 'The Watchman's Gone' holds a special place for me as it was on a mixed tape I made that I listened to relentlessly when I backpacked around as a nomad in my early 20s. I must admit that I'm not too familiar with Shadows, so I can't rank it too high. Otherwise, it is as you say, a matter of taste. Very, very thought provoking video. I've been thinking a lot about Gord lately thanks to you. 8. Dream Street Rose 7. Shadows 6. Gord's Gold 5. Endless Wire (I prefer this version of 'The Circle is Small') 4. Cold on the Shoulder 3. Old Dan's Records 2. Summertime Dream 1. Sundown There you have it. Cold on the Shoulder is only slightly lower for me because Tony Rice's incredible version of the title song is just unsurpassed. But I can totally see why it's your #1. It is a great, great album and might easily be my #2.
Sundown is so universally acclaimed, so well-loved, that to put it anywhere except the top spot for this time period may be blasphemy for some people. Hopefully you understand why I placed it where I did. According to the site WebMath, there are 40320 combinations of rankings (seems a bit much to me), so theoretically there are that many opinions on how to rank these eight records. My guess is that with his millions of fans, that number (if it is indeed factual) is probably reached. That's what's so fun about these videos, it's just my opinion based on my criteria, and the viewers' opinions are every bit as valid :)
@@brettsmusicreviews2641 That's a lot of possible combinations!! What these videos have done for me is make me go back and listen to all these albums with a keen ear. As you've said, the rankings are fluid and our favourites are often so for sentimental reasons rather than purely objective ones. Case in point being my preference for the Endless Wire version of Circle. It is one of the earliest songs I remember hearing on my mom's radio when I was a very little tyke. I certainly see why you picked Cold on the Shoulder. In many ways, it is the perfect distillation of everything Gord did so well in that period and might even knock Sundown out of top spot for me as I listen more.
Since this video was made, I've revisited several of the albums, especially Summertime Dream. I saw Gord perform Too Many Clues In This Room live and it gave me a whole new appreciation.
@@brettsmusicreviews2641 You’re very fortunate to have seen him live. I went to college in Boston from 76-80. I picked up SD when it first came out but missed the concert when Gordon came to town to promote the album. But I just recently came up that full concert here on YT! It was worth the wait.
Another fascinating video Brett! It's so interesting to see how other fans perceive Lightfoot's music and challenges me to listen for things that I might not have considered. Again, I find ranking records of this era extremely difficult, but I will say that I would put Summertime Dream or Sundown at the top of my list for albums from this era. But ask me tomorrow, and that might change! Certainly all are of such high quality that they all deserve at spot at the top! Regardless, this video highlights just how amazing Lightfoot's output was during this period. One small note: Shadows was recorded before Lightfoot quit drinking. He had his last drink in the fall of 1982 and Shadows was recorded and released earlier that year. Keep up the great work! Can't wait to see video #3!
Oh! I saw an interview where I thought he said he that song was among the first he wrote when sober, but it's entirely possible I got it mixed up with another song. Thank you for the correction! This is the kind of discussion I really enjoy - learning new aspects about Gord & his music, and I am happy to be corrected when done positively like you have (I had another extremely rude commenter I had to block).
I really like these videos, Sundown and Cold on the Shoulder are my favorites, I can easily listen to those albums start to finish. Circle of Steel is my favorite Gord song, the vocals, instrumentation, and lyrics in my opinion, are top notch! Closely followed by Seven Island Suite. As someone who lives out in the country, a song about getting out of the rush in the city and getting out into nature just calls to me! My favorite song on the Cold On The Shoulder album used to be The Soul Is A Rock, but that just recently got bumped to #2 by All The Lovely Ladies. Anyway, glad to see I'm not the only one who enjoys music for more than just a catchy chorus!
I'm sorry I missed this comment all those months ago! Thanks for the feedback. I've gone back and listened to Sundown and while it's still not #1 from this time period for me, I appreciate it even more.
Wow!!! That was a pleasant surprise listening this second part of the Lightfoot ranking. The way I ranked Gord’s middle period is ‘not’ much different from yours, and I couldn’t disagree with every word you said about the albums. Our rankings covered a lot of common ground, and since you have been looking forward to seeing my ranking and the opinions of others, here’s my ranking Gordon Lightfoot (1972B-1982): #8. Endless Wire #7. Dream Street Rose #6. Gord’s Gold (The original recordings were better) #5. Summertime Dream #4. Shadows #3. Sundown #2. Old Dan’s Records #1. Cold On The Shoulder (Our #1 is the same. Yeeee haw!) And here are my rankings for the two eras combined: #16. Endless Wire #15. Dream Street Rose #14. Gord’s Gold #13. Summertime Dream #12. Shadows #11. Did She Mention My Name #10. Sit Down Young Stranger #9. Sunday Concert #8. Summer Side Of Life #7. Sundown #6. The Way I Feel #5. Don Quixote #4. Back Here on Earth #3. Lightfoot #2. Old Dan’s Records #1. Cold on The Shoulder Man that was a lot of fun!!! Gordon Lightfoot is one of the most irreplaceable important people in Canadian Music, and in my opinion, any list that would leave out “all” of these albums in their top 100 Canadian or folk album list is second rate in my opinion. The thing that makes this artist special is the fact that he can sing about a wide variety of subjects ranging from ships, to railroads to nature, to history. Most people sing only about love, and all lot of them don’t even write their own songs. I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you about his later works, and seeing the ranking you come up with for that.
I love seeing how other fans rank his albums! I also think it's cool how many, including you, thoroughly enjoy the United Artists years (I like them more each time I spin them). One of my fellow vinyl-junkies in town always liked Gord but never had much of his work, so I started hunting down the albums for him (the way I obsessively did for myself in the last few years). I'd found The Way I Feel, Did She Mention My Name, and Back Here On Earth awhile ago but the Lightfoot! album had eluded me. I finally found a good copy for a decent price and gave it to him as a birthday present (along with Dream Street Rose, Endless Wire, and Don Quixote found at the same seller). He told me he's taken to Gord's early material more than anything later, and he loves the 70s work! Cold On The Shoulder tends to be overlooked because it was sandwiched between arguably his most popular albums of the period, records that contained Sundown and Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. It almost doesn't stand a chance compared to those, it's a bit of an underdog album, but yet it's resonated so deeply with me ever since my first spin. Gord is to Canada as someone like John Prine is to those of us south of the border. Such well-crafted songs yet accessible. Prine never sold the amount of records Gord did, but they're held in a high esteem and even after his passing, he's still gaining fans. Their music is timeless.
I would put Shadows and Summertime Dream into the top 5 and then renumber the rest you have. Like you, I have never been a big fan of Endless Wire. Over-orchestrated and Gord's voice gets lost in the mix. Probably the height of his alcoholism. So glad he stopped his drinking in late 1982.
Some random Lightfoot thoughts: I get a little irked with Cherokee Bend. It's based on a story set in the Four Corners area. The protagonist is a not a Cherokee, but a Ute. Gord moves the story to Kentucky. Being from Utah, I wish he'd kept it here. Speaking of Utah, I saw Gord in Utah in 1980. He must have still been drinking, and gotten frustrated with Utah's screwy liquor laws. He made several snide jokes about how all he could get to drink was Dr. Pepper! In 1983 I was in Washington, heading up to climb Mt. Rainier. I made a quick stop for something or other at a mall, and they were playing Whispers of the North on the music system. Perfect song to have stuck in my head on that epic ice and snow climb! Oddly, I never heard that song again on radio or Muzak, only the many times I played my own copy. My cat used to go into full predator mode when she heard those loons! From Gord's comments during the five of his concerts that I went to, I think he concurs that he also didn't like the commercial, AOR influence that his label had on him. A story from the last time I saw him. Way back in the Sixties, Elvis Presley recorded one of Gord's songs, and he was performing in Buffalo, NY. Gord came over the border to hear the performance, and after the concert, tried to get backstage to meet Elvis, and let Elvis meet the guy who wrote one of his songs. But he was met with the classic line from some handler: "Elvis has left the building." Lastly, I have to disagree with your ranking of Sundown. Angst aside, it's rock-solid musically. (I know it's like quibbling about which is one's favorite Beatle.) But I remember looking at a Rolling Stone's ranking of the supposed greatest albums ever. No Lightfoot! Not even Sundown. (Also no Moody Blues.) I lost all respect for RS that day.
There's a lot to unpack & reply to for your comment and I love that - this is the kind of discussion I genuinely enjoy :) The geography of Cherokee Bend was lost on me. That rather changes how I hear the song lyrics, now. I honestly had no clue. Sundown... Since recording this ranking video, I've gone through an awful lot personally. It resonates deeper with me now and, were I to do this ranking again, I might well put it higher. I also gained a whole new appreciation for "The Watchman's Gone" after seeing Gord live in Sept. 2022 (sadly, the only time I saw him in concert - it was pure magic that night). I spin it more now than I used to. Yep, Gord didn't quit the bottle until a couple years after your experience, and I'm sure it affected how he felt that night. Hopefully he still sang well and the performances were good! I hadn't heard that story about trying to meet Elvis. That's too bad because Elvis did a very good version of Early Morning Rain, I imagine the conversation would've been amazing. Whispers of the North... your poor cat! *lol* I love that song. I spin the Salute album more than most other Gord fans, I'd reckon. One of my best friends also has almost all his albums and Salute is pretty well at the bottom for him. Lastly, Rolling Stone... to hell with them 🤣 I haven't had much use for them in many years. Occasionally I'll flip through it (if I can find it) if there's an artist I like on the cover (VERY rare). You could pick just about any of Gord's albums from the debut through the 70s and it would deserve to be on that list.
Fine As Fine Can Be was written for his daughter Ingrid....puts a different spin on it l guess.... Love your videos... you do it out love for the man and his music... that is very much appreciated.
Really! I didn't know that, it is a different spin but it shows how everything can be up to interpretation, I suppose. Thank you for your kind words :)
Thank you for the kind words! I like John Denver but really only enough to have a couple albums and a hits package. I'm not familiar with Stan Rogers at all, I'll have to look him up :)
been listening to lightfoot on youtube all week ... Cold on the Shoulder doesn't quite do it for me, but Shadows, wow,,, talk about a smokey, rhythmic, late night album,,, sounds earlier than 1982, more like mid to late 70s,,, it is so close to a classic, just last few songs I think a bit average, but the rest, wow ... Blackberry Wine, Baby Step Back, All I'm Asking,,, those are some of his all-time greats I think,,, just ordered my own vinyl copy FAN-TASTIC !!
I really enjoy Shadows as well. Some fantastic songs. Since releasing these videos I've revisited several albums a lot and Shadows continues to get better with every spin.
@@brettsmusicreviews2641 actually i listened to the last 3 songs of Cold on the Shoulder yesterday and they were pretty strong, so yeah, i picked up copies of both (happened to be in stock) at my local record shop yesterday 👍
Of course 'Sundown" was the only Lightfoot album to get the MFSL treatment: Orginal Master Recording, Half-Speed Master, so its got that going for it, which is nice!
Unsurprisingly, since I did this video, my estimation has gone up. I might still keep Sundown where it is, but with all Gord's albums, the more I listen, the more I appreciate them.
Adding comment as I listen. Endless Wire Agree with ranking. Songs the Minstrel Sang..is the big dud. Gord's Gold...great hits package. Most people started with Lightfoot thru this one. I like the re-records as well. (Prefer CRT original). Flak time. Sundown HAS to be ranked higher than Dream Street Rose. Mobile Fidelity released this one....the album was well recorded. Summertime Dream....Wreck take 1. It is magic. and should have went on Gord's Gold II instead of a remake. Dream Street Rose....Ghosts of Cape Horn is my fave. ODR----Ok with the placement. Great songs. It's Worth Believin' my favorite. Shadows....great LP. I used to rank it higher, maybe I've overplayed it. COTS......Will agree with your rankings overall. (except Sundown). Love the piano based songs here. My wife wasn't a Lightfoot fan either. I had to drag her to the concerts. Not sure I'd start with that one for a noobie tho. The woman on the cover is Jan Stephenson.
I've been listening to his albums for years. Can't believe I just recently listened to Cold On The Shoulder. One of his best for sure. Gord released amazing album after amazing album. Best folk/country discography of all time.
He really did, didn't he? The consistently high standard he held himself to meant there really never was a bad album. I don't think any song from the debut onward was bad. I like some more than others, we all do, but each one was labored over.
I took a course in the Spring of '75 with the promotions director of Warner/Reprise - Nashville. My term paper was a multi-media study of Lightfoot. In it, I demonstrated his significant loss of vocal ability by contrasting Peaceful Waters (from the first album) with A Tree Too Weak to Stand (from the recently released Cold on the Shoulder). My thesis: he needed to lay off the Canadian Club and Chivas and get more sleep. I also observed that The Circle is Small "would have made a good single," a suggestion that was apparently taken to heart when it was rearranged and released as such three years later -- ten years after the original recording.
This is great, part 2 popped on My YT today! Great stuff Brett. I’ve been asked a few times what is My favorite Gord song. Impossible to answer for Me,almost like picking Your favorite child. It would have to be more like My top 20,or so, and most would be the less popular ones, yet golden gems to Me. I’ll let You scratch Your head a bit more on the 53 of 61 trivia! No contest, just fun!
Holy Cow!!!! This has been so interesting and so much different than mine. For me, the tumult and darkness of the time is what makes Sundown such a masterpiece. Same as Blood on the Tracks or Neil's On the Beach. The inclusion of the well placed curse words adds to the impact of the songs and was, I believe, a very intentional move by Gord as he slaved over his songs. 'The Watchman's Gone' holds a special place for me as it was on a mixed tape I made that I listened to relentlessly when I backpacked around as a nomad in my early 20s. I must admit that I'm not too familiar with Shadows, so I can't rank it too high. Otherwise, it is as you say, a matter of taste. Very, very thought provoking video. I've been thinking a lot about Gord lately thanks to you.
8. Dream Street Rose
7. Shadows
6. Gord's Gold
5. Endless Wire (I prefer this version of 'The Circle is Small')
4. Cold on the Shoulder
3. Old Dan's Records
2. Summertime Dream
1. Sundown
There you have it. Cold on the Shoulder is only slightly lower for me because Tony Rice's incredible version of the title song is just unsurpassed. But I can totally see why it's your #1. It is a great, great album and might easily be my #2.
Sundown is so universally acclaimed, so well-loved, that to put it anywhere except the top spot for this time period may be blasphemy for some people. Hopefully you understand why I placed it where I did. According to the site WebMath, there are 40320 combinations of rankings (seems a bit much to me), so theoretically there are that many opinions on how to rank these eight records. My guess is that with his millions of fans, that number (if it is indeed factual) is probably reached. That's what's so fun about these videos, it's just my opinion based on my criteria, and the viewers' opinions are every bit as valid :)
@@brettsmusicreviews2641 That's a lot of possible combinations!! What these videos have done for me is make me go back and listen to all these albums with a keen ear. As you've said, the rankings are fluid and our favourites are often so for sentimental reasons rather than purely objective ones. Case in point being my preference for the Endless Wire version of Circle. It is one of the earliest songs I remember hearing on my mom's radio when I was a very little tyke. I certainly see why you picked Cold on the Shoulder. In many ways, it is the perfect distillation of everything Gord did so well in that period and might even knock Sundown out of top spot for me as I listen more.
Summertime Dream is my favorite Gordon Lightfoot album. Every song on it is a gem.
Since this video was made, I've revisited several of the albums, especially Summertime Dream. I saw Gord perform Too Many Clues In This Room live and it gave me a whole new appreciation.
@@brettsmusicreviews2641 You’re very fortunate to have seen him live. I went to college in Boston from 76-80. I picked up SD when it first came out but missed the concert when Gordon came to town to promote the album. But I just recently came up that full concert here on YT! It was worth the wait.
Another fascinating video Brett! It's so interesting to see how other fans perceive Lightfoot's music and challenges me to listen for things that I might not have considered. Again, I find ranking records of this era extremely difficult, but I will say that I would put Summertime Dream or Sundown at the top of my list for albums from this era. But ask me tomorrow, and that might change! Certainly all are of such high quality that they all deserve at spot at the top! Regardless, this video highlights just how amazing Lightfoot's output was during this period. One small note: Shadows was recorded before Lightfoot quit drinking. He had his last drink in the fall of 1982 and Shadows was recorded and released earlier that year. Keep up the great work! Can't wait to see video #3!
Oh! I saw an interview where I thought he said he that song was among the first he wrote when sober, but it's entirely possible I got it mixed up with another song. Thank you for the correction! This is the kind of discussion I really enjoy - learning new aspects about Gord & his music, and I am happy to be corrected when done positively like you have (I had another extremely rude commenter I had to block).
I really like these videos, Sundown and Cold on the Shoulder are my favorites, I can easily listen to those albums start to finish. Circle of Steel is my favorite Gord song, the vocals, instrumentation, and lyrics in my opinion, are top notch! Closely followed by Seven Island Suite. As someone who lives out in the country, a song about getting out of the rush in the city and getting out into nature just calls to me! My favorite song on the Cold On The Shoulder album used to be The Soul Is A Rock, but that just recently got bumped to #2 by All The Lovely Ladies. Anyway, glad to see I'm not the only one who enjoys music for more than just a catchy chorus!
I'm sorry I missed this comment all those months ago! Thanks for the feedback. I've gone back and listened to Sundown and while it's still not #1 from this time period for me, I appreciate it even more.
RIP GORDON LIGHTFOOT
He probably already hooked up with Terry and Red and is working on another album. Something to look forward to on the flip side is how I look at it. 👍
Very enjoyable video, you are so knowledgeable and your videos are so relaxing to watch.
Thank you very much!!
Wow!!! That was a pleasant surprise listening this second part of the Lightfoot ranking. The way I ranked Gord’s middle period is ‘not’ much different from yours, and I couldn’t disagree with every word you said about the albums. Our rankings covered a lot of common ground, and since you have been looking forward to seeing my ranking and the opinions of others, here’s my ranking Gordon Lightfoot (1972B-1982):
#8. Endless Wire
#7. Dream Street Rose
#6. Gord’s Gold (The original recordings were better)
#5. Summertime Dream
#4. Shadows
#3. Sundown
#2. Old Dan’s Records
#1. Cold On The Shoulder (Our #1 is the same. Yeeee haw!)
And here are my rankings for the two eras combined:
#16. Endless Wire
#15. Dream Street Rose
#14. Gord’s Gold
#13. Summertime Dream
#12. Shadows
#11. Did She Mention My Name
#10. Sit Down Young Stranger
#9. Sunday Concert
#8. Summer Side Of Life
#7. Sundown
#6. The Way I Feel
#5. Don Quixote
#4. Back Here on Earth
#3. Lightfoot
#2. Old Dan’s Records
#1. Cold on The Shoulder
Man that was a lot of fun!!! Gordon Lightfoot is one of the most irreplaceable important people in Canadian Music, and in my opinion, any list that would leave out “all” of these albums in their top 100 Canadian or folk album list is second rate in my opinion. The thing that makes this artist special is the fact that he can sing about a wide variety of subjects ranging from ships, to railroads to nature, to history. Most people sing only about love, and all lot of them don’t even write their own songs. I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you about his later works, and seeing the ranking you come up with for that.
I love seeing how other fans rank his albums! I also think it's cool how many, including you, thoroughly enjoy the United Artists years (I like them more each time I spin them). One of my fellow vinyl-junkies in town always liked Gord but never had much of his work, so I started hunting down the albums for him (the way I obsessively did for myself in the last few years). I'd found The Way I Feel, Did She Mention My Name, and Back Here On Earth awhile ago but the Lightfoot! album had eluded me. I finally found a good copy for a decent price and gave it to him as a birthday present (along with Dream Street Rose, Endless Wire, and Don Quixote found at the same seller). He told me he's taken to Gord's early material more than anything later, and he loves the 70s work!
Cold On The Shoulder tends to be overlooked because it was sandwiched between arguably his most popular albums of the period, records that contained Sundown and Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. It almost doesn't stand a chance compared to those, it's a bit of an underdog album, but yet it's resonated so deeply with me ever since my first spin.
Gord is to Canada as someone like John Prine is to those of us south of the border. Such well-crafted songs yet accessible. Prine never sold the amount of records Gord did, but they're held in a high esteem and even after his passing, he's still gaining fans. Their music is timeless.
I would put Shadows and Summertime Dream into the top 5 and then renumber the rest you have. Like you, I have never been a big fan of Endless Wire. Over-orchestrated and Gord's voice gets lost in the mix. Probably the height of his alcoholism. So glad he stopped his drinking in late 1982.
Some random Lightfoot thoughts:
I get a little irked with Cherokee Bend. It's based on a story set in the Four Corners area. The protagonist is a not a Cherokee, but a Ute. Gord moves the story to Kentucky. Being from Utah, I wish he'd kept it here.
Speaking of Utah, I saw Gord in Utah in 1980. He must have still been drinking, and gotten frustrated with Utah's screwy liquor laws. He made several snide jokes about how all he could get to drink was Dr. Pepper!
In 1983 I was in Washington, heading up to climb Mt. Rainier. I made a quick stop for something or other at a mall, and they were playing Whispers of the North on the music system. Perfect song to have stuck in my head on that epic ice and snow climb! Oddly, I never heard that song again on radio or Muzak, only the many times I played my own copy. My cat used to go into full predator mode when she heard those loons!
From Gord's comments during the five of his concerts that I went to, I think he concurs that he also didn't like the commercial, AOR influence that his label had on him.
A story from the last time I saw him. Way back in the Sixties, Elvis Presley recorded one of Gord's songs, and he was performing in Buffalo, NY. Gord came over the border to hear the performance, and after the concert, tried to get backstage to meet Elvis, and let Elvis meet the guy who wrote one of his songs. But he was met with the classic line from some handler: "Elvis has left the building."
Lastly, I have to disagree with your ranking of Sundown. Angst aside, it's rock-solid musically. (I know it's like quibbling about which is one's favorite Beatle.) But I remember looking at a Rolling Stone's ranking of the supposed greatest albums ever. No Lightfoot! Not even Sundown. (Also no Moody Blues.) I lost all respect for RS that day.
There's a lot to unpack & reply to for your comment and I love that - this is the kind of discussion I genuinely enjoy :)
The geography of Cherokee Bend was lost on me. That rather changes how I hear the song lyrics, now. I honestly had no clue.
Sundown... Since recording this ranking video, I've gone through an awful lot personally. It resonates deeper with me now and, were I to do this ranking again, I might well put it higher. I also gained a whole new appreciation for "The Watchman's Gone" after seeing Gord live in Sept. 2022 (sadly, the only time I saw him in concert - it was pure magic that night). I spin it more now than I used to.
Yep, Gord didn't quit the bottle until a couple years after your experience, and I'm sure it affected how he felt that night. Hopefully he still sang well and the performances were good!
I hadn't heard that story about trying to meet Elvis. That's too bad because Elvis did a very good version of Early Morning Rain, I imagine the conversation would've been amazing.
Whispers of the North... your poor cat! *lol* I love that song. I spin the Salute album more than most other Gord fans, I'd reckon. One of my best friends also has almost all his albums and Salute is pretty well at the bottom for him.
Lastly, Rolling Stone... to hell with them 🤣 I haven't had much use for them in many years. Occasionally I'll flip through it (if I can find it) if there's an artist I like on the cover (VERY rare). You could pick just about any of Gord's albums from the debut through the 70s and it would deserve to be on that list.
Fine As Fine Can Be was written for his daughter Ingrid....puts a different spin on it l guess.... Love your videos... you do it out love for the man and his music... that is very much appreciated.
Really! I didn't know that, it is a different spin but it shows how everything can be up to interpretation, I suppose. Thank you for your kind words :)
Hey Brett! I love this series. Would you ever rank artist like Stan Rogers or John Denver?
Thank you for the kind words! I like John Denver but really only enough to have a couple albums and a hits package. I'm not familiar with Stan Rogers at all, I'll have to look him up :)
Dream Street Rose is my favorite. Shadows was the one before he quit drinking.
Good job again. You sure know your music..
been listening to lightfoot on youtube all week ... Cold on the Shoulder doesn't quite do it for me, but Shadows, wow,,, talk about a smokey, rhythmic, late night album,,, sounds earlier than 1982, more like mid to late 70s,,, it is so close to a classic, just last few songs I think a bit average, but the rest, wow ... Blackberry Wine, Baby Step Back, All I'm Asking,,, those are some of his all-time greats I think,,, just ordered my own vinyl copy FAN-TASTIC !!
I really enjoy Shadows as well. Some fantastic songs. Since releasing these videos I've revisited several albums a lot and Shadows continues to get better with every spin.
@@brettsmusicreviews2641 actually i listened to the last 3 songs of Cold on the Shoulder yesterday and they were pretty strong, so yeah, i picked up copies of both (happened to be in stock) at my local record shop yesterday 👍
Of course 'Sundown" was the only Lightfoot album to get the MFSL treatment: Orginal Master Recording, Half-Speed Master, so its got that going for it, which is nice!
Unsurprisingly, since I did this video, my estimation has gone up. I might still keep Sundown where it is, but with all Gord's albums, the more I listen, the more I appreciate them.
Best albums has to be Donquixote
After that second place has many contenders.
I'd like an album of his misheard unrecorded songs like heaven bound.
I feel the same about the unreleased idea - there were excellent songs released on the Songbook set. There's got to be a lot more available :)
Shadows by far his best albim
Adding comment as I listen.
Endless Wire Agree with ranking. Songs the Minstrel Sang..is the big dud.
Gord's Gold...great hits package. Most people started with Lightfoot thru this one. I like the re-records as well. (Prefer CRT original).
Flak time. Sundown HAS to be ranked higher than Dream Street Rose. Mobile Fidelity released this one....the album was well recorded.
Summertime Dream....Wreck take 1. It is magic. and should have went on Gord's Gold II instead of a remake.
Dream Street Rose....Ghosts of Cape Horn is my fave.
ODR----Ok with the placement. Great songs. It's Worth Believin' my favorite.
Shadows....great LP. I used to rank it higher, maybe I've overplayed it.
COTS......Will agree with your rankings overall. (except Sundown). Love the piano based songs here. My wife wasn't a Lightfoot fan either. I had to drag her to the concerts. Not sure I'd start with that one for a noobie tho. The woman on the cover is Jan Stephenson.