Gordon Lightfoot – If You Could Read My Mind (1970)

The original title of this album was ‘Sit Down Young  Stranger’ but after the huge success of the song the record company re-released and re-labelled it.  However, it was not his first album; his fifth in fact (thanks Wikipedia) though, despite writing a handful of classics songs recorded by others he was relatively unknown.  But this album came along at exactly the right time as the singer-songwriter boom was just breaking.  The record is quite folky really – but there is an honesty and a clarity of purpose in that deep voice. The title song itself, which has remained one of my very favourites of all time, was written after a long-term love affair ended; Gordon was heartbroken and wrote this in the form of a letter/poem.  Although strangely, as the finished song, it is really uplifting and hauntingly inspiring.  Other songs on the album I love are ‘Approaching Lavender’ and ‘Poor Little Alison’ and ‘Minstrel Of The Dawn’.  Gordon went on to a long and illustrious career.  He died in 2023.

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