Of course this is one of my favorite albums by one of my favorite artists - I wore my mothers record out when I was a kid, so I was thrilled to get it on CD... and then I noticed that one of my all-time favorite songs was not on it! Affair on 8th Avenue was cut from this album for space. Although I think a version of it is available on other CDs, the version on Gord's Gold was by far the best, most beautiful, and most haunting.
So, whomever put this CD out should definately re-release it with that song back on it - I'd not only pay more money for another copy that HAS that song, but I'd buy them for my friends, most of whom are now also huge Lightfoot fans, thanks to my incessant playing of his music.

When I was growing up, my first girlfriend and I had the song "If You Could Read My Mind" as our song. I never thought to buy the album though. When I was in the military, about 1984, a friend gave me a self recorded cassette recording of Gord's Gold. I listened to that tape until it broke. It outlasted the first girlfriend though. I have been looking for it on CD. Now that I have it, I remember how crisp and solid these folk songs are. I am imnpressed at how many of the words I still know. It is always good to hear great songs that the oldies radio stations seem to overlook.

So much has been said about Gord's Gold -- doesn't need repeating. But this collection will never be complete until it is re-released with "Affair On 8th Avenue." Amazon could generate a lot of new sales if they'd pass this along and help influence someone to do this.......

A lot of talent has came out of Canada, like The Guess Who, Alex Trebek and yes even the wisdom of Steve Smith of The Red Green Show. Gordon Lightfoot is one of the greatest acts to come out of Canada. Gord's Gold is his best CD. In 1976 I purchased the LP version of Gord's Gold. A great way to unwind after a busy day. As soon as Gord's Gold was re-released on CD I had to get me a copy. Although some CD re-releases either add or omit song(s). In this case one song titled "Affair On 8th Avenue" is missing? And yes I've got my facts straight because, I've got the original album in front of me. Anyway, this CD is a great find. Every CD Gordon Lightfoot ever made is Gold. A great singer/songwriter. He definately deserves a place in The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. And to Mr. Lightfoot a huge THANK YOU! Your work is not forgotten. Fans of Gordon's and the Edmund Fitzgerald if you ever get the chance. Check out the shipwreck museum in the northern tip of Michigan, great history.

I have this same album on cassette and it's the first Gordon Lightfoot album I ever got. This album is the reason I fell in love with Gord's music. If you love Gordon, you'll absolutely love this cd. There isn't a bad song on the album and every song tells a tale of love, life, or sorrow which gives you a broader perspective of your own life. Gordon's music has a dreamlike quality about it and the way he's able to paint a picture with his words is truly remarkable. Every song tells a story of some-sort which makes listening to the music like listening to someone recant tales of love and life around the warm of a campfire while all gather around and become deeply enthralled with the story as it unfolds in their minds. I could go on forever about how Gord's music seems to transplant me to another place and time, but ultimately you must hear it for yourself. Songs like "ribbon of darkness", "minstrel of the dawn", "song for a winter's night", and "canadian railroad trilogy" are just a few of the songs in which you'll feel as if you're actually there living the music. Overall, this is amazing music which will transport you to a time and place you may never have been, but one that you'll never want to leave.

In the music world, we're constantly bombarded with "greatest hits" collections, most of which don't exactly measure up to their promise. "Gord's Gold," however is a testament to the seemingly limitless talent of one of the world's premier singer/songwriters, the inimitable Gordon Lightfoot. Possessing a rich baritone of immense warmth and a knack for writing songs that touch the soul, Lightfoot easily comes up with a 21-song collection that encompassed a relatively few short years in his career. From the beautifully atmospheric "Song For A Winter's Night" to the poignant "Bitter Green," this is one album that more than lives up to its claim as "Gord's Gold."

Lightfoot's style was always such that he seemed equally comfortable writing songs of unrequited/broken romance alongside epic-style ballads as "Canadian Railroad Trilogy." But no matter what he wrote, we were always glad that he was the one interpreting the song.

This was the first Gordon Lightfoot album that I ever heard. Enough said. I was hooked after that. He is such a talented song writer, and he is so easy to relate to, especially if you are a guy. What guy doesn't like For Lovin' Me? I mean, come on, in my experience, it has always been the other way arround, and I am the one who gets my heart broke, not the girl, but it still Awesome to think that I was the one who is breaking all the hearts! This collection is truly timeless and is one of my favorite albums to be sure. Give it a listen, and you may get pulled in by his beautiful, poetic ballads and his snappy little rhythms.

As a die-hard-yet-casual fan of Gordon's, I have loved this album for probably about 7 years. I like to recommend Lightfoot to those who have not heard him, but I don't really find myself going out and buying all of his original albums. So the compilation suits me just fine. Lightfoot is perfect "remember when" music. Every song makes me think of a certain time or place ... regardless of whether or not I heard that song in that exact time or place. Favorites from the album (not too surprising) are: "If You Could Read My Mind," "Sundown," and "Song for a Winter's Night." I also highly recommend, "Carefree Highway," "Canadian Railroad Trilogy," and "Beautiful."

In short, if you're looking for something easy to listen to, and easy to relax to, Gordon's your guy. Perfect for a mellow, folky day.

I wish I could give this 100 stars. Really. When I was young, our family would drive north for some twenty hours to a remote cabin in the Kippewa wilderness. We'd listen to this on 8 track in the family station wagon.

Where we stayed electricity was generated and shut off at nine p.m. We'd play this album (along with Eagles, Jimmy Buffett's early stuff and some albums that have remained tops on my list) by battery power on (what was cool at the time) the portable 8 track player under the warm glow of candlelight.

Some of my fondest memories of youth are inextricably tied to this very album. It never ceases to remind me of the Canadian wilderness, kicking back on the rocks by the side of the never ending body of water, listening to the glorious sounds of the natural world.

Nothing fancy, no theatrics, just good ol' storytelling with acoustic accompaniment. Lots of acoustic guitar and lyrics that place you in the story. It's a great place to start (and a great place to stay if you ask me!).

Had this best of album been done after Summertime Dream it would have encompassed Lightfoot's best recordings. However, as it stands Gord's Gold is a fantastic overview of the first decade of Lightfoot's career.

The first half of the CD contains his earlier work from the UA label. They're all re-recorded versions and while this may annoy purists it does create a seemless listening experience by updating the early recordings to his current sound. The second half of the CD is his work for Warner Bros and contains such well known hits as "Sundown", "If You Could Read My Mind" and "Carefree Highway".

Overall, this disc is extremely hard to fault. None of the songs seem out of place and there are no annoying ommissions, something which is frequent with best of albums. It is essential that you get your hands on the originals of Lightfoot's early work, as well as Summertime Dream (his best stand alone album) but this CD is a fantastic introduction to a wonderful singer and songwriter.

With compilations now available of Lightfoot's earlier, vastly simpler and superior recordings from the 60's, bypass the Gord's Gold releases. Most of the GG releases are re-recordings of his earlier hits, spiritless and swamped in syrupy strings. If I had to guess, I would say that Lightfoot could not bear to hear the raw passion of his first recordings and decided to release sanitized versions...or maybe he was just going through the motions. In any case, go for the earlier recordings, they are treasures.

I'm a casual Gordon Lightfoot fan, so this collection was probably not a good place for me to start. I love his 70s hits, and this set includes "Sundown," "Carefree Highway," and "If You Could Read My Mind." However, as other reviewers have mentioned, this collection was originally released in 1975 and therefore does not include "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." The non-inclusion of that song is a major flaw to a casual fan; big fans of Lightfoot may feel more justified buying other CDs to get that song. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the other music included on the CD. Most of the songs were not hits, but Lightfoot has such a beautiful voice, perfectly suited for gentle 70s songs. Songs 1-9 are re-recorded versions (all re-done in 1975); however, I never heard the original versions, so I don't now whether I'm missing anything. The CD ultimately reminds me a bit of John Denver's early work, in a good way, as they are both 70s singer-songwriters with a bit of pop-folk flair. Overall, a very good CD that is nonetheless missing at least one key track, and it probably has too many non-hits to appeal to casual fans.

Originally released as a double album, this great CD contains twenty-one songs by Gordon, all packed onto only one CD. Covering some twenty years of his career, these songs display Gordon Lightfoot's golden voice to great effect. Some of these songs are original, and some were "updated" to Gordon's new sound, which I found pleasing but imagine will irritate some.

As an added bonus, the paperwork with the CD has a short history of Gordon Lightfoot, and his band, complete with black-and-white pictures. Overall, I found this to be a great CD, one well worth including in your collection. I highly recommend it!

For people such as myself who were only 10-11 when Lightfoot had his big hit with "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," a lot of these songs are just simply unknown. Occasionally you will still hear "Sundown" on the airwaves, but that is about it. Yet we all hear about what a great singer/songwriter Lightfoot is...how are we to discover this talent for ourselves?

For the novice listener such as myself, this CD is a great way to go about it. As many other reviewers have already noted, this album was compiled in 1975, before "Edmund Fitzgerald" was released, so of course that song would not have been included. So quit complaining.

What complaints I do have are the paucity of liner notes. For those of us who don't know much about his earlier work, some more detailed notes on what albums the songs were originally on would have been nice.

Also, Lightfoot's voice seems strangely week and thin on the first half dozen tracks or so, and it makes the songs a little difficult to listen to. I don't know what the circumstances surrounding these recordings were, so it is a bit puzzling. The quality of the voice and production improves dramatically in the second half of the album.

All in all, though, I find this to be a very satisfying CD to listen to. A good CD particularly for Lightfoot novices.

Gordon Lightfoot is without a doubt a great songwriter but the quality of this cd is terrible. It's no better than a mediocre cassette. The high frequency is clipped causing it to sound flat.
'Sundown' is one of my favourite Lightfoot songs but all these selections show a sensitivity not found too much these days. The only remastered album I can find is an import which doesn't have most of his material I like. Oh well - if this gets remastered, I'll buy it again.

At the risk of ticking off the "serious" Lightfoot fan, let me just say this: What is "Gold" about an album that excludes the man's BIGGEST hit? For better or worse, Lightfoot is known for the epic, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." In a clear ploy to get you to buy more of his albums, that tune is conveniently absent on this "Gold" album. I mean, really. Would you exclude, "American Pie" off Don McLean's Greatest Hits? I was suckered into buying this album. Don't make the same mistake.

This CD, originally a record album, compiles many of folk singer Gordon Lightfoot's best songs. It's a mix of folk songs about his homeland of Canada, love songs, lite-rock tunes...but it blends together very well. I am certainly not Lightfoot's target audience, being an eighteen-year-old Texan...but someone, somewhere in my family, probably back when this was on record album, discovered it, and it's been a staple on holiday evenings ever since. It's peaceful, it's pretty, and the songs are wonderfully written. Listen to it on a cold night in your warm house by a fireplace sometime...It's just one of those albums that doesn't go out of style.

Until the recent release of Complete Greatest Hits, this was invariably the album/CD I would recommend to people who were interesting in exploring the music of Gordon Lightfoot. Even though Gord's Gold was released in 1975, and Lightfoot has written and recorded a lot of music since then, it remains an outstanding compilation.

One item about this compilation that is often a point of discussion amongst Lightfoot fans is his decision to re-record his early songs (for those of us old enough to remember LPs, these were the songs on LP #1 of this 2 LP set!). Obviously, I don't know the answer, but I think the principal clue can be found in the two words that close his introductory essay to the Songbook 4-CD boxed set: "Ever onward." Lightfoot has never struck me as an artist interested in dwelling on the past: he's always moving forward. Thus I would guess he re-recorded the early songs principally because he felt the original recordings weren't representative of the musical direction he was following in 1975.

Thus the recordings sound very much like they would have fit on Cold on the Shoulder--his 1975 release--in terms of their musical style, though perhaps not (for the most part) in terms of their content. My only quibble with the re-recordings is that the string arrangements (by Lee Holdridge) are a touch more obtrusive than the strings on Lightfoot's preceding albums from the 70s (principally arranged by Nick DeCaro, though Randy Newman and Bob Thompson were among those who arranged a track here and there). But that's just a personal preference.

The plus side of the re-recordings is that you hear a more mature Lightfoot singing the songs written when he was a much younger man, giving these earlier compositions an extra touch of poignancy and added depth.

The second half of the CD (record #2 from the original LP release!) contains a very good representation of his Warner Brothers/Reprise years through 1975. All the big hits from that period are here ("If You Could Read My Mind," "Sundown," and "Carefree Highway") as well as other popular Lightfoot songs such as "Cotton Jenny," "Beautiful," "Don Quixote," and many more.

Sure, some of your favorites may not be in this set, but let's face it: there is an embarrassment of riches to be found in the period covered by Gord's Gold! There is a short--yet revealing--essay included, as well as photographs of the principal musicians Lightfoot had utilized over the course of his remarkable career to that point in time.

Gord's Gold is a terrific collection of music from a singer/songwriter who had already amassed a remarkable collection of songs and recordings by 1975. This compilation is well worth adding to your CD shelf.

This is a great CD for people who wants to familiarize themselves with Lightfoot's early (60's - mid-70's) work. That being said, I wish he would have left tracks 1-9 in their original form. In my opinion those songs weren't written for a lot of added strings and other instruments, and the arrangements by Lee (quick - more violins!) Holdridge didn't do Mr. Lightfoot any favors. In addition, I don't know if the summer of '75 was a bad time healthwise for Gordon, but his voice sounded much weaker in the re-recorded tracks. ...

Okay, enough complaining. This CD also contains many great recordings, including "If You Could Read My Mind", "Beautiful", "Don Quixote", "Carefree Highway", etc. There isn't much that can beat the combination of Gordon's rich voice, his lyrics and the great instrumental work.

Incredibly, Lightfoot avoids the mortal sin of folkies -- self indulgence. What makes Joan Baez insufferable today makes Gord's forthrighness all the more appealing: Rather than attempt to raise our consciousness, he tells stories in words and music, in the tradition of the generations of troubadors before him.

They are his true forebears. That his music was released at the time of the "folk revival" is pure coincidence, because he was not involved in the "causes" that today seem so naive and self-serving.

Lightfoot's best works, as captured here, transcend our cynical times and digitally-tuned ears with their artistry, beauty, depth, and general musical excellence. Listen and you will be moved.

Before you ask "what is a 15 year old doing reviewing a folk album from this age?" let me tell you. My father is a huge fan of Gordon Lightfoot and always subjected my family to his work on long car trips. Despite the fact that I originally hated the music, the more car trups I went on, the more I grew to love this music and the man who sings it so very well.

"Gord's Gold" is a great introduction to Lightfoot's musical canon. While officially a folk singer, the songs here cannot simply be described as folk songs - to do so would be to insult them. They are mostly ballads of the highest order with influences of traditional folk thrown in.

Perhaps the most striking feature of this album is the almost total absence of a drummer. That seems to be one of Lightfoot's trademarks and it has one very interesting effect. As there is no drummer to carry the music forward, all the other instruments must be played sufficiently well not to sound unfocused - the emphasis is also placed squarely on the singer, and what a singer he is.

Lightfoot's voice gives the impression of being a man of the world - in and out of love, wondering about things and so on. The way he can infuse the most mundane lyrics (not that many of them are mundane) with emotion has to be seen/heard to be believed.

This compilation was originally released after Lightfoot had switched labels and thus had re-recorded versions of his big hits - released originally only in Canada I think. Therefore the songs do sound a bit different to their corresponding titles on the early albums (which are, I think, only available on vinyl) or on the "United Artists Collection" compilation. However, this does not in any way detract from the raw emotion of these songs.

Every track here is great. Among my favourites are "Don Quixote" (a wonderful lyric with a guitar sequence that actually sounds like horse's hooves), "Bitter Green" (with a haunting chorus sung by the backing musicians) and "Carefree Highway" (a wonderfully written song about the breakup of a relationship). That's not to say that these songs outclass the others by any stretch of the imagination - the others are all of comparable class but in other ways.

The other great feature of this album is the fact that Lightfoot's lyrics are so easy to sing along with. Even the worst day at work or school will fade into memory as you find yourself singing the choruses in time with Lightfoot.

I can seriously recommend this album. As can be seen by a 15 year old reviewing it, the album is truly timeless (it was, after all, released before I was born). The sentiments expressed were true then, are true now and will be true many years into the future. You need this album.

I have always been a fan of Canadian Gordon Lightfoot's music. From the first time eI heard Peter, Paul and Mary's wonderful covers of Lightfoot songs like "Early Morning Rain" and "For Loving Me", I knew anyone who could write songs like that was a huge talent. So when I got turned onto his own voice and music I was astonished by just how good he was (and still is). This is a perfect album because, like several of his other releases, each of the dozen songs included is something you smile at as it first comes on because it is a special favorite. So the song cycle here is unforgettable, because it has so many terrific Lightfoot songs back to back. The first song is "I'm Not Saying/Ribbon Of Darkness", and he shows why he is so famous and so popular. And likewise he threads his way through twenty something beautiful and memorable songs, from the early works like", For Loving Me" and "Early Morning Rain" to later works like "Sundown", "Rainy Day People", and "If You Could Read My Mind'.

And so on with each of the songs here. My personal favorites are "Don Quixote", "Minstrel Of The Dawn", and "Beautiful", but I really love them all. If one listens o all of the similarly terrific albums Lightfoot put out over a seven or eight-year period one comes up with literally dozens and dozens of wonderful and memorable songs that could fill several double albums. So culling out the twenty or so included was difficult. He has a much larger collected works set of CDs that I also highly recommend, but this CD is simply terrific, and will do for a start This guy was far more prolific than anyone else producing work in the sixties and seventies. Buy this album, and after listening to it for a week or so you will be back for "Sundown", "Summertime Dream", "Cold On The Shoulder" and "If You Could Read My Mind". They are all great. Enjoy this one of a kind artist and his amazingly consistent flood of terrific and appealing mainstream folk albums.

Gordon Lightfoot's best material, like "Sundown," "Carefree Highway," and "If You Could Read My Mind," is among the best singer-songwriter pop from the 1970s. Unfortunately, the rest tends to be fairly bland, and "Gord's Gold" is at least twice as long as it needed to be. Additionally, the epic masterpiece "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," is not even included. This may be a great album for Gord's most ardent fans, but we casual listeners need a more stripped down version.

Although Gordon did re-record 9 of the songs from his UA years, the fact that it includes most of his biggest hits and many great album tracks from 1970-1975 is what makes this worth buying. Although as every fan knows, "Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald" isn't on here because he had recorded it later in 1975 and it appears on "Summertime Dream" and on the "Songbook" boxed set in its original version and on "Gord's Gold Vol. 2" in a re-recorded form. The other 3 of his top 10 hits, "If You Could Read My Mind," "Sundown," and "Rainy Day People" are included. This is a must have to introduce yourself to the timeless music of the legendary Gordon Lightfoot. To make up for the re-recordings of the UA material that are on this set, I'd recommend you to buy "United Artists Collection," yet one of the medleys on this CD, "I'm Not Sayin'/Ribbon of Darkness" was first released on "Sunday Concert" (which can also be found on CD either at your local music store or right here at Amazon.com) while the "United Artists Collection" contains the entire songs for both songs in the medley and is cheaper than buying the imports of the same albums this 2 CD set contains although the domestic CD of "Sunday Concert" is now harder to find than the import CD's of it.

This cd's like a sunbeam that shines right into your heart. Gordon Lightfoot is one of those artists that really deserve the description "singer-songwriter". He penned each of the songs on the record, and boy, he really makes each a little gem in folk-rock history. You will find well-known classics like "Carefree highway" or "Sundown" side by side with secret jewels like "Don Quijote", "Bitter green" or "Steel rail blues" - songs whose beauty needs time to be discovered. I myself like to listen to Lightfoot's songs when it's damn cold and rainy outside. So take the best place on your sofa, make yourself some tea, light the hearth, put "Gord's Gold" into the cd player - and let yourself be taken away by Gord's uniquely warm and tender songs.

No other Canadian singer/songwriter has effectively portrayed the images or feeling of being Canadian than Gordon Lightfoot. This essential collection is a good indication of the power and influence this man has had on contemporary music, both in Canada and around the world. Every song is carefully written and produced to maximize the colour, feeling and emotion in the lyrics. The ONLY unfortunate part of this collection is the decision by Gord to re-record the first 9 tracks, all earlier songs in his catalogue with United Artists. The original tracks as they were recorded should have been left as they were. However, due to a situation where United Artists had released a Greatest Hits of their own after Gord left them for Warner/Reprise and not satisfied with his performance on those early tracks, the decision was made to re-record them - a disappointment but one we'll live with. Tracks 10-21 are the original Gord and are superb. "Sundown" is really nice to listen to after all these years; "Beautiful" is just that; "Circle Of Steel" is a short wonderfully written song; there's a sadness to "Summer Side Of Life", especially in the chorus; and "Cold On The Shoulder" is an acoustic masterpiece. The original version of "If You Could Read My Mind" is included and still sounds great. For Gord's '60s recordings get the United Artist box set to accompany this collection from the first half of the '70s. Gord unfortunately decided to re-record again for his "Gord's Gold II". To get the original versions of his later '70s, '80s stuff, check out the recently released box set for that era. Released just prior to his massive "Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald" hit, this CD is mandatory listening for any music fan wanting high-quality, introspective, thoughtful music from a music legend.

This may not be the ultimate Gordon Lightfoot collection imaginable(it was released before "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" was recorded - for that you need "Volume II"), but it comes darn close. Words can scarcely describe the effect that this collection has on a listener; Lightfoot has a storytelling, melodic magic that transforms the audience to another time and place. It's music that evokes powerful images and memories...just read the other reviews contained here to get a sammpling of what I mean! Whether he's been part of your life for decades or this is the first time you've heard him, you'll be hooked...it's a desert island disk.

This man has got to have one of the most pleasant and easy listening voices I have ever heard====I have purchased each of his albums, except the latest which I will do so soon====plain and simply, I can see why he is a legend in Canada

This man has got to have one of the most pleasant and easy listening voices I have ever heard====I have purchased each of his albums, except the latest which I will do so soon====plain and simply, I can see why he is a legend in Canada

I was born after this album was released and was raised to it playing in the background. I have great memories of these melodies playing throughout my childhood and I am still making new memories to the likes of Sundown and Bitter Green. What better way to grow up than to the sounds of soft passion? I rate this album as one of the best of all time. Always good to calm the spirit and enlighten the soul.

I discovered Lightfoot by accident around 1969 or 70 while record shopping. I found the album, "If You Could Read My Mind" (which was the only song of his I knew). I already liked that song (it remains one of my favorite of all time), but I really loved the album cover as well as the list of titles, so I took a shot. It turned out to be a, just about, perfect album. Every song warrants listening, again and again. At that point, I began my collection of all his past albums and continued with his subsequent ones. A few years afterward, I became a performer and used several of his songs in my repertoire. I was also highly influenced by him in my songwriting. His lyrics consistently rose high above the norm for the, then, contemporary "hit" pop songs. If you're only familiar with one or two of his songs, buy this as an introduction to the rest of those that are among his best. You will not be sorry.

I learned your world's language from Gordon Lightfoot's lyrics. He's Earth's treasure. Buy this CD--there's nothing like it on Alpha Centuri! Signed, Green but not bitter.

This is an essential part of any music collection. Superbly written and performed, these songs are among the best ever recorded. The lyrics of Don Quixote are incredible - you have to wonder how long it took Lightfoot to perfect this gem. Old Dan's Records, Cotton Jenny, Canadian Railroad Trilogy, If You Could Read My Mind, Sundown - this is as good as it gets. All lovingly restored and transferred to CD, the sound quality is superb. The Canadian Government should proclaim Lightfoot a national living treasure.

I remember when I was growing up in the 70's we lived in the country in New Mexico and my dad used to have some of Gord's albums and played and sang his songs on the guitar. Since then whenever I hear his music it reminds me of those days. I found the album on cassette but have since worn it out and none of my vehicles has a cassette player in it. I've never heard much about the man who wrote and sings these songs but I feel that a small generation of people like myself will never forget them.

said he was sorry this man's songs had to come to a close