Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Ted's Song of the Week - 8/01/06













Sundown
Gordon Lightfoot
Sundown

I'll be the first to admit that I've listened to some terrible music over the span of my lifetime. Of course, these were the times when my parents could only shake their heads and slightly ignore it. They just had to conclude that I was going through phases. "That's not music. They're just making noise," they would comment. This was during my heavy metal phase. "It sounds like they're just talking over a beat," they would say. My rap phase. In a nutshell, my parents hate just about all modern-day rock and pop. Inexplicably, my father actually liked Sister Hazel's "All For You." I still have yet to figure that one out.

As I grow older, I'm beginning to see kind of where my parents were coming from. I still listen to bad music from time to time, but at least I balance it out with the quality kind my parents would approve of. We have since compromised on a number of artists that we can listen to on the occasional roadtrip/vacation. Of course, I've had to reach a bit further for said compromise, but with artists like Gordon Lightfoot in the neutral category, I don't mind so much.

Anyway, "Sundown" is the title track from Lightfoot's 1974 release. The track was a huge success by peaking high on Billboard's contemporary and country charts. Apparently, Lightfoot's then-girlfriend Cathy Smith was the inspiration for this popular single. Smith later became infamous for her involvement with comedian John Belushi's untimely death. Despite that depressing fact, "Sundown" is a great song from one of folk-country's best artists.

Gordon Lightfoot - Sundown

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