There must be something in the water, or the beer, but Canada has given the world some of the strongest singer-songwriters of the modern pop era. Gordon Lightfoot emerged in the mid-'60s, first as a composer and soon after as a noted performer whose virile yet sensitive voice and striking songs quickly established him as one of the most gifted folk-inspired artists in a era bursting with talent. By the 1970s, Lightfoot went on to reach superstardom with a series of hit albums and singles.
Complete Greatest Hits
provides a career overview drawing on many of the Canadian bard’s signature songs, touching on those that first drew public attention (“Early Morning Rain,” “For Lovin’ Me,” “Pussywillows, Cat-tails”) before moving forward into the glory years (“If You Could Read My Mind,” “Sundown,” “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”) and beyond (“Stay Loose,” “Restless,” “Daylight Katy”). Although
Hits
only scratches the surface of Lightfoot’s rich oeuvre, it provides a fine entry point to explore the work of a genuine legend.