Endless Wire
RJMPhoto
all the albums I heard from him ENDLESS WIRE leaves me flat. I like
Daylight Katy somewhat, but the album just hasn't grown on me like all his
other work. Wayne- can you or somebody give me some info on where Gord
was at in his life when he wrote this album and I'd like to get other
impressions of this album-thanks. Best, Ross
Telekidd
with the production; to me it just sounds messy and over-produced. I like
the songs quite a bit, particularly on the first side--it's just that I
don't care for the production, and the performance seems a bit on the
listless side. Much like EAST OF MIDNIGHT, I think these songs would
sound better in concert (though I've only heard "Endless Wire" and
"Hangdog Hotel Room" performed live).
Derek
Wayne Francis
Lightfoot's situation was similar to when Summertime Dream was done, so I
can't see any reason for anything there to be a factor. He did re-record a
lot of Endless Wire because he wasn't happy with the first tapes. I know
some reviewers have commented that his singing was uninspired on ENDLESS
WIRE, but I don't really share that opinion. I like the album a lot, but I
do agree that the mix is quite dense on some songs, Endless Wire in
particular. I'd really like to hear the first recording of the album to
compare, but that's not likely to happen.
Highlights of the album for me are If Children Had Wings, one of his most
intensely personal and heart-wrenching songs ever, and If There's A Reason,
which is a "very" inspired vocal as far as I'm concerned.
But I can see where you're coming from with your comments about ENDLESS
WIRE, Ross, because there is a different feel to that album, that I can't
really compare to anything else he's done. And it's quite possible that it
wouldn't sit as well with everyone. But I think the difference is more in
the arrangements and instrumentation than in the songs or the performances
themselves.
I saw Lightfoot twice on the ENDLESS WIRE tour and the performances were
excellent. He did a benefit at Avery Fisher Hall in NYC on Dec. 12th 1977,
about a month before the album came out and certainly after it was recorded
and it is one of the best performances I've ever heard him give. The crowd
was into it in a big way - long and enthusiastic applause after every song.
So if the record tended to leave some people flat, I can understand, but I
really don't think it can be concluded that he was not playing and singing
up to par during that period, because I actually think the opposite is quite
true. He was at the height of his powers around that time as far as live
performing was concerned, at least for my money.
The album did sell very well, going gold (over the 500,000 mark) within a
couple of months of its release.
An interesting note regarding the musicians on ENDLESS WIRE, Lightfoot asked
Doug Riley, who played keyboards on the album to join the band, but he
declined, as Riley was much in demand as a session player in those days and
turns up on some Bob Seger albums back around that time.
Wayne
Telekidd
Francis) writes:
>An interesting note regarding the musicians on ENDLESS WIRE, Lightfoot
asked
>Doug Riley, who played keyboards on the album to join the band, but he
>declined, as Riley was much in demand as a session player in those days
and
>turns up on some Bob Seger albums back around that time.
>
>
That is interesting! Riley also did the orchestrations for the album,
didn't he?
What should be made clear from my comments on ENDLESS WIRE is that I'm
speaking in relative terms--it may not be my favorite GL album, but I
still like it very much. "If There's A Reason" is probably my favorite
track on it. I think another one of my reservations about the album
concerned the use of strings--in prior releases, I always felt they were
very understated; on ENDLESS I find them to be a bit too obtrusive.
Derek
MSamp16453
My wife and I had front row seating to a 1990 GL concert in Memphis, TN.
At the first of the show Gord explained that the keyboardist was absent
due to a sudden family emergency in Toronto, and that the play list would
be altered accordingly.
He was of course bombarded with requests throughout the first set, and I
kind of felt sorry for him (give him a break). Upon returning from
intermission, he sat alone on a stool, picking the 6 string and talking,
ignoring the constant, screaming song requests. For some reason, I
through in a request for my favorite, "If Children Had Wings." He
suddenly stopped and looked right at me (almost as if surprised) and said
"I'm sorry, we don't have the arrangment for that one tonight."
My wife and I just melted in our seats. Probably a pretty dull (long)
story, but we'll never forget it.
Mark in Memphis.
("Time doesn't wait for nobody to find what they're after.")
Rick Barranco
> all the albums I heard from him ENDLESS WIRE leaves me flat. I like
> Daylight Katy somewhat, but the album just hasn't grown on me like all his
> other work. Wayne- can you or somebody give me some info on where Gord
> was at in his life when he wrote this album and I'd like to get other
I to am a lover of all the Lightfoot albums ,there is just a different
feel to that album, to me it sounds as though most of the songs were
written about the hard times in his life, it seams to be very retrospect
and that gives us another veiw of Gords life and makes us look
back on our own.We all go through the same things in life its just that
some people can express there feelings better than others, this album
does just that. To me the song that hits home is-
"If children had wings" It strikes a chord in my heart.
Wayne, Do you have any insight about what Gord thought of the song
I've always mean to ask him but there was never a good time.
Thanks......toccata@magicnet.net (Rick Barranco)
Wayne, My e-mail address should be fine as per our last conversation.
M Fifer
just seemed like it would've make a fantastic Adult Contemporary single:
it's catchy, topical, and about the right length.
-- matthew
-------------------------
| |
| From The Hard Drive Of: |
| |
| Matthew Fifer |
| mfi...@aol.com |
| mfi...@nwu.edu |
| |
-------------------------
Wayne Francis
Rick Barranco <toc...@magicnet.net> wrote:
>"If children had wings" It strikes a chord in my heart.
>
>Wayne, Do you have any insight about what Gord thought of the song
>I've always mean to ask him but there was never a good time.
After Lightfoot's divorce at some point, his ex-wife moved to France with
the children and enrolled them in school there. This song seems to deal with
the fact that instead of just living across town, the children are now
across the ocean. I've only heard the song done live one time and it was a
very emotional performance - I can see why he may not choose to play it
anymore, the song is so intensely personal that it must be very painful to
relive over and over.
Wayne
ras...@startribune.com
Wayne Francis <wfra...@peinet.pe.ca> wrote:
>I'd really like to hear the first recording of the album to compare, but
>that's not likely to happen.
We'll make that Disc 4 when we assemble the Gordon Lightfoot boxed set! ;-)
Randy
--
Randy A. Salas, Editor | Ad in a newspaper:
Star Tribune SourceBooks | "Used Cars: Why go elsewhere to be cheated?
Minneapolis, Minnesota | Come here first!"
Quentin Moran
>It's opinion time again, folks. I'm a passionate Lightfoot fan, but of
>all the albums I heard from him ENDLESS WIRE leaves me flat. I like
>Daylight Katy somewhat, but the album just hasn't grown on me like all his
>other work. Wayne- can you or somebody give me some info on where Gord
>was at in his life when he wrote this album and I'd like to get other
>impressions of this album-thanks. Best, Ross
Thanks for your email RJM.
Surely you like Circle of Steel and If Children had Wings!
Quentin Moran
qmo...@pcug.org.au
RikS...
>> It's opinion time again, folks. I'm a passionate Lightfoot fan, but of
>> all the albums I heard from him ENDLESS WIRE leaves me flat. I like
>> Daylight Katy somewhat, but the album just hasn't grown on me like all his
i liked this album a lot. i don't know anything about flat
productions or listless songs but i really like this one. endless
wire itself is a rousing song that really gets me worked up on a long
drive. i can sing along with all the songs and really feel good. i
think that is more important than any production flaws and says a lot
about an artist. if the words and tune can elicit at least a medium
strength emotion, then the artist has done a good job.
lets hear it for Endless Wire...
randall morgan
In article <4kjmmd$p...@newsbf02.news.aol.com> RJMPhoto wrote:
>all the albums I heard from him ENDLESS WIRE leaves me flat.
I just came upon this thread after several days off the net, and
please don't take this as rude, but I was very suprised to find
this album being criticized. I agree the production is muddy in
places, but it has nonetheless always been one of my favorite
albums.I whole-heartedly agree with Wayne on his appreciation of
If Children had Wings and If There's a Reason. In addition, I have
always felt that even though the songs are so varied that very few
people could like every song on the album (Songs the Minstrels Sang
falls short in my book), for the same reason GL still finds more
ways to deliver a knockout punch than almost any other album. I
also find this album interesting in that it seems to be both his
most musically listenable and his most lyrically abstract
collection. Lastly, I am completely puzzled as to why this album
spawned no hits and marked GL's retreat from his pop star status.
Wayne Francis
IronM...@gnn.com (randall morgan) wrote:
>
>In article <4kjmmd$p...@newsbf02.news.aol.com> RJMPhoto wrote:
>>all the albums I heard from him ENDLESS WIRE leaves me flat.
>
>If Children had Wings and If There's a Reason.
One other tune I consider among the best of ENDLESS WIRE, is Dreamland. One
of Lightfoot's most insightful and bittersweet lyrics. I always considered
it an extension, thematically, of Never Too Close from the previous album.
Heard him play it on the ENDLESS WIRE tour, but not since. I remember him
commenting at the time the song had a rhythym that was difficult to capture
live, or words to that effect. So I was never very surprised that it didn't
stay in rotation for any great length of time.
>I also find this album interesting in that it seems to be both his
>most musically listenable and his most lyrically abstract
>collection.
A very strong album lyrically, no question. Daylight Katy, If Children Had
Wings and another one I really like, Sweet Guinevere, Lightfoot's third song
dealing with the plight of miners and their families (Boss Man, Mother Of A
Miner's Child).
>Lastly, I am completely puzzled as to why this album
>spawned no hits and marked GL's retreat from his pop star status.
The album sold very well, but it's true, there were no hit singles, although
The Circle Is Small was played a lot in Canada, and it marked a change in
direction in terms of the public's appetite for each new release. I've
always found it strange that his concerts continue to draw strong crownds to
this day, but it hasn't translated into album sales. Hard to imagine more
people not wanting to pick up his newest albums after seemingly enjoying
them live - but of course WB has failed to capitalize on this situation with
adequate promotion and circulation of the material.
I recall Lightfoot saying during the SALUTE tour that dozens of people were
coming up to him after shows saying they couldn't find the new album and it
was barely a month old at the time!
Wayne
Derrick Rowlandson
Endless Wire was my first Lightfoot album (after Gord's Gold). I am quite
fond of it, especially Hangdog Hotel Room.
Derrick
RikS...
>In article <4kjmmd$p...@newsbf02.news.aol.com> RJMPhoto wrote:
>>all the albums I heard from him ENDLESS WIRE leaves me flat.
>I just came upon this thread after several days off the net, and
>please don't take this as rude, but I was very suprised to find
>this album being criticized. I agree the production is muddy in
>always felt that even though the songs are so varied that very few
>people could like every song on the album (Songs the Minstrels Sang
>falls short in my book), for the same reason GL still finds more
if children had wings is the only song that, while a nice song, i skip
past sometimes. songs the minstrel sang is my favorite on the whole
album. it reminds me of the funkadelic version of 'the way i feel'
from his early albums. on the whole, i like 'Endless Wire' more that
a lot of his albums...