From: les@jmdl.com (JMDL Digest) To: joni-digest@smoe.org Subject: JMDL Digest V3 #530 Reply-To: joni@smoe.org Sender: les@jmdl.com Errors-To: les@jmdl.com Precedence: bulk JMDL Digest Wednesday, December 30 1998 Volume 03 : Number 530 The Song and Album Voting Booths are open again! Cast your votes by clicking the links at http://www.jmdl.com/gallery username: jimdle password: siquomb ------- 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: -------- Tapes [LucasBC@webtv.net (Luke Bierlein)] Re: Re[4]: Women vs. men fans (JC again) ["Don Rowe" ] Re: Women vs. men fans (related JC) ["John M. Lind" ] Re: Joni Following ["Don Rowe" ] (NJC) the best gift we GAVE ["John M. Lind" ] Top ten songs that make you cry (sjc) [davina@pacificsw.com (Davina Green] CMIARS & Opinions [Bob.Muller@fluordaniel.com] Hate to do this but ... (NJC) ["Don Rowe" ] Re: CMIARS & Opinions ["Don Rowe" ] Re: Songs That Make You Cry, was "Whoops"(SJC) ["M & C Urbanski" ] Re[3]: Whoops! [Bob.Muller@fluordaniel.com] Top Ten Songs That Make Me Cry (NJC) [evian ] Re: Re: Songs That Make You Cry, was "Whoops"(SJC) [Marilune@aol.com] Re: Songs That Make You Cry, was "Whoops"(SJC) ["M & C Urbanski" ] p henry [Bounced Message ] New Joni Following? Or same old one? (NJC) [Bounced Message ] Re: New Joni Following? Or same old one? (SJC) [Bounced Message ] Re: Songs That Make You Cry, was "Whoops"(SJC) [Janet Hess ] Short Engagement (long) N real JC [DKasc13293@aol.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 12:54:51 -0800 (PST) From: LucasBC@webtv.net (Luke Bierlein) Subject: Tapes Hi again. I was hoping someone might be willing to make me copies of a few tapes. I only have like one tape from the trees, and I'm not really interested in getting them all right now, but I'd really likecopies of: Tape Tree #1 Tape Tree #3 tape #1 Tape Tree #5 tape #1 I have several live tapes of Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant, 10,000 Maniacs (Natalie's old band). and Bjork. I could trade copies of those or just send blanks, whichever you prefer. Thanks!! Luke "But the clock is another demon that devours our time in Eden..." 10,000 Maniacs, 'Eden' ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 13:16:55 PST From: "Don Rowe" Subject: Re: Re[4]: Women vs. men fans (JC again) >Don wrote: > >"Well anyone who can put Billy Idol and Tom Petty together on a song and >have it actually work has got to be a genius of some kind." > > Well, Don, there's the rub...it DOESN'T work as far as I'm > concerned... > > Bob, not the football guy but the other guy I referred to as "me" CMIARS gets a bit of flak around this list. But flatly I'll stand on my little flat feet and say, "Dancing Clown is a grand and a wonderful thing." An electronically raw, overdriven and undecorated rocker, complete with a car-wreck change of key, sung by an unlikely vocal trio, whose voices compliment each other in a unique and enigmatic way. Plus, we so rarely get to hear Joni really get down -- just one more thing that makes "Dancing Clown" refreshing, much in the same way that "Blue Motel Room" leavens the otherwise somber and reflective moods of "Hejira." Of course, that's just my opinion ... I could be wrong. Don Rowe - -- who finds it interesting that the original subject of this thread was "Women vs. Men Fans". So ah, who's dancin' now? ;-) ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 16:27:14 -0500 From: "John M. Lind" Subject: Re: Women vs. men fans (related JC) Mary Becker wrote: >Forgot one of the questions I wanted to bring up. Another thing that >surprizes me is how many men are on this list/Joni Mitchell fans. >>snip<< >Most of the guys I knew/know were not interested in lyrics, or what >music had to "say" but were mostly into rock or blues. Which is fine, >I like rock and blues too. It's just great to see how many guys >are fans of Joni's talent. Well, I've never exactly been part of the great American popular music lemming's club so I can certainly relate to listening to someone that nobody else I knew liked or had even heard of. I started getting into music seriously when I was about ten or eleven and got horribly dissatisfied with "pop" music and the radio when I was in junior high(7th grade roughly). There were songs here and there that I liked but most of it didn't appeal to me. It was either so musically redundant that it bored me to tears(blues and most "rock") or I couldn't stand the way it sounded. The early eighties to me was the era of "Oh, you're here to mix the record? OK here's your cocaine. Be sure to use lots of reverb and compression and make sure the mix is as 'tinny' as possible." Yuck. I wasn't so much atracted to Joni's music by her lyrics as I was her music. The melodies and harmonies were so unique! That was the big thing I was into. When I gave up on radio and started looking for music I liked the crux of my biscuit was melody. I got real heavy into Prog(Yes, ELP, King Crimson etc) Classical(Beethoven, Stravinsky) Frank Zappa, and then I found Joni which led me to jazz and that was all she wrote so to say. John~ NP "Pop Life" Prince (how appropriate :-) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 13:30:44 PST From: "Don Rowe" Subject: Re: Joni Following Hi Luke -- On thing you wrote peaked my curiosity ... I could never give "TTT" to a friend and expect them to listen to it, but I think a few of my peers might sit through "Blue" or "Court and Spark" I guess I'm scratching my head a little -- is it that TTT is too jazzy? Too mellow? That sort of "no good beat/can't dance to it" thing? I would imagine that if any of your friends are into Kate Bush, Tori Amos and/or Natalie Merchant, they'd probably not only listen to TTT, they'd like it even. Don't be shy! Don Rowe ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 16:31:12 -0500 From: "John M. Lind" Subject: (NJC) the best gift we GAVE Bob M. wrote: >Maybe in the spirit of the season we can thread on what the best >gift we GAVE this year was. Easy! Virtually since the day I met my wife she's been talking about how much she's always wanted a bard's harp. Guess what I got her for Christmas? It took her about 15 minutes to stop crying before she could even try to play anything on it. I felt like I had the whole world inside of me expanding against my chest trying to get out. John~ NP "When You Were Mine" Prince ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 13:31:09 -0800 From: davina@pacificsw.com (Davina Greenstein) Subject: Top ten songs that make you cry (sjc) I've really enjoyed this thread...here's my contribution in no particular order... Fisherman's Song - Carly Simon Chinese Cafe - JM Mother Natures Son - Beatles Hold On - Sarah McLachlan Love and Affection - Joan Armatrading Places In My Past - James Taylor Night Ride Home - JM Let It Be - The Beatles The Last Chance Texaco - Rickie Lee Jones River - Natalie Merchant D. np: Finn Brothers...Fall at your feet ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 17:01:27 -0500 From: Bob.Muller@fluordaniel.com Subject: CMIARS & Opinions Don wrote: CMIARS gets a bit of flak around this list. But flatly I'll stand on my little flat feet and say, "Dancing Clown is a grand and a wonderful thing." An electronically raw, overdriven and undecorated rocker, complete with a car-wreck change of key, sung by an unlikely vocal trio, whose voices compliment each other in a unique and enigmatic way. Plus, we so rarely get to hear Joni really get down -- just one more thing that makes "Dancing Clown" refreshing, much in the same way that "Blue Motel Room" leavens the otherwise somber and reflective moods of "Hejira." Of course, that's just my opinion ... I could be wrong. Don't get me wrong - I LOVE CMIARS like all of Joni's albums - I just think that "Clown" is misproduced & "miscast" - and you're NOT wrong and neither am I - opinions can't be wrong. That's what makes this so much fun! Bob NP: Bruce, Jungleland ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 14:14:05 PST From: "Don Rowe" Subject: Hate to do this but ... (NJC) "Two top Khmer Rouge leaders apologized Tuesday for the deaths of as many as 2 million people during their regime in the 1970's and asked their countrymen to "let bygones be bygones." This from the lead story on the New York Times website ... the rest of which is actually a bit uglier. You know, with this recent political thread winding though the list, we should be thankful that President Clinton is only having to apologize for a handfull of blow jobs. Oh brother, what a metaphor, did I really just do that? Like I said, sorry. ;-) Don Rowe ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 14:18:37 PST From: "Don Rowe" Subject: Re: CMIARS & Opinions Bob writes ... >I just think that "Clown" is misproduced & "miscast" - and you're NOT >wrong and neither am I - opinions can't be wrong. That's what makes >this so much fun! > Okay, so let's have some more fun and play Bonnie Timmerman for a bit. If you could "recast" that song, who's in? Personally I would have gone for Prince (that was his name then, anyway) and George Michael. What a trio THAT would've been! Have at it ... Don Rowe ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 17:33:11 -0500 From: "M & C Urbanski" Subject: Re: Songs That Make You Cry, was "Whoops"(SJC) - ---------- > From: Don Rowe > To: jml@amweaver.com > Cc: joni@smoe.org > Subject: Songs That Make You Cry, was "Whoops"(SJC) > Date: Tuesday, December 29, 1998 11:06 AM > > I guess I ought to make it a thread now ... so, let's have a list of > "Top 10 Songs That Make Me Cry" ... I'll bite, that's easier than favorite Joni songs. #1 Circle Game(Joni) #2 Chinese Cafe(Joni) #3 How Great Thou Art (classic gospel) #4 Wind Beneath My Wings(Bette Midler) #5 The Greatest Love(Whitney Houston) #6 O Holy Night (Christmas) #7 Woman (John Lennon) #8 In My Life (Beatles) #9 Cherokee Louise (Joni) #10 You & Me Against The World(Helen Reddy?) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 14:47:51 -0800 (PST) From: Brian Gross Subject: Leonard Cohen (was Re[2]: the tape...) Mark T. Klempner wrote: > > Talking about "Suzanne," does anyone know much about Joni's relationship > with Leonard Cohen? I know they were close very early on, and she > considered him a mentor or influence. Any stories/etc. anyone can share? > He has such lyrical gifts that it would seem natural that they would > connect, esp. with Canada in common. I remember reading here on the list, sometime in the last 21 months, that Leonard Cohen was the subject of 'Rainy Night House'. It was a revelation for me, so it made a lasting impression. Brian np: the pitter patter of cold rain here in South Jersey (better than snow) === "No paper thin walls No folks above No one else can hear the crazy cries of love" yeah, right _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 19:34:59 EST From: RickieLee1@aol.com Subject: Re: Songs That Make You Cry, was "Whoops"(SJC) one of the great cry baby songs, high on my list anyway, would be (drum roll please) the living years! mike and the mechanics another good one: your town too - james taylor (it helps if you just broke up with someone) and the best of all: tears in heaven - eric clapton. knowing the story behind that, who could possibly be unmoved? can't think of anymore. gonna go have myself a big boo hoo... peace, ric ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 18:40:25 -0600 From: Mark Domyancich Subject: Re: CMIARS & Opinions At first I didn't like CMIARS, but after a few listens (and a few skip tracks) I got to like it. 'My Secret Place' and 'A Bird That Whistles' became instant favorites, for me. 'Cool Water' I skipped past but once I decided to keep it going and the guitar entered.... goosebumps! MarkyMark NP-Hejira At 5:01 PM -0500 12/29/98, Bob.Muller@fluordaniel.com wrote: > > Don't get me wrong - I LOVE CMIARS like all of Joni's albums - I just > think that "Clown" is misproduced & "miscast" - and you're NOT wrong > and neither am I - opinions can't be wrong. That's what makes this so > much fun! ___________________________________ | Mark Domyancich | | Harpua@revealed.net | | http://home.revealed.net/Harpua | | http://www.jmdl.com/guitar/mark | |_________________________________| ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 11:13:16 -0500 From: Bob.Muller@fluordaniel.com Subject: Re[3]: Whoops! John wrote: but I can't think of any others off-hand. The only songs I can think of that will actually get me crying, that I can think of, are "Love At The Five And Dime" and There's A Light Beyond Theses Woods(Mary Margret)" by Nanci Griffith and "Watermelon In Easter-Hay" by Frank Zappa. The one that gets me every time is "Somewhere" from West Side Story. Joni songs that sometimes bring me to tears (usually only if I'm singing them) are Magdalene and Ethiopia. Bob NP: Impossible Dreamer, Sue McNamara version ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 19:04:14 -0600 From: evian Subject: Top Ten Songs That Make Me Cry (NJC) Ten songs that make me cry, in no particular order. 1. You can close your eyes - JT 2. Like a River - Carly Simon 3. Landslide - Fleetwood Mac 4. Last Song - Elton John 5. Crystal - Fleetwood Mac 6. Unforgettable Fire - U2 7. Everybody Hurts - R.E.M. 8. Purple Rain - Prince 9. Slave to Love - Bryan Ferry 10. This Woman's Work -- Kate Bush Wow, didn't notice this before, but I haven't actually boo-hooed over a Joni song... I have come close, but these songs are all ones that I can remember crying over. Evian ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 20:08:22 EST From: Marilune@aol.com Subject: Re: Re: Songs That Make You Cry, was "Whoops"(SJC) some of these may seem weird, but they work. alot of them depend on my state of emotional well-being. i don't cry so much anymore. Joni- River and The Last Time I Saw Richard (doesn't it make everyone cry?) Natalie Merchant- Life is Sweet and King of May Sarah Mc- Do What You Have To Do and Full of Grace (AKA Fall From Grace) Radiohead- Karma Police Eels- Elizabeth on the Bathroom Floor - -mariana NP: Radiohead, -OK Computer- ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 21:48:09 -0500 From: "M & C Urbanski" Subject: Re: Songs That Make You Cry, was "Whoops"(SJC) - ---------- > From: RickieLee1@aol.com > To: artwear@ncweb.com; dgrowe@hotmail.com; jml@amweaver.com > Cc: joni@smoe.org > Subject: Re: Songs That Make You Cry, was "Whoops"(SJC) > Date: Tuesday, December 29, 1998 7:34 PM > > one of the great cry baby songs, high on my list anyway, would be (drum roll > please) > > the living years! mike and the mechanics > peace, ric Oh yeah I Can't even listen to that one!!!! Marilyn ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 23:18:53 -0500 From: Jeanne M Whitlock Subject: Re: Songs That Make You Cry, was "Whoops"(SJC) Great thread idea! Here are some songs that made me boo-hoo at one time or another (in no particular order): 1. Carolina - Patty Larkin 2 Angel in the House - The Story 3 The Vigil - Jane Siberry 4 Inconsolable - Jonatha Brooke 5 Little Green - Joni 6 This is my new vow - Jennifer Kimball 7 Judgement of the Moon and Stars - Joni (someone else posted this one; made me revisit FTR ...) 8 Don't Give Up - Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush 9 Secret World - Peter Gabriel 10 Cry on my shoulder - Bonnie Raitt Sniffle-- Jeanne ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 21:06:28 -0800 From: Michael Heath Subject: All those impossible stories Terry wrote me: Cul, I'm so glad you wrote that post to the list! I was worried as hell that folks would scare him away, so I've been rootin' for him since day one. How come you never talked about your days at the Cellar?? Terry, in Michigan I replied: Hi Terry, Good question!! I don't know why I never talked much about the Cellar. I guess I just got sidetracked off into other stuff. Plus, after my story about re-meeting Mitchell on the ferry, I guess I thought it would sound like I was bragging or something. And who knows,...if I had maybe it would be me they were assaulting! :) And later with: OK...Sure I saw her. Here's a story for you: My art teacher Bill Mandt, had a lot to do with Joni showing up at our coffee house. I'm sure he was connected through the art scene at U of M at the time and with the coffee house scene around Ann Arbor and knew the Mitchell's through that route. Anyway, they were invited to a dinner at the Mandt's house prior to them playing at the Cellar one weekend. It was a folksy sort of affair with Mand'ts fabric hangings, paintings, candle light and incense. Nice and intimate. I'm sure they were having a wonderful dinner before I pounded on the door. You see it was Halloween and Mandt's house was the target of a party of some of his wackier art students scheduled for later that night. I was wearing a granny dress, combat boots, round little glasses, a granny type wig, 5 tons of old person's makeup and a set of false teeth over my own that I had found while prowling through the abandoned house of a guy down the street who had committed suicide that summer...(but that's another story). I had also brought my old coronet which i had unwelded so that I could bend the tubing in all sorts of weird directions. I had wound masking tape in a spiral all along the tubing and then spray painted the horn purple. I was the mad old woman with the devil's horn! (Who knows?) Anyway, it was this 15 year old maniac that came through the door blasting Joni in the face with my horn, totally interrupting their dinner and sending Joni into the front room covering her ears. That was my introduction to the Mitchell's. I am so proud of that moment. I can't think of a better way to have introduced myself to someone who would become not just my hero, but my god.:) It went uphill from there. michael ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 22:42:43 -0700 From: Bounced Message Subject: p henry Date: Sun, 27 Dec 1998 17:50:11 -0800 From: Michael Heath Hi, Haven't seen you all in a while...had to come in for a bit thought to let you know that I distinctly remember a Pat Boland being there at the time Pat Henry mentions the Cellar coffeehouse and Joni. Pat Henry used to be Pat Boland, I think. Anyway, I find it really weird that some people would ready to jump all over someone wanting to share their Joni stories. I mean, somebody had to be there during Joni's inception days. Why not Pat? Or me? I mean how many people got to hear Sistowbow Lane when it was a brand new tune? I did. When I mentioned that song to Joni while talking to her on the ferry ride, she said "Oh you do go back a long way, don't you?" Yes, an embarrassing length of time. Anyway...lighten up people and let Pat tell the stories that came from having been there.:) cul ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 22:44:01 -0700 From: Bounced Message Subject: New Joni Following? Or same old one? (NJC) From: Claud.Loren.Carter@ccMail.Census.Gov Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 10:58:22 -0500 Don, Sorry for the confusion. It is my fault. I checked my old e-mail messages and the one I was thinking of was from Bob. After a long weekend I seem to be in need of retraining. I guess I have other things on my mind....A houseful of 15 family members over for dinner tonight, my little son sick with a cough and runny nose, and me wanting to be there to take care of him. NP...LuLu's Back in Town.....Leon Redbone... Hi Claud -- There are several Dons on this list, and I fear you have confused me with another of them. I wouldn't have you change and sing a new song, unless perhaps, you wanted "Hejira" as your 'character theme', as we in the soundtrack business call it! How kind and gentle you must be to see and appreciate your wife the way that you do. Please don't leave the list ... hang around and who knows, maybe someday you'll be a wide-eyed about our Joni as your lovely bride! :-) Don Rowe ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 22:44:49 -0700 From: Bounced Message Subject: Weepies Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 22:19:27 -0500 From: "Steve Garrison" Seems like there are some not-too-surprising themes that run through the boohoo tunes. What I'd call "Life Cycle" songs are a biggie, whether it be "Circle Game" or "It Was a Very Good Year" or, for goodness sake, "Sunrise, Sunset." Compressing a whole life into a few stanzas seems to have a liberating effect on the tear ducts. Songs of Departure and Loss are another. Tom Rush, in addition to "Circle Game" used to do "Urge for Going" and his own(?) "Child's Song," misty-fiers all. (Don't even want to tell you how many years I listened to his UFG before I became aware it was Joni's). Another that works for me, although it's not typically something I'd recommend, is the Bergman/Bergman/Mandel song "Where Do You Start" as performed by Susannah McCorkle, who actually starts to lose it in the final verse on her album "I'll Take Romance." Listen to this at your own risk if, like me, you're getting divorced or breaking up. There are "Memento" songs, too. I'm thinking of MaryChapin Carpenter's song about her shirt, and a Carrie Newcomer song called "Up in the Attic." Agree with Azeem about Christine Collister's emotive powers, though from the same album as "Beguiling Eyes," I get more juiced by her version of Jackson Browne's "For a Dancer." Browne's "Song for Adam" from his first album is in the same Good Souls Dying Young vein. So tell me, why does another song about Romantic Deaths of the Young, "Richard Thompson's 1952 Vincent Black Lightening," work powerfully, but on a totally different basis? It's a great song, a classic, in fact, but does anyone get dewy-eyed listening to it? Not me! Why not? Steve NP: Eric Anderson's Memory of the Future, Glencree by Peter Mulvey, and The Church With One Bell by the great John Martyn. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 22:43:27 -0700 From: Bounced Message Subject: Re: New Joni Following? Or same old one? (SJC) From: Claud.Loren.Carter@ccMail.Census.Gov Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1998 15:05:57 -0500 Don, Since you ordered me to change and sing a new song (and quite talking about the only thing I've talked about the last couple of weeks), here goes..... Until I met my wife 3 years I was blissfully ignorant of Ms. Mitchell. Now, I'd heard her songs, but I didn't know where they came from until my wife showed me the error of my ways. I would sing along with the songs but I didn't know who the artist was. Then, my wife, enlightened me to the ways of Joni. I've always liked singers where I could actually understand the words to the song. I've always liked James Taylor simply because I could understand what he was saying. Being deaf in one ear, that's important to me. As for statistics, I'm 40 (to be 41 in three weeks (don't remind me!). The folks here at work have been following my travels with the litho (sorry Don, couldn't help myself) and have asked who this singer is (most of them are 10-15 years younger than I). Well today I "borrowed" (don't tell Lucy) a Joni CD from the house to play for them at work. Most of the songs were recognizable, but, like the me of years past, they didn't know who was doing the singing. Well now they do. My wife has been a Joni-phile for years. Saw her at the New Orleans Jazz fest in 95 (I think), has all the tapes, all the articles, and certainly could speak to this group more authoritively about Joni than I. When we get an ISP at home, I'll have her join the list (and I'll leave) so that she can meet you all and speak of the magnificance that is Joni. Humbly, I don't feel qualified to be here over hearing the stories from the folks who have met her, talked with her, broke bread, and recorded with her. I've only seen her in concert once (and it was almost 2 months ago). The happiness that I saw on my wife's face made me realize that Ms. Mitchell is a part of her life, so these two women will be a part of my life also. Loren.... NP....absolutely nothing but the ringing in my ears ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 00:30:17 -0600 From: evian Subject: one more crying song (njc) Ooops, couldn't let the list of crying songs go by without mentioning "John Doe No. 24" by Mary-Chapin Carpenter. This song is the one that really makes me boo hoo, and I can't believe if forgot to list it! LOL, like anyone really cares, but I am bored...... Evian ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 01:38:59 -0500 From: Janet Hess Subject: Re: Songs That Make You Cry, was "Whoops"(SJC) In addition to Joni's "Chinese Cafe," another that just about always brings tears is Mary Black's "Columbus." aaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 02:04:19 EST From: Bolvangar@aol.com Subject: Songs that make me cry (SJC) Hi all, As Sue and others have said -- it's all very dependent on context and on my mood -- but here are a few: I did cry recently when I saw June Tabor sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" as an encore in concert (I don't know if she's recorded it). That was more because of June than the song itself. Some others of June's do as well, such as "A Smiling Shore" (about a Holocaust survivor) and her version of "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda." _Hejira_ has made me cry, but not every time I hear it; so has "Come in from the Cold." Alpha's "Sometime Later" does. The Replacements' "The Ledge" does. The music and sound of The Police can like no other band, on any number of their songs. The lined-out hymn "Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah," recorded by Alan Lomax among the Old Regular Baptists of Kentucky, does. I think that when a song makes me cry, it is because of the expressiveness of the music or the singing more than the words. Or, at least, the words by themselves wouldn't do it. Some of the songs that bring me as close to tears as any are in other languages (like "Mir Stanke Le" by Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares, or "Blonde" by Guesch Patti in the Peter Greenaway film _The Pillow Book_). Thoughts? - --David NP: Portishead, _Dummy_ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 23:00:47 -0800 From: "Kakki" Subject: Another Guitar and Joni Story Earlier tonight I took my two poor, elderly guitars over to Fretworks in Hollywood (recently named best guitar doctors in the world) to see what miracles could be worked. The rosewood Flamenco is going to live and thrive, but, sadly, the 1925 Martin-copy is on life support and the prognosis is grave). Fretworks is in a tiny building adjacent to the Guitar Center in Hollywood and Phillip, the proprietor, told me about a few of his customers, including Sean Lennon and Liz Phair. I started feeling a little dorky standing there with my humble guitars in their scuffed up cases, so did not ask him if he knew Joni. I did ask him if Guitar Center had any Baby Collings' to look at. He didn't know about "Baby" Collings but told me to check out the Baby Taylor. (Since hearing about Joni's Baby Collings guitar, I've had a great fantasy of owning something similar because I have very tiny hands and fingers and thought that an instrument of similar design would be a Heaven-sent for me). Well, I go to GC and see the Baby Taylor and it is complete LOVE at the very first sight and strum. This has got to be one of the sweetest guitars I've ever seen! It is a 3/4 size Dreadnought with a solid spruce front and mahogany sides and back. It looks like a work of art and has all the sound of a full-size. It took me less than a second to know it was leaving with me. A salesperson named Keith started chatting with me about it and I asked to see a Baby Collings (just to look at it). He insisted to me that there was no such thing as a Baby Collings. I argued that I'd read about Joni Mitchell having one. He retorted that he himself sold that guitar to Joni when he worked at Westwood Music and that it is a "triple-ought" or "000" Collings and not a "Baby"! He added that he'd also sold her a Martin at the same time which she later returned and was subsequently sold to Elvis Costello. Trying not to seem like a Joni-obsessive, but wanting to see what else he might have to say, I casually kept up the Joni talk as he restrung the Taylor with "silk-wraps" for me and showed me the case. He said a few quite interesting things that I cannot repeat here (Joni-related but nothing to do with her personally) and also said he'd played bass for her briefly at a few live gigs in the early 1990s. He reminded me of all of us when he announced that he'd been in love with her since he was 17 and said that they first met when he spotted her in blue jeans, T-shirt, barefoot and with paint-covered hands trying to cross a busy street while carrying four guitars. He ran out to help her cross and get everything into the store. She started playing some songs right there in Westwood Music and he played along with her. He said they spent the next 4 hours chain-smoking, drinking coffee and playing music together. She liked his sound and asked him to join her at a few of the gigs. (He said this was at the beginning of the break-up with Larry, and she was temporarily without a bass guy). He seemed so involved with talking about her and it just proved once again the power and effect she has on so many. In the end (a whole hour later) he took $30 off the case price, charged me nothing for the new strings, threw in some picks and personally walked it to my car! I'm sure his generosity stemmed in part from having the chance to relate a few of his Joni experiences to me! As I sit here I can't take my eyes off my new "Baby". It is a fantastic and gorgeous little guitar and I think Mariana should ask for one for Valentine's Day, (along with Marian and Terry because it fits perfectly into the overhead bin on airplanes!). And it's not just a guitar for "girls" - Keith told me that several guys buy them, too, just because they are so neat, and end up using them as their primary guitar. Even those who don't play guitar will probably want to start after seeing one of them! Oh, and the price - $249 for the Baby Taylor, and $2,800 for the (Not) Baby Collings ;-) Kakki ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 02:11:17 EST From: DKasc13293@aol.com Subject: Short Engagement (long) N real JC Hello friends and some enemies I'm sure, I am temporarily reenlisting as I have been designated official Joni Mitchell "expert" for an evening for Joni at an acoustic club downtown in the East Village called the Living Room on the 21st of January. I am hoping to gather some "inside" information regarding recording sessions with Joni to share with the audience. I want to thank whoever it was for the beautiful imagery of the crystal/ice and fire light on the frozen pond, dark chimney smoke, silouettes of skaters, cabins, and forest/fields against the steel blue sky on that crisp Christmas night. My Christmas moment was this. I was visiting family out of state, when I found myself at a remote train station Chistmas twilight. Michael Yarborough and friends were using my apartment, while I was out of town and Patrick Leader suggested we all go to an Alvin Ailey concert then drinks later. So, I was headed back without a car (longer story) Anyway back to the train station..... I was decked out in full relative visiting regalia. My long hunter green Lodin coat, necktie, camels and reds, something like the Scottish highlands meets Bond Street in London. The morning and early afternoon were full of French Toast and crisp bacon, scrambled eggs, gourmet knoshing, holiday favorites, conscious bingeing. The later afternoon consisting of conversation of photography, Ansel Adams and a couple of strong gin and tonics. But I regress.... So, I'm on my way back to the big city with my suitcase in hand, TTT on the CD walkman and quite honestly, somewhat meloncholy spirit. Climbing the stairs to the train platform I notice shivering alone and clutching his upper body around a tee shirt type knit, a quite beautiful Hispanic young man, say around 20. I took a few moments to take in the stillness of the bitter cold, the vapor trails turned orange against the blue sky of twilight, the lines of white and black silouettes. Was it the gin and tonics? I don't think so, but I was put in that place by God at the particular moment Christmas day. I reached into my bag and first threw him my wool sweater. After a few more seconds, the red cashmere to put over it. It was so cold and it wasn't even like this kid was some drugged out loser. He was a struggling immigrant, who had ridden his bicycle for 20 miles in the bitter cold. "From Guatemala", he stutterred. "No speak much English". My mind was racing. Could I find work for him? "What do you do?", I asked. He refinished wood floors in New Jersey. I took off my long coat and gave it to him. Approximately a quarter of an hour went by. A few others gathered. The train was approaching. I had gone through the skeptical NY wrestling in my mind. Would he run off with the grand plus I had thrown at him. Was it a scam. I relaxed, knowing I did the right thing. Lawyers and loan sharks are laying America to waste was for some reason in my mind. The noise grew intense and the train rolled into the station. Off came the conductor approaching the young man and his fine bicycle. "Do you have a permit". Again, "No speak very much English" as he was taking off the clothes I had given him to borrow. "Well, we can't let you on with a permit" Clearly the young man did not understand what was being said. I took French and was not any help. All I could think to say to the man was, "Even on Christmas Day!?" Wait! Came an observer, pulling her Asian-American friend closer. He, speaks fluent Spanish. Still the conductor would not have it. The train was late, all aboard. The doors slammed shut as I tossed my grey cashmere out the window to him. My sister Alexis said, "He'll never forget it" Nor will I. Chistmas is like that. So I get to back to NYC and see Alvin Ailey with the boys, the colors, the percussion, the life and spirit. It not good to take things for granted. ------------------------------ End of JMDL Digest V3 #530 ************************** There is now a JMDL tape trading list. Interested traders can get more details at http://www.jmdl.com/trading ------- JoniFest 1999 is coming! Reserve your spot with a $25 fee. 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