Solo is the 20th and final studio album by Canadian folk singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, released on March 20, 2020, three years before his death on May 1, 2023.
| Solo | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 20, 2020 | |||
| Recorded | 2019 | |||
| Studio | Grant Avenue (Hamilton, Canada) | |||
| Genre | Folk | |||
| Length | 33:01 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | Warner Music Canada | |||
| Producer | Gordon Lightfoot | |||
| Gordon Lightfoot chronology | ||||
| ||||
Recording and release
editLightfoot had only recorded one album of new material in 20 years prior to this release and the songs are made up from demos that Lightfoot discovered from 2001 and 2002 that he wanted to put to record.[1] After initially trying to orchestrate the songs and re-write several of them,[2] he decided that they were fine as they were and set about to record his first solo album in his decades-long career.[3]
Reception
editEditors at AllMusic Guide scored Solo 3.5 out of five stars, with critic Mark Deming comparing this favorably to the artist's first recordings in the 1960s and noting that the stripped down recordings were a wise choice: "he may sound weaker than he used to, but he's also not fighting a band for attention, and the sly rounder that populated many of his early tunes is still faintly audible on Solo".[1] In Exclaim!, Iam Gormley rated this album a seven out of 10, concurring that the sparse production techniques complement Lightfoot's softer vocals and opining, "the record showcases what Lightfoot has always done and always excelled at: songwriting".[4]
Track listing
editAll songs written by Gordon Lightfoot.
- "Oh So Sweet" – 3:04
- "E-Motion" – 3:15
- "Better Off" – 3:04
- "Return into Dust" – 3:05
- "Do You Walk, Do You Talk" – 3:05
- "Just a Little Bit" – 3:47
- "Easy Flo" – 2:58
- "Dreamdrift" – 3:46
- "The Laughter We Seek" – 3:37
- "Why Not Give It a Try" – 3:20
Personnel
edit- Gordon Lightfoot – vocals, guitar, production
- Bob Doidge – recording, mixing
- Patrick Duffy – design
- Carl Dunn – photography
- Amy King – mastering at GZ Media, Czechia
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Deming, Mark. "Gordon Lightfoot – Solo". AllMusic Guide. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
- ^ "Gordon Lightfoot's life in 10 songs". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. May 1, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel. "Gordon Lightfoot Announces First New Album in 16 Years, 'Solo'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
- ^ Gormley, Ian (March 20, 2020). "Gordon Lightfoot Solo". Exclaim!. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
External links
edit- Solo at Discogs (list of releases)
- Solo at MusicBrainz (list of releases)
