Beautiful – A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot

Gordon Lightfoot is a living legend. His music was discovered in 1964 when he was performing on the Toronto folk scene. His songs were covered by Ian and Sylvia, Peter, Paul & Mary, Bob Dylan, and Marty Robbins, who took Ribbon of Darkness to the top of the Billboard country charts. If You Could Read My Mind was Lightfoot’s greatest hit, reaching #5 on the Billboard Chart and becoming one of the most covered songs in popular music history. He has five Grammy nominations and 17 Juno Awards (the Canadian equivalent) and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame in 1986. Six of his albums have gone “gold” or higher, the most re-cent of which was Gord’s Gold Volume 2 which was certified gold in September, 2001. Gordon Lightfoot is one of the best songwriters in the 20th Century, and ‘Beautiful’ is the first-ever multi-artist tribute album that has been released anywhere! All tracks were newly-recorded for this tribute. This CD is executive-produced by Colin Linden (producer of Bruce Cockburn) and has been mastered by John Whynot, who has worked extensively with Colin. It includes an Incredible first-rate package (a 20-page booklet) designed by Juno Award-winning artist, Michael Wrycraft. Every artist has a complete page, along with comments on Gordon Lightfoot and/or their track, full track credits, and pic-tures of every artist re-done in the style on the cover.

“I love this tribute. Some of the artists have outdone me on songs. There are so many great takes.” Gordon Lightfoot, in an interview with Billboard.

Track Listing: 1. Cowboy Junkies – The Way I Feel 2. Jesse Winchester – Sundown 3. Ron Sexsmith – Drifters 4. Bruce Cockburn – Ribbon of Darkness 5. Blue Rodeo – Go Go Round 6. Blackie & The Rodeo Kings – Summer Side Of Life 7. Connie Kaldor – If You Could Read My Mind 8. Terry Tufts – For Lovin’ Me 9. Harry Manx – Bend In The Water The Water 10. The Tragically Hip – Black Day In July 11. Murray McLauchlan – Home From The Forest 12. Maria Muldaur – That Same Old Obsession 13. James Keelaghan – Canadian Railroad 14. Trilogy Quartette – Song For A Winter’s Night 15. Aengus Finnan – Lightfoot (Bonus Track)

CD Review by Bernard Williams Beautiful – “A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot” Featuring: Cowboy Junkies, Jesse Winchester, Ron Sexsmith, Bruce Cockburn, Blue Rodeo, Blackie and the Rodoe Kings, Connie Kaldor, Terry Tuets, Harry Manx, The Tragically Hip, Murry McClauchlan, Maria Muldaur, James Keelaghan, Quartette, Aengus Finnan.

“We’ve had the pleasure of Gordon Lightfoot’s words and music for forty years now, so this tribute is long overdue. A living legend in his native Canada, Lightfoot is one of the great songwriters of the second half of the 20th Century, as this collection of 14 attests. Previously, his songs have been recorded by folk icons such as Ian & Sylvia, Peter, Paul & Mary, and Bob Dylan, and his’ greatest hit, If You Could Read My Mind, is one of the most covered songs in popular music history. Of course the expected ones are here; Sundown – Jesse Winchester offering a funky, sparse, acoustic performance with delightfully unique phrasing; If You Could Read My Mind – Connie Kaldor, one of Canada’s leading contemporary folk artists, paying tribute with a simple, loyal-to-the-original, rendition featuring restrained, almost clipped, vocals and piano (no over-singing here); For Lovin’ Me – Terry Tufts acknowledging one of his music heroes, with his own guitars, dobro and mandolin; Canadian Railroad Trilogy – James Keelaghan, a musician of significance in his own right, lovingly and lushly presenting this epic piece (with echoes of Woody Guthrie and others) with an arrangement that features an armful of instruments from the folk/county/roots arsenal. But there are other special treats and surprises as well; Maria Mulduar brings her plaintive voice to That Same Old Obsession, a bittersweet love song of loss and separation with a dobro sound that suggests singing around the campfire; Blue Rodeo (a country/folk/soft-rock/pop ensemble with hints of Buffalo Springfield and Hearts & Flowers) with Go Go Round, a piece, and performance, that is as nostalgic as the 1960’s and as fresh as tomor- row; and Quartette, four formidable female vocalists from the Canadian music scene, who use their soaring harmonies to demonstrate the achingly beautiful sense of longing that permeates Song for a Winter’s Night. And my favourites? The Cowboy Junkies, who deliver The Way I Feel with moody, thick, waves of sound that feature pounding percussion and bass, and gritty distorted guitar; Ribbon of Darkness, performed by Bruce Cockburn with typical haunting, husky vocals, and wonderfully original, effective use of a baritone guitar; and Harry Manx, who brings his “twangy” voice and unmistakable fusion of blues and Indian musical sounds (how does he make his guitar sound so like a sitar?) to Bend In The Water, and leaves us with something that is delightfully swampy. Any quibbles? Just one. Lightfoot, written and performed by Aengus Finnan, is obviously intended as a tribute, but for me it is too reveren- tial and sounds too much like a eulogy for someone who is still very much alive. Gordon Lightfoot’s words and music are tribute enough, and they, and the performers who present them on this CD, are simply worth listening to.”