DID SHE MENTION MY NAME?

PROLOGUE

First encounter with the music of Gordon Lightfoot? AM radio was plastered with it back in the mists of the 1970s. Growing up in Canada, you would get tossed out of the country for treason if you didn't have a nodding acquaintance with (at least) one of his tunes. For this writer, "Sundown" was memorable through sheer repetitive play on the local station (CJCB) along with "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" which still evokes images of an overcast day as glimpsed through the back window of the family car en route to somewhere. Per usual, the entertainment which makes a stuck landing in the mind of a child is generally guided along by what one (or both) of the parental units drags home for consumption. "Fantastic Gordon Lightfoot" was a double LP that was slapped together by K-Tel records and endlessly hawked on TV in 1977 like laundry soap.



Suitably impressed by their relentless media campaign, my father duly bought this compilation and unwittingly began my life-long appreciation for the work of this self depreciating, understated genius.

Can we get to this review now?

Indeed.

Come on sunshine, what can you show me
Where can you take me to make me understand
The wind can shake me, brothers forsake me
The rain can touch me, but can I touch the rain...

Produced by John Simon, who also did the honors on the first two releases by The Band (arguably their best), Did She Mention My Name? was the third full length statement by GL, containing a treasure trove of haunting, melodic compositions. The string arrangements that Simon crafted for some of these cuts is nothing short of astounding. "Wherefore & Why", "Does Your Mother Know" and "Pussywillows, Cattails" all stand as incandescent creations in their own right, though they are lifted to another level with Simon's orchestration. His brass augmentation interspersed with soothing violins takes "I Want to Hear it from You" from the realm of the ordinary to something much more interesting. Lightfoot's work is never overwhelmed by these touches. Instead, his rich voice is placed in the center of the mix, soaring majestically above everything with a confidence that only comes from bringing such strong material to the table. Offsetting beauty with bitter reality, "Black Day in July" is poetic, topical commentary on the riots that took place in Detroit the previous year. The incident was ignited by a police raid of an unlicensed, after-hours bar. Clashes ensued between residents of largely black neighborhoods and police. State police and National Guard were brought in as the protests and violence escalated. The unrest lasted five days, leaving 43 dead. Hundreds were injured and thousands arrested, with businesses left looted and burned.

Motor City madness, has touched the countryside...

His appeal for inclusion ("Why can't we all be brothers/why can't we live in peace") was not well accepted by the establishment of that era and the track, unfairly, earned a ban from US airplay. It remains a striking creation as of this writing in 2018. So much has changed, yet stays the same. In the same vein (pun intended), "Boss Man" is taken from the perspective of a miner who vows to corner a management figure in the deep recess of his "office" and take physical revenge on him. The narrative carries weight for all of those brave souls who have "risked their necks" to make greedy companies rich, doing all of the heavy lifting mining the seam just to feed their families. These messages helped to garner a wider audience for a small town prodigy who refused to be one dimensional in his art.

In spite of all of the bounty that infuses the grooves of this remarkable set, it is the closing title track that completely steals the show. "Did She Mention My Name?" in the hands of a lesser talent may have come off as a narcissistic power-play. Lightfoot gently turns a conversational fishing expedition with a friend from their shared home town to confirm if an old flame is still flickering into a master class of economy with words. Delicate acoustic guitar figures are expertly rendered between verses as the imagery unfolds. Without hesitation, this ranks with the work of any of his peers. No further comment is necessary when it comes to a song so perfectly realized, all in just two minutes and change.



Supported by his brilliant, faithful touring partners (Red Shea, John Stockfish) the playing here is impeccable. Session legend Hugh McCracken (listed as Huey McCracken in the credits) also graces this one with his nimble fingers. The combination of talent perfectly compliments the artist and his vision. The best part? He was just warming up. Greater glories were soon to follow.