From: les@jmdl.com (JMDL Digest) To: joni-digest@smoe.org Subject: JMDL Digest V4 #351 Reply-To: joni@smoe.org Sender: les@jmdl.com Errors-To: les@jmdl.com Precedence: bulk JMDL Digest Saturday, August 14 1999 Volume 04 : Number 351 The Laborday JoniFest is happening this fall! For information: send a message to Join the mailing list at: ------- 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 http://www.jmdl.com and contains interviews, articles, the member gallery, archives, and much more. ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- joni tribute [Nicholas Bates ] shooting stars (NJC) [Janene Otten ] Joni frustration [Louis Lynch ] Re: Song to a Seagull (long) ["Mark or Travis" ] Re: Joni frustration ["Jennifer L. Nodine" ] Re: vh1 woodstock show njc [CaTGirl627@aol.com] Re: Song to a Seagull (long) [Scott and Jody ] Joni one-liners - Song to a Seagull ["Mark or Travis" ] Guitar programs ["Ken (Slarty)" ] Bungee jumping (NJC) [Bounced Message ] Henley knows best [Bounced Message ] Re: Coyote ["P. Henry" ] Impressionism exhibit at Seattle Art Museum (NJC) ["Mark or Travis" Subject: joni tribute The Basement in Sydney is a longstanding jazz venue which was rebuilt in the late eighties. It's an intimate venue in the sense that its small but a long bar across the back wall is often propped up by drinkers with no discernible interest in the music happening up front and a love of the sound of their own voices. A couple of months ago I saw Taj Mahal there and pro that he is, he still seemed visibly fazed by the poor behaviour of the audience, many of whom carried on as if he was just wallpaper. There were similar problems with last night's Joni Mitchell tribute concert (The Best of Joni Mitchell Too). 10 local singer songwriters (less than coincidentally all women) backed by a sizzling band and introduced in pairs by an entertaining MC (she opened by pretending this was a tribute to Tony Mitchell, guitarist for Sherbet a defunct local glitter group from the seventies), worked their way through a wide spectrum of Mitchell's material from I had a King to Crazy Cries of Love. Sitting up front at the dinner and show tables may have given a different perspective on things but in the bar stools and standing room only section my concentrationn was torn between the performers on stage and a group of upstaging drinkers who had clearly just stumbled in off the street and had not the slightest interest in our SIQUOMB . How strange is it that people would pay $14 to then talk their way through a two hour concert and barely give the stage a second glance? Ok, Ok I will trrrrrry to block out my memories of the blockheads offstage and concentrate on what went on onstage. Well, it was good! Its kind of fun to hear songs live that JM couldn't get her voice around anymore or has little interest in performing such as 'Woman of Heart and Mind' (Sarah McGregor), 'The Last time I saw Richard' (Gemma Deacon) and 'I had a King' and 'Blue' (Robyn Dunn). Just about any version of 'For Free' reminds me of what a great song it is (Juliet Obsessed) and someone prepared to tackle 'Harry's House' (Sarah McGregor) and who manages to deliver with great confidence and verve, definitely wins votes. One person's highlight is another's cringe - but I really got off on a scorching version of 'Goodbye Pork Pie Hat' by a cool voiced Rachel Gaudry. Her version of 'In France they kiss......'was pretty groovy too and since it picked up the pace a little after 'I had a King' it helped drown out the drinkers. A rocking version of 'Woodstock' by Karen Jacobsen was perhaps a little off centre and her 'Case of You' was a not quite convincing, but hey, what a song! Tania Bowra, who has a gorgeous, clean voice had lots of fun with 'Carey' and made nice work out of 'Chinese Cafe/Unchained Melody'. Louise Perryman opted for 'You Dream Flat Tires', a song which never really hits the mark, and 'Come in from the Cold' which wasn't quite suited to her rounded soprano but it was an accomplished and convincing performance nevertheless with full on back up vocals/dueting by Rachel Gaudry and Karen Jacobsen (i think) and the band in full control of the material. Early in the night Kristen Cornwell did versions of both Crazy Cries of Love (boy I love that song) and Dry Cleaner from Des Moines (the lyrics are always so cool - you can just see that guy popping in the coins) both of which were confident and fun. I'm not quite sure why Gemma Deacon bothered with Twisted (I love it but its not JM and everybody always sings it). Encore was, as in concert number one, BYT which didn't quite happen and Free Man in Paris which was better suited to the group voices and took off. And then it was time to go as it was waaaaaaaaaay past my bedtime. Nicholas in Sydney Nicholas in Sydney ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 10:00:50 -0400 From: Janene Otten Subject: shooting stars (NJC) Hey, friends, I've been doing some traveling that last couple of weeks and it was very difficult to catch up with all of you. You all write such interesting and LENGTHY posts! =) I have been very much like an "wild seed" myself these days. I often wonder where the hell I'll be in ten years. I also love the fact that it's still such a mystery. It makes life interesting. Stay Awake was the first cd I ever bought. I didn't get a cd player until 1988 or '89 (I can't remember which year) and at the time, a friend of mine owned a copy of it. I loved it. I had just gotten a cd player and when I walked into the "RECORD WORLD" (remember that?) it was the first cd in the first row I glanced at so I figured it was meant to be. I was also arranging for an acapella group at the time and we sang that Neville Brothers version of the Mickey Mouse Club theme as our closer. What a blast. People loved it. I haven't listened to it in a long time but now I will pull it out for a listen. Thanks. I was in the Poconos (Pennsylvania) last weekend. It was beautiful. I viewed many shooting stars. I spend so much time in the city and often forget to look up at the sky. We were under a blanket of visible constellations all weekend. In the true spirit of a city girl I'll say that if I actually lived in the country I'd probably go a bit bonkers. I enjoy getting out in the fresh air of the country but I thrive on the excitement of the city. Perhaps that will change in time. The gathering was actually for a band that I really love, The Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies; they are like The Allman Brothers meet Al Green meet Stevie Ray Vaughan. Good ol' boys, a true revival. Soulful yet down in dirt at the same time. Every time I take a road trip, the "Joni moments" in the car are my favorites. That's usually the moment that my friend falls asleep, hopefully because Joni is soothing and not because she finds it boring. It may also have something to do with my inability to hold conversation while she's playing! I sing for hours and before I know it, I've reached my destination. Planning a trip to Yasgur's Farm again this weekend to see the concert. If anyone else is going, let me know. Peace, Janene np: Doyle Bramhall II ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 07:06:34 -0700 From: Louis Lynch Subject: Joni frustration > True frustration is when you're shuffling your way through a too-busy > supermarket, and all of a sudden you hear "Edith and the Kingpin" on the > store radio. "Edith and the Kingpin?" you think!!!! What a rare choice, > what a wonderful diversion to the shopping cart jam in the pasta aisle! > > Just as the song is starting to return you to a state of humanity again, > the music is rudely interrupted for a long, long in-store ad in a > mean-sounding, nasal, raspy voice complete with bad grammar and diction. > The announcement finally stops, and when the music resumes, it's a lame > Phoebe Snow song, not even one of her better ones! > > Oh well, at least the pasta was priced as a "Bonus Buy." > > Don't you hate when that happens? > > Harper Lou > ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 08:13:37 -0700 From: "Mark or Travis" Subject: Re: Song to a Seagull (long) David gives us these great comments about STAS: > "I Had a King" is one of my favorites on the album, with its melody and > the chorus's description of the broken relationship. ("You know my keys don't > fit the door/You know my thoughts don't fit the man/They never can.") There > is also one line that kind of makes me wince; it's "the broom of contempt." I > can't help but think, and did he sweep into the dustpan of avarice, or the > trash can of despair, or something? It's kind of a fine point, but maybe, by > way of what I said above about Joni's earlier vs. later styles, this could be > contrasted to her use of similar household items (dishwasher, coffee > percolator) in "The Last Time I Saw Richard"? In Richard, she picks on them > as telling details, as being symbolic in themselves (of materialistic > suburban culture); in I Had A King, the broom is just part of a poetic > conceit. It's funny. I was considering doing the Joni-one-liners game with 'STAS' and this was the line I would have chosen for 'I Had a King'. I agree that it is a poetic conceit and not as straight-forward as Joni's later lyrics but I think it works very well. The man in question seems to be doing some kind of mental or spiritual cleansing like a monk, removing everything from his life that is distracting or corrupting. Painting the pastel walls a neutral brown, removing all ornamentation or anything that is extraneous. I also find the rhyme scheme in this song interesting. In some of the couplets the rhyming words appear as the last word of the first line and then the second or even third word from the end of the next line. 'I had a king in a tenement CASTLE/lately he's taken to painting the PASTEL walls brown' and then you have 'and swept with the broom of CONTEMPT/and the rooms have and EMPTy ring/he's cleaned with the tears of an ACTOR/who fears for the LAUGHTER's sting' and so on. > I think "The Dawntreader"'s music is some of the early Joni's best. The > melody is terse and almost ominous (to me), but still romantic, and it's > tightly constructed and builds really well over the course of the verse. And > the guitar part contrasts the high strings (like the beautiful little figure > that opens the song) and low strings (the edgy scraping in the "The roll of > the harbor wake" part of the verses), creating this undercurrent of tension. > I like the line from the lyrics, "A dream that you tell no one but the grey > sea/they'll say that you're crazy." I find 'The Dawntreader' to be very soothing. The guitar reminds me of the rolling & swelling of the ocean on a sunny, fairly calm day. This is probably my favorite song from STAS but it has stiff competition from 'Sisotowbell Lane' and 'I Had a King' > > One interesting thing about this album for me is the contrast between the > "city" songs and the "seaside" songs. The city ("civilization") is usually > associated with noise ("an island of noise in a cobblestone sea"), chaos > ("the bedlam of the day"), modernity ("the blossoms hung false on their store > window trees"; "the city grated through chrome-plate"), busy-ness, etc. -- > though some of us *like* that about it -- while the country ("nature") is > relaxation and simplicity. Yet there's a lot more strangeness (or you could > say more freedom) and tension in Joni's music on the "seaside" songs than in > the "city" songs......snip..... Another contrast is between the lyrics' character portraits (Michael, > Marcie, to a lesser extent Nathan and maybe Joni herself) and Joni's flowery > fantasies (mermaids, seagulls, treasure, flashing colors, wars and wine, > etc.), even when the fantastic imagery is applied to everyday life -- like > observation (external) vs. imagination (internal). Interesting comments. To me it makes perfect sense that the the city songs are more out-wardly focused while the 'Down to the Seaside' songs are more internal. The city is full of things to distract us. There is so much going on around us that it is sometimes difficult to focus on our inner selves. In the more tranquil atmosphere outside the city the mind is allowed to relax and in the resulting mental quiet it is easier to contemplate our inner lives. Sometimes, depending on what we keep inside, that can cause tensions & anxieties that the outside world normally distracts us from. And sometimes it brings a measure of peace. Maybe the 'Down To the Seaside' half of 'STAS' was the forerunner of 'Hejira'. Joni has commented that the style of the artwork on this record reflects its lyrical style. The album cover is full of detail and ornamentation. Correspondingly, the lyrics are full of descriptive imagery that seems to be extraneous compared with Joni's later work. She has become a master of paring the words down to the bare bones she needs to put across her meaning but still make it sound fresh, poetic and beautiful. Mark in Seattle ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 13:07:14 EDT From: MP123A321@aol.com Subject: Jeff Beck/Jonny Lang free tix - NJC I have some free tickets to the following show: Jeff Beck / Jonny Lang , playing at Ice Palace, Tampa , FL on Weds. 8/18, 7:30p. Seating is unknown,but price is right. FREE. If interested ..e-mail me ASAP to arrange. thanks, Maurice ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 11:26:41 -0700 (PDT) From: Brian Gross Subject: Fwd Driving Identities (NJC at all) Hi everyone, Given the geographic diversity of the JMDL, when this piece of humorous email arrived in my mailbox, I immediately thought of all of us and thought I'd share it with the rest of you non-Only Joni's. > > How to Identify Where a Driver is From > > ====================================== > > One hand on wheel, one hand on horn: Chicago. > > > > One hand on wheel, one finger out window: New York. > > > > One hand on wheel, one finger and head out the window > > out window - cursing, cutting across all lanes of > > traffic: Philly > > > > One hand on wheel, one hand on newspaper, foot solidly > > on accelerator: Boston. > > > > One hand on wheel, one hand on nonfat double decaf > > cappuccino, cradling cell phone, brick on accelerator: > > with gun in lap: L.A. > > > > Both hands on wheel, eyes shut, both feet on brake, > > quivering in terror: Ohio, but driving in California. > > > > Both hands in air, gesturing, both feet on > > accelerator, head turned to talk to someone in back > > seat: Italy. > > > > One hand on latte, one knee on wheel, cradling cell phone, foot on brake, > > mind on game: Seattle. > > > > One hand on wheel, one hand on hunting rifle, > > alternating between both feet being on the > > accelerator and both feet on the brake, throwing a > > McDonald's bag out the window: Texas. > > > > Four-wheel drive pick-up truck, shotgun mounted in > > rear window, beer cans on floor, squirrel tails > > attached to antenna: West Virginia. > > > > Two hands gripping wheel, blue hair barely visible > > above window level, driving 35 on the Interstate in > > the left lane with the left blinker on: Florida. > > > > One hand on the wheel, the other holding a cell phone, > > driving 130mph and four feet from your bumper, late > > for happy hour, while flashing headlights to tell you > > to get the hell out of the way: Wash. DC Beltway I hope nobody was too offended :-) Take care, Brian np: Love or Money (on World Cafe) === "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: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 13:44:44 CDT From: "Seth Garrison" Subject: long time, no see... Hello list~ I've just moved back to school so I didn't check my mail for about a week. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed with interesting posts to read. Nevertheless, I read as much as I could and I decided I would ask you people a question. Being a typical almost-college-student, I love posters. I have Ani posters and Tori posters, but I can't for the life of me find any Joni posters. It's highly probable that there aren't any for me to find, but just in case, I was wondering if any of you know where I could possibly find one. Anything would do... just the presence of Joni in my room would make me feel better. Last year I resorted to putting record covers from my parent's collection on my walls, but that didn't work as well as it should have. I appreciate any feedback. And i'm still loving this list, even though my schedul prevents me from being able to keep up with it as well as I need to ( i have a college equivalent of 28 hours!!!). poor me, seth "everybody's in it for their own game you can't please them all there's always somebody calling you down" free man in paris _______________________________________________________________ Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 17:36:29 -0400 From: "Jennifer L. Nodine" Subject: Re: Joni frustration Louis, I thought I was actually the only person in the world that sings along to Joni in the frozen foods. I was also tickled by the fact that you cannot stand Phoebe Snow either. Yuk!!!!!:-) Jenny CT Louis Lynch wrote: > > True frustration is when you're shuffling your way through a too-busy > > supermarket, and all of a sudden you hear "Edith and the Kingpin" on the > > store radio. "Edith and the Kingpin?" you think!!!! What a rare choice, > > what a wonderful diversion to the shopping cart jam in the pasta aisle! > > > > Just as the song is starting to return you to a state of humanity again, > > the music is rudely interrupted for a long, long in-store ad in a > > mean-sounding, nasal, raspy voice complete with bad grammar and diction. > > The announcement finally stops, and when the music resumes, it's a lame > > Phoebe Snow song, not even one of her better ones! > > > > Oh well, at least the pasta was priced as a "Bonus Buy." > > > > Don't you hate when that happens? > > > > Harper Lou > > ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 18:25:28 EDT From: CaTGirl627@aol.com Subject: Re: vh1 woodstock show njc In a message dated 8/12/1999 4:21:29 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Louis.Lynch@wonderware.com writes: << I'm glad there are atm and credit card machines at concert halls, and zoos, and circuses, and everywhere else. Because we enjoy a certain type of music, are we supposed to ride in covered wagons and sit on rocks in unheated longhouses? >> I learned very interesting info about Circuses on TV the other week. Did you know that every single elephant that does tricks was literally BEATEN to submission? Very sad, but TRUE! Elephants have strong will so in orde5r to break them so to spaek they are beaten everyday and chained for years. They even do it to baby elephants where they are taking from their mothers as young as one year old and beaten everyday and tortured. So the best thing to do is to AVOID going to circus shows that have elephants and who know one day an elephant or two could be saved! Catgirl ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 18:01:33 -0500 From: Scott and Jody Subject: Re: Song to a Seagull (long) Mark wrote: > I find 'The Dawntreader' to be very soothing. The guitar reminds me > of the rolling & swelling of the ocean on a sunny, fairly calm day. > This song has always been my calming source. Whenever I become stressed out beyond belief, I listen to this. I love Joni's guitar- on "the roll of the harbor wake-the songs that the rigging makes". I can just feel myself on a sailboat out at sea! btw - I enjoyed reading your entire post about STAS! Thanks, jody ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 19:16:11 -0700 From: "Mark or Travis" Subject: Joni one-liners - Song to a Seagull I Had A King He's taken the curtains down And swept with the broom of contempt And the rooms have an empty ring Michael From Mountains Yellow slickers up on swings Like puppets on strings Hanging in the sky Night in the City Music comes spilling out into the street Colors go waltzing in time Marcie Dust her tables with his shirt and Wave another day goodbye Nathan LaFreneer The cars and buses bustled through the bedlam of the day Sisotowbell Lane Sometimes it is spring Sometimes it is not anything A poet can sing Sometimes we try Yes we always try The Dawntreader Run down where the rain delights you You do not hide Sunlight will renew your pride Skin white by skin golden The Pirate of Penance The pirate he will sink you with a kiss He'll steal your heart and sail away And leave you drowning in the flotsam Of a broken promise in the bay Song to a Seagull My gentle relations Have names they must call me For loving the freedom Of all flying things Cactus Tree She has brought them to her senses They have laughed inside her laughter Mark in Seattle ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 10:28:57 -0400 From: "Jim L'Hommedieu" Subject: Lilith Fair Well the 1999 Lilith Fair came to Cincinnati this week and I had a great time. It was very hot but with the right refreshments :) I was able to soldier on. I even got an autograph from Lilith herself..... I'll add it to my autograph collection from Crosby Nash and the one from Jethro Tull and Lynyrd Skynard..... - -- Hoping Kakki will explain to the JMDL lurkers where the jokes are in this post, Lama ** Get well Wally! ** Tolerance, tolerance, tol... ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 23:08:45 -0400 From: "Ken (Slarty)" Subject: Guitar programs I found some interesting shareware and freeware programs for guitar at Harmony Central including tuners and a program that will show you the name of guitar chords from the notes you play (in any tuning, yet). The URL: http://www.harmony-central.com/Software/Windows/guitar.html ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 21:32:00 -0600 From: Bounced Message Subject: Bungee jumping (NJC) From: Ashara@aol.com Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 17:18:54 EDT Because many of you asked......WE DID IT!!!!! This crazy mother of 4 actually went bungee jumping with her kids AND SURVIVED!!! It was such a RUSH!!! Flying....free falling.....WOW!!! For those who are coming to Jonifest you can even see pictures, and a video!! (Gee.....if that doesn't entice you all to come to Jonifest now, I don't know what will!) Hahahaha!!!! Aussie hugs, Ashara ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 21:45:47 -0600 From: Bounced Message Subject: Henley knows best From: "Jim L'Hommedieu" Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 18:18:17 -0400 I always thought Henley was saying "embrace the present". I never got any accusation toward Cadillac-owners. After all the next line is "Don't look back, You can never look back." > I think the point of Henley's lyric isn't attacking >wealth or convenience, but rather the ostentatious >"keeping up with the Jones" mentality. I imagine even >a wealthy hippie would frown on that sort of thing ... >yes? And I'm not sure what Don's driving these days, >but I have a feeling it's something a bit more plush >than a VW Microbus ... ;-) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 21:06:22 -0700 From: "P. Henry" Subject: Re: Coyote Catherine wrote: all good questions, Cath. sorry, your guess is as good as mine, perhaps better, but, while we're on the subject of Coyote verses I thought I'd also throw this one out there... been listening to Hejira a lot lately and it just caught my attention... I've only been onlist for about 8 months and it may have been mentioned before but to me it's surprising that no one has ever, to my knowledge, remarked on these verses: "Now he's got a woman at home He's got another woman down the hall He seems to want me anyway..." thoughts? comments? flames? whatever? pat NP: Cold Blue Steel And Sweet Fire http://members.wbs.net/homepages/b/a/d/badwolff.html Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 21:14:57 -0700 From: "Mark or Travis" Subject: Impressionism exhibit at Seattle Art Museum (NJC) Travis & Melanie & I attended an incredible exhibit of Impressionist paintings at the Seattle Art Museum this morning. The 60 plus paintings in the exhibit came from museums all over Europe and included works by Cassat, Renoir, Degas, Monet, Manet, Pissaro, Merisot and Van Gogh (two Van Gogh's lesser known works). I had been aware of Mary Cassat but was a bit surprised that there were other women who were noted artists in the Impressionist movement. The audio and printed information for this exhibit did a good job of explaining the tremendous odds and difficulties these women had to overcome to produce and exhibit their work. In the latter half of the 19th century these women had to limit their subject matter to what was available in the environments they were allowed access to. Some of the works they produced are quite stunning. The painting that impressed me the most was called 'On the Terrace at Sevres' by an artist named Marie Bracquemond. I don't remember hearing this woman's name before but the painting was very familiar. Three people sitting in a garden setting, two women and a man. It turns out that the artist's sister was the model for both of the women in the painting. Although this work exhibits the stunning use of color and the abrupt, clearly evident brush strokes typical of Impressionist painting, it also is amazingly rich in detail. The sense of light and the minute fragments of color that the eye blends together to make the whole was amazing and so beautiful. If some of our list members who have more knowledge of painting than the sketchy bit I have (no pun intended) have any info they can share on Marie Bracquemond, I, for one, would love to see it. Apparently her husband was a painter also and was so jealous of his wife's talent that he finally persuaded her to give up painting. This makes my blood boil. There were also several of Renoir's post-impressionist portraits that were quite beautiful. I was also impressed with several of Pissaro's works that were on display. This is another painter that I am not very familiar with. All in all the exhibit was wonderful and very educational. No poster or print can do justice to these remarkable works of art. The light & color just cannot be captured in a reproduction. Mark in Seattle ------------------------------ End of JMDL Digest V4 #351 ************************** The Song and Album Voting Booths are open! Cast your votes by clicking the links at http://www.jmdl.com/gallery username: jimdle password: siquomb ------- Don't forget about these ongoing projects: Glossary project: Send a blank message to for all the details. FAQ Project: Help compile the JMDL FAQ. Do you have mailing list-related questions? -send them to Trivia Project: Send your Joni trivia questions and/or answers to Today in History Project: Know of a date-specific Joni fact? - -send it to ------- Post messages to the list at Unsubscribe by sending "unsubscribe joni-digest" to ------- Siquomb, isn't she?