Every '60s singer-songwriter of note expanded their instrumental approach as time went on, and Lightfoot was no exception. For his third album, he worked with John Simon (who would handle the Band and Big Brother), and occasionally used low-key orchestration. Though a tad more erratic than his earlier efforts, his songwriting remained remarkably consistent. His characteristically bright, uplifting outlook became more diverse as well, allowing for the chilling "Black Day in July" (written in response to the 1967 Detroit riots), the odd "Pussywillows, Cat-Tails" (an unusual and successful detour into baroque orchestral pop), and the ambiguous sobriety of "Does Your Mother Know." The whole album is included on The United Artists Collection.
Black day in JulyMotor city madness has touched the countrysideSo begins Lightfoot's Black Day In July, a song Lightfoot wrote about the 1967 race riots in Detroit. But after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. a week earlier - on April 4, 1968 - many top-40 radio stations in the U.S. refuse to play the song. They fear the lyrics will ignite violence. Lightfoot tells CBC Radio, he's no...
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 "Did She Mention My Name")
