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  #61  
Old 05-31-2023, 06:03 AM
zuzu zuzu is offline
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They are both great and I like them both but look at each a bit differently. Denver was, to me, a stellar singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist who had definitive ideas of how to present his material in a recorded medium, and consistently achieved his goals in that medium.

Lightfoot was a master of that medium. An excellent singer and instrumentalist, and as a songwriter I have yet to hear a Lightfoot song and think to myself "That's a bit of a dog, isn't it?" His level of consistency in writing really good songs was pretty amazing. And his skill in the recording studio in creating the perfect setting for each song rivals any artist. He was deep in the production aspect of his recordings and it was not unusual for him to write his own string charts when he saw the need.

Not to disrespect Denver by any means, but I see him as a singer songwriter who put out recordings, excellent and popular ones that I still enjoy today. But in Lightfoot I see a true "recording artist", in the most positive connotations of the phrase.

My 2 pence...
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  #62  
Old 05-31-2023, 07:28 AM
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I never got into JD very much. As for GL, there have been a few times when I come across a lyric line and scratch my head, thinking that doesn't fit the excellence of the rest of the song. Overall, he's terrific. To me, GL's strength is melody; he writes a lot of movement. And he does have some really good lyrics. He also was able to create a pretty consistent sound. Quite an impressive catalog.
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  #63  
Old 05-31-2023, 10:19 AM
Slothead56 Slothead56 is offline
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Like them both but more of a Denver fan. Yes, his melodies were amazing. Lyrically, sometimes a little lightweight.

They do have one thing in common for me though…I’d be perfectly ok never hearing Sunshine on my Shoulders or The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald every again. Tie.

(No disrespect to either artist or their legion of fans. As someone said earlier ‘you like what you like”.)
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  #64  
Old 05-31-2023, 10:27 AM
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I like JD's early stuff, that was guitar-centered and a break from the heavy rock/pop at the time. But as he got more mainstream and the music became more string-y I lost interest.

GL, yeah more complex and the guitar was always there up front.

But both these guys were of their time, and time marches on.
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  #65  
Old 05-31-2023, 01:16 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ghostnote View Post
I’ll be honest: I never really cared for John Denver. And I love Gordon Lightfoot. Talent has nothing to do with it - they both have plenty of that. It’s just one of those things. You like what you like.
Same but in reverse. JD was always the man whereas GL is great but harder to listen to on a regular basis.
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  #66  
Old 05-31-2023, 01:36 PM
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I've long appreciated the music of both John Denver and Gordon Lightfoot and was fortunate to see both perform a number of times. Each brought different qualities to the table, and I guess I don't see a need to analyze why I enjoyed listening to and playing both of their music....
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  #67  
Old 05-31-2023, 04:53 PM
Cabarone Cabarone is offline
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Just my $0.02, but I was always amazed how GL's songs all sounded unique...I don't think there was ever a better "melodist", if you will...
Nothing against JD...
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  #68  
Old 06-01-2023, 01:37 PM
Andromeda Andromeda is offline
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Originally Posted by RP View Post
I guess I don't see a need to analyze why I enjoyed listening to and playing both of their music....
I wasn't analyzing why I liked them. I just had an observation about thier music after many years of listening to them.

Sorry I stared this thread.
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  #69  
Old 06-02-2023, 04:11 PM
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They both left their mark on me. Rocky Mountain High made me want to move to Aspen, and Carefree Highway always took me down memory lane (old girl friends etc).
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  #70  
Old 06-02-2023, 09:45 PM
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They both left their mark on me. Rocky Mountain High made me want to move to Aspen, and Carefree Highway always took me down memory lane (old girl friends etc).
"Rocky Mountain High" is a terrific song and album. Another thing that John did well in his career is have great taste about the songs he covered. On that album he covered Prine's "Paradise," McCartney's "Mother Nature's Son" and Steve Gillette's terrific tune "Darcy Farrow."

The only other major artist of that same era I can think of who had equally good taste in choosing which songs to cover was Linda Ronstadt.

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  #71  
Old 06-02-2023, 11:03 PM
Jeffreykip Jeffreykip is offline
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John Denver was and always will be the best. His voice still sends chills up and down my spine. His songs were his gift to all who would listen and take them into their hearts. The gift of John's songs continues to inspire me. I sing those songs in tribute to John and also as an expression of my own heart as those songs have become part of me. It's a connection that will live as long as I live.

MAKE it a GREAT day!!!
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Edit: Just realized I have posted on a 16 year old thread. I'll leave it, it was fun to think about.

Both are amazing, but I feel very much the same way as Marge. It would be hard to overstate how important the album An Evening with John Denver has been to my life. It was the first concert I saw as a kid, and I would dress up as John and with my dad's guitar pretend to be him as I listened, and I still listen to it now when I need to re-center. My family moved to Colorado, and then Alaska and I am not saying it was totally because of him, but I'm not sayin' it wasn't. I know the flaws in his off-stage character, but I also know that those who knew him say he was absolutely sincere, even if imperfect, and that really resonates with me; especially because I think he's been underrated and dismissed for his tenacious affirmation of love as a guiding force, and I have times that I feel that way in my own life, too. His guitar playing is beautiful and skilled: it was the reason I first used drop D, and the arpeggiated chords, the full sound, have really influenced my own playing- not to mention my dedication to my Guild F50. And voice - it's hard to think of someone with a wider range, clearer control, or more emotionally powerful timbre.

Now I have to throw some appreciation to Gordon Lightfoot, too - his was another person very foundational to my understanding of the singer songwriter. I do not connect emotionally in the same way (I'm more a "Love is everywhere" than a "I am not sayin' that I love you" guy), but I do really enjoy him and his music. I like that he was on the periphery - away from James Taylor and Paul Simon's glow, but expressing some of the darker hues of the human experience, which I think are just as relevant and important to songwriting. I do not see a more complex song structure than JD - again I'd go to JT or PS for that - but it's a very different sound, and that's the spice of life.

I see you wrote "I am sorry I started this thread", but it has been a pleasure to read and respond to. Not that I don't like parsing the minutiae of each guitar that passes through our hands, but this felt like more of a "why?" than a "which?" kind of thread. My answer is John Denver and, Gordon Lightfoot - which is actually the reality of the matter: we got to enjoy both, and I feel thankful to them for it.
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Last edited by Jeffreykip; 06-03-2023 at 12:26 AM.
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  #72  
Old 06-02-2023, 11:56 PM
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John Denver was my inspiration for picking up the guitar in the first place. Not long after, I discovered Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Croce, Harry Chapin, etc.. To me, JD's music is light and airy. GL's music has heft and depth. Kind of like the difference between Stephen King and John Steinbeck. Both are easily appreciated, but it is just a different experience altogether.
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  #73  
Old 06-03-2023, 12:34 AM
Jeffreykip Jeffreykip is offline
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(I went to reply, lost the page and had to search it, and found I'd accidentally posted on a similar thread you started back in 2007 - It was a great read. I'll share my reply here, too.)

Both are amazing, but it would be hard to overstate how important the album An Evening with John Denver has been to my life. It was the first concert I saw as a kid, and I would dress up as John and with my dad's guitar pretend to be him as I listened, and I still listen to it now when I need to re-center. My family moved to Colorado, and then Alaska and I am not saying it was totally because of him, but I'm not sayin' it wasn't. I know the flaws in his off-stage character, but I also know that those who knew him say he was absolutely sincere, even if imperfect, and that really resonates with me; especially because I think he's been underrated and dismissed for his tenacious affirmation of love as a guiding force, and I have times that I feel that way in my own life, too. All of that means his songwriting is doing something special, and I know many of his devotees feel that way. His guitar playing is beautiful and skilled: it was the reason I first used drop D, and the arpeggiated chords, the full sound, have really influenced my own playing- not to mention my dedication to my Guild F50. And voice - it's hard to think of someone with a wider range, clearer control, or more emotionally powerful timbre.

Now I have to throw some appreciation to Gordon Lightfoot, too - his was another person very foundational to my understanding of the singer songwriter. I do not connect emotionally in the same way (I'm more a "Love is everywhere" than a "I am not sayin' that I love you" guy), but I do really enjoy him and his music. I like that he was on the periphery - away from James Taylor and Paul Simon's glow, but expressing some of the darker hues of the human experience, which I think are just as relevant and important to songwriting. I do not see a more complex song structure than JD - again I'd go to JT or PS for that - but it's a very different sound, and that's the spice of life.

I see you wrote "I am sorry I started this thread", but it has been a pleasure to read and respond to (as well as the 2007 version ). Not that I don't like parsing the minutiae of each guitar that passes through our hands, but this felt like more of a "why?" than a "which?" kind of thread. My answer is John Denver and, Gordon Lightfoot - which is actually the reality of the matter: we got to enjoy both, and I feel thankful to them for it.
Kip
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  #74  
Old 06-03-2023, 08:55 AM
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My parents took me to see John Denver at the Jacksonville Colosseum when I was a kid and I said; thats what I want to do… here I am today by Grace, a full time working musician for many years. I also saw Gordon Lightfoot and play songs from both artists in my set.

My renditions of Country Roads, which I remade into “Down A Beach Road”, gets great reaction since I turned it into a song that fits the tropical life here on the Florida coast, and also my rendition of Edmund Fitzgerald… which by the way I was performing at the Palace Saloon last year (one of the oldest bars in Florida) and an older fella heard it from the street. He came in and stood in front of me. After I finished playing the song, he told me and several folks standing around about his grandfather who was one of 29 who perished on the EF. The whole place was silent as he shared his story! It was a gig moment to remember and folks still talk about it.

So to Andromeda, I too am a big fan JD and GL, as both inspired and influenced my desire to be a professional musician. I’ll add Cat Stevens in the mix for me personally too as his unique rhythm playing and percussive style of music influenced my right hand technique. Musically they were unique, good players and writers. JD’s voice was simply beautiful to my ears.

Wish they were both still with us…
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  #75  
Old 06-03-2023, 10:24 AM
Jeffreykip Jeffreykip is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave in Edmonds View Post
John Denver was my inspiration for picking up the guitar in the first place. Not long after, I discovered Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Croce, Harry Chapin, etc.. .
Oh, yes. Jim Croce and Harry Chapin definitely go on the inspiration hall of fame wall for me, too. “You don’t mess around with” “ 30,000 pounds” of greatness.
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