From: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org (JMDL Digest) To: joni-digest@smoe.org Subject: JMDL Digest V2006 #243 Reply-To: joni@smoe.org Sender: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk Unsubscribe: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe Archives: http://www.smoe.org/lists/joni Website: http://jonimitchell.com JMDL Digest Sunday, July 2 2006 Volume 2006 : Number 243 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- The great quote battle ["Joe Jones" ] RE: Imogen Heap njc, Dave Gilmour too and add a layer of Gruff Rhys ["Gar] Re: A trip of a different colour ["Garret" ] Joni Covers #78 - Hotter Than July! [Bob Muller ] Joni - essentially Canadian in Toronto Star [Catherine McKay Subject: The great quote battle "Time is an illusion, lunchtime doubly so" Douglas Adams - The Hitch Hikers Guide To The Galaxy Joe - St. Asaph. NP - Sailin Shoes - Little Feat - -- Joe Jones: 07771 625411 joejones@onetel.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2006 10:51:05 +0100 (BST) From: "Garret" Subject: RE: Imogen Heap njc, Dave Gilmour too and add a layer of Gruff Rhys Hey Mike, Which superfurries album did you buy? I quite like them, sort of; i do not think they are the best band in the world, but they are worth a listen. I find that they always sound sort of the same (you know, just like Meatloaf, he has about five songs that he has recycled a few times;-) First time i saw them they were an opening act for someone like Oasis, so it may well be that they stood out in comparison. GARRET NP - CCR - Who'll Stop the Rain ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2006 10:54:40 +0100 (BST) From: "Garret" Subject: Re: A trip of a different colour Looks great Paz. It reminds me of the Golden Girls! I'd certainly try to get myself there. GARRET ate: Thu, 29 Jun 2006 09:00:13 -0500 From: Michael Paz Subject: A trip of a different colour Hello All In my research to find alternate ways to get together with people I love to be with, I came across this place: http://www.clubmed.us/cm/Satellite?c=Page&pagename=ClubMedDev%2FVillage-Welc ome&cid=90000095811 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2006 04:29:04 -0700 (PDT) From: Bob Muller Subject: Joni Covers #78 - Hotter Than July! Seems like just yesterday I was tooting my horn about Volume 77, and that carousel of time has zipped right on to another month. Maybe if we ALL dragged our feet we could slow it down a little! Anyway, it's that time again - to let loose upon the world a new and exciting addition to what has become the most fabulous Rockumentation Project in the history of mankind, according to me. And as is usually the case, I didn't do it by myself, I got by with a little help from these friends: Monica C. in Holland (long-time supporter of the project!) Emiliano in Spain (the nutty professor) Paul M in NYC, my Big Apple bro Big big thanks to y'all - and now, here's a rundown of the tunes: 1. Rona Clarke - Carey 2. Rona Clarke - Big Yellow Taxi: First up are a couple of tunes from Rona's obscure LP, UK folk from the early 70's. Rona sticks pretty close to Joni's arrangements. But it is worth a mention that her BYT contains a high note that only dogs can hear. 3. Francine Blok - Willy: A very pretty interpretation from Ms. Blok, a Dutch jazz singer, with a lovely acoustic guitar picking out the backup. 4. Maria Pia De Vito, Danilo Rea, Enzo Pietropaoli, Aldo Romano - Amelia 5. Maria Pia De Vito, Danilo Rea, Enzo Pietropaoli, Aldo Romano - All I Want 6. Maria Pia De Vito, Danilo Rea, Enzo Pietropaoli, Aldo Romano - God Must Be A Boogie Man 7. Maria Pia De Vito, Danilo Rea, Enzo Pietropaoli, Aldo Romano - River 8. Maria Pia De Vito, Danilo Rea, Enzo Pietropaoli, Aldo Romano - Harlem In Havana 9. Maria Pia De Vito, Danilo Rea, Enzo Pietropaoli, Aldo Romano - Woodstock 10. Maria Pia De Vito, Danilo Rea, Enzo Pietropaoli, Aldo Romano - A Case Of You: This is a wonderful 7-song Joni cover suite and makes up about half of this disc in terms of time. All of these Italian Jazz performers (Maria's vocals backed by the classic piano, bass, and drums) are wonderful, and I love the fact that they pick some obscurities, but even the more familiar songs get a special treatment. 11. Last Call - Big Yellow Taxi: Well, what would a volume be without a college acapella cover of BYT? This one comes to us from Cornell University's all-male acapella group. (Wonder if Sue Mac put them up to it?) 12. Aafe van Summeren Trio - Black Crow: Great track, this combo (vocals, piano, standup bass) is from The Netherlands but is based in NYC. They do a great 7+ minute stretch-out with one of my favorite Joni songs, very loose and free, full of improvisation that never wanders too far from Joni's composition. 13. Yo La Tengo - River: An unreleased live track, they plug in and rock out with it. 14. Liz Wojtal - Big Yellow Taxi: Pronounced "voytal", NJ native Wojtal lists Joni as one of her inspirations - her version is pretty basic; voice, guitar, backing voices and follows Joni's blueprint closely. 15. Greg Lee - Both Sides Now: While his voice is sort of mumbly and nothing to write home about, this one has a really interesting arrangement that adds an additional dose of melancholy. 16. Josh Young - Both Sides Now: NYC Broadway/Cabaret performer Josh Young does BSN very much in that style, accompanied by piano and a nice cello. His voice has that clear stage tone to it - pretty and emotion-filled. 17. Montreal Jazz Club - Both Sides Now: I'm not sure where they're from (kidding) - they have also done "A Case Of You" which we released a couple months back. This is an instrumental version, nice and features piano and violin (or maybe viola) carrying the melodic line. Well, that brings us to the close of this enchanting collection - only 17 tracks, but still 78+ minutes of Joni cover joy. And one that can be enjoyed over & over, whether you're listening on headphones or flinging it to a pal in your backyard. You can hear it here: Part 1: http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=7D1BC41C5BA18B0F Part 2: http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=A356841900F5FCE5 And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off on vacation. Bob NP: Bruce Springsteen, "Racing In The Streets" Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2006 08:58:42 -0400 (EDT) From: Catherine McKay Subject: Joni - essentially Canadian in Toronto Star Happy Canada Day to all Canadians and honorary Canadians! This morning's Toronto Star has a series of articles on "What is essentially Canadian?" The hard copy has pictures in it that don't appear on the website. The Joni one is an older black-and-white. I will refrain from editorial comment for the moment because this post is long enough without and, after all, a list is just a list. First, the general explanation article (no Joni content here): - ---------------------------------------------- What is essentially Canadian? Jun. 30, 2006. 10:10 PM Anyone who believes the Canadian identity is lacking needs to take a serious read of the following pages. It took our 36 panellists months of often heated debate to whittle our long lists of nominees down to just 91 works that we hope represent the very best of Canadian arts and culture. The result is Essentially Canadian, our (almost) definitive guide to the works Canadians need to know in order to understand our cultural history. The sheer breadth, originality and talent exhibited in these works should be a source of national pride alone. The project was inspired by a government initiative in Denmark this year to establish a canon of Danish arts and culture. The stated goal of the year-long project was, in part, to "contribute to a lively cultural debate by acting as a yardstick for quality  a yardstick that will obviously be constantly challenged and discussed." The nationwide reaction, for and against, was immediate and intense. Film director Lars von Trier, one of whose works was honoured, protested the canon's "nationalization of culture." While our means are more modest, and our list has no government sanction, the goal is the same: to create a dialogue. The primary guideline in selecting the nominees was that the works must still be accessible to Canadians  whether in books, on video or in person. There would be little point in creating a "must list" unless Canadians could judge the list for themselves. Each work must be strong enough on its own to justify being called a "classic." Narrowing each category down to just 10 works was a monumental task. But our judges' conclusions are not set in stone. Many readers will no doubt find the results controversial. In fact, the omissions are sometimes more revealing than the works that made the cut. Was Toronto's city hall rightfully snubbed? Is Goin' Down the Road less essential than Exotica? Were Ciline, Shania and Alanis ignored because they're too recent or too successful? Consider this your cue. We want readers to continue the debate online. Tell us what we did right and where we went wrong at http://www.thestar.com/canadian. We will publish some of your answers in these pages beginning next week. Above all else, we hope this project speaks to the heart of a national identity that is varied and dynamic, but something to be enormously proud of. Happy Canada Day. Ariel Teplitsky, Saturday A&E editor URL here: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1151617835924&call_pageid=968867495754&col=969483191630 - --------------------------------------------- Next, the "essentially Canadian" music - Joni content here: - -------------------------------------------------- Essential music Jun. 30, 2006. 05:08 PM The further back we went in time, the easier it was to find consensus, which probably accounts for the omission of any song written after 1985. The panellists pushed for the inclusion of songs written after that time, but there didn't seem to be any agreement about which of the more recent songs were worthy. But all 10 choices are bona fide Canadian classics. Huron Carol (1643) Jean de Bribeuf This transcendent Canadian seasonal classic was written by French Jesuit Jean de Bribeuf in 1643, four years after construction began at the missionary outpost Sainte-Marie among the Hurons, near Midland, Ont. The original version, "Jesous Ahatonhia," combined Huron lyrics with the melody of the French folk song "Une Jeune Pucelle." The familiar English translation was done by Jesse Edgar Middleton in 1926 and arranged two years later by composer Healey Willan. It has long been a staple of youth choirs. The Toronto Children's Chorus offered a magical rendition on the 1990 recording Dancing Day. Another fine version can be found on Christmas With Chanticleer, released in 2001. Hymn to Freedom (1962) Oscar Peterson Jazz pianist Oscar Peterson ranks alongside Glenn Gould as one of the greatest musicians Canada has ever produced. "Hymn to Freedom," inspired by U.S. civil rights movement leader Martin Luther King, is one of Peterson's most beloved works. The inspirational, gospel-influenced instrumental piece first appeared on the Oscar Peterson Trio's 1962 masterpiece Night Train. "The melodic and harmonic line is total simplicity within itself, and to my thinking, personifies a form of Negro spiritual that might be sung in almost any of the black churches of America," Peterson has written. The vocal version, with words by Harriette Hamilton, has been performed by choirs around the world, a testament to its enduring power. Four Strong Winds (1964) Ian Tyson With the eyes of the world upon him as he closed out last year's Live 8 event from Barrie, Neil Young opened his set with this indelible folk gem, voted last year by CBC Radio One listeners as the greatest Canadian song ever. Remarkably, the song, which appeared on the 1964 Ian and Sylvia album of the same title, is the first composition Tyson ever wrote. Young, who recorded the song on his 1978 album Comes a Time, also accompanied The Band in the version that appears in The Last Waltz box set. Mon Pays (1964) Gilles Vigneault The beautifully metaphorical "Mon Pays" romanticizes winter as its narrator's spiritual homeland. That possibly explains why the song was recorded a couple of times by the Red Army Chorus and Dance ensemble, although it doesn't entirely account for the adaptation of the melody line for the Patsy Gallant disco hit "From New York to L.A." Originally composed by Vigneault for the soundtrack of the NFB film La Neige a fondu sur la Manicouagan, it was later adopted as an unofficial anthem by Quebec nationalists. Vigneault has never embraced that narrow application. "A song is a small bridge between the banks of a river, between two people or cultures," said Vigneault during his induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame earlier this year. Suzanne (1966) Leonard Cohen Is there a listener who hasn't yearned to be fed tea and oranges that come all the way from China by Suzanne at her place near the river? "Suzanne" appeared on the singer/poet's landmark 1968 debut The Songs of Leonard Cohen, but it had been recorded two years previously by the popular U.S. singer Judy Collins. It is timeless. Canadian Railroad Trilogy (1967) Gordon Lightfoot Yes, there is a version of Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land" adapted to Canadian place names, but no song comes closer to defining the breadth of this country than Lightfoot's literally breathtaking tour de force. Commissioned by the CBC for a 1967 centenary broadcast, the song appeared on Lightfoot's album of that year, The Way I Feel. Pierre Berton, whose books The National Dream and The Last Spike cover the same ground, is said to have told the songwriter, "You know, Gord, you said as much in that song as I said in my book." Both Sides, Now (1968) Joni Mitchell In the simplest terms, songs survive because singers yearn to sing them. By the reckoning of the All Music Guide, more than 100 artists have recorded the beautifully introspective and impressionistic "Both Sides Now," encompassing a vast variety of styles ranging from Frank Sinatra to Willie Nelson. The most famous cover was by Judy Collins, who had a Top 10 hit with the song in 1968. Mitchell was inspired to write the song while reading novelist Saul Bellow's Henderson the Rain King during a flight. "I put down the book, looked out the window and I immediately started writing the song," Mitchell told the Los Angeles Times a decade ago. "I had no idea the song would become as popular as it did." American Woman (1970) The Guess Who The most instantly recognizable Canadian rock song of all time, "American Woman" was also the first home-grown hit to make it to No.1 on the Billboard chart. If that wasn't enough to ensure the iconic Vietnam War-era hit's enduring stature, U.S. singer Lenny Kravitz's 1999 cover gave it renewed life, with an assist to Canadian Mike Myers, who used both versions in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. The song still encapsulates the mixture of attraction and revulsion many of us feel toward our bigger, flashier, more powerful southern neighbour. Big Yellow Taxi (1970) Joni Mitchell Inspired by a trip to Hawaii, Mitchell's oft-quoted signature composition struck a chord at a time when environmentalism and urban sprawl were increasingly becoming public concerns. While not a protest song in the overt sense, its many allusions  paying to see trees in a tree museum, preferring spotted apples to those sprayed with toxic pesticides and, of course, paving paradise to put up a parking lot  have as much or more resonance today. The song has been interpreted by several artists, including Amy Grant, but Mitchell's own version, which originally appeared alongside "Woodstock" on 1970's Ladies of the Canyon, is beyond improvement. Hallelujah (1985) Leonard Cohen Leonard Cohen has been much blessed by other singers' interpretations of his work. That is perhaps no truer than in the case of "Hallelujah," which is more revered today than when it first appeared on Various Positions, the 1985 album Cohen recorded with one of his most devoted interpreters, Jennifer Warnes. In recent years, Rufus Wainwright and k.d. lang have worshipped at the song's spiritual altar. But it was the highly dramatic version by Jeff Buckley, recorded on his 1994 album Grace, that exposed Cohen's brilliance to a whole new generation of ears. - ---------- URL here: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=1150797693198&c=Article&cid=1151489004059 - -------------------------------------------- Last, a list of "essential Canadian music" from the June 27 edition, from which the final list (above) was taken. Several Joni mentions here, but nothing recent: - ---------------------------------------------------- Essential Music Jun. 27, 2006. 11:15 AM The Huron Carol (Jean de Brebeuf, 1643, English lyrics by Jesse Edgar Middleton, 1926) Un Canadien errant (Quebec folk tune; words by Antoine Girin-Lajoie, 1842) What a Friend We Have in Jesus (Joseph Scriven, 1855) I's the B'y (traditional Newfie folk song, circa 1870) O Canada (Calixa Lavallie, 1880) I'll Never Smile Again (Ruth Lowe, 1939) The Log Driver's Waltz (Wade Hemsworth, 1945) Black Fly Song (Wade Hemsworth, 1949) Last Night I had the Strangest Dream (Ed McCurdy, 1949) Goldberg Variations (Glenn Gould, 1955/81) Conversation Piece (Harry Somers and Michael Fram, 1955) Quand les hommes vivront d'amour (Raymond Livesque, 1956) Puppy Love (Paul Anka, 1960) Hymn to Freedom (Oscar Peterson, 1962) Four Strong Winds (Ian Tyson, 1964) Mon Pays (Gilles Vigneault, 1964) Universal Soldier (Buffy Ste. Marie, 1964) Snowbird (Gene MacLellan, 1966) Suzanne (Leonard Cohen, 1966) Aquarius (Galt McDermott, 1967) Canadian Railroad Trilogy (Gordon Lightfoot, 1967) *Both Sides, Now (Joni Mitchell, 1968) Hockey Night in Canada Theme (Dolores Claman, 1968) Everybody Knows this is Nowhere (Neil Young, 1969) Bird on a Wire (Leonard Cohen, 1969) The Weight (The Band, 1969) Le tour de la terre (Renie Claude, 1969) Lindbergh (Robert Charlebois, Claude Peloquin, 1968) Un peu plus loin (Jean-Pierre Ferland, 1969), American Woman (The Guess Who, 1970) *Big Yellow Taxi (Joni Mitchell, 1970) Helpless (Neil Young, 1970) If You Could Read My Mind (Gordon Lightfoot, 1970) Snowbird (Anne Murray version, 1970) Ordinaire (Robert Charlebois, 1970) *A Case Of You (Joni Mitchell, 1971) *Blue (Joni Mitchell, 1971) L'alouette en colhre (Filix Leclerc, 1972) Old Man (Neil Young, 1972) Farmer's Song (Murray McLauchlan, 1973) The Hockey Song (Stompin' Tom Connors, 1973) Taking Care of Business (Bachman Turner Overdrive, 1973) Music Box Dancer (Frank Mills, 1979) (I Got Everything I Need) Almost (Downchild Blues Band, 1973) Aujourd'hui, je dis bonjour ` la vie (Harmonium, 1974) La complainte du phoque en Alaska (Beau Dommage, 1974) Harmonie du soir ` Chateauguay (Beau Dommage, 1974) Pour un instant (Harmonium, 1974) You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet (Bachman Turner Overdrive, 1974) Chanson pour Elvis (Diane Dufresne, 1975) Down by the Henry Moore (Murray McLauchlan, 1975), Gens du pays (Gilles Vigneault, 1975) Birds of a Feather (Rough Trade, 1976) Heart Like a Wheel (Kate & Anna McGarrigle, 1976) The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (Gordon Lightfoot, 1976) Hit Me with Your Best Shot (written by Eddie Schwartz, 1978, recorded by Pat Benatar) Le blues du businessman (Claude Dubois, 1978) L'escalier (Paul Pichi, 1979) Wondering Where the Lions Are (Bruce Cockburn, 1979) The Mary Ellen Carter (Stan Rogers, 1979) Echo Beach (Martha and the Muffins, 1980) Cry of the Loon (Theme Song to Bob & Doug McKenzie's Great White North, 1980) Northwest Passage (Stan Rogers, 1981) Tom Sawyer (Rush, 1981) The Princess of the Stars, music theatre piece (R. Murray Schafer, 1981) Working for the Weekend (Loverboy, 1981) Sunglasses at Night (Corey Hart, 1983) Rhythm of My Heart (written by Marc Jordan and John Capek, 1984, recorded by Rod Stewart) If I Had a Rocket Launcher (Bruce Cockburn, 1984) Summer of '69 (Bryan Adams, 1984) Heaven (Bryan Adams, 1984) Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen, 1985) I'm an Adult Now (The Pursuit of Happiness, 1986) Patio Lanterns (Kim Mitchell, 1986) Try (Blue Rodeo, 1987) Ain't No Cure For Love (Leonard Cohen, 1988) Atlantic Blue (Ron Hynes, 1988) Bye-bye mon cowboy (Mitsou, 1988) Tower Of Song (Leonard Cohen, 1988) Je voudrais voir la mer (Michel Rivard, 1988) 1990 (Jean Leloup, 1989) All the Things I Want (The Grapes of Wrath, 1989) Blow at High Dough (Tragically Hip, 1989) Jolie Louise (Daniel Lanois, 1989) Let Your Backbone Slide (Maestro Fresh Wes, 1989) Black Velvet (written by David Tyson and Christopher Ward, first recorded by Alannah Myles, 1989) Home for a Rest (Spirit of the West 1990) Life is a Highway (Tom Cochrane 1991) My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style (Dream Warriors, 1991) Underwhelmed (Sloan, 1991) The Lady of Shalott (Loreena McKennitt, 1991) (If I Had) $1,000,000 (Barenaked Ladies, 1992) Love Can Move Mountains (Ciline Dion 1992) Fifty-Mission Cap (Tragically Hip, 1992) Spastik (Plastikman, 1993) White Squall (Stan Rogers, 1993) I Would Die for You (Jann Arden, 1993) Any Sense of Time (The Inbreds, 1994) My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors (Moxy Fr|vous, 1994) Any Man of Mine (Shania Twain, 1995) No Change in Me (Ron Hynes, 1995) La rue principale (Les Co-locs, 1995) What I Really Want (Alanis Morissette, 1995) Secret Heart (Ron Sexsmith, 1995) Le plus fort c'est mon phre (Lynda Lemay, 1996) Marrakesh Market (Loreena McKennitt, 1997) Dante's Prayer (Loreena McKennitt, 1997) The Sweet Hereafter (Robert Browning, Mychael Danna, Sarah Polley, 1997) From This Moment On (Shania Twain, 1997) Drinking in L.A. (Bran Van 3000, 1998) Nobody's Supposed to be Here (Deborah Cox, 1998) La disise (Daniel Boucher, 1999) Presque rien (Stefie Shock, 2000) Lodestar (Sarah Harmer, 2000) BaKardi Slang (Kardinal Offishall, 2001) Mend (Jann Arden, 2001) Astounded (Bran Van 3000, 2001) Anthems for a 17-Year-Old Girl, (Broken Social Scene, 2002) Point de mire (Ariane Moffatt, 2002) Ballade a Toronto (Jean Leloup, 2002) Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? (Metric, 2003) Montreal Motel (Antoine Gratton, 2003) Parce qu'on vient de loin (Corneille, 2003) Ro Ro Roland (Tangiers, 2004) Le columbarium (Pierre Lapointe, 2005) Romantic Rights (Death from Above 1979, 2005) Your Ex-Lover Is Dead (Stars, 2005) - -------------------------------------- URL for that: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1151404148600&call_pageid=1150797693198&col=1150797693190 Catherine Toronto - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2006 09:05:40 EDT From: MINGSDANCE@aol.com Subject: RE; Joni quotes battle Patti wrote: I used to watch it with my sweet grandmother in the 60s. Dear Nana. (I wonder what Joni's grandson calls her?) I remember reading Marlin calls her "Big Mamma" Peace Mingus (who is also JMOCD) ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2006 09:06:49 -0400 (EDT) From: Catherine McKay Subject: Re: Joni - essentially Canadian in Toronto Star - --- Catherine McKay wrote: > This morning's Toronto Star has a series of articles > on "What is essentially Canadian?" > Apologies for the fact that the accented words came out funny and the dashes came out as squares. That's one of the annoying things that happens when you copy and paste. Catherine Toronto - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2006 09:03:42 -0400 (EDT) From: Catherine McKay Subject: Re: Joni Covers #78 - Hotter Than July! now njc probably - --- Bob Muller wrote: > Seems like just yesterday I was tooting my horn > about Volume 77, and that carousel of time has > zipped right on to another month. Maybe if we ALL > dragged our feet we could slow it down a little! > Thanks, Muller. We're going to ALL have to drag our feet a whole lot to slow those circles down, I think. Kind of like clapping your hands if you believe in fairies - drag your feet if you believe in staying forever young! Thanks for the covers, which I'm downloading now. Have a great vacation! Catherine Toronto - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 01 Jul 2006 12:01:12 -0400 From: Patti Witten Subject: Joni in recent Bob Lefsetz newsletter and podcast Maybe this has already been mentioned, but I thought you'd all find this interesting. Bob Lefsetz is a music biz pundit. He also hosts a show on XM radio. This is his website http://www.lefsetz.com/ Cheers, Patti - -- http://pattiwitten.com - ----- Forwarded message from Bob Lefsetz ----- I was stretching late last night and "California" came on my iPod. I have a ritual. Every time I cross the California border, I play this song. At least I used to, when I drove a 2002 with a "Blue" cassette riding shotgun in the passenger seat, ready for insertion. I always saw "California" as an optimistic song, one of hope and relief. But last night I heard a sadness. That's what great songs do. They evolve as you listen to them, new meanings are revealed and you fall in love with them all over again. In the middle of "California" last night I was no longer thinking of that park in Paris, France or the redneck on the Grecian isle. For right smack dab in the middle was this truth that resonated. "Oh it gets so lonely When you're walking And the streets are full of strangers" Loneliness is the curse of humanity. Maybe in some foreign culture it's embraced, but not in America, never has been. Whether back in the sixties or today. Watch MTV, all the shows are about drinking together. But if you're truly a member of a group, if you truly have a life, you're not watching these shows, you're out living it up. But most people are not living it up. Most people are looking to fit in, and wondering what they're going to do when the connections they have end, don't relationships always seem to end, at least fade out and not even radiate? People speak of the romance of travel. But if you've ever taken to the sea and sky alone you know the depths of mood you feel during moments of your excursion, they're depressing, sometimes terrifying. You're miles from your reference points. You can't get back to where you belong with a snap of your fingers. You've got to endure the pain. And that's what Joni Mitchell is speaking of here. Somehow in our fucked up world erudition and vocabulary pass for great writing. Whereas great writing is simple, it goes down like an ice cream cone, all smooth, all sensation. Great writing is not labored, it's just unadorned truth. Don Henley and Jackson Browne are masters. But they sit below Joni Mitchell. Hearing a Joni Mitchell record is like being in the same room with the woman. Like she knocked on your door and came in and is telling her story. You feel a connection lacking in the records of media stars. You feel no stardom, you just feel you're in the presence of a person. "Blue" is the apotheosis. Because of its naked simplicity. And numbers like "A Case Of You" and "The Last Time I Saw Richard". There's no unnecessary adornment, just naked truth. Unfortunately, it's "Court and Spark" that was the breakthrough. And casual listeners are not familiar with the intimacy Joni provided prior to that point. There's a sheen to "Court and Spark" that didn't exist earlier. Joni blew up. And then she was done. Commercially. But she released one of her greatest albums ever when no one was looking, "Hejira". I had the same experience listening to "Coyote" doing this podcast last week that I did hearing "California" last night. I heard something I never did before. "There's no comprehending Just how close to the bone and the skin and the eyes And the lips you can get And still feel so alone" Ain't that the truth. We're supposed to be impressed by the hit and runs of the celebrities, recounted in the tabloids, but how fulfilling do you think those relationships are? Between these people who frequently have nothing more in common than their fame. There's the vibration between being connected, yet alone. Hell, there's one more line after the ones above, "And still feel related". That's how it is in the best relationships. You're together, but you still feel so separate. But "Coyote" is only the introduction, it's far from the best track on "Hejira". That's "Song For Sharon". But you've got to listen to "Amelia". With the sound of flying alone embedded. Amelia Earhart was going somewhere, as Joni is in this song, they're on a mission, but around them is not people, but air. Ultimately life is a solo journey, yet you can't spend too much time contemplating this, it would freak you out. So, you continue on your path, hoping you get somewhere better, and the journey will deliver its own reward. It's the magical sound of "Amelia" that gets under your skin. Like Joni is playing just for you. Same deal with "Furry Sings The Blues". "Refuge Of The Roads" evidences both wariness and hope. If you go long enough, do you find fulfillment. Or do you just learn how insignificant you are in the universe. But it's "Song For Sharon" that makes "Hejira" so special, so great. It's got the feel of the Staten Island ferry that Joni is riding upon, it seems as if you're slowly bobbing up and down in the water. But it's the truth in the lyrics that resonates, that creeps you out. Joni is telling her story, but it's your story, our story. "A woman I knew just drowned herself The well was deep and muddy She was just shaking off futility Or punishing somebody My friends were calling up all day yesterday All emotions and abstractions It seems we all live so close to that line And so far from satisfaction" That's the truth of suicide. We can understand it. We don't WANT to understand it, but we've been there, when everything doesn't work. If only they spoke of this in all the anti-suicide discourse. How it's natural to wonder if it's worth it, and that in these moments only sheer perseverance will get you through. And you must get through. Because you have no idea what lies on the other side. You're truly the star of your own movie. You don't want to end it prematurely, do you? I don't know where the hell I'm going. Sometimes I don't even know if I'm steering, if it's even POSSIBLE to steer. Everybody's telling me what to do. Yet they don't seem to know who I am. And that's when I sing the final version of "Song For Sharon" to myself. "Sharon you've got a husband And a family and a farm I've got the apple of temptation And a diamond snake around my arm But you still have your music And I've still got my eyes on the land and the sky You sing for your friends and your family I'll walk green pastures by and by" I'm a bit embarrassed by this week's podcast. I've revealed a bit more than I even realized. But the explosions in my head somehow caused these words to come out. I don't really give a shit if you listen to me. Like I said, I'm embarrassed. But you should hear these songs. You need to hear these songs. For the human condition is in this record. And you're human. And if you can just slow down enough to stop trying to avoid the loneliness, "Hejira" will resonate. You can subscribe to the Rhinocast by searching on "lefsetz" in the iTunes Music Store. Or you can go directly to the Rhino site and listen/take it/download it there, http://rhino.com/rzine/rhinocasts/index.lasso, hold down the "control" key to download on a Mac. (My part of the Rhinocast begins at 8:26). - -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2006 08:28:39 -0700 From: "Randy Remote" Subject: Re: Joni - essentially Canadian in Toronto Star njc Wait--Canada has their own day? - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Catherine McKay" > Happy Canada Day to all Canadians and honorary > Canadians! ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2006 13:43:20 -0400 (EDT) From: "Gerald A. Notaro" Subject: Re: Joni - essentially Canadian in Toronto Star njc And I remember when it was called Victoria Day! Jerry Randy Remote wrote: > Wait--Canada has their own day? > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Catherine McKay" > >> Happy Canada Day to all Canadians and honorary >> Canadians! ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2006 15:41:04 -0400 (EDT) From: Catherine McKay Subject: Re: Joni - essentially Canadian in Toronto Star njc - --- "Gerald A. Notaro" wrote: > And I remember when it was called Victoria Day! > > Jerry > > Randy Remote wrote: > > Wait--Canada has their own day? > > Jerry, we still have Victoria Day. It used to be May 24. Now it's the third Monday in May. Canada Day used to be called Dominion Day, when we were the Dominion of Canada. Catherine Toronto - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ End of JMDL Digest V2006 #243 ***************************** ------- Post messages to the list by clicking here: mailto:joni@smoe.org Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe -------