I'm going to be so bold as to speak for the younger crowd. Even though I'm not a 20-something anymore, I do fall in the "under 40" category.
I'm not a big Dylan fan and I'm only familiar with some of his music, but Dylan is much more "raw" than Lightfoot. He really lets it go. Lightfoot on the other hand is more reserved, reflective and perhaps a bit mysterious. Most younger people are not into reserved, reflective and mysterious. They can't appreciate it. Image-wise, to a younger person Lightfoot is going to come across as "old school".
Subject matter: Lightfoot often makes reference or writes about things that are considered "old fashioned" i.e shipwrecks. He also refers to times way past... "It was back in '39 when I was one year old"
Lightfoot is a romantic: The poignant love songs he writes and poetic metaphors he uses are going to be lost on many young people because he might as well be speaking in a foreign tongue. Not a lot of interest in romance amongst the younger crowd. What with all the sex and crap shoved down their throats everyday, it is no wonder.
Lastly, Gordon Lightfoot is a performer with CLASS. Just turn on the radio or watch MTV for a few minutes to find out that todays younger generation is not into CLASS, they are into TRASH. I'm *NOT* saying Bob Dylan is trash, but he's nowhere near as classy as Lightfoot.
All above - just my humble observations. I hope I was able to offer some insight.
Ironically all the reasons I stated above as to why most younger people are not "into" his music are the reasons why I love him so much.
|