Favorite 'Harmony' Song

[Big Blue]

Okay, I really did look through the thread and I didn't see this obvious topic, but I could've missed it. So forgive me if it's been well-covered. Many of you have mentioned in other threads, but I thought it would be nice to condense it into one thread.

Well, so the question of course is, what's your favorite 'Harmony' song and why?

Mine is River of Light. It almost makes me cry. The imagery he invokes is so powerful. 'Nice to be on a river at peace, like a junebug travellin'', makes me imagine the little brown beetle sitting stoicly atop a piece of driftwood, covered in moss, just cruising down the river. And although it sounds silly when broken down, the way it's conveyed in the song makes it so profound. It's just one of the many things that make this CD KICK ASS, but it's something that really struck me and stuck in my heart.

[brink]

I really like the End of All Time. It seems like a true broken heart not knowing where to turn or what to do. Still loving the one that was lost. He sounds very forlorn, real life stuff. Something most of us can relate too.

[DMD3]

This album better be as good as all of you say it is. If it's about love then I'm getting it myself. I just hope my parents don't find out I order stuff off half.com.

[Borderstone]

Ooooooo! DMD3,I'm tellin'!!! DMD2! Mrs. DMD! Guess what?!! http://www.corfid.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Anyhow,Big Blue,I've said it like four or five times in other threads and even on Amazon.com.....my fave is,"End Of All Time". I'll just leave it at that. http://www.corfid.com/ubb/wink.gif Aurevoir! http://www.corfid.com/ubb/cool.gif

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"A knight of the road,going back to a place where he might get warm." ;) - Borderstone

[DMD3]

This topic is a http://www.intense-training.com/forums/images/smilies/dienewbie.gif

[brink]

You are getting to be quite the computer whiz DMD, that was cute.

[stationmaster]

Never got a chance to listen to the album yet. I heard Inspiration Lady on the radio. It sounds great!

[Doug Letcher]

Inspiration Lady.

[BILLW]

I really like playing 'albums' all the way through but the ones I repeat are:

End Of All Time
Harmony
Couchiching

It's great having new stuff, no?

Bill http://www.corfid.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Cathy]

My three favorites:

End Of All Time
Clouds Of Loneliness (I love Bob's classical guitar solo in this one)
Sometimes I Wish.

On Friday morning, I woke up humming the tune to Shellfish. I find it's a song that grows on you after a few listens. And I was sitting front row center at Massey when it was recorded, so I guess it's there is a personal touch involved.

Cathy http://www.cathycowette.com

[SomewhereupinMichigan]

Sue: You and I are on the same wavelength!

quote:Originally posted by ColoradoSue:
My all time faves on this one--in order of preference:

#9--Clouds of Lonliness
#4--No Mistake About It
#11--Sometimes I Wish
#5--End of all time

The first two deserve heavy rotation!!!

#4 is a great bluesy sounding tune...would do well on a blues show or a station w/ a jazz format maybe but I might be stretching it a bit.


[This message has been edited by ColoradoSue (edited May 14, 2004).]



[This message has been edited by SomewhereupinMichigan (edited May 15, 2004).]

[jj]

greetings, to all friends of Lightfoot http://www.corfid.com/ubb/smile.gif

*clouds of loneliness
*shellfish
*end of all time

so self-pleasing (even if not for others within ear shot http://www.corfid.com/ubb/tongue.gif) to noodle along with, although humbly & terribly:-/

you'd think & hope the tunes harmony & inspiration lady should appeal to the masses

i personally experienced a joyous (is that word, or only for use during the yuletide?) rush of adrenelin first time hearing the latter section of EOAT - as the production faded i recalled a very similar sensation so enjoyed when first hearing Dylan's 'series of dreams' ... not entirely or at all certain as to what triggered that flashback other than perhaps the happiness i felt for the artists... also only a few degrees of separation... lanois, grant, doidge, but probably just more coincidental, regardless, certainly quite a moment during first listening

congratulations to Gordon Lightfoot on this achievement

...thanks to heaven, not everything stays down when it's wounded http://www.corfid.com/ubb/smile.gif

[violet Blue Horse]

I kind of wish they hadn't changed the name of No Mistake About It. It is one of those songs I love and don't like. It's right up there with Sundown. I love it because it is so well written and catchy and everyone knows women like that. Hell, I almost wound up related to one. I don't like it because, well, everyone knows women like that. But Like a Raptor would have been just such a cool title for it.

quote:Originally posted by ColoradoSue:
My all time faves on this one--in order of preference:

#9--Clouds of Lonliness
#4--No Mistake About It
#11--Sometimes I Wish
#5--End of all time

The first two deserve heavy rotation!!!

[Bright Side]

Awesome CD...just got it today. What a thrill to have something new after all. Gord sounds great. My fave (so far) is River of Light because it brings back memories of so many extended river trips and he captures the feel of being on the river. Also like Couchiching, Couchiching...heck they're all fantastic. Congrats to Gord.

[dielby]

I just had a chance to hear " Inspiration Lady " and am very pleasantly surprised to see something new from him. The voice is distictive and unchanged over the many years ( sorry ). Glad to hear you again and well done.

[Orillia]

I really think the music in "Sometimes I Wish" is as unique as anything Gordon has ever written. This is the one I have played repeatedly. The others I like are(in order):
No Mistake About It, Clouds of Loneliness", and "Inspiration Lady". ("Couchiching" is about as useful as "Ring-neck Loon"!)This is an excellent album with terrific instrumentals!

[2Much2Lose]

For me, Gord's music has always been somewhat of a comfort and guide through my own personal experiences -- the pain of breaking up, the senselessness of war, the beauty of our world, the importance of music's joy and revelation, and just having fun.

Now that I am on the wrong side of age 50, two songs on this album have that effect on me again -- Shellfish and River of Light. Shellfish, telling of the challenges of life after the primes of our careers, and River of Light as a comfort concerning being relaxed and accepting of our place in the mystical current of life, even as we are further "downstream."

There are a million love songs out there, and Gord has his share, but who else writes with such insight about finding the peace of acceptance in later life?

What wonderful observations, so beautifully expressed! So comforting and optimistic about the future!

I love the rest of the album too, but these two songs will always both haunt me and reassure me.

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"And the laughter came too easy for life to pass me by."

[SomewhereupinMichigan]

quote:Originally posted by ColoradoSue:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by SomewhereupinMichigan:
[B]Sue: You and I are on the same wavelength!

Hey SUIM!

Looks like great minds are thinking alike!

OR...

Is it just the 'Cosmic Glue' working again?

hehehehe
http://www.corfid.com/ubb/wink.gif

Dunno 'bout that "glue" Sue, and your mind may be great but I've lost most of mine!

I woke up this morning with the melody of Clouds of Loneliness running through my head all day and that seems odd since I listened to the entire CD once through yesterday. So no particular reason that Clouds should be in my head today...except that it clearly is the favored tune of all.

[seahawk11]

Couchiching!!!

Awww...just kidding.

It's 'END OF ALL TIME'...by far and away his best song since 'Restless'...IMHO...

[Bright Side]

BTW...woke up at 4am today (not on purpose) so got up and set the new Harmony cd on random/repeat and listened for 4 hours. Decided to bake bread and while mesmerized by ..."she moves like a raptor"...knocked the bread machine and fixins onto the floor. What a mess--can't say I move anywhere near as graceful as a raptor. So happy to have this new fix of Gord just in time to help with some difficult times.

[Borderstone]

What's wrong with,"Couchiching"? (Besides the fact that it's title makes me think of sitting on a rather unpleasant sofa?? http://www.corfid.com/ubb/biggrin.gif )

Out of the 11 songs on the CD,I'd say it's my 10th favorite. 11th being,"Flyin' Blind". Just my opinion and taste folks,it's nothing personal. As we know,I like the whole CD and it really was a bit tough to make a popularity list in my head.

"Time",is tops of course followed by,"River" but 3 through 9,I'm still thinking! Mainly,I go by which one's have so far stuck in my head the most. I'll put the rest here later.
Been me,Aurevoir! http://www.corfid.com/ubb/cool.gif

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"A knight of the road,going back to a place where he might get warm." ;) - Borderstone

[Wes Steele]

Don't laugh...

Heard GL say at a concert that he likes WEIRD songs..."If its weird, I LIKE IT!" He was talking about Sea of Tranquility...

Well, my favorite song so far on Harmony is "No Hotel" (weird)...Laughed when I read the words, and I just LOVE the melody. I have been traveling too much lately and I stayed at a "No Hotel" in upstate New York a few years ago.

I like the way he explains the song...arrive at 4 AM, etc... Just hit home.. Have done it more than a few times.

2nd Favorite is "Inspiration Lady"...this one SHOULD get airplay but in our very STUPID sellfish world, I doubt if it will happen. Doubt if any off this album will get airplay.

Wes

[searam]

Clouds of Lonliness - another one of Gord's hauntingly beautiful works.
Inspiration Lady - a "hit" that is taking the music community by storm!
Sean

[Auburn Annie]

quote:Originally posted by Wes Steele:
Don't laugh...

Heard GL say at a concert that he likes WEIRD songs..."If its weird, I LIKE IT!" He was talking about Sea of Tranquility...

Well, my favorite song so far on Harmony is "No Hotel" (weird)...Laughed when I read the words, and I just LOVE the melody. I have been traveling too much lately and I stayed at a "No Hotel" in upstate New York a few years ago.
<snip>

Wes

Ooh, Wes, where in Upstate New York? Strictly speaking I'm from Central New York, but having gone to college in Westchester County I got used to the idea that everything north of there (or maybe Sullivan County) was referred to by residents of the five boroughs and surrounding counties as "upstate." They generally meant along the Hudson, not the Canadian border.

[Wes Steele]

Annie, should have said the Catskills. Round Top, New York to be exact, near Cairo. About 60 miles south of Albany.

My two older kids were with me and they laugh when they hear the song also because it reminds them of that "quaint" "NoHotel.

[GJA]

Flying Blind is my favorite so far but I just got it yesterday (had to order it because I knew it would be hard to find close to home) and put it on my new CD player and love it.

[superiorsings]

I haven't heard it all yet but so far I like The No Hotel and Couchiching, and No Mistake About It, all catchy. Cou. mostly because he mentions Orillia, and the tune just sticks in my head! Doesn't it drive you nuts? http://www.corfid.com/ubb/smile.gif I think Gordon just likes singing that name! The introspective songs take awhile to grow on me. Listen to the bass on the No Hotel, that'll stick with you too like the bass in Whispers of the North. I LOVE that he just has the band and no over-instrumentation. Sounds SO great!

[Next Saturday]

I think "No Hotel" has some Stephen Sondheim-like qualities...it's got a mysterious thread running through it reminding me of some of the music in "Sweeney Todd". It's a great little tune!

[johnfowles]

quote:Originally posted by violet Blue Horse:
I kind of wish they hadn't changed the name of No Mistake About It.

I have a theory about the renaming of "Like a Raptor"
As originally laid out the CD contents read
"Flying Blind Like a Raptor"
I reckon somebody must have got nervous about upsetting the US Air Force
over their spanking new fighter
F/A-22 Raptor-The Site of the 21st Century Fighter! <A HREF="http://www.f22fighter.com/" TARGET=_blank>
http://www.jetplanes.co.uk/pictures/f22/raptor.jpg http://www.f22fighter.com/ (http://www.f22fighter.com/</A>)[/url]
http://www.f22fighter.com/f22animated1.gif

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My Gordon Lightfoot webring
starts at
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot

[This message has been edited by johnfowles (edited May 19, 2004).]

[Gaby]

Oh, John! - I love it!
You have just made my day!
ROTFLOLCHAWMP

[stationmaster]

Inspiration Lady
Harmony
Sometimes I Wish

***They're All Great***

[BendRick]

It's the odd songs on this CD that are my favorites. They keep going through my head, and I sing them out loud. They are Flying Blind, No Hotel and Couchiching. I'm still trying to figure out the point of Flying Blind,it's a strange tune that stays in your head.A very odd song. Couchiching is like Yonge Street, in a way, Gord's Chamber of Commerce message about where he lives.

[Brian 57]

In no particular order:

End of All Time
River of Light
Clouds of Loneliness

...and the rest of the songs on the album, actually.

[superiorsings]

I still like Couchiching because it's different! But all these years, I thought Orillia was on Lake Simcoe...the maps around here sometimes don't mention it, it looks like an arm of Simcoe rather than a separate lake. (oh really?ya!) It is indeed droning and hypnotic, and Gord very nearly "did his final number by Lake Couchiching." Weird!! Glad he mentioned the name of his hometown finally. I like every song on this CD.

[joestallion]

"The End of All Time" is great... but THE NO HOTEL is the best song on this album!!! It is just a fun song with a great rhythm! Kind of like "Canary Yellow Canoe"... a very basic song with humor and a great beat that you just don't get tired of listening to. And besides that, it is a song we can relate to, because all of us have stayed in a total dive at some point in our lives. Every time I hear the song, I think of a night in Edmonton... long story...

[violet Blue Horse]

Berkely California about four years ago *shudders*. And the hotel stay was preceeded by the flight from hell out of L.A. that took three hours. Yeah, I know, Oakland and L.A. aren't THAT far apart. Tell it to United.

Yes, I can relate.

quote:Originally posted by joestallion:
[B And besides that, it is a song we can relate to, because all of us have stayed in a total dive at some point in our lives. Every time I hear the song, I think of a night in Edmonton... long story...[/B]

[Swede]

My current favourites in order of preference are:

1. Shellfish

2. Clouds of Loneliness

3. Inspiration Lady

[Mary Ann]

Clouds of Loneliness
Harmony
Couchinching

Also No Hotel and Shellfish but didn't factor them into the running since I heard them in concert previously.

[MistyMoppens]

From the CD "Harmony" the only song I like, even a little bit, is
"Harmony"... But I always automatically envision an old organ grinder on a street corner with his little monkey (throwing his poop at passers by)..... WHAT IS THAT??? An accordion?

But the song, itself, is kind of sweet but sad. He sounds like a lonely old man which he my have been at that point. So that's sad. I also don't like APPT or WFY at all.

[paskatefan]

Clouds of Loneliness
Inspiration Lady
The No Hotel

Gail

[Dave, Melbourne,Australia]

1. End Of All Time
2. Clouds Of Loneliness
3. River Of Light

A big thank-you to those of you who have been resurrecting such interesting threads from before 2008 when I discovered the Corfid website.

I am looking forward to buying Gord's new album "Solo" and Richard Harison's book "Once upon a Red Eye: Life on the Road with Gordon Lightfoot" once the non-essential retail stores reopen after this coronavirus pandemic.

[Martyn Miles]

My favourite song from the ‘Harmony’ CD is ‘Clouds of Loneliness’, but
‘Sometimes I Wish’ runs it a close second.

As an aside, I prefer ‘Harmony’ to ‘A Painter Passing By.’
I feel the songs are stronger overall.
Harmony’ is certainly played more often than ‘Painter.’

[Mike Dixon]

Never liked the CD at all. But waiting for you was his last REALLY good release

[MistyMoppens]

A big thank-you to those of you who have been resurrecting such interesting threads from before 2008 when I discovered the Corfid website.

David, I originally began here in mid 2000. I'll see if I can find some of the fun topics we had. It was such a fun group!

[Martyn Miles]

Never liked the CD at all. But waiting for you was his last REALLY good release
I think they’re about equal.

It’s ‘Painter’ that has more duff songs on it, in my opinion.
Doesn’t get played much...

[Mike Dixon]

Definitely"Painter" was very poor. Regrettably, his best is decades behind him

[MistyMoppens]

I'm going to have to give "Clouds of Loneliness" another listen. Everyone else seems to love that one!

[Kelly Davis]

River Of Light


Kelly Davis