Gord's Gold [Best of]

I have several versions of "Affair on 8th Avenue" on CD, but NONE of them can match the beauty of the one that was on the original record and cassette release of Gord's Gold. I was very disappointed that they STILL have not released that version on CD, and especially that they re-released this CD without it. This album would be a perfect 5 were it not for that glaring ommission.

I wrote this review a few years ago, but I am happy to report now (10/10) that Affair on 8th Avenue is BACK on the digital album! You can download it individually or as part of the complete album. Gord's Gold is PERFECT again! :o) Thank you!

When the single CD for the double album first came out, they eliminated the remake of "Affair on 8th Avenue" even though CDs at that time handled up to 70 minutes and it would have easily fit. This song, as were the other 'older' songs that comprised the 1st album of the set, was remade/reproduced by Gordon Lightfoot just for this compilation. So the continued unnecessary exclusion of this precious version of this song is a waste of all the original effort that went into making it and a loss for all GL fans.

If and when they decide to re-release this CD including "Affair on 8th Avenue" (one of my favorite songs from the set), is when I will buy this CD...if just for this version of that song.

Let me say that one of my pet peeves in life is the sheer number of ways our friends at the record companies have found to release slightly different versions of an artist's greatest hits. Besides greatest hits, there are best ofs, anthologies, essentials, all-time greatest hits, very best ofs, completes, golds, definitives, classics, favorites, proper introductions to, etc. I'm sure anyone who reads this can think of other terms. Having said that, this CD reissue of what was originally a two-LP set of "Gord's Gold" is an excellent starting point for someone who wants to listen to a truly great artist. It should be noted that this CD does not contain "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" because it was recorded after this set was released. So if you must have that song or anything else Mr. Lightfoot recorded after about 1974, look elsewhere. The reason this set does not get five stars from me is the glaring omission of "Affair on Eighth Avenue," a great song that was on the original records. Because of space limitations, it was omitted when the set was first issued on CD so that Reprise Records could put it on a single disc. Mr. Lightfoot originally recorded the song for one of his United Artist albums from the late 1960s. But after switching labels to Reprise, he re-recorded it for "Gord's Gold." To the best of my knowledge, the newer version has never appeared on any other CD. I was hoping it would be on the excellent 4-CD box set covering Mr. Lightfoot's entire career that was released by Rhino Records a few years ago. But it wasn't. Nor was it a bonus track when Rhino put out Mr. Lightfoot's four studio albums _ "Old Dan's Records," "Dream Street Rose," "Shadows" and "Salute" _ that finally made it to CD only a few years ago. It could have been. What a shame it wasn't. So this is a plea to Rhino/Reprise/Warner Brothers: Please, if you ever get around to digitally remastering "Gord's Gold," restore "Affair on Eighth Avenue" to it. I believe the technology has improved to the point that a single CD can hold up to 80 minutes now, which would easily accomodate the extra track. But even without "Affair on Eighth Avenue," this is an excellent CD.