Search - Gordon Lightfoot :: Old Dan's Records

A jewel of an album

07/02/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This may very well be my favorite Gordon Lightfoot album of them all. If you ask an average fan what their top 10 favorite Lightfoot songs are, I'd be willing to bet none of them come from this album. There are no big hits on it: no "Sundown," no "If You Could Read My Mind." And yet, if there ever was a case of the whole being far greater than the sum of the parts, Old Dan's Records is definitely it.There is a feeling of peacefulness and contentment that pervades the album...but also a subtle undercurrent of wanderlust, which adds just a slight tension to the proceedings. It's subtle, it's deep, but it gives this album an overall feeling like no other. It's almost inevitable, as you listen to Old Dan's Records, that the album Sundown would follow, since most of its songs deal with travelling. It's as if the subtle undercurrent of wanderlust finally broke through the dam.There are some wonderful songs here...it's almost impossible for me to pick a favorite, because there isn't one on here I don't like! From the wistful "That Same Old Obsession," to the gentle, contented feeling of "Lazy Morning" (a song which seems to be a precursor to "Restless", which came 20 years later, and which you'll find on Complete Greatest Hits), the fun of the title track, and "You Are What I Am," the wry "My Pony Won't Go," the touching "Mother of a Miner's Child," and the gotta-sing-along-with-this-one-whenever-it-plays-in-the-car "Highway Songs," and all the other tracks...it isn't until the album stops playing that the overall effect of it will seep into your soul.Musically, Lightfoot plays rhythm 6-string and 12-string guitars, as well as a few other miscellaneous instruments. Red Shea and Terry Clements provide the lead guitar work, with Rick Haynes playing some beautiful bass (listen to him on "My Pony Won't Go," for example). Shea also adds some great dobro to a few of the tracks. The musicians are augmented by the Good Brothers, contributing banjo, pedal steel and so on. Additionally Barry Keane plays drums and percussion(a few years later, Keane would become part of the Lightfoot band when Lightfoot decided to add a drummer to the group), and there is some fabulous slide dobro work by David Bromberg on "My Pony Won't Go." The arrangements--by Nick DeCaro--are light, subtle and unobtrusive.Old Dan's Records is simply a jewel. This is one you will definitely not regret picking up. So click that "Add to Shopping Cart" button right now! :)"

An essential Lightfoot recording

Francis King | Calgary, AB, Canada | 07/14/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Canadian singer/songwriter/acoustic guitarist Gordon Lightfoot was in the midst of his creative zenith when Old Dan's Records was recorded in 1972. So this album simply rolls from one melodic, emotional highlight to another. For me, so many of these songs echo places and times...the piano driven ballad Same Old Obsession is like a melancholy Victorian-era drama...Lazy Mornin' suggests a idyllic day in the country...and despite its title, Can't Depend On Love has a wonderful lightness to it. What's interesting about this album is the history of its time...in his book Lightfoot: If You Could Read His Mind, author Maynard Collins says Lightfoot was going through marital difficulties in 1972 (yes, they would lead to a divorce) and he was recovering from a serious bout of something called Bell's Palsy. This affliction affects facial muscles, and Collins suggests pictures from that time (including the album cover) were done in such a way to hide the affected part of his face. All this makes the brilliance of Old Dan's Records even more astonishing."

Get Out Old Gord's Records

kjenfan | United States | 09/07/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Gordon Lightfoot has long been one of my favorite singers and while not his best, "Old Dan's Records" is still pretty enjoyable. To me, six of the ten songs are good, with "It's Worth Believin'" still being a favorite. That and the title song can still get your toes tappin' and your head a'noddin' . "Lazy Morning" makes you feel just like the title says. "You Are What I Am," "Mother of A Miner's Child" and "Can't Depend On Love" are all GOOD, but not GREAT, songs. But with Gordon's rich baritone and the underdone instrumental backgrounds, you'll find yourself liking it anyway."