SUMMERTIME DREAM

Following the beast that he had unleashed with Sundown would prove to be a challenge for Lightfoot. Instead of reinventing the wheel, he opted to stick with a similar formula on Cold on the Shoulder, from which came the excellent single, "Rainy Day People". Landing with ease on contemporary radio playlists, it kept his work at the forefront of the public imagination. The mother LP was viewed as a lesser opus at the time, though it's actually quite good. His summary statement to end 1975? Gord's Gold, four sides of brilliance which served as both an excellent career retrospective and a defiantly raised middle finger to his former label.

I'll return to that conversational marker...

New business in the shape of his next project was already in progress as he closed out another productive year. Ten new songs were written and recorded by January 1976. Summertime Dream would be his twelfth LP in a decade, capping an inspired run of incredibly influential, substantial music that continues to find a new audience.

Opening with grace, "Race Among the Ruins" wastes no time establishing itself as the strongest, most accessible track. His ability to combine hooks with a well considered line is estimable. It takes the eye of a seasoned editor to make this scan and instantly catch the ear of the listener within a three minute framework.

When you wake up to the promise
Of your dream world comin' true
With one less friend to call on
Was it someone that I knew
Away you will go sailin'
In a race among the ruins
If you plan to face tomorrow
Do it soon

This country-pop diamond grabs your attention immediately, though even inveterate fans were scarcely prepared for the next weapon to be deployed on the disc. Gallons of ink have been spilled in an effort to praise and deconstruct "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". Grim in that it recounts the detail of a (then) recent nautical disaster, it stands as one of the most unlikely creations to ever invade top forty playlists (Can # 1, US #2). Lengthy, ponderous and seemingly without a trace of any discernible chorus, the song stands on a very haunting guitar figure that punctuates each verse and sheer will. Musically, every player contributes to an atmosphere of pure foreboding and futility. Lightfoot tops it off with a chilling vocal that runs down every aspect of the last journey of a doomed vessel and its crew members.

Does anyone know where the love of god goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours

His genius places you right there with those brave souls about to perish in the grip of a ferocious November gale. Deserving of every superlative, this startling recording succeeds in conveying the weight and tension of the event itself. Very few writers are capable of bringing such subject matter so deftly to the masses without falling victim to maudlin cliché.

There is a distinctive adult-contemporary-country feel in place with the sweet steel of Pee Wee Charles coloring the arrangements. Lightfoot further commits to full band performances, with "I'd Do It Again" nominated as the cut that stretches out most into "rock" territory. Harmonized lead guitar and a surprising time signature change all work like a Swiss watch. Both the title track and "Protocol" weave storytelling magic and sonic innovation together successfully, coming in as close contenders in the highlight reel category. Confident, in excellent voice and determined to take new steps, Summertime Dream saw him make a stylistic break with the past. While it was successful on every level, commercial fortunes would not be the same for him after this one. Despite shifting trends, he stayed in the game doing what came naturally: writing and plying his trade in front of adoring audiences.

POSTSCRIPT

We now come full circle to a point that I had raised in the first paragraph. Gord's Gold had an element of score settling involved in its packaging. Still raw about what he felt was a lack of support from label executives during his time with United Artists, he re-recorded all of his early material featured on that double disc. He was not pleased with the sound of the originals nor was he thrilled about them making money by putting out compilations like Classic Lightfoot and licensing the masters to K-Tel to do the same. The past held no romance for GL and he took his revenge accordingly. This exercise in kicking off 2018 with a week of Lightfoot reviews has been extremely rewarding. I had carefully dusted off these seven great LPs, collected over years at flea markets, record shops and street sales, not entirely sure how they would sound. Some have moved around with me countless times, waiting patiently to be played again. It's been a revelation as each was every bit as powerful as I had remembered. Nuance, craftsmanship and true talent has no substitute. He is still working regularly and rumor has it that this humble poet may have a new disc for release this year. Heartfelt thanks to Mr. Lightfoot for sharing his prodigious gifts.