What do you call it?

[Brian 57]

Every time I'd go into a record store to buy a Lightfoot album, it was anybody's guess as to what category it would be found in. It seemed that it varied from store to store, and sometimes within the same store. Some put him in country, some in folk, some in rock, pop, male vocal, etc. If you could categorize his music, what would you call it? Since it seems to be beyond traditional labels, you may need to make up your own. (Like "Canadian Maritime Country")

[char]

i'm tempted to say I'd categorize it under "The Best Damn Music You'll Ever Hear"
but know that is quite biased!
lol
I find his stuff these days is under "adult- contemporary" in the record stores but I know that's just a different way of saying "The Best Damn Music You'll Ever Hear"
oops - I did it again!
lol
Char

[Borderstone]

This topic is from June of last year and it never really got an answer. I've gone to many different record stores around the Phoenix Met. area and some of them put into folk. Some put it in Pop-Rock. Some even put it in country. Of course,some put it in Adult Contemporary and even (and I find this insulting) Vocalists?!! You know,the section with Streisand,Engelbert Humpherdink (however ya spell that) and Barry Manilow?! Puh-lease! Police! I've never seen him in the Jazz section though. Of course,I'm waiting for the day I find him placed in Rap upon which I shall truly believe there is no hope for the music industry! It's been me & I'll catch ya on the flipside of Sundown!

The way I see it, depending on which CD you wanted to buy, you might find it in different locations. Or it depends on what Albums of him they have. If the selection consists mainly of "Salute" and other albums in which he used an electric guitar, you'd probably find it in the pop-rock section. Or if most of the albums they have are in his earlier years, he might can be found in Country or something like that. When I bought an "If you could read my mind" CD at the store, the other albums found in that same section were "Summertime Dream", "Sundown" , "Cold on the Shoulder" and I believe that's it. Darn it the only problem is I can't remember what section I found it in!

[Martin/12]

This is a great subject. Nothing seems to fit. Folk is often too attached to human tribulation, and the down-trodden. Country is too mindless and hokey. Rock is too adolescent. Adult contemporary is too pop.

I would describe his genre as Wanderlust music or Ideallic-Folk. Other possibilities: Chivalric, Troubadour. Trans-Epic works as well.

[Borderstone]

If I had to name it,how about just plain "Human"?

------------------
Borderstone

I have noticed the same problem with finding Gord's CD'S. The stores also do this with John Denver's music too,as well as Neil Diamond and Harry Chapin. I think it would be nice to have a section called : "STORY SONGS", with all these people and many others too. Kate Wolf, Burl Ives, Tom Chapin, Jim Croce,to name a few. Randy

[Alberta]

Here in Massachusetts, I have seen Gordo in the "Easy Listening" section of the music stores!