Gordon Lightfoot: Seeds and developments

The lovable encounters us in three forms:

• as an idea,
• as the reflection of an idea in a believer and
• as the longing of a man to honour an idea,
  

and we can use this distinction between ideas, presences and cravers to structure Gordon Lightfoot's work, for he has consciously devoted his albums to specific aspects.

The seeds to all of it can already be found on the collection Beginnings, namely

• to ideas, more precisely promises & paths, in Betty Mae's a Good Time Gal, Spin, Spin and When Spring Was over the Land,
• to presences, more precisely enchantment, in Harbour Le Cou and Too Much to Lose, and
• to cravers, more precisely looking at the light side of life, in Cod Liver Oil, Talking Freight and The General Store, and more precisely weighing memories & destiny, in Echoes of Heroes.
  

From all of these more precise aspects later albums would spring, except for the light side of life, although Did She Mention My Name? falls into a similar category.

The development of ideas

Promises & Paths: Lightfoot!
Dreams: Don Quixote
Reflections: Sundown

All of these albums are very good, but Lightfoot! is the best, followed by Sundown and Don Quixote a close third.

The development of presences

Overwhelmedness: Back Here on Earth
Enchantment: Sit Down Young Stranger
Pity: Endless Wire

Back Here on Earth is the best of these albums, Sit Down Young Stranger a close second and also very good, Endless Wire is only good. The change here is quite natural, the young man looks up, the older takes pity and thus the extraordinary is replaced by the common, although, as I know from personal experience, sometimes extraordinary qualities are the results of pitiable ones.

The development of cravers gone right

(The Light Side of Life: Cod Liver Oil, Talking Freight and The General Store)
Memories & Destiny: The Way I Feel
Inconsequential Memories: Did She Mention My Name?
The Daily Burden & Stoicism: Old Dan's Records
Relief & Affirmation: Dreamstreet Rose

The Way I Feel is the best of the bunch, Did She Mention My Name? comes second, Old Dan's Records is still very good, but Dreamstreet Rose, though better than Endless Wire, only good. Again it's quite natural that young men are full of doubts and quite melodramatic, whereas, when a man reaches 50 years of age, he starts to go easy on himself.

The development of cravers gone wrong

Passion: Summer Side of Life
Vulnerability & Padding: Cold on the Shoulder
Brokenness & Escapism: Summertime Dream

I don't particularly like any of these albums, but they are all good and they all have their glistening songs as well, e.g. Cotton Jenny, All the Lovely Ladies and Spanish Moss.

Shadows is Lightfoot saying good-bye, Salute transitions somewhat awkwardly into '80s pop and East of Midnight surprisingly convincingly composed out of Lightfoot's voice (Anything for Love actually sound like the Love Theme from St. Elmo's Fire: For Just a Moment). Waiting for You returns to saying good-bye, this time not in an accounting way that is awaiting judgment day, but in earthly pain and otherworldly hope. His voice is gone though. And in A Painter Passing Through it actually starts to sound ugly, while the album returns to a stoic and affirmative take on life. Two more albums would follow, but Dreamstreet Rose is Gordon Lightfoot's last real album as an artist.

Postscript from the same day. Before I also lose my voice, I better post this.