The Way I Feel – GORDON LIGHTFOOT****

Walls/If You Got It/Softly/Crossroads/A Minor Ballad/Go-Go Around/Rosanna/Home From The Forest/I’ll Be Alright/Song For A Winter’s Night/Canadian Railroad Trilogy/The Way I Feel

The Way I Feel was the follow up album from the noted Canadian folk singer songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. Consisting entirely of his own compositions it sees him adopting some pop and country influences.

“Gordon Lightfoot had used additional guitar and bass on his debut, but for his second LP he went for a fuller band sound, using a couple of the noted Nashville session men. The result was a brighter and more accessible sound, with the country elements more to the fore. The songs weren't quite as impressive as his first batch, but they were still very good, highlighted by the epic Canadian Railroad Trilogy and an electrified remake of The Way I Feel.”

“A major difference between this album and his first is that this one does not feature any cover songs. Apparently he wanted to focus on his own compositions, and that strategy yielded great results in many cases. Canadian Railroad Trilogy is a masterpiece of the folk genre, Song For A Winter's Night is one of his best UA songs, Walls is an irresistible country song and Home From The Forest is a melodic, sad folk tune that grows more powerful with each listen.”

. “There are some inklings of the folk-pop direction that he would take before too much longer. The bouncy beat and ringing acoustic guitars of If You Got It are very much in tune with 60s pop sensibilities. The Way I Feel has an echo like sound and Walls has a slight country feel to it.”

“Every song is good while two in particular stand out, Home From The Forest and the title track. This album is one of Gordon’s best works, every song is poetry in motion. His backing band provide strong support to the well arranged compositions, making this a must have recording for anyone who appreciates good folk music.”

“On his second album he sounds more confident, mature and self-assured, seems to be emphatically saying that he had not only arrived but he was going to stay around for a long, long time. The Way I Feel begins to more clearly define the Lightfoot sound and his future musical direction: still folk oriented, but with a larger influence of both country and pop.”