So IS Gord one of the "twinkletoe tumbleweeds"......DISCUSS

[johnfowles]

Interesting terminology in a very opinionated article "Almost Heaven once" on John Denver:-
http://popmatters.com/music/features/images/050923-denverjohn.jpg
in Chicago's "Pop Matters" at:-
http://popmatters.com/music/features/050923-denverjohn.shtml
"Granted there were others like him: Cat Stevens, Gordon Lightfoot, Melissa Manchester, James Taylor - a whole goddamn stormfront of twinkletoe tumbleweeds who wanted to be superstars. But Denver was different"
And later in a section on a JD greatest hits CD reissue
"None of his peers not James Taylor, nor Carole King, not Gordon Lightfoot (but maybe Cat Stevens) could have cobbled together an early collection with this level of tune density."
John Fowles
gonna make it today, i'm
gonna get on my toes

Any way I stub My toe
Any way the tree might bend

[Auburn Annie]

Well since the author didn't elaborate as to what "twinkletoe tumbleweeds" are, exactly, who can say??

Um, I liked some of John Denver's music ("Poems, Prayers and Promises" for one) but I wouldn't class him with the above-mentioned TTs as a songwriter [fair warning: I don't know enough of the former Cat Stevens' work beyond his top hits to comment on his songwriting.] Any number of Carole King's songs are as 'simple' as JD's and her output is/was prolific so by necessity some of them are going to be less than stellar. Here's a list (four, actually) for the years 1959-1969: http://www.spectropop.com/brill/zzkingsonglist1.html#start and http://www.spectropop.com/brill/zzkingsonglist2.html and
http://www.spectropop.com/brill/zzkingsonglist3.html and finally
http://www.spectropop.com/brill/zzkingsonglist4.html

There are many recognizable, more that aren't, and they ain't all pearls but when she's firing on all cylinders (especially with Gerry Goffin) the music is hard to beat.

[johnfowles]

Originally posted by Auburn Annie:
mentioned TTs as a songwriter [fair warning: I don't know enough of the former Cat Stevens' work beyond his top hits to comment on his songwriting. Funny Annie that you have emphasized Cat Stevens (the would be airline terrorist associated with Gordon so memorably last year. as one of my
favo(u)rite recordings of the last year has been Sheryl Crow's "The First Cut Is The deepest"
I was obviously aware of the earlier hit version by the soccer mad Scotsman with the unruly hairdo and sandpaper larynx, but I was surprised yesterday when sorting through some saved mp3s to find that I had a version by the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens.
http://catstevens.com/images/site/layout/catstevens.jpg (http://catstevens.com/discography/songs/00079.html)
Further investigation has revealed that Cat penned that song a fact I was hitherto unaware of
John Fowles
His ability to touch the deepest emotions in just a few lines of poetry is amazing
and
They are all so beautiful...all capture the deepest feelings and experiences of human existance
from just two of the entries on this site
one in the guest book the other in the long running favorites topic

[ September 24, 2005, 16:23: Message edited by: johnfowles ]

[Auburn Annie]

I suspect it's along the lines of "those who can, do; those who can't, (in this case) review those who can." There are wonderful critics and reviewers who do appreciate the artist and his/her performances, songwriting etc. but will also let readers know if the artist had an off night, or conversely, had a spectacular show. I just think there are a handful who take the term "critic" to heart and feel they have to find something wrong to justify their column space. Then again some are simply bilious twerps.