Listen Up: Classic Artist of the Week • Page 8

We also need a week for a jazz artist miles might be a good one

 

I try to at least go through the crash course a couple of times, usually don't have that much time for music per week though

 

I was actually planning on one and then Prince and Hag died and it shifted my initial plan. We'll have one soon though and I will probably consult with you when I do it, if that's cool.

 

sounds good

 

Gordon Lightfoot

He began his career as a widely-covered, moderately- acclaimed folkie and 8 years and 10 albums later ended up as a platinum-selling star. The amazing part: he never really stopped just making his kind of music, before or after stardom. His writing stayed simple, his subjects stayed the same and his froggy croon never really altered. He may not carry too much hype anymore, but no less than Robbie Robertson called him “a national treasure” and Bob Dylan once said “I can’t think of any Gordon Lightfoot song I don’t like. Every time I hear a song of his, it’s like I wish it would last forever” among other compliments ( Influenced By Gordon Lightfoot ).

Recommended Listen:
Sundown

Crash Course:
1. Sundown
2. Shadows
3. Summertime Dream

Compilation Replacement:
Gord’s Gold

Signature Songs:
1. “If You Could Read My Mind”
2. “Canadian Railroad Trilogy”
3. “Sundown”
4. “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”
5. “Shadows”

Personal Note:
Full confession: I picked him this week because I just saw him in concert for the first time last week, but he was in my plans already. Kind of hoping the name-drop from Pianos Become the Teeth might mean people were curious. In the name of objectivity, I didn’t pick my favorite Lightfoot album (Shadows) as the recommended listen, because there just seems to be too clear a consensus in favor of Sundown. I also left out favorites like “In My Fashion”, or “I’m Not Supposed to Care” in the songs, but there’s a lot of gold to find as you keep listening. He was exceptionally consistent in releasing albums that were rarely wall-to-wall knockouts, but were always high-quality and had a fistful of songs you could class among his best.

 

Whoa. I've actually never heard of this artist in my entire life.

 

My dad loves Lightfoot, so I've heard a fair bit of his stuff, but I've never done a true deep dive before. This'll be fun.

 

That kind of makes me happy. I absolutely want this, over time, to hit artists everyone has heard something from (sup, Prince?) and ones they had no clue about.

 

It's totally cool to hear about music that's been around for a while but I've never heard of. It's crazy to think of just how much music there is out there and we will never consume even half of it! I'm trying so hard to keep up with this but..you know..life. Definitely, definitely jumping on this one.

 

I've heard of him, but have never heard his songs.

 

Hah I try to lie to myself and say I have time to hear and read and watch everything some day. Keeps me exploring and learning.

And no pressure on keeping up or not. That's not what this is about. If you have a tough week, peep the signature songs on Spotify and move on. Or skip the week. Whatever you have to do, kid!

 

Cool! I think I've heard like two songs of his on mixes of Chris', but never heard an album. I think I know what sort of thing to expect, but look forward to actually listening to more of his music.

 

He has millions of plays on Spotify..what the hell?! I should have heard of him.

 

You may have heard "If You Could Read My Mind" or "Wreck of the Edmund Firtzgerald" without realizing it

 

Will really try my best to get to this one but its gonna be a brutal week. I'm here all summer though.

Would like to mention Labi Siffre, who I recently discovered, and think would be good

 

The one album I've heard from him is all kinds of good

 

Yeah I've just heard The Singer and the Song so far but it's incredible. Just pure songwriting

 

love it. has a ton of respect from his peers too, Dylan is documented as a huge fan

 

I always wanted to dive in. That's awesome that he is still touring. How was it?

 

Once we get moving on the artist, we usually move discussion to their thread, but he was someone I'm really glad I've seen. The stroke definitely has left him without much voice left but he still has the gravitas. He's still got the songs and the banter and you just know you're in the presence of a legend, even if his powers are a bit reduced

 

I've heard "Wreck of the Edmund Firtzgerald" a million times, mainly because, growing up in Minnesota and camping up near Lake Superior/Duluth every summer since I was a kid (29 now), my family would listen to that song all the time. The Edmund Fitzgerald ship set sail from Duluth on it's last voyage, sinking near the eastern end of the lake. Every time I hear that song now, it brings up lots of memories from my time up in Duluth with family; such a signature guitar sound in that track

 

I never remember to post the artist's thread link in here. Duh.

Gordon Lightfoot • forum.chorus.fm

 

Otis Redding

He was one of the seminal voices of soul music, despite the fact that he only really had five years before his tragic death. Otis's pleading, desperate quality in his voice was a benchmark that singers have been chasing and failing to reach for 50 years. As a songwriter (his most underrated talent), he wrote stone-cold classics like "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay)" and "Respect". And lest anyone say he couldn't bring it live, his live records and especially his performance on Monterey Pop will shut you up quickly. His friend and collaborator (and legend in his own right) Steve Cropper once said of him "When you hear something that's better than anything you ever heard, you know it", and it's hard not to agree when you hear him sing.

Recommended Listen:
Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul

Crash Course:
1. Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul
2. Complete and Unbeievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul
3. The Dock of the Bay

Compilation Replacement:
Dreams to Remember: The Otis Redding Anthology

Signature Songs:
1. These Arms of Mine
2. I've Been Loving You Too Long
3. I Can't Turn You Loose
4. Try a Little Tenderness
5. (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay

Personal Note:
I could have gone Live in Europe, which is awesome, or The Soul Album which is more consistent over The Dock of the Bay, which is a posthumous album put together mostly from cuts he had lying around, but some of the songs on that just have to be something you hear if you only catch a little bit of Otis.

 

This is my main man! I don't fuck with you if you don't like his music. Fellow Georgian and Sitting On the Dock of the Bay is such a great song.

 

What a great thread!

I would like to suggest an artist if I may? The one and only Eric Clapton....Throw some Cream in there too if you want. Just a thought.