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True Dough

(21,294 posts)
Tue Jan 14, 2025, 08:32 PM Tuesday

Better song? Never Going Back Again, The Only Living Boy in New York, or If You Could Read My Mind?

Going to pit some similar style songs against each other and invite Loungers to vote on which one is their favorite.






34 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
Never Going Back Again by Fleetwood Mac
4 (12%)
The Only Living Boy in New York by Simon and Garfunkel
12 (35%)
If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lightfoot
18 (53%)
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Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll
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Better song? Never Going Back Again, The Only Living Boy in New York, or If You Could Read My Mind? (Original Post) True Dough Tuesday OP
Went With Gordon ProfessorGAC Tuesday #1
Prof! We have a fair amount in common, True Dough Tuesday #2
Me too ailsagirl Wednesday #10
All great songs but I have to vote for Lindsey here AZJonnie Tuesday #3
Agree with your reasoning True Dough Tuesday #4
I always list Lindsey Buckingham whenever the topic of "Most Underrated Guitar Player In History" comes up. ZZenith Tuesday #6
Jesus, you're asking a tough question. ZZenith Tuesday #5
S&G. TOLBINY. Aristus Tuesday #7
Yes, there's a real True Dough Wednesday #9
To vote against Fleetwood Mac is very hard for me, but that is not my favorite song. Ditto S&G.... hlthe2b Wednesday #8
I can't choose between the second two. They're both S tier. Iggo Wednesday #11

ProfessorGAC

(71,051 posts)
1. Went With Gordon
Tue Jan 14, 2025, 08:53 PM
Tuesday

"Only Living Boy..." is one of my least favorite S&G songs, so I couldn't pick that one.
I like the FM song a lot, but I love Gordon's vocal delivery so much I had to vote for that.

True Dough

(21,294 posts)
2. Prof! We have a fair amount in common,
Tue Jan 14, 2025, 09:04 PM
Tuesday

but clearly Only Living Boy isn't one of them! I love that song along with April Come She Will.

For me, Bridge Over Troubled Water is their most overrated hit. I'm not a fan of that one.

Anyway, thanks for voting! Glad you like the other two.

AZJonnie

(129 posts)
3. All great songs but I have to vote for Lindsey here
Tue Jan 14, 2025, 09:16 PM
Tuesday

On the basis that the guitar skills on display in Never Going Back Again are mind-blowing. Both in terms of the musical composition, and the playing, which is virtuoso level, with no over-dubbing of parts. Even if it had no words at all I'd probably still pick it.

For lyrics/vocals only, I'd go Gordon.

True Dough

(21,294 posts)
4. Agree with your reasoning
Tue Jan 14, 2025, 09:20 PM
Tuesday

A little "Never Going Back Again" trivia via Wikipedia:

The working title for the song was "Brushes" because it was originally recorded with just Buckingham playing acoustic guitar and fellow band member Mick Fleetwood playing a snare drum using drum brushes.[9] In the song's final release, the snare drum was removed. However, the drums and lead guitar parts that went unused on the original release were restored and included as a bonus track for the DVD-audio release of Rumours.

ZZenith

(4,336 posts)
6. I always list Lindsey Buckingham whenever the topic of "Most Underrated Guitar Player In History" comes up.
Tue Jan 14, 2025, 11:07 PM
Tuesday

And yet, for all his virtuosity you don’t really notice it because it’s always so gawddamned appropriate.

I totally agree with the lyrics of Lightfoot trumping all.

ZZenith

(4,336 posts)
5. Jesus, you're asking a tough question.
Tue Jan 14, 2025, 10:59 PM
Tuesday

They are all gems and sterling examples of excellent songwriting.

If pressed to choose I would have to say “If You Could Read My Mind.”



No, wait - “Only Living Boy.”

Either that or “Never Going Back.”

One of those three is better than the other.

Aristus

(68,789 posts)
7. S&G. TOLBINY.
Tue Jan 14, 2025, 11:54 PM
Tuesday

I love the dreamy choral fadeout at the end of the song. Soothing, haunting, lyrical…

True Dough

(21,294 posts)
9. Yes, there's a real
Wed Jan 15, 2025, 06:38 AM
Wednesday

ethereal quality to the close of that song. I listen to it frequently.

hlthe2b

(107,226 posts)
8. To vote against Fleetwood Mac is very hard for me, but that is not my favorite song. Ditto S&G....
Wed Jan 15, 2025, 06:15 AM
Wednesday

By contrast, I have deeply entrenched memories tied to "If You Could Read My Mind" and Lightfoot's lyrics and voice remain resonant today. (Don't dare put up "Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald" to compare in that same light... )

So, love ya FM... Still love S&G, but Gordon Lightfoot it is.

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