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Gordon Lightfoot - Gord's Gold, Vol. 2 Audio CD

A fair review of the Gordon Lightfoot "Gord's Gold, Vol. 2" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Gordon Lightfoot reviews here, or go back to the Gordon Lightfoot tabs.

Gordon Lightfoot Band: Gordon Lightfoot
Title: Gord's Gold, Vol. 2
Rating:
Release Date: 1990-10-25
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: If It Should Please You 2: Endless Wire 3: Hangdog Hotel Room 4: I'm Not Supposed to Care 5: High and Dry 6: Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald 7: Pony Man 8: Race Among the Ruins 9: Christian Island (Georgian Bay) 10: All the Lovely Ladies 11: Alberta Bound 12: Cherokee Bend 13: Triangle 14: Shadows 15: Make Way for the Lady 16: Ghosts of Cape Horn 17: Baby Step Back 18: It's Worth Believin'

I LOVE it!
Since I was a teen in the early days of folk music, this has been the style of music I have loved the most my whole life. I have been a Lightfoot fan for decades. I enjoyed the songs I already knew on this album, but when the CD was stolen I re-bought it for the lesser known cuts: High and Dry, and Pony Man. They make my heart sing! Having Christian Island, Alberta Bound and Cherokee Bend there also just make it that much better. I have always prefered studio versions to live. I am sure there are others who agree!.


Gord's Gold Vol. 2 Misses a Golden Opportunity
There wasn't much embellishment in his songs: like a true folk singer, Lightfoot let the song tell the story without making the instruments and production the main focus. In the early 70's, few Canadians could boast the success that Gordon Lightfoot attained simply by being a simple singer. 'Gord's Gold Vol. 1' is truly one of the great folk/pop masterpiece compilations of the 70's. It is a must have. I have never put this cd or album on and had someone ask me to take it off. Usually conversation stops and everyone is sucked into the beautiful mood and timber of his baritone voice.

Here comes Volume 2. It is a reworked 1988 version of his earlier 70's songs. Nowhere on the outside of the inserts tells the buyer BEWARE! these are not the original versions! I can just imagine the horror of someone wanting the 45 version of 'The Wreck of the Edmund Fitgerald' and hearing this live, semi-unplugged version delivered in a semi-bland manner. In today's music world: this would be a second disc in a 'Deluxe Anthology' or a bonus disc, or would come out packaged as Alternative-Lightfoot. But when this came out in 1988, Warner Brothers slipped us a Mickey.

All in all, it's great music, but not delivered greatly. Lightfoot likes to play live, and that was the aim here, but it misses. Not only is the recording fairly flat in fidelity, it lacks the imspiration of a live audience, and Lightfoot played to an audience of one in the studio.

So buyer beware: this album is classic 'bait and switch' by the Warner Brothers Label and Lightfoot is the fall guy.

But!!! wait. . . . on this cd are songs that are essential: The Pony Man, Race Among the Ruins, Cherokee Bend; Edmund Fitgerald & I'm Not Supposed to Care. All superb songs, but NOT the original versions and not as inspired.


More tin than gold
Except for a couple of tunes, the music itself lacks depth and interest. This second helping of Gordon Lightfoot's "gold" is a tepid follow-up to his phenomenal first album of hits and songs. The production is overly-synthesized, masking Lightfoot's best assets -- his soulful voice, the poetry of his stories and the rugged clank of his folk guitar. His forays into blues and standard country-rock are mistakes. There are tunes that are so heavily reverbed that it sounds like you're listening to a performance from an echoey hallway. The album's hits -- "The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald" and "Alberta Bound" -- are not Gordon's greatest. "Wreck" is good, but it's one of the few times I would have preferred the radio version than the reworked one. This second-rate material just begs to be recorded live, with Lightfoot propping up the weaker material with intros and applause.

Recommended only for Gordon's biggest fans. The rest of us can download the 2-3 good tunes from iTunes or wherever.


It's Good to Hear Gord Again!
I must have played them so much that I have memorized the lyrics to most of the songs. I can remember my old Gordon Lightfoot records. It's good to be able to play these songs in my car now! I wish they would have kept the original arrangements of "The Wreck of the Edmond Ftizgerald" and "High and Dry. " But, overall, this is a good CD to have handy. If you combine this with the first Gord's Gold album, then you can drive a long time listening to and remembering Gord! .


Poor production qualtiy
If you love Gordon Lightfoot's music, and I do, just get the original recordings. I ordered this and listened - and in a rare move for me - sent it back to Amazon. They're all on CD now.

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You can see a complete list of all Gordon Lightfoot discography, or go back to the Gordon Lightfoot tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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