I love GL's music and have enjoyed his concerts tremendously. If and when he comes to my area, I will not miss the concert. It's fair to say he is my all-time favorite performer.
That being said, it disappoints me to see how those who frequent this Board treat anyone who falls short of literally worshipping the ground Gord walks on. Gordon Lightfoot himself would be disturbed to see such blind devotion... Of course he values the support of his fans. But I think any performer would be frightened by this kind of rabid loyalty. As a fellow fan, I certainly am.
Of course, there are the pranksters and losers who post messages designed to draw fire. But this post from "TimmyB" was inoffensive. He posted an honest review elsewhere and probably didn't post the same here because he didn't want to offend you all. Whether or not you and I agree with the opinions he expressed, he didn't deserve this kind of response from other GL fans.
When visitors to the Board can't feel comfortable expressing anything short of glowing praise for GL's every move, then our discussions become meaningless. Ignore the pranksters (that DMD3 kid was annoying). But try not to lynch those who just want to talk about Gordon Lightfoot and his art. Even if they're saying "I don't like it", at least that means people are paying attention to GL and his work is still relevant.
I, for one, hope Gord can continue performing for many years to come. He obviously loves it, and as a musician and GL fan myself, I can appreciate what he puts into each performance.
I have seen this kind of exchange on the message board before - someone says "Gord doesn't sound as good as he used to" and dozens of others descend upon it like angry bees. Why do you feel that you have to defend GL so vehemently? Doesn't his work speak for itself? You're not doing GL any favors by trying to stifle the critics, because they are buying his CDs and going to his concerts just like we are. Give them some rope, and they'll either pull themselves up or strangle themselves.
When I registered to post here last year, I had hoped to talk with others who genuinely appreciated and understood GL's work, past and present. Instead, what I've seen from a lot of folks here (not all, of course) is behavior more appropriate for screaming teeny-boppers and their cliques. That's a little over the top for me, and I'm guessing it would be a bit much for Gord too.
Many thanks to those here who have been kind, courteous and supportive. To the rest of you... Get help.
The Intended
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