• Voto:
Quattordici canzoni di una semplicità disarmante: voce, chitarra acustica e qualche sporadica linea di basso, niente percussioni, arrangiamenti di contorno neanche a parlarne: basta questo al giovane Gordon Lightfoot per esordire sul mercato discografico con un capolavoro, che si rivelerà solo il primo, memorabile tassello della carriera di questo straordinario cantautore che nei successivi dieci anni costruirà la sua leggenda senza mai sbagliare un colpo, diventando un artista di culto tra i più riconosciuti, ammirati e coverizzati di sempre.
Composto nel 1964 ma pubblicato per la United Artists solo due anni più tardi grazie all'interessamento di Albert Grossman, "Lightfoot!" colpisce fin da subito per la classe e la maestria con cui il Gord riesce ad esprimere sensazioni e sonorità tanto variegate con uno stile assolutamente semplice ed essenziale, oltre che per l'altissimo livello medio delle composizioni: "Lightfoot!" contiene almeno mezza dozzina di classici del folksinger di Toronto; su tutte la leggendaria e pluricoverizzata "Early Morning Rain", canzone che rappresenta appieno lo spirito e lo stile di questo album, il cui meraviglioso testo intriso di tristezza, autocommiserazione e amara ironia consacra Lightfoot come artista della parola con pochi eguali nel proprio genere, oltre a conferire ulteriore significato ad una melodia che nella sua essenzialità è impregnata del fascino epico e struggente dei grandi classici ed esprime il lato più strettamente folk di questo album, che si riscontra anche nelle dolcissime e bucoliche "Steel Rail Blues" e "Ribbon Of Darkness", meravigliosi e commoventi affreschi di amori da riscoprire (la prima) o definitivamente perduti (la seconda) ed in "Long River", serena e contemplativa poesia dei meravigliosi scenari delle montagne canadesi.
Oltre al folk puro e semplice, in "Lightfoot!" c'è anche spazio per canzoni più articolate e vicine al blues, tra cui spicca come capolavoro una cover di Phil Ochs, "Changes", dal mood malinconico ma terribilmente fluido, elegante e carezzevole, la ritmata "For Lovin' Me", altro grande cavallo di battaglia del Gord e le ombrose "The Way I Feel" e "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face", scritta da Ewan MacColl, padre di quella Kirstie resa famosa dal duetto con Shane McGowan in "Fairytale Of New York", per finire con "Oh, Linda", scarna, amara e quasi spigolosa, basata solo ed unicamente sulla voce di Gordon accompagnata da un'ossessiva linea di basso e "Peaceful Waters", dall'atmosfera notturna e quasi mistica, in cui la voce profonda ma limpida del Nostro si esprime nella sua interpretazione più intensa e caratterizzante; mentre esulano si propongono come episodi a sé stanti la terza cover dell'album, "Pride Of Man" di Hamilton Camp, unica canzone del disco a proporre tematiche sociali, che fornirà a Gord l'ispirazione per la sua "Black Day In July" del 1968 e "Rich Man's Spiritual", un altro capolavoro dalla melodia allegra e assolutamente catchy e orecchiabile contornata da un testo ironico e geniale, che da il via con stile e leggerezza ad un album meraviglioso di un artista considerato in patria come una vera e propria leggenda vivente, nomea perfettamente meritata grazie all'immenso contributo fornito a tanti altri artisti e più in generale alla musica stessa con una moltitudine di classici senza tempo che costituiscono un lascito artistico destinato a durare per sempre, che vale la pena di ricordare e recensire.
Elenco tracce testi e samples
03 The Way I Feel (03:42)
©1966 by Gordon Lightfoot
The way I feel is like a robin
Whose babes have flown to come no more
Like a tall oak tree alone and cryin'
When the birds have flown and the nest is bare
Now a woman Lord is like a young bird
And the tall oak tree is a young man's heart
Among its boughs you'll find her nesting
When the nights are cool she is warm and dry
Your coat of green it will protect her
Her wings will grow, you love will too
But all too soon your mighty branches
Will cease to hold her, and she'll fly from you
Now the way I feel is like a robin
Whose babes have flown to come no more
Like a tall oak tree alone and crying
When the birds have flown and the nest is bare
When the birds have flown and the nest is bare
04 For Lovin' Me (02:26)
That's what you get for lovin' me
That's what you get for lovin' me
Ev'ry thing you had is gone
As you can see
That's what you get for lovin' me
I ain't the kind to hang around
With any new love that I found
'Cause movin' is my stock in trade
I'm movin' on
I won't think of you when I'm gone.
So don't you shed a tear for me
B'cause I ain't the love you thought I'd be
I got a hundred more like you
So don't be blue
I'll have a thousand 'fore I'm through
Now there you go you're cryin' again
Now there you go you're cryin' again
But then someday when your poor heart
Is on the mend
Well I just might pass this way again
That's what you get for lovin' me
That's what you get for lovin' me
Everything you had is gone
As you can see
That's what you get for lovin' me
That's what you get for lovin' me
07 Early Morning Rain (03:00)
In the early morning rain with a dollar in my hand
With an aching in my heart and my pockets full of sand
Now, I'm a long way from home and I miss my loved ones so
In the early morning rain with no place to go
Out on runway number nine a big 707's set to go
But, I'm stuck here in the grass where the cold wind blows
Now, the liquor tasted good and the women all were fast
Well, there she goes, my friend, well she's going down at last
Hear the mighty engines roar - see the silver bird on high
She's away and westward bound - far above the clouds she'll fly
There the morning rain don't fall and the sun always shines
She'll be flying over my home in about three hours time
This old airport's got me down - it's no earthly good to me
'cause I'm stuck here on the ground as cold and drunk as I can be
You can't jump a jet plane like you can a freight train
So, I'd best be on my way in the early morning rain
You can't jump a jet plane like you can a freight train
So, I'd best be on my way in the early morning rain
08 Steel Rail Blues (02:48)
Well I got my mail late last night
A letter from a girl who found the time to write
To her lonesome boy somewheres in the night
She sent me a railroad ticket too
To take me to her lovin' arms
And the big steel rail gonna carry me home to the one I love
Well I been out here many long days
I haven't found a place that I could call my own
Not a two bit bed to lay my body on
I been stood up I bin shook down
I been dragged into the sand
And the big steel rail gonna carry me home to the one I love
Well I been uptight most every night
Walkin' along the streets of this old town
Not a friend around to tell my troubles to
My good old car she done broke down
'Cause I drove it into the ground
And the big steel rail gonna carry me home to the one I love
Well I look over yonder across the plain
The big drive wheels are poundin' along the ground
Gonna get on board and I'll be homeward bound
Now I ain't had a home cooked meal
And Lord I need one now
And the big steel rail gonna carry me home to the one I love
Now here I am with my hat in my hand
Standin' on the broad highway will you give a ride
To a lonesome boy who missed the train last night
I went in town for one last round
And I gambled my ticket away
And the big steel rail won't carry me home to the one I love
10 I'm Not Sayin' (02:27)
I'm not sayin' that I love you
I'm not sayin' that I'll care if you love me
I'm not sayin' that I'll care
I'm not sayin' I'll be there when you want me
I can't give my heart to you
Or tell you that I'll sing your name up to the sky
I can't lay the promise down
That I'll always be around when you need me
Now I may not be alone each time you see me
Along the street or in a small cafe
But still I won't deny or mistreat you
Baby if you let me have my way
I'm not sayin' I'll be sorry
For all the things that I might say that make you cry
I can't say I'll always do
The things you want me to
I'm not sayin' I'll be true but I'll try
Now I may not be alone each time you see me
Or show up when I promised that I would
But still I won't deny or mistreat you
Baby if you love me like you should
I'm not sayin' I'll be sorry
For all the things that I might say that make you cry
I can't say I'll always do
The things you want me to
I'm not sayin' I'll be true but I'll try
I can't say I'll always do
The things you want me to
I'm not sayin' I'll be true but I'll try
12 Ribbon of Darkness (02:40)
Ribbon of darkness over me
Since my true love walked out the door
Tears I never had before
Ribbon of darkness over me
Clouds a-atherin' o'er my head
That kill the day and hide the sun
That shroud the night when day is done
Ribbon of darkness over me
Rain is falling on the meadow
Where once my love and I did lie
Now she is gone from the meadow
My love goodbye
Ribbon of darkness over me
Where once the world was young as spring
Where flowers did bloom and birds did sing
Ribbon of darkness over me
Here in this cold room lyin'
Don't want to see no one but you
Lord I wish I could be dyin'
To forget you
Oh how I wish your heart could see
How mine just aches and breaks all day
Come on home and take away
This ribbon of darkness over me
Carico i commenti... con calma
