Yes. On first listen Harmony is repetitive. But geeze, the vocal inflections in each verse, the slight variances in the repeated refrains . . . I can't imagine the song any other way. There is a genuis in taking such simple variances and creating a picture.
People tend to talk about Lightfoot as a story teller. And he is, but sometimes the stories are very abstract, and they're about a feeling or point of view, rather than the telling of a story with a beginning middle and end. He paints a picture of an emotion or feeling. That is one of the things that resonates so strongly with me in some of his more abstract songs. He can take words and music and create a portrait of an emotion or an experience that I cannot for the life of me put words to or even give a name sometimes.
quote:Originally posted by bjb:
To Martin 12: I find I disagree with you. I don't find any of the songs monotonous or repetitive. It makes me wonder what criteria you are using when you say "Musically and lyrically, things can be picked apart even on some of the better songs." When you put aside your prejudices and imagine what Gord was trying to accomplish with each song, either musically (as in Couchiching's particular style -- see if you can pick it out!) or lyrically (did you get the irony of the last couple of lines?)you will find the work rich, satisfying, and quite refreshing.
I don't mean to be offensive when I say that I think it's lazy and shallow to criticize rather than challenging yourself to experience more. You obviously put some thought into what you wrote, and I hope that someday you listen again and rethink it all.
Friends?
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