I'm wearing my flak jacket, so here's the list of songs I skip over for whatever reason (I'm such a huge fan that maybe I've heard them too many times):

Baby Step Back
Make Way for the Lady
Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (sorry folks, but like Warren Zevon's 'Werewolves of London', it's one of those 'career' songs that just HAS to be played at every show)
Ode to Big Blue
Cherokee Bend
Endless Wire
Whispers of the North
On Yonge Street
And, yes...that "Canary Yellow Canoe" song.

Well, his worst song is still better than my best because my best hasn't been written yet. Mainly because I haven't written any. But there is a song I can certainly say is not my favorite-- My Pony Won't Go. (It sounds like it went, but in a different sense of the term)

Hello everyone..have been away from the web page for sometime for one reason or another and realize how much I missed it. Now, must agree with Kevin, Black Day in July is one that is usually skipped over, puts me in a "black" mood. On the other hand, SUNDOWN has the best intro and just yesterday in my car I replayed it over and over. Can't imagine what people thought seeing me in my car moving to the music. GL will be in PA three times in the next few months and I am so disappointed I won't make any of the shows.

Hello everyone..have been away from the web page for sometime for one reason or another and realize how much I missed it. Now, must agree with Kevin, Black Day in July is one that is usually skipped over, puts me in a "black" mood. On the other hand, SUNDOWN has the best intro and just yesterday in my car I replayed it over and over. Can't imagine what people thought seeing me in my car moving to the music. GL will be in PA three times in the next few months and I am so disappointed I won't make any of the shows.

Any of the tunes where rhymes are forced to sound pastoral and folkie (Wild Strawberries, Canary Yellow...). Best tunes have strong melody and conversational lyrics (Don Quixote - although very good as poetry, Sundown, even Dream Street Rose - a very under appreciated tune).

"Canary Yellow Canoe" does it for me. I usually love anything he does, though.

"Canary Yellow Canoe" does it for me. I usually love anything he does, though.

sorry, restless, but i strongly disagree with "rainbow trout" as a skip-worthy song. it is simple but has a cute, underlying story to it. it's not meant to be epic.
among my least favorites:

baby step back
ringneck loon
canary yellow canoe
cold on the shoulder (sometimes)

*Also, watchman, i totally agree with your summary of the time factor; it really can change one's perception of a song.

sorry, restless, but i strongly disagree with "rainbow trout" as a skip-worthy song. it is simple but has a cute, underlying story to it. it's not meant to be epic.
among my least favorites:

baby step back
ringneck loon
canary yellow canoe
cold on the shoulder (sometimes)

*Also, watchman, i totally agree with your summary of the time factor; it really can change one's perception of a song.

i don't understand why most say that canary yellow canoe is one of his worst songs. It's simple, catchy and probabaly recorded in the name of fun!
I like it. Anyone else?

Not to disagree with my newly met old friend,lavender, but I think the song is kind of fun.
Bill

While I share the views of many here, my vote for Lightfoot's worst all-time released song is "I'd Do It Again," which is not only bad in itself, but bad in how it nearly ruins a great album side (for those of us who remember vinyl).

Other clunkers on my list are:

I Want to Hear it From You
Don't Beat Me Down
Cold Hands from New York
If There's a Reason
Canary Yellow Canoe (which is mere curiosity piece, IMO)

For worst title cut, my clunker is "Salute."

Other songs I often skip are

Summer Side of Life
Salute
My Pony Won't Go
The Soul is the Rock
Cherokee Bend
Welcome to Try.

I'm not sayin' these are not good or interesting songs, but generally they are just not my cuppa tea. Oddly enough, I love the way the last chords of "My Pony Wont Go" lead into "It's Worth Believing."

Concerning the songs listed by others above, my strongest disagreement is with "Slide On Over," which may be the most danceable song Gord ever wrote (there's an interesting thread I think I'll start). It's packed full of testosterone too. LOL

I like "Cobwebs and Dust," although I agree that it's a weaker song. I'm not too fond of "Black Day in July" but that's primarily because the subject is somewhat dated.


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

While I share the views of many here, my vote for Lightfoot's worst all-time released song is "I'd Do It Again," which is not only bad in itself, but bad in how it nearly ruins a great album side (for those of us who remember vinyl).

Other clunkers on my list are:

I Want to Hear it From You
Don't Beat Me Down
Cold Hands from New York
If There's a Reason
Canary Yellow Canoe (which is mere curiosity piece, IMO)

For worst title cut, my clunker is "Salute."

Other songs I often skip are

Summer Side of Life
Salute
My Pony Won't Go
The Soul is the Rock
Cherokee Bend
Welcome to Try.

I'm not sayin' these are not good or interesting songs, but generally they are just not my cuppa tea. Oddly enough, I love the way the last chords of "My Pony Wont Go" lead into "It's Worth Believing."

Concerning the songs listed by others above, my strongest disagreement is with "Slide On Over," which may be the most danceable song Gord ever wrote (there's an interesting thread I think I'll start). It's packed full of testosterone too. LOL

I like "Cobwebs and Dust," although I agree that it's a weaker song. I'm not too fond of "Black Day in July" but that's primarily because the subject is somewhat dated.


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

I forgot to mention "Ring-Necked Loon" and "On Yonge Street." I was not fond of either of these two when I first heard them. But RNLoon, in particular, has grown on me and is now one of my favorite cuts on Painter. IMO, it bears repeat listening, much like "Lesson in Love."

2Much2Lose

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

I forgot to mention "Ring-Necked Loon" and "On Yonge Street." I was not fond of either of these two when I first heard them. But RNLoon, in particular, has grown on me and is now one of my favorite cuts on Painter. IMO, it bears repeat listening, much like "Lesson in Love."

2Much2Lose

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

>Other clunkers on my list are:

>I Want to Hear it From You

WHAT??

>Don't Beat Me Down

depends on how much time i have. i usually listen to it on that album

>Cold Hands from New York

WHAT??

>If There's a Reason

probably my least fave on that album

>Canary Yellow Canoe (which is mere curiosity piece, IMO)

this is a fun little tune that everyone should like!

>For worst title cut, my clunker is "Salute."

A classic song, IMO

>Other songs I often skip are

>Summer Side of Life

never!

>Salute

never!

>My Pony Won't Go

sometimes

>The Soul is the Rock

never!

>Cherokee Bend

never

>Welcome to Try.

my least fave on painter

>Concerning the songs listed by others above, my strongest disagreement is with "Slide >On Over," which may be the most danceable song Gord ever wrote (there's an >interesting thread I think I'll start). It's packed full of testosterone too. LOL

agree there!

>I like "Cobwebs and Dust," although I agree that it's a weaker song. I'm not too fond >of "Black Day in July" but that's primarily because the subject is somewhat dated.

cobwebs is a really catchy song that fits nicely on that album. If there is a weak song on that album, it's me and bobby mcgee
black day in july is a unique tune that sounds like no other lightfoot song. i personally love the build up in intensity during the track

it's hard for me to pick a worst song from GL, but if i had to it would be "east of midnight". the overall production sounds very tinny, & there are are acoustic versions of the song that are much better. i like "anything for love" because it's a departure for Lightfoot with all the synths. i think it's good for established artists like GL to experiment with different sounds. Neil Young is famous for that. almost every album is different from the last. "canary yellow canoe" is another great example of GL doing something a little different. the song displays GL rocking harder than he ever has. "never say trust me" is an under-rated classic & we will probably never hear this one live. that's another thing. why doesn't gord perform any of the songbook rarities on his recent tours? not all of them, but 2 or 3 wouldn't hurt & it would boost the quality of the performances. concerts should be more than just a showcase for one's greatest hits.

i think he does belt out Forgive me lord and heaven don't deserve me, doesn't he?

Good question Watchman... I haven't put a song on this thread because I'm one of those people who if GL said "for my next number I'm going to read the phonebook A to Z" I would sit and listen until my wife dragged me out..... http://www.corfid.com/ubb/smile.gif

At the risk of receiving a rock to the head, I respectfully offer this opinion: Probably most people attending Lightfoot concerts these days have attended one or more before, so the inclusion of rare tunes actually would "spice things up" a bit. One would think that'd make things more interesting for the band, as well. Yes? No? Maybe?

At the risk of receiving a rock to the head, I respectfully offer this opinion: Probably most people attending Lightfoot concerts these days have attended one or more before, so the inclusion of rare tunes actually would "spice things up" a bit. One would think that'd make things more interesting for the band, as well. Yes? No? Maybe?

Another thing to keep in mind is that not everyone in a concert audience is a "Lighthead". When choosing songs for a concert, the artist has to keep in mind the majority of listeners. So, like a lot of performers who have been around for years, the less well known gems have to be left on the sidelines in favor of those who have a common denominator. It's nice to know that Gord rotates his material. Some folks go into every concert with the same set, and it ends up getting rounded off at the edges.

Surprised no one said this one......

"Songs The Minstrel Sang".... Endless Wire Album

quote:Originally posted by Wes Steele:
Surprised no one said this one......

"Songs The Minstrel Sang".... Endless Wire Album

that's cause it's a good song!