With a much stronger than usual title cut, Gordon Lightfoot signals a slightly rockier sound than he's shown before, with less obvious country music influences.  The songs, as usual, can be seen in the light of his own experiences and it is evident we are listening to a more confident, persistent and energetic singer.  Lightfoot continues his role as the senior pop/folk writer in the country, but he's mixing higher energy with his warm poetic lyrics.  It's an album that his fans will love; with luck, it'll help reach a new generation of listeners who know Lightfoot only for his past mega-hits.
        One admirable aspect of Gordon Lightfoot is his commitment to himself and his own ideas.  There are concessions to the changes in the music scene, evidenced in the production techniques and the use of synthesizers, yet Lightfoot remains true to the imagery, symbols, themes and compositional techniques he has developed over the years.
        His imagery is perhaps the product of a singularly Canadian experience.  The thoughts and atmosphere in tunes like "Whispers Of The North" and "Knotty Pine" couldn't have sprung from Brooklyn or LA.  Well, they probably couldn't have sprung from Yorkville or Gastown either, but the geography they do come from is a lot closer in proximity.
        Gordon Lightfoot searches for romance, love and the mysteries in life.  What he says and finds are not always profound or penetrating but they are heartfelt and honest.
        On a musical note we find Gordon operating in essentially the same territory.  The use of synthesizers and the more prominent electric guitars are tastfully interwoven with his established styles, so as to provide a few new shadings but no drastic changes.