Which Gordon Lightfoot albums should Steve master?

[BradOlson]

I'm posting a poll for each of Gordon Lightfoot albums to determine which albums Steve should master. You can vote on forever so that newbies who are Lightfoot fans can vote on this poll as well.

[BradOlson]

BTW, for those people in the UK and your favorite album is "Early Lightfoot," in your case, "Early Lightfoot" is a reissue of the "Lightfoot!" album.

[BradOlson]

I'm glad that this poll is getting very successful. So far on the poll all that the majority of voters are asking Steve is to just stick with the classics that made him the beloved and influential icon in popular music he became and so would I. I'm glad some of you agree that the Gord's Gold comps would be even better if they used the original recordings entirely although the originals of the songs that are remade on the first volume of Gord's Gold are owned by EMI. The medleys on the first Gord's Gold would sound excellent using the original recordings as their sources as well if Steve were to do it.

[peterredtrumpet]

Summer Side of Life is a wonderful-sounding album on Reprise. It's on Harry Pearson's TAS list.

Take it easy!
Peter

[BradOlson]

I agree. Summer Side of Life is one of his best albums.

[BradOlson]

The definitive Gordon Lightfoot website is back online so you can click on www.lightfoot.ca/alblist.htm to get track listings and info on his albums if you ever so need them. If there are choices not mentioned in the poll you'd like, please note them in this although they won't be counted unlike the major label studio albums, the Gord's Gold comps, etc. A 24 Karat Gold Hits of the UA years would have somewhat similar track listings to the countless UA era comps that have been compiled, with the most thorough of the single discs comps that have been released probably the EMI Canada "Over 60 Minutes With" comp.

The rarities on the boxed set are in yellow on the page devoted to the Rhino boxed set, "Songbook" released in 1999, plus these 2 songs that were released as singles in 1962: Remember Me (I'm The One) and It's Too Late, He Wins

The rarity on the Did She Mention My Name/Back Here On Earth Bear Family reissue is Spin Spin (New York version) and the rarities on the Sunday Concert Bear Family reissue are Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues (mono); Movin' (version #1); I'll Be Alright
(alternate take); Movin'(version #2); Spin Spin (Nashville version). There are no rarities on the Bear Family Lightfoot!/The Way I Feel reissue.

[BradOlson]

So far these are the voting results: Lightfoot! (1966, UA) 0
The Way I Feel (1967, UA) 0
Did She Mention My Name (1968, UA) 0
Back Here on Earth (1968, UA) 1
Sunday Concert (1969, UA) 0
Sit Down Young Stranger/If You Could Read My Mind (1970, Reprise) 3
Summer Side of Life (1971, Reprise) 3
Don Quixote (1972, Reprise) 3
Old Dan's Records (1972, Reprise) 2
Sundown (1974, Reprise) 6
Cold On The Shoulder (1975, Reprise) 1
Gord's Gold (1975, Reprise) Originals only 5
Summertime Dream (1976, Reprise) 3
Endless Wire (1978, Warner Bros.) 1
Dream Street Rose (1980, Warner Bros.) 1
Shadows (1982, Warner Bros.) 0
Salute (1983, Warner Bros.) 0
East of Midnight (1986, Warner Bros.) 0
Gord's Gold Vol. 2 (1988, Warner Bros.) Originals only 3
Waiting For You (1993, Reprise). 0
A Painter Passing Through (1998, Reprise) 0
a 24 Karat Hits comp of the UA years only 2
a 24 Karat Hits comp of the WB/Reprise years only 5
a 24 Karat Hits comp of both the UA and Reprise Years or Complete Greatest Hits 4
a compilation of the rarities on the Bear Family reissues of the UA albums and the rarities on the boxed set. 1

I agree with those 3 voters that Gord's Gold Vol. 2 would be an excellent "best of the 80's" albums and then some if it were to have all original recordings, and that there are 4 people who want a comp mastered by Steve with tracks from both the UA and Reprise years but the comp fans have definitely voted for the first Gord's Gold album with only 2 people asking for a UA comp and 1 person voting for any of the UA albums. I voted for the rarities comp as I will eventually get the 4 albums I am missing which isn't much at all, but still I voted for many of the classic albums that I know would go well for some of you but the report above doesn't reflect my votes but if you vote now, or click on the View Results, you will see how my votes reflected the poll after I voted.

[BradOlson]

The news is that Steve is trying to work this out with Warner Bros.

[BradOlson]

I'm glad someone else voted for a UA album, "The Way I Feel" which is a true classic of a Lightfoot album and "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" almost pays for the whole album, one of his best songs ever.

[Bob Lovely]

Originally posted by cbsolson
The news is that Steve is trying to work this out with Warner Bros.


Bradley,

I would gladly buy any Lightfoot album remastered by Steve, just to enjoy the music!

I voted for either Sundown or a 24k Hits comp of all his big hits--the UA, WB hits, that is.

Bob :)

[BradOlson]

Bob, so would I and you know it. Steve mastering Lightfoot music fits hand in glove with his mastering style due to the timeless appeal of Lightfoot's music and Steve's mastering.

[joelee]

My favorite has always been Sit down Young Stranger/If you could Read my Mind. Actually a great sounding cd. Then again even the vinyl re-issues sounded great. Great timeless music throughout.

[BradOlson]

Originally posted by joelee
My favorite has always been Sit down Young Stranger/If you could Read my Mind. Actually a great sounding cd. Then again even the vinyl re-issues sounded great. Great timeless music throughout.

I agree the stock CD of this album sounds great.

[padreken]

It's my understanding that Rhino will be releasing the 4 Lightfoot LP's that have yet to appear on CD later this year-

Shadows
Salute
Old Dan's Records
Dream Street Rose

Shadows and ODR in particular are wonderful records with some of Gord's best songs, IMO.

[BradOlson]

Yes, we know about Rhino's upcoming remasters of the final 4, but we are talking about audiophile editions of his catalog to be remastered by Steve.

[BradOlson]

Even though WB did a great job on the If You Could Read My Mind stock CD, still Steve could do his work on the album so I voted for it and 4 others have as well.

[Michael]

Old Dan's records. I believe is coming out this year?

[BradOlson]

Rhino will release Old Dan's Records and Dream Street Rose on CD on July 2.

[-Alan]

My first introduction to Gordon Lightfoot's catalog (beyond the obvious major hits like Sundown and If You Could Read My Mind) was Gord's Gold. Those re-done medleys of UA material are among my favorites and fit nicely on this collection just as they are. You should really add an option for Gord's Gold to be remastered as it was originally issued.

[BradOlson]

Jeff, thinkfist should you should add an option for Gord's Gold (1975, Reprise) as originally issued (meaning with the re-recordings).

[Done A Ton]

My favorite Lightfoot album by far is Did She Mention My Name. John Simon's production is fantastic. The string arrangements are SO much better than the ones on his Warner Bros. records. And Something Very Special IS something very special. C'mon, somebody else has to like this one also!

[Joseph]

Originally posted by Don Eaton
My favorite Lightfoot album by far is Did She Mention My Name. John Simon's production is fantastic. The string arrangements are SO much better than the ones on his Warner Bros. records. And Something Very Special IS something very special. C'mon, somebody else has to like this one also!

Agree, John.

As a rabid Lightfoot fan from his first album on I believe that his first four studio albums are all classics that are consistantly strong. Unfortunately he only passed the threshold of mass awareness in the U.S. with Sit Down, Young Stranger, his first Warners release, which was renamed If You Could Read My Mind when that song became a hit. I think he has made very strong music through the 70's and 80's. For those that don't know his early work very well check out the 3 cd UA box set of his first 4 studio albums and 5th live album.

[BradOlson]

I do enjoy all 4 UA albums as well although I didn't vote for any of them but I thought of possible sales in the US, etc. when I voted on my own poll.