From: les@jmdl.com (JMDL Digest)
To: joni-digest@smoe.org
Subject: JMDL Digest V3 #488
Reply-To: joni@smoe.org
Sender: les@jmdl.com
Errors-To: les@jmdl.com
Precedence: bulk
JMDL Digest Wednesday, November 25 1998 Volume 03 : Number 488
The Joni Tour Pages:
http://www.jonimitchell.com/Tour98.html
http://www.jmdl.com/articles/tour98.htm
-------
JoniFest 1999 is coming! Reserve your spot with a $25 fee. Send a blank
message to info-jonifest1999@jmdl.com for more info.
-------
The Official 1998 Joni Mitchell Internet Community Shirts are available
now. Go to http://www.jmdl.com/ for all the details.
-------
The Official Joni Mitchell Homepage is maintained by Wally Breese at
http://www.jonimitchell.com and contains the latest news, a detailed bio,
original interviews and essays, lyrics, and much more.
-------
The JMDL website can be found at and contains
interviews, articles, the member gallery, archives, and much more.
==========
TOPICS and authors in this Digest:
--------
Re: What do you have in your vehicle? [Robert Glenn Plotner ]
t-shirt; hitcher synchronicity [some millers ]
Innocence Mission trivia question ["Mark T. Klempner" ]
Re: Resolution(JcontestC) ["John M. Lind" ]
Re: Resolution(JcontestC) [Ashara@aol.com]
Joni's Art / Joni Covers ["Werner G. Maier" ]
Re: live versions of Amelia, DJRD ["Don Rowe" ]
The BD card images [Wally Breese ]
Re: Joni's Art / Joni Covers [IVPAUL42@aol.com]
Re: JMDL Digest V3 #487 ["Tube" ]
Today in Joni History - November 25 [Today in Joni History ]
Morrissey interview [Mary Becker ]
[none] ["William C. Burnworth" ]
Re: joni covers [t3100171@student.anu.edu.au (Mark-Leon Thorne)]
80s & 90s Faves [Scott Price ]
Re: Unplugged [t3100171@student.anu.edu.au (Mark-Leon Thorne)]
Re: JMDL Digest V3 #485 [t3100171@student.anu.edu.au (Mark-Leon Thorne)]
Re: joni covers [t3100171@student.anu.edu.au (Mark-Leon Thorne)]
Re: NJC [t3100171@student.anu.edu.au (Mark-Leon Thorne)]
Re: Stephen Bishop [Dreamzvill@aol.com]
Re:NJC [catman ]
Star Sightings [John Melchert ]
Re: The BD card images [Joseph Palis ]
Re: Star Sightings [Beverly ]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 00:47:17 -0800 (PST)
From: Robert Glenn Plotner
Subject: Re: What do you have in your vehicle?
"Janis" wrote:
>>I have had DOG EAT DOG in the tape player of my vehicle,
interchanging it with a wonderful tape that Jason sent to me. LUCKY
GIRL is a whimsical song. I feel free and lighthearted when I hear it!
What do you listen to in your vehicle at the moment?<<
A rather poor quality audience recording of Joni's Birthday gig in
Atlanta on which "Song for Sharon" cuts. Still transfixing. Has anyone
turned up anything better yet? I don't deserve, Bob, either.
Robert
==
Ignatz Mouse's Tape Trade Archive and Seriously Disturbed Humor http://members.xoom.com/rabidfox
Thought Experiments, The Metaphysical Think Tank
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/thoughtexperiments
_________________________________________________________
DO YOU YAHOO!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 04:18:34 -0500 (EST)
From: some millers
Subject: hejira upon us (njc?)
howdy-
in a few hours we're taking wing to the burning desert for a few weeks. may
even travel in some vehicle to sunny southern california at some point. all
of which is to say, if anyone is trying to reach us, don't expect any speedy
replies.
all for now.
hasta luego,
paul (& niki)
s.bethlehem, ny
n.p.i.m.h.: terry allen & the panhandle mystery band, "there ought to be a
law against sunny southern california."
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 04:59:39 -0500 (EST)
From: some millers
Subject: t-shirt; hitcher synchronicity
howdy,
just wanted to pass along what i think could be a great jm t-shirt for these
times:
songs are like tattoos. ...joni mitchell
also, last friday i left work early and happened upon a hitchhiker on my
route home from the big city (albany in these parts). i picked him up and
it turns out he was a spaniard who had recently landed in montreal and was
hitching to miami. ended up bringing him home to meet niki, and he wound up
spending the weekend with us. after several hours in the house, i was
showing him some of the original artwork we have come by, mostly produced by
family and friends. when i pointed out one of my sister's soft sculptures
(doll doesn't quite do it justice), a little joni, he burst out with "joni
mitchell?!, joni mitchell?!, i love joni mitchell!!" i then showed him my
extensive collection of her recordings, including a bootleg psychedelic blue
vinyl "posall and mosalm", and he was absolutely awestruck. up until this
weekend, he had only ever heard "for the roses" and "hejira." we sent him
on his way hitching southbound yesterday, with a tape of "misses" and
"turbulent indigo." it was a great weekend.
all for now... time to get the last of the packing done.
hasta luego-
pablo molinaro
s.bethlehem, ny
p.s. those between here and miami should keep their eyes out for a very
nice hitcher, with long frizzy hair. his name is victor, and he could use a
lift.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 05:04:36 -0500 (EST)
From: "Mark T. Klempner"
Subject: Innocence Mission trivia question
>Just taking in the Larry Klein produced Innocence Mission CD --
>"Umbrella". In back is a list of thank-you's which includes, and I
>quote, "Joni Mitchell-Klein." The thank-you section is for "everyone
>who wrote to us, or came to hear us on tour ..."
>
>Joni never hyphenated her name to my knowledge. But what interests me
>more than this is ... did she just drop in on Larry in the studio? Did
>she and Larry go to one of the shows? You are a true five-star trivia
>general if you can answer this one. In fact, I'll be impressed if more
>than one or two folks have ever even heard of the Innocence Mission ...
>Don Rowe
Hi Don. Well, I never dreamt that I would be considered a five-star
trivia general, but I do have some answers. When the IM played in Los
Angeles at the time of their first album, both Joni and Larry attended,
and went backstage afterwards. BTW, Joni also attended a Shawn Colvin
show around that same time at a small club. Anyway, there was later a
story about IM in, I think, the LA Weekly, and Karen Perris
mentioned how much Joni's music has meant to her, and how excited and
awed she was to meet her, and also how much it had meant to her that Joni
had taken an interest.
Mark Klempner
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 05:22:59 -0500 (EST)
From: "Mark T. Klempner"
Subject: joni quote
Here's a quote I think you'll enjoy, circa NRH. It was in an interview in
LA Style that I don't believe was ever archived.
"There are several different perceptions of me--some people still think
I'm baking bread out in Laurel Canyon--and much of that is the invention
of the media. At a certain point I did try and take control of my image.
When you're a performer you discover fairly quickly that the romance
between an audience and a star is tenous--the public gets sick of you.
Just like people can't keep their own personal relationships together for
too long, they can't maintain a good relationship with an artist for long
either. As my career picked up steam I became increasingly aware of the
imbalance of this audience-star relationship, so I decided to test it.
You're in love with an image here--let's see if you can be in love with a
person, just like in a one-on-one situation. Get to know me a little bit,
see if you can accept my faults. That approach is the antithesis of pop,
because in pop you don't show your weaknesses--you always try to be bigger
than life. But I wanted a truer relationship with my audience, like a
better love--a love that thrived in spite of my foibles, or maybe even
because of them. And I was happy to discover that a truer relationship is
possible and really works."
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 09:21:11 -0500
From: "John M. Lind"
Subject: Re: Resolution(JcontestC)
Mark Domyancich wrote:
>This seems like a lot of work, and I think that everyone should
>have an equal chance to play this contest. And spending a ton
>of money to buy Photoshop defeats the purpose.
I was thinking about this also. I work in Photoshop all day long and I'm
sorry to say that no matter how much you increase the resolution of an
image that starts out small and low-res you aren't going to be able to make
out much more. It'll just be a larger blurry image. Even by applying
"sharpen" type filters there is only a minimal amount of detail that can be
enhanced. The gov't. may have programs that can enhance 1/100 of an image
to a crisp, clear picture like in the movies but nobody's selling anything
like that over the counter(that I know of). The best bet would be to
replace the image on the web site with a larger one that shows more detail.
Of course this is up to Wally. Can your server hadle a much larger image?
It will also take a lot longer to download.
John~
NP "Dead Letter" Elvis Costello/The Brodsky String Quartet
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 09:38:04 EST
From: Ashara@aol.com
Subject: Re: Resolution(JcontestC)
In a message dated 11/24/98 9:32:43 AM Eastern Standard Time, jml@amweaver.com
writes:
<< I was thinking about this also. I work in Photoshop all day long and I'm
sorry to say that no matter how much you increase the resolution of an
image that starts out small and low-res you aren't going to be able to make
out much more. It'll just be a larger blurry image. >>
What if we sent a SASE to someone who was willing to color-xerox the picture,
along with $1 to cover the copying, and then we would have a clear picture.
Wally?
Hugs,
Ashara
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 15:45:37 -0800
From: "Werner G. Maier"
Subject: Joni's Art / Joni Covers
>Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1998 12:58:27 -0500
>From: Mary Becker
>Subject: t-shirt sayings/ joni's cats
>Hi everyone,
>
>I'm really excited about the possibility that we "unlucky ones" may
have a
>chance to get t-shirts or even lithographs via JMHP. I've always loved
>Joni's artwork as much as her music, and have loved that the last 2 cds
>have included so many paintings. Anyone who saw lithographs for sale at
the
>concerts remember what they cost?
>Mary B (a lefty)
In NY they sold lithographs. The prices were unsigned $75 and signed
$150. Please if anyone got the idea that the lithographs were NOT
handsigned DO NOT TELL ME!!!
Wonder why nobody puts CSN&Y on the cover list. Their version of
woodstock inspired me to listen the first time to JM. And after all i
must say this is THE cover-version of a JM song.
Werner
( a silent watcher from germany)
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 06:48:22 PST
From: "Don Rowe"
Subject: Re: live versions of Amelia, DJRD
Deb asks ...
>What do people think of the changes Joni made to Amelia on the recent
>tour? She moved the verse "I wish that he were here tonight" to the
>penultimate position in the song, after "I crashed into his arms."
>I didn't think it was possible to improve on this sublime song, but I
>think this change makes the drama move along more smoothly.
I loved the change ... but in fact the stunning beauty of the minimal
arrangement and Greg Liesz's thundering "peddle" steel had me so blissed
out I hardly noticed. Same goes for 'Hejira' ... I honestly thought for
a moment that I'd never be able to listen to the album cuts again. I'm
glad to say though, that I now sing along the concert changes and feel
like I'm right back there on that magical night. :-)
Don Rowe
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 98 08:22:01 -0700
From: Wally Breese
Subject: The BD card images
The contest associated with the birthday card is now canceled.
Here is the list of the images on the palette-
starting at the bottom right
1. Kilauren
2. Brian Blade
3. Miles Davis
4. Parker Fly guitar
5. Edith Piaf
6. A plate of spaghetti
7. Clouds
8. Canada's Governor General's Award
9. The Broadway Bridge in Saskatoon
10. A (nice) kitty
11. Frederich Nietzche
and in the center-
12. A pack of American Spirit cigs
13. A camera
14. Marvin Gaye
15. Billie Holiday
16. A glass of wine
17. A coffee cup
I also wanted to include an 8-ball (Joni loves pool), a map of
California, and a rose, but I didn't find appropriate images in time.
Later,
Wally Breese
The Joni Mitchell Homepage
http://www.JoniMitchell.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 11:52:16 EST
From: IVPAUL42@aol.com
Subject: Re: Joni's Art / Joni Covers
In a message dated 11/24/98 9:46:58 AM Eastern Standard Time, w.g.maier@odn.de
writes:
<<
>have included so many paintings. Anyone who saw lithographs for sale at
the
>concerts remember what they cost?
>Mary B (a lefty)
In NY they sold lithographs. The prices were unsigned $75 and signed
$150. Please if anyone got the idea that the lithographs were NOT
handsigned DO NOT TELL ME!!! >>
Werner,
I can tell you this. The autograph I Joni signed in my presence on another
piece of paper (the black-and-white beret photo Pearl gave me) is identical to
the autograph that is on the slightly damaged lithograph I talked them into
selling to me in Atlanta for $100. The signatures on the lithographs are
authentic, and not signed by some clubhouse boy like many of the Mickey Mantle
autographs that are around.
Paul I
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 19:41:56 +0100
From: "Tube"
Subject: Re: JMDL Digest V3 #487
>From: Mark Domyancich
Subject: Re: TR, IV CD, Dubs, Resolution
This seems like a lot of work, and I think that everyone should have an
equal chance to play this contest. And spending a ton of money to buy
>Photoshop defeats the purpose.
Buy the Adobe PageMill web authoring application for around $120 and you get
Photoshop LE (Lite Edition) on the disk with it for free. Photoshop LE seems
so fully featured to lil'ol amateur me that I can't imagine what I'd ever
need the full edition for. This has got to be the best deal in the software
store. You also get Adobe Acrobat reader with it and a ton of clipart.
PageMill also is an excellent web authorer.
>My hard drive died recently, so I am just getting back on the net after a
hard ordeal of dealing with fixing my PC.
The sad part is the PC is new, 400 megahertz, DVD drive and so on and so
>forth and dead for a long time!
Who made it? - Isn't there somewhere on the web where people can report
absolute bummer computing products and suppliers so that everyone else knows
not to buy that product? Maybe someone should start one?
Tube
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 12:34:00 +0000
From: Today in Joni History
Subject: Today in Joni History - November 25
1970: The Alberta Herald publishes a review of Joni recent concert at Royal
Festival Hall, saying "Joni, 26, uses a guitar, piano and dulcimer, an
ancient instrument, as accompaniments for her original songs which, The
Financial Times says, express "the rather tarnished hippie dream in
conventional words and music."
Read the full article at http://www.jonimitchell.com/Herald69.html
1976: Joni joins The Band's "Last Waltz" at the Winterland Ballroom in San
Francisco. She sings backup to Neil Young on "Helpless" and with The Band
on "Acadian Driftwood", performs "Coyote", "Shadows And Light", and "Furry
Sings The Blues", and joins Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Neil Diamond, Dr John,
and others for the grand finale "I Shall Be Released."
Photos and more information: http://www.jonimitchell.com/LastWaltz.html
1982: Rolling Stone publishes an article today in which Joni is quoted as
saying "...when we started in this business, we were the ones who said you
can't trust people over thirty. It was inevitable that we would eat a lot
of what we said, because you have to turn thirty unless you wanna James
Dean out. Now I'm finally hearing some good things about middle age. We
need that. If all the war babies turn forty and get depressed at the same
time, the world will not be pleasant."
Read the rest at: http://www.jmdl.com/articles/rs821125.htm
1994: Joni makes the cover of this week's LA Weekly. Joni is quoted "My
music is not designed to grab instantly. It's designed to wear for a
lifetime, to hold up like a fine cloth. If you're in the right place, these
records are waiting to go off in your life, you know. But if you're in the
wrong space, which, luck of the draw, for the last 20 years I seem to have
had reviewers in the wrong space...and I've been trashed for too long. The
final insult is to watch my imitators elevated while I'm still being
trashed. So if I don't get my just dues soon, I'm going into hermitdom.
Fuck you all. (Laughing.) I'm going to take up my brushes. I don't care."
How can you not read the rest? http://www.jmdl.com/articles/law941125.htm
- --------
Know a date or month specific Joni tidbit? Send it off to
JoniFact@jmdl.com and we'll add it to the list.
- --------
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 15:13:50 -0500
From: Mary Becker
Subject: Morrissey interview
Hi everyone,
I just wanted to recommend this interview in JMDL for those who haven't
read it. I thought it was really funny--made me laugh out loud a couple
times. It has special meaning for me because my daughter (who is now 27)
was a huge Smiths fan in her early teens. When I told her about the article
she asked me to print it for her. She is coming home for Thanksgiving so
I'm hoping I can work on converting her interests!
Even though I've continued to enjoy Joni's work through the years, I wasn't
always able to buy all her albums. Now that I am gradually buying
everything on cd, I am filling in the gaps. So I've been listening to DJRD
constantly for the last 2 weeks. Lucky me! First TTT, then a double album
to discover! Can anyone recommend their favorites in the post Mingus period?
Happy Thanksgiving to all
Mary B
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 15:44:26 -0600
From: "William C. Burnworth"
Subject: [none]
I don't know particulars of the connection between Joni and the Innocence
Mission beyond their lead singer, Karen Peris singing harmony vocals on
Cherokee Louise, which was the first harmony vocal by another woman(outside
of Chaka's brief turn on DJRD) on a Joni track, very appropriate for that
song of feminine comradeship. This would have been recorded around the same
time as their 2nd album. Their first is my favorite, and I"d recommend it
to any fan of STOS, as it shares a sense of innocent inquisitiveness.
Thank you all for the insight-full missives!
William B.
np. Boswell Sisters "That's How Rhythm Was Born"
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 10:58:53 +1000
From: t3100171@student.anu.edu.au (Mark-Leon Thorne)
Subject: Re: joni covers
Hi everyone.
Annie Lennox' version of Ladies of The Canyon is cute because the main
character's name in that song is Annie. It's one of my personal faves. It's
a very visual song and I can picture Annie, barefoot and pregnant in a
green valley when I hear her sing this song. Annie makes a fine
earth-mother and does justice to Joni's anthem to community spirit.
Albums for the season:
Summer -
Ladies of The Canyon
The Hissing of Summer Lawns
Chalkmark In a Rainstorm,
Turbulent Indigo.
Autumn -
Clouds
Wild Things Run Fast
Night Ride Home.
Spring -
Court and Spark
Mingus
Don Juan's reckless Daughter,
Taming The Tiger.
Winter -
Blue
Song To The Seagull
Hejira
Dog Eat Dog.
Mark
Canberra
"Only a dark cocoon before I get my gorgeous wings and fly away" - Joni
Mitchell.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 15:58:18 -0800
From: Scott Price
Subject: 80s & 90s Faves
At 03:13 PM 11/24/98 -0500, Mary Becker wrote:
>Can anyone recommend their favorites in the post Mingus period?
I am tempted to suggest you get the "post-Mingus" albums according to their
chronological order. A large part of my personal enjoyment of Joni's
material has been witnessing the evolution of her craft. Sometimes waiting
years and years for the next album to debut only heightened this effect.
And with few exceptions each successive album seemed to flow from the
previous one; it's as if sounds and colors are borne from the previous
album(s), yet they were still new and exciting and original whenever the
latest album hit the streets.
However, since you now have DJRD (1977) and TTT (1998), the chronological
progression probably won't seem very important. If you are looking for
albums with a similar feel to Don Juan and Taming then you should get
either "Night Ride Home" or "Turbulent Indigo" next. I find them more
accessible than "Dog Eat Dog" or "Chalkmark." If you want to have a good
time and listen to some of Joni's best rock and roll, get "Wild Things Run
Fast." And don't short-sell "Mingus"....it's a piece of pure genius. Joni
explored the capabilities of her voice as an instrument on this album,
using phrasings and techniques that are stunning. And her guitar playing
has never been more complex than on this misunderstood project. Throw in
Jaco's bass and it's killer!
Scott, who hopes you will one day get them *all* :-)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 10:59:52 +1000
From: t3100171@student.anu.edu.au (Mark-Leon Thorne)
Subject: Re: Unplugged
Marian,
I too wish I could have been there in Vienna to cheer you on. Please let us
know what your set list was and the reaction. Sorry that I'm a bit late
but, I would have liked to wish you Gluchlich.
Mark
Canberra
NP: Chalkmark in a Rainstorm
"Only a dark cocoon before I get my gorgeous wings and fly away" - Joni
Mitchell.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 10:59:36 +1000
From: t3100171@student.anu.edu.au (Mark-Leon Thorne)
Subject: Re: JMDL Digest V3 #485
Lori,
The United States may be the wealthiest country on Earth but, it is also
the most capitalist society on Earth so, some have a lot and many have
nothing. It is inherent. The happiest and most fulfilled people don't live
in the richest countries.
Mark
Canberra
"Only a dark cocoon before I get my gorgeous wings and fly away" - Joni
Mitchell.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 10:59:19 +1000
From: t3100171@student.anu.edu.au (Mark-Leon Thorne)
Subject: Re: joni covers
For those of you who like to support new jazz artists and particularly the
Australian listers, Christine Sullivan's debut album, "Here and Now" is a
well rounded, easy on the ear album of mostly covers. One of which is a
cover of Joni's "Be Cool", Gershwin's "Summertime" and Cyndi Lauper's "Time
After Time". It also includes a couple of original tracks. Christine
Sullivan is a jazz lecturer from Melbourne. For those interested in
tracking it down, it was released on Larrikin Entertainment Pty Ltd LRF482.
If anyone is desperate for it but, can't get it, drop me a line and I'll
see what I can do.
Mark
Canberra
"Only a dark cocoon before I get my gorgeous wings and fly away" - Joni
Mitchell.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 11:00:17 +1000
From: t3100171@student.anu.edu.au (Mark-Leon Thorne)
Subject: Re: NJC
Thanks Sherrie,
Being a newbie here, I had seen those letters and wondered what they meant.
I thought it was some American abbreviation like a state or something. I'll
keep that in mind in future.
Mark
Canberra
"Only a dark cocoon before I get my gorgeous wings and fly away" - Joni
Mitchell.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 20:06:08 EST
From: Dreamzvill@aol.com
Subject: Re: Stephen Bishop
Hi Kakki!
Read the digests from the weekend, and imagine my surprise when you
mentioned my former little home base of Ojai! (pop: all of 10,000) It would've
been a great place to journey for the weekend - if you've ever been there,
you'll know what I mean. Beautiful - I'm still homesick for it! Never heard of
the Go Fish Club, though...must be something added since I left in May of '97,
or some old hotspot renewed and renamed.
My husband pulls out his Stephen Bishop records to play once in awhile -
great romantic stuff! He played here in Morro Bay last month at the Harbor
Festival, but I missed it! :(
Cheers, Susan C.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 01:24:00 +0000
From: catman
Subject: Re:NJC
Well I wouldn't worry about it too much as she is no longer here.
besides she
wouldn't have read this anyhow as it is labelled NJC!
Mark-Leon Thorne wrote:
> Thanks Sherrie,
>
> Being a newbie here, I had seen those letters and wondered what they
meant.
> I thought it was some American abbreviation like a state or something.
I'll
> keep that in mind in future.
>
> Mark
> Canberra
>
> Please remember to put the letters NJC in the subject head when your
post has
> No Joni Content. Many folks on the list, myself included, only have
time to
> read messages containing Joni content.>
>
- --
CARLY SIMON DISCUSSION LIST
http://www.ethericcats.demon.co.uk/ethericcats/index.html
TANTRA’S/ETHERIC PERSIANS AND HIMALAYANS
http://www.ethericcats.demon.co.uk
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 22:14:50
From: John Melchert
Subject: Star Sightings
My whole life is Joni. I am heartened to see the interest in her that I saw
at Madison Square Garden where I was alone (by choice), and happy to leave
before Dylan ever sang. I watched the crowd against the blinking digital
marquee: "Bob Dylan/Joni Mitchell!!! all lit up in colors and echoing an
Empire State Building that changes skin like a chameleon for any holiday
and which I'm sure wanted Joni on that night in November. And all of that
in front of a kissing full moon!
There were three or four pretty girls in berets that Joni I'm sure would
wear and I thought back to an evening in Dublin, where I worked late one
night and came out of my office to see kids aged 20 -- no more -- stuffing
envelopes and playing her tapes and singing as recklessly as she would love
to see them sing. These were old songs!! Not even from "Night Ride Home"
which would have been the most recent recording at that time. I entered
their room timidly, not wanting to spoil their pleasure; ruin their
cacaphony. "You guys listen to JONI?!! Wow!"
"Yeah." Silence. So I left as quickly as I'd come.
It was silence, too, that brought me to Joni in the first place. I was in
an "alternative" scholarship campus in Nebraska where Lakota Sioux and film
studies were the order of the day in, yes, the 70s. I worked at The Palms
Cafe where a woman I wish I could find again, played "Hejira" for the first
time and I flipped out. I had been a traveller before that, and much more
so after...Joni's white lines on a highway follow and haunt me even today,
at 39. And it was an odd woman in the mixed dorm who never seemed to "fit
in" who gave me her complete Joni collection of albums before she entered
the sisterhood. A soon-to-be nun. I wonder now if she would understand now
about rosaries.... but I love that woman.
Where I should have been out finding new college friends, I was listening
to my own anthems: "People' Parties" and "Court and Spark". I was
determined odd, amidst my fellow pot smokers, but not at The Palms where it
was expected that one worship Joni.
Somewhere in there I fell in love with someone to the tunes of "For The
Roses" and got love letters, and left some, next to a fountain where we
could both find them. "It was just the arbutus rustling" that signalled an
end to summer, to romance, and a foreboding. Later I would find that the
arbutus is the city of Madrid's emblem.
I always fled and am still a traveller, though fairly snug here in New
York. Still, I always want to memorialize Joe, my closest friend in life,
who taught me about Joni in the way of an expert or a neophyte: He knew all
her boyfriends and could connect them with songs...something I'm still bad
at. Wally could probably do it. I'm not even sure it matters to her. She
wants people to understand her unclassifiable genius; to put it into a genre.
My most poignant moment, if you're still listening to a thread probably too
long for this venue, is this:
My last few years in Paris I always hoped to see Joni along the Seine
somewhere, as I'd seen her in the Village years before in bright red cowboy
boots at 5:00 a.m., bristling hair and just enjoying her kicks in the air
with no roadies; maybe getting a roll from the Italian bakery I saw her
next to.
But back in Paris, Joe had died and I knew it, from the drycleaner to my
door, a short walk up the rue St. Maur to my apartment, and up 5 floors. It
is now that I hear her "the wiring in the wall" that I think of my eternal
favorite, "Electricity" and remember that short, long walk, knowing I'd
have the answer on my machine that Joe was indeed gone. Then "Turbulent
Indigo" came out and I changed apartments, and I spent a year on the floor,
always listening to nuances of that recording, before the fireplace,
remembering the man who mentored me in Joni knowledge; my memories of
stepfather beatings next to "Not to Blame" on my Discman.
For Joe, I danced to "Just Like This Train" at the Garden (for we always
did outrageous trips) and watched Joni's beautiful blond hair swaying. I
saw, I think, a couple decades go by and I just wanted to share this with
what I believe is a beautiful community of admirers. My admiration for that
Vogue model/Role Model goes on and on. I was sceptical at TTT but then I
remembered: It's Joni and she is a musical first....It will grow on you and
envelop you and sure enough, I listen to "the leaves are electric" and it
reminds me of my mentor, and my loves.
John (always looking for Joni admirer friends)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 13:30:17 +0800 (CST)
From: Joseph Palis
Subject: Re: The BD card images
On Tue, 24 Nov 1998, Wally Breese wrote:
> Here is the list of the images on the palette-
> starting at the bottom right
>
> 1. Kilauren
> 2. Brian Blade
> 3. Miles Davis
> 4. Parker Fly guitar
> 5. Edith Piaf
> 6. A plate of spaghetti
> 7. Clouds
> 8. Canada's Governor General's Award
> 9. The Broadway Bridge in Saskatoon
> 10. A (nice) kitty
> 11. Frederich Nietzche
> and in the center-
> 12. A pack of American Spirit cigs
> 13. A camera
> 14. Marvin Gaye
> 15. Billie Holiday
> 16. A glass of wine
> 17. A coffee cup
>
No image of Mingus?
Joseph
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 01:56:10 -0500
From: Beverly
Subject: Re: Star Sightings
John Melchert wrote:
> Somewhere in there I fell in love with someone to the tunes of "For
> The
> Roses" and got love letters, and left some, next to a fountain where
> we
> could both find them. "It was just the arbutus rustling" that
> signalled an
> end to summer, to romance, and a foreboding. Later I would find that
> the
> arbutus is the city of Madrid's emblem.
Wow! When does the book come out? I wanna read more.
Bev
------------------------------
End of JMDL Digest V3 #488
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