Quote:
Originally Posted by redhead
So when someone errs in referring to one of his songs as an "American Classic", try to remember how long Americans have been listening to him, and that it actually was here in the U.S. market that he was able to "break open", which resulted in him being catapulted into international stardom
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just a thinking out loud reply here: so if an article referred to, let's say, Born to Run as a Canadian classic it wouldn't make you scratch your head, even though many, many, Canucks have been loving and supporting the Boss with album, singles, merchandise and concert purchases for decades, as well as radio station play requests? i don't think any of that support makes Springsteen music the least bit Canadian...i don't think we have to get too deep or even turn the table much in order to understand how ignorant and , well, dumb the phrase used was...is Let it Be also an American classic?
i didn't stop to think that any airplay or sales in say, Commonwealth nations was the result of USA acceptance...myself, i never felt Gord ever broke 'it' open in the USA but am glad he's had enough success south of the border to have what i consider a cult type following...i am sure Gord LOVES touring and playing for for American fans and I'm sorry he hasn't been able to get overseas and satisfy his, imo, modest, international following
i think you said it best in that latter comment and a better phrase in the article might have been calling it 'an international classic'...as for the rock genre, i think someone said it best when they said Gordon has created his own genre...on the other hand, remember Gord coming out in that 'Rock' t-shirt on the MMM special, lol
i still don't know what rock and roll is...maybe Gord fit's more into the Roll classification
redhead, that's a well articulated post you made, imo...i agree, certainly that some of the imagery and/or character inspirations in his songs could well be from time spent south or the border or even abroad...as far as the Sundown track, the whole vibe just makes me think of the Muskokas for some reason, perhaps I was up there when i first heard it...i love talking to other music fans (GL or otherwise) about what connotations certain albums or tracks have with listeners...i wish there were some associations that i could shake actually, but they stick like glue! and the more penetrating the song, the harder the bond is to break..and I find GL's stuff very penetrating
you might dig a Geographical themed link at the Lightfoot.ca site where all the places mentioned in each song are categorized...tons of US references
anyhow, by American anything, i would say that just means they could have called it soft rock or jazz or blues, etc genre and it wouldn't have mattered since the journalist decided to try associate it with a nation, ad in error to boot...some might have to be the 'little guy' Canuck to understand how deep a phrase like that cuts...we see it all the time, and i suppose many like TC continue to blow it off
i hope you are catching him on this tour and give us a review, and the more in depth the better, you articulate well and are obviously a longtime appreciator of the man and the music...with that said, wouldnt' it be terrific to get some fresh opinions from some of the new following he may have netted as a result of Toby's cover or any other covers well aired outside of Canada...i don't even mind if they are oozing with some respectful criticisms, i think it's all good...