NEW LP
New sealed copy. 2013 reissue.
Sit Down Young Stranger is Gordon Lightfoot’s sixth studio album and his best-selling original release. Issued in 1970 through Reprise Records after his move from United Artists, the album was quickly renamed If You Could Read My Mind following the massive success of its title track, which topped the RPM singles chart in Canada and reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. The album itself peaked at number 12 on the Billboard 200 and remained on Canadian charts for more than a year and a half, eventually climbing to number 8.
Marking a stylistic shift, the album featured more orchestration than Lightfoot’s earlier work, with notable arrangements by Randy Newman on “Minstrel of the Dawn” and “Approaching Lavender.” It also introduced longtime bassist Rick Haynes and included one of the earliest recorded versions of “Me and Bobby McGee,” just before Janis Joplin’s iconic interpretation.
Some early vinyl pressings were issued without a title on the cover, originally intended to feature only Lightfoot’s image, though a sticker with the album name was later added to the shrink wrap. A rare alternate mix of “The Pony Man,” without its harmonica overdub, appeared on Warner Bros.’ Schlagers! compilation.
Retrospective praise has focused on the album’s clarity and restraint. AllMusic’s Jim Newsom called it “a timeless recording,” noting its acoustic beauty before Lightfoot's gradual shift toward a more polished folk-pop sound.
TRACKLIST:
A1 Minstrel Of The Dawn
A2 Me And Bobby McGee
A3 Approaching Lavender
A4 Saturday Clothes
A5 Cobwebs & Dust
A6 Poor Little Allison
B1 Sit Down Young Stranger
B2 If You Could Read My Mind
B3 Baby It's Allright
B4 Your Love's Return
B5 The Pony Man
