Tony Rice - Bitter Green

Berkshire Mountain Bluegrass Festival

From 1985 possibly - not sure.

ENJOY

Category:

Music

Tags:

• blues
• country
• folk

[southernsportsman424]

let's not chastize Tony for his habits both past and present..., respect the fact that none of you, nor I, will never play as well as he did or does........

[8mrt7]

tonys' version has more of an edge to it. gordons' is sorta folky mellow sleepy

[dta27713]

@steeltunes Tony released a compilation album of all the Lightfoot covers he'd done over the years: Tony Rice Sings Gordon Lightfoot, released in 1996.

[bass0111]

@CompVid101: Ah. He had a thing for Lightfoot tunes ... 8-)

[CompVid101]

@bass0111 - yes, it's a fantastic cut, with wonderful instrumentation. But my comment below was a mistake: Tony is referring to HIS album "Cold on the Shoulder" rather than GK's, as hillbilly notes below. I had assumed that Tony was referring to Gord's landmark album of the same name.

[bass0111]

@CompVid101: Yep, 1969 on United Artists, to be exact. Note Red Shea's great guitar embellishments and John Stockfish's exceptional bass line on the Lightfoot original.

[bass0111]

Rice uses I - V- I -V as the change. Lightfoot's I - Vsus - IMaj7 - Vsus is far more effective in supporting both the melody and the lyrics.

[rocmaven]

Tony Rice comes to the watseka theatre watseka illinois on may 7, 2011

[steeltunes]

Didn't Tony do a whole album of Lightfoot tunes. He's often said how much he liked Gordon Lightfoot and given him plenty of credit.  Thanks for posting these cuts. This is Tony in his prime. Remember, Tony's not the greatest guitarist that ever lived. There just isn't anyone or has ever been anyone that flat out better. Like Clarence and any of the other greats (in any style), he moved the music one big giant step forward.

[HillbillyJ]

@CompVid101 I sure he probably does know that, he is trying to sell his own albums, not GL's. That is, after all, a major part if a musicians income. Its hard to pay the bills without money, after all.

[CompVid101]

Wonderful version, but Tony should know that "Bitter Green" first appeared on GL's United Artists album "Back Here On Earth" in 1969, several years before "Cold On The Shoulder."

[badnewsBH]

I've been a fan of Gordon Lightfoot for a number of years, and I have to say that the version of this tune that Tony and friends did here is fantastic. The bluegrass take on this classic song is different, in a very good way. Thanks for posting. :)