'Canadian Railroad Trilogy' vs 'Uncle Toad Said'
Over the years, Lightfoot's musical brush has been painting with increacing broader strokes. His sonic palette's primary colours continue to create those beautiful musical soundscapes of lonely wilderness, lost loves, and passionate rambling travels.
However, with his maturity, the colours tend to blend together with inceacingly complex tones and hues. As with a fine painting, the audience might perceive the artistic creations in widely varying ways depending on where one might stand, either physically or emotionally. Elements of the work may be so complex that they only reveal themselves when viewed/heard for the umpteenth time - when viewed from different physical or emotional angles with our own evolving maturity.
We have all heard Lightfoot's magic, yet as this group reveals, each listener might percieve a particular song in a different way. We grasp at different lines or phrases which evoke emotion in us while others hear the same lyrics with a different interpretation. The beauty of Gord's artistry is that we are all correct.
This hidden complexity is why we can hear 'Bitter Green' or 'Rainy Day People' for the millionth time and never ever grow tired of them. 'Harmony' has been added to his portfolio and will continue to delight us for years to come. Different songs tied together by a common thread.
For myself, there has always been a link between Gordon Lightfoot's music and the landscapes preserved on canvas by Canada's 'Group of Seven' painters.
Americans are certainly aware of their own artists such as Jackson Pollack, Winslow Homer Andrew Wyeth and Norman Rockwell, but how many are familiar with the works of Canadians such as Tom Thompson, A.Y. Jackson, Arthur Lismer, Emily Carr or J.E.H. MacDonald, to name but a few.
At the turn of the century the "Group of Seven" painters, as they were known, captured the beauty of the Canadian wilderness with paint and canvas in no less a dramatic way than Gord continues to do with his craft.
Those of you who make it to Massey may wish to spend a day at the McMichael Collection Gallery located just north of Toronto in Kleinberg Ontario. Here in a beautiful rural setting some of Canada's most precious paintings are displayed.
You cannot view "The Group of Seven" paintings and not hear Gordon Lightfoot as it's soundtrack.
Below are just a few URLs you may wish to explore to get a taste of these treasures. They must be seen in person to truly appreciate their awesome impact and as the McMichael Gallery wishes you to visit in person, few works are placed 'on line'.
I invite all those who enjoy Gordon's music to check out;
http://www.imagemakers.mb.ca/casson/group7/group7.html
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history...-of-seven.html
http://www.artchive.com/artchive/groupseven.html
http://www.mcmichael.com/
Gordiciously yours,
Yuri
Group of Seven-stained glass-Northern Lights
