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February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | Poking around his website a few weeks ago, looking at his schedule...the thought occurred to me we should go see him. After all, we've been listening to him all our lives it seems. We're only 4 hours from Toronto. Like us, he isn't getting any younger (he's 67). So called Massey Hall (110 years old!) and got tickets.
I spent the next few weeks priming the pump. Listened to Gord's Gold a bunch of times. Got a few more songs off i-tunes.
Well... I'm glad I got to see Gordon Lightfoot, but the experience wasn't exactly what I expected. I figured it would be just him on the stage, but he had his long-time drummer, bass player and lead guitarist. Also a keyboard player who looked a bit too young to be an old friend, but I could be wrong.
I hate to say it but if I closed my eyes I would have thought it was someone else singing Gordon Lightfoot songs. The poor man's voice is gone. He forgot some lines and mumbled through them. He seemed to have plenty of energy, but he and the others seemed like they had played these songs 50 million times. I don't mean to be the least irreverant toward this man who's music brings tears to my eyes as the memories wash over me. It's just that this was painful for me to watch.
A couple of moments swept me(and everyone else) away: Canadian Railroad Trilogy, Old Dan's Records.
His guitars were iconic for him, but they were bad. His Gibson 12 string and I think a Martin 6. He strummed without authority while his lead guy did an OK job handling anything the least complex.
On the way home I commented to Maryanne that if I didn't have to work to pay the bills, and I had fallen so far from my prime, I would play small venues by myself from time to time and...stay at home with my family and rest.
I'm sorry...I really, really don't want to be mean about ANY of this. And I know I myself am aging badly. It was just a painful evening for me. I'm still glad I can say I saw Gordon Lightfoot on his home turf.
John <>{ |
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March 2004
Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | Hey John, I know exactly how you feel. I'm 48 and I grew up, it seems my whole life, listening to Gordon Lightfoot. Never bought, or had to buy any of his albums because he could always be found on the radio. That is until last year when I bought a bunch of his CDs.
I don't think he could have come along at any other point in time and been as successful as he has been, but there is a timeless factor to his music that will always survive.
I'm actually quite amazed that he's 67. And that he is still performing at all. I don't think you're being mean at all. There's alot of artists much younger than him that should still be able to perform to their best but don't. At 67 I'm sure he's better than most will ever be able to do at that age. It's sad to see time march on so relentlessly, but I'd have gone to see him. I'm glad you got to. |
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November 2002
Posts: 1300
Location: Madison, Wisconsin | I saw him in the early '70's at Clowes Hall in Indianapolis and he was really good. All by himslef if I remember right. Early Morning Rain was one of the first songs I ever learned. |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Sorry to hear about ol' Gordon sounding poorly. Too bad. I've always liked his music. I'm trying to learn a couple of his songs. But maybe he should just play small venues.
I saw Joan Baez many years ago, in a converted movie theater. No band, just her and an A/E guitar. Once you hit an age where most of your audience is a tad older, I think it is wise to stay small and intimate. |
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August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | As a freshman at Univ of Oregon, one of my roommates (one of the many from California) brought up his first album.
My roommate did a pretty good job with his Gibson 12-str. Lightfoot is probably why the first guitar I bought was a 12-string. Went to several of his concerts in Portland. Still play a fair number of his early songs...to include A Minor Ballad, Affair on 8th Avenue, Approaching Lavender, If You Could Read My Mind, Don Quixote, The Way I Feel, Canadian Railroad Trilogy, Changes (Ochs), Early Morning Rain (Lightfoot and PP&M versions), For Lovin' Me, Ghosts of Cape Horn, Home From The Forest, Pussy Willows Cat Tails, Song For A Winter's Night, Edmund Fitzgerald, Love's Return, etc. Problem is that now I have to have a cheat sheet to remember.
He was and is a very prolific writer and performer. |
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November 2002
Posts: 3614
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Ah yes, "Age & Gravity". Inescapable, sometimes cruel. Had to see BB King about 3 years ago, when he played a local venue. About 1500 in attendance. Sat down through the whole show, of about 45 minutes. Still had the chops, just not the stamina. Gave away a Lucille copy, though- pretty cool.
Piggybacking the prior comments, "Imitation is the ultimate form of flattery." Hell, I can't even do a decent Neil Young "Cowgirl". |
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March 2004
Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | Learning 'Sundown', as a self-taught mostly three fingered player, has really helped me become a better player. It's a good excercise for teaching dexterity and independence between the ring and little fingers. One of these days I will own a 12-string. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | I've always liked Lightfoot and still do a few of his tunes. Almost went to see him a year or so ago when he was out here. The next day, the reviewer in the paper said that unless you were a fan, everything he did sounded the same..... probably some truth in that.
But even then, some of his tunes are just wonderful. I can play the 2 tunes "Beautiful" and "The Last Time I Saw Her Face" on the guitar, but don't really have the voice to do them justice. |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | BHB,
You're not the first to experience this. I'm a GL fan...but won't pay another dime to see him live again these days. |
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July 2002
Posts: 1900
| I guess age is relative. Gordon Lightfoot is 67 and struggling, while Glen Campbell is 70 and still plays like a champ with plenty of vocals left..go figure.. (I'm only 52 but I do struggle some to maintain my stamina.) |
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July 2004
Posts: 812
Location: Hicksville, NY | I haven't had the opportunity to see Gordon Lightfoot live. To be able to still do it at 67, even though most of his voice and abilities from the past may no longer be there, it should still be noteworthy (in some form or another) IMHO.
A couple years back, I had the chance to see Gato Barbieri perform live at the Blue Note. He was about 75 years old (I think) at that time. While the "sound" that I used to hear from him may not be there, I was impressed that he could still make that baritone (maybe tenor?) saxophone sing. And everytime he said the word "hey!" on the microphone was annoying at times, he still managed to give a good performance.
One year later, I saw the "man in the hat" himself, Chuck Mangione. He may be aging, but he still made great melodies with that trumpet. I also managed to get his autograph at the end of the show. :)
Like everyone else, great musicians do not stay young. Unfortunately, their once "great" abilities also diminishes with age. Since most can still be able to perform before a live audience, given their old age, I'd rather just take a step back and enjoy the music.
It just MIGHT be the last time people will get to see him/her/them perform live ... |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Age may or may not matter... GL was dismal. then again, I saw Willie Dixion (at the Chestnut Caberat... when he was was already dead, I think) and he was fanfreakin'tastic.... |
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June 2006
Posts: 29
Location: Port Angeles, WA | Gord was one of my early influences and along with Jim McGuinn compelled me to buy a 12 string as my first acoustic guitar. I don't want to be his apologist, but Gord's health has been a problem for many years. He's suffered from Bell's Palsy for decades and in more recent years has been near death on several occasions from strokes.
According to one review of the concert mentioned at Massey Hall, Gord suffered a transient stroke back in September during a practice causing him to lose the use of several fingers, obviously affecting his playing.
I heard a few cuts of his most recent CD on the CBC last fall, and I was shocked to hear how his singing voice had deteriorated.
I still listen to his early stuff, and enjoy the contribution he has made. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12758
Location: Boise, Idaho | Saw Gord live a couple times in the 80s. Played and sang Beautiful at our wedding. Last night my wife asked if I still remembered it. I don't think I ever did it right. |
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Posts: 25
Location: Kirkland, WA | I had a similar experience at a recent Glenn Yarborough concert. Glenn could not remember the lyrics to his songs-using a giant plasma telepromptor sitting next to stage monitors to help with the words, asked his backing band how some songs started, told a story about the Limelighters only to realize the next song in the set was not a Limelighter song and told another different story leading into the next song. His voice was at times steady and then failed him. He was open about his passion for sailing and many marrages and drinking. In the end he is long past his prime but his stories remind us that he was a guy that lived by his own rules and has enjoyed every moment. He covered a lot of material and save his big hit for the end. Just before singing Baby The Rain Must Fall, he explained that when he was approached to sing the song he rejected the song, but after seeing a rough cut of the film he agreed and as a result was paid enough money to go off on another sailing adventure and have his biggest hit. |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | This age thing works differently on all of us. Glen's still got it. Sorry to hear Gordo's not. I recently saw a Neil Diamond concert filmed in Europe somewhere and he should definately hang it up. Saw Dave Mason and Joe Cocker and they're past it too. The worst was Brian Wilson at NAMM this year, it was outright embarresing it was so bad, left after 3 tunes.
I guess getting old is just a bitch no matter how you do it. |
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Posts: 10582
Location: NJ | I saw gordon at the academy of music in philly in about 1978 got stood up by a hottie in my summer school class some lame excuse about not having someone to look after her dog or washing her hair or something.
anyway it was a great show. a canadian woman classical guitarist opened up and she was wonderful.
gordon did all the favs and it was great.
I saw brian wilson a few years back at namm and cwk is right he was embarassing. |
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Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | Back to me.
I just saw a DVD on Amazon of Gordon Lightfoot's Greatest Hits. The cover is a picture of him and the band...same exact setup we saw, all the guys and their stuff in exactly the same place. Looks like Massey Hall too. For $20 I'm tempted to get it...sort of a souvenir.
Now that a few days have passed I've had a chance to read about the details of his recent health struggles and his push to stay in the game. I realized also that ALL the music I listened to leading up to the concert was 30 years old or more. It was tough to see him like he is now, but I'm glad I went.
This is also the first outing I've had since early Sept. when I came down with a very painful hip problem which has made it impossible to sit. I spent the trip there and back reclined in the passenger seat while my wife drove. I couldn't sit in my seat at the hall either. I had called ahead and arranged to stand near my seat against the wall for the duration of the show. All the while on Percocet and in a lot of pain. This is how my life has been for 2 1/2 months.
I guess maybe watching Gordon age and experiencing the same thing myself, it was too much reality for one night.
John <>{ |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Sorry to hear about your hip, John. Don't know what stage it's at but my dad's had both replaced and it's the best thing he's done for himself in a long time. Best thoughts your way. |
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Location: Nova Scotia, Canada | You are right about Gordo's health problems...he almost died a couple of years ago from an aneurism(?) and was in the hospital for months.
Al, the Canadian classical guitarist you refer to was probably Liona Boyd .
Sorry to hear about the hip, John, it doesn't sound like a lot of fun.
Wayne |
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December 2001
Posts: 10582
Location: NJ | Originally posted by Bluebird:
Al, the Canadian classical guitarist you refer to was probably Liona Boyd .
Wayne
that was her. all I remember was some bim standing me up for the show, me sitting there with some guy and a hottie on stage playing classical.
what a nightmare.... |
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May 2004
Posts: 338
Location: Toronto | I've seen Gordie once in the past couple of years and indeed his health issues (IB I think) have really done a number... But he is a Canadian Icon and will always be able to fill Massey Hall no matter how tire he gets...
The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald was one of the first songs I learned how to play... |
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July 2002
Posts: 1900
| ..."Glen's still got it.."
Maybe, but did anyone else notice he was using a teleprompter at the South Dakota concert he released on VHS?. I saw it briefly at least once near the end of the show. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Nothing strange about using a teleprompter. How many of you have your music open in front of you on stands when you gig, for reference?
I was watching on youtube, Bobby Darin doing Somewhere Beyond The Sea, and when the camera was behind him, you could see a guy with cue cards.... |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Forgetting words or using prompts I understand... especially with artists who have a large body of work...
it's when the voice and the ability to arrange and play well go, that artists really should retire from paid performing. Many artists seem to age well and develop a style that suits their aging/maturation (... I said "maturation")... Think: Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, Koko Taylor, Chet Atkins, the Stones etc ... great performers when old as the hills... the "Brian Wilson" syndrom just obscures your legacy... Though, I guess I can't fault him if he makes a living doing two shows a night in some second rate casino for the meal-voucher crowd coming in on tour buses... |
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Gordon Lightfoot last night in Toronto
