I've never had a definitive favorite Lightfoot tune; so many are so marvelous. "IYCRMM" introduced me to him, and "Minstrel of the Dawn" and "Ordinary Man" made me a lifer! But my favorites come and go in streaks. These past months, my Gord cravings varied from "Knotty Pine" to "Too Much To Lose" (I try to imagine it as part of the "Cool Hand Luke" soundtrack; it was the film's loss) to "Whisper My Name" to "Mother of a Miner's Child" (would I love to hear THAT in concert again) to the acoustic version of "East of Midnight" (a wonderful Lightfoot fan kindly sent me a copy; it beats the album version hands down!)
But I've gotta say, after watching the CBC version of the Reno concert, I got goosebumps hearing only one song: "Restless." He played that at his Grand Forks, N.D., concert a few years ago, and I had a similar reaction. I was extremely fortunate to meet him after the concert, and I asked him where he came up with the inspiration for "Restless." He said he couldn't say for sure offhand, couldn't really explain it. It just came out a good tune. I thought he was being modest. I told Gord I had virtually every album he'd made, and had just purchased the United Artists compilation. He groaned...but then seemed genuinely grateful when I told him how much I liked "Restless," "I'll Tag Along" and a few other newer songs.
Keep writing, GL!
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