From: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org (JMDL Digest) To: joni-digest@smoe.org Subject: JMDL Digest V2007 #176 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 Tuesday, May 1 2007 Volume 2007 : Number 176 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- Re: NJC "NU-cle-ar" or "NU-cu-lar" ;-) ["Bree Mcdonough" ] Amelia (NJC) ["Snatch N. Grabster" ] Re: Cactus Tree ["Michael O'Malley" ] Re: Joni & Jaco ["L. Bruce Vaughn" ] THE Seeger Sessions Band on NOW njc [RoseMJoy@aol.com] Re: Tribute review ["Jim L'Hommedieu" ] It MAY be time for more Joni Covers! (Or...more Joni Covers? May Day, May Day!!) [Bob Muller ] Re: "Bruuuuuuuuu" njc [Victor Johnson ] Re: Joni & Jaco [Wtking59@cs.com] Re: Miles Beyond [Wtking59@cs.com] Re: Miles Beyond [Wtking59@cs.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 16:24:29 -0400 From: "Bree Mcdonough" Subject: Re: NJC "NU-cle-ar" or "NU-cu-lar" ;-) Billy..are you speaking for Jean? :-O I can think of several who have gone from your camp to the other side. Most famous..David Horowitz. Are you familiar with his work.."Radical Son" ? Someone who embraced leftism..who became right. Or do you know anyone who was right who now embraces leftism? Bree XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO > >Bree--I have a feeling you're gonna have a looooooong, long wait. :-D > > >XXXOOO, >Billy > > ======================================= >Bree wrote: > > >>> Dear Jean.. > >Yes...I am (a Republican). I don't know if that if that is a surprise to >you >or not (but) >I'm here for you when you come around. <<< > >Until then ... > >Bree _________________________________________________________________ Get a FREE Web site, company branded e-mail and more from Microsoft Office Live! http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/mcrssaub0050001411mrt/direct/01/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 16:40:00 EDT From: Wtking59@cs.com Subject: Re: Miles Beyond ABSOLUTELY, Stewart--I agree 100%. I think the slower, MOA version of "You Turn Me On..." is just sensational--particularly the back-and-forth wordless coda between the vocals and guitar. For me, that moment alone is faaaaar better than anything to be found on S&L. And I especially love "Rainy Night House" as well (along with all the 'Blue' tracks I mentioned previously). To me, they all sound as fresh and exciting as the day I first heard them. In fact, parts of THOSL sound much more dated to me than ANYTHING on C&S or MOA (particularly the comparatively lightweight sounding fluff of "Shades of Scarlett Conquering," the clichid and superficial "Harry's House," the downright hokey opener "In France They Kiss On Main Street," and that canned 'Farfisa' synth/organ on "Shadows and Light" to name a few). But on C&S and MOA Joni was mining a truly "international" sound that completely transcended any other "regional" genre of popular American music (East coast, West coast and anything in between) in vogue at the time. And those seminal, early albums--at least, from 'Blue' through 'Court and Spark'--were just as complex and innovative as anything that would follow. She was truly extraordinary! XXXOOO, Billy NP: 'Smile' (1976) by Laura Nyro =================================== Stewart (Stewart.Simon@sunlife.com) wrote: >>> Another vote of support for 'Miles of Aisles' here as well. I feel similar to the way Billy does about MOA. For me, "You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio" is an example of a song from MOA that surpasses the studio version, and the version of "Blue" is pretty fantastic as well. <<< Stewart ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 22:31:30 +0200 From: "Laurent Olszer" Subject: Ute Lemper njc Gordon wrote : The great Ute Lemper was performing in Edinburgh on Sunday evening and as part of her encore, sang Black Crow.( She was in Paris on Saturday...did you see her Laurent?) Sorry never heard her. Too bad you didn't tell me before. But you know I'm not into Diana Krall either. Laurent ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:43:01 -0500 From: "Snatch N. Grabster" Subject: Amelia (NJC) AE was married, but a letter survives to her husband where she proposes an open marriage with other partners. Tons of research has been done looking into her disappearance in the Pacific. Best guess is her radio equipment was adequate for domestic flights but inadequate for the vast distances involved in her round-the-world flight. Her plane missed the island they were aiming to land on, but she did maintain radio contact for a while, so searchers had a general idea of the direction they were headed in. Apparently she made a successful crash landing near the shore of a remote island. It's probable they thought the area was inhabited, since there was an old shipwreck nearby, but actually there were no inhabitants until a few years later. Within a few days, tides washed the airplane out to sea. They apparently survived for a while, but eventually died either from disease or starvation. Natives later found human remains and parts that were probably from the airplane. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 23:29:12 +0000 From: "Michael O'Malley" Subject: Re: Cactus Tree I have to chime in here. Cactus Tree is one of my all-time desert island Joni tunes. Why? The voice is so beautiful (deep and confident, alternating with light and soaring), the dissonance in the chording thrills me every time I hear it. Moreover, I think this is the first time Joni presents us with the theme that will run throughout her music for several decades - the consequences of wrestling with the need for love and the need for freedom. A heart full and hollow. Michael in Quebec Monika wrote: What do you gys think of this song? I have a renewed affection for this song. I remember when I first got STAS I liked this song but wouldn't call it a favorite or didn't really think about it too much. It was good but nothing great I had thought. I changed my mind though. I saw a performance of this song by Joni of course real early on and got something more out of it. Ever since then, I've been listening to it more. So what's YOUR verdict? - - -Monika _________________________________________________________________ Get the Kung Fu Bunny Theme pack free! http://www.imagine-windowslive.com/Themes/Messenger/Reward/Default.aspx?Locale=en-CA# ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 16:46:48 -0700 From: "L. Bruce Vaughn" Subject: Re: Joni & Jaco Billy, You are correct. Jaco died from injuries (declared brain dead after lapsing into a coma) sustained in a heated disagreement with a bouncer in an extablishment that he'd been refused entrance to. His date of death, I believe was September of 1987 which would have made him about 35 or so. I suspect he and Joni parted ways due to Jaco's health (manic depression) and substance problems which from what I've read made him quite unpredictable and somewhat "black flagged" in the music world. I wouldn't know, but I suspect Joni is the type that when she's recording would be blistingly angry when she had a head full of ideas and her bass player ended up MIA. WTRF was probably considered more of a happy album for any number of reasons. I've heard that it was supposed to be more of a rock styled album (not sure I'd call it that) but it was something different and fresh from what she had been doing. Klein was probably the largest influence on her mood at the time but WTRF was also her first release for a new record label and she might have had high hopes that they would treat her better than recent years with Asylum and it reunited her with David Geffen who was behind her more commercial successes, FTR, MOA, and CAS. Might have been a very optimistic Joni at that time. Bruce in Tucson >HEY, Monika > >Well, apart from her marriage to Klein--yet another bass player--you ARE >aware that Jaco died relatively young, aren't you? Killed in a bar fight of some >sort, if I'm not mistaken. I've forgotten the exact year, but it's been a >while. > > >XXXOOO, >Billy > >NP: 'Strange Angels' (1989) by Laurie Anderson > > ======================================= >Monika (Motitan@aol.com) asked: > > > >>>>My question is, why did they stop working/playing (is playing music >>>> >>>> >working? Yes and no!) together? Is it because she moved out of the jazz swing for a >bit or because of Larry Klein or because Jaco had other obligations or more >likely a combination of various reasons? > >- -Monika <<< ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 20:08:59 EDT From: RoseMJoy@aol.com Subject: THE Seeger Sessions Band on NOW njc For New Jersey contingents... Bruce is on NJN Live in Dublin (http://www.njn.net/television/highlights/) Bruce Springsteen with the Sessions Band Live in Dublin Premieres on NJN Monday, April 30, 2007, at 8 pm _Pressroom_ (http://www.njn.net/about/pressroom/springsteendublin/) Bruce Springsteen reunites with The Sessions Band for a spirited concert filmed last November at The Point in Dublin, Ireland. The world premiere of this special concert airs on NJN Public Television on Monday, April 30 at 8 pm. Bruce Springsteen with The Sessions Band Live in Dublin demonstrates the growth of Springsteenbs vision of American music with folk music, blues, Dixieland, country, swing, gospel and his own writing b all with Springsteenbs own classic stamp of unlimited energy. It charts the development of a band b from an informal gathering in Springsteenbs living room to an onstage powerhouse. This is some of the finest music hebs has ever made. Bruce Springsteen with The Sessions Band Live in Dublin will be released by Columbia Records on June 5, 2007 as a concert DVD and as a separate two-CD set b both feature 23 songs drawn from the bandbs performances at The Point in Dublin, Ireland on November 17, 18 and 19, 2006. Songs include fan favorites from bThe Seeger Sessions,b radical interpretations from the Springsteen songbook and rare songs appearing for the first time on any Springsteen release. Prior to the national release in June, NJN will be offering viewers a chance to receive the concert DVD and the two-CD set during its April 30 broadcast of Bruce Springsteen with The Sessions Band Live in Dublin. More on Bruce Springsteen with The Sessions Band Live in Dublin at _brucespringsteen.net_ (http://brucespringsteen.net/site.html) and _backstreets.com_ (http://backstreets.com/) . ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 21:31:38 -0400 From: "Jim L'Hommedieu" Subject: Re: Tribute review Okay then. I stand corrected. Never mind. Jim L. From: "Gerald A. Notaro" To: "Lama (Jim L*Hommedieu)" Cc: "JMDL" Sent: Monday, April 30, 2007 1:09 PM Subject: Re: Tribute review > Lama \(Jim L*Hommedieu\) wrote: >> Huh? Like Joan Baez did a bunch of octave jumps? >> Naw, not often. > > I don't agree, Jim. Both of her live versions at Woodstock and Live Aid of > Swing Low Sweet Chariot jumped octaves thrillingly and she can still do > it. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 18:37:52 -0700 (PDT) From: Bob Muller Subject: It MAY be time for more Joni Covers! (Or...more Joni Covers? May Day, May Day!!) Welcome to the merry merry month of May, y'all. Here we go with another update of one of the longest running shows going. The Producers may have closed, but Joni Covers are going strong. And herein is another fine bunch, from all around the globe and spanning the decades 9though most are new & fresh) and just ripe for picking. Go get it here in its lossy & tinny glory: http://tinyurl.com/ynl6px OK, got it? Listening? Well then, let's get right into it - 1. Norma Winstone with The NDR Bigband - Big Yellow Taxi: Thankfully NO comparison to the Counting Crows version - or any other BYT cover for that matter. This 5-minute romp is a true original, done more in a big band jazz styling with some strong horn soloing. Definitely one to hear if you're burned out on straight up duplications of BYT, it actually puts me in the mind of the soundtrack from West Side Story. Two thumbs WAY up and we're off to good start. 2. Jin Uruyama - Both Sides Now: A really weird beginning, the vocal is buried deep in the mix, which is probably not a bad idea given the vocal which is very Sino-operatic (a new word that I just made up). After the first verse/chorus, the voice comes at you a bit stronger and it's actually quite lovely. I do like the keyboard arrangement and playing too. New rule, though - if you can't pronounce an R, don't sing this song. 3. Pamela Shane - Song For Sharon: Vocal & band, and Pam's voice is a strong one, reminding me somewhat of Suzanne Vega. She does it pretty much Joni-style, which is OK because her band adds lots and lots of unique colorings and build and builds as the song progresses. Plus, it's not like there is an overrun of SFS covers out there. 4. Nika Rejto - Twisted: Nika is a flutist, so you get another unique entry, a flute-led instrumental version. And while the flute is excellent, all the players in the trio supporting her are fine as well. 5. White Flag - Both Sides Now: Whoa! No napping during this revved-up power pop cover of the franchise, just released last year by these punk-poppers from Los Angeles. 6. Vinegar Brain - Little Green: A lively pop cover of Joni's bittersweet song, from a UK group. Another very different arrangement, which I like a lot. Strong vocals with solid harmonies, swirling keyboards and a steady rhythm section. This happy & psychedelica version almost takes all of the sad out. 7. Julian Davies - Big Yellow Taxi: The answer to the question 'What if England Dan and John Ford Coley (was that their names?) had done a Joni cover? Hints of Paul Simon too, and thankfully none of the Counting Crows stylings. Actually not too shabby. 8. Ute Jeutter - Goodbye Pork Pie Hat: From Germany, I believe. Can't say that I'm too nutty about her voice. Blue notes are one thing - flat notes are a whole 'nuther matter and she offers up a lot of them, to my ears anyway. At least the combo playing behind her is strong. One thing you have to say about her, she is pretty brave and confident. Right or wrong, she's going for it. 9. Ute Jeutter - The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines: Pretty much the same meat on a different set of bones. Really nice keyboards though. 10. Rosendal.Earle.Templeton - Both Sides Now: Very very nice Denmark jazz trio version from last year, I love it. All three players (piano/bass/drums) mix quite well and play off each other perfectly, each getting their chance to turn in fine solos. 11. Ellen Robinson - The Fiddle and The Drum: Here's a nice modern cover of this one, starting acapella but featuring some sparse instrumentation, most notably the marching off to war sound of the snare drum at the end. Very nice effect. 12. The Tindalls - Big Yellow Taxi 13. The Tindalls - Chelsea Morning: A modern day Partridge family, from the UK. A very sweet and handsome family Paula & Stuart and their two daughters, and they do straightforward covers of two Joni standards here. 14. Bjorn Skifs - Jag Ser Med Andra Ogon Nu: It's BSN done sweetly and Swede-ly. 15. Lane Wintermute - The Circle Game: Too much vibrato in his voice for my tastes, it gives it sort of a creepy feeling. Nothin special about this one. 16. Luv Handles - Big Yellow Taxi/Absolutely Right: The Luv Handles are basically a party band, they have a pretty fun sound. Here they merge Joni's standard with a cover of Absolutely Right by the Five-Man Electrical Band. 17. Stephen Fearing - Beguiling Eyes/Both Sides Now: This one is last because it is mostly the former song and just a brief interlude of the Joni, so it's added as kind of a bonus track, but if you're like me you'll find it quite lovely all the same. Reminds me of Luka Bloom. And there you have it - another CD full of Charming charms, waiting to leap into your open arms - and ears. See you in a couple weeks for another re-run and in a month for another brand-new batch. Bob NP: Stephen Fearing, "Beguiling Eyes/Both Sides Now" - --------------------------------- Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell? Check outnew cars at Yahoo! Autos. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 22:08:30 EDT From: Motitan@aol.com Subject: Re: THE Seeger Sessions Band on NOW njc I got to see Springsteen this past summer for free while I was interning at a radio station. I had to work at the venue prior to the concert (holding contests for better tix) and stayed for it. It was a good show. Springsteen knew how to work the crowd. I'm not a fan of his (I don't own any of his albums) but I can pay him his dues. For a moment I heard what I thought sounded like "boooooooo!" but then realized the crowd was saying "Bruuuuuuuuuce." They did that several times. - -mon ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 22:15:14 EDT From: Motitan@aol.com Subject: Re: Miles Beyond In fact, parts of THOSL sound much more dated to me than ANYTHING on C&S or MOA (particularly the comparatively lightweight sounding fluff of "Shades of Scarlett Conquering," the clichid and superficial "Harry's House," the downright hokey opener "In France They Kiss On Main Street... - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - --------------------------------------------------------------- Well what about them in particular makes you think they sound dated? And why do you find Harry's House superficial? We're all entitled to our own opinion but it's good to ask. Discussion is healthy. Just curious as always. - -Monika ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 22:21:42 EDT From: Motitan@aol.com Subject: Re: Joni & Jaco HEY, Monika Well, apart from her marriage to Klein--yet another bass player--you ARE aware that Jaco died relatively young, aren't you? Killed in a bar fight of some sort, if I'm not mistaken. I've forgotten the exact year, but it's been a while. - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hmm, yes I read that he died young in passing somewhere but was not aware of the year. - -Monika ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 21:27:00 -0500 From: "AJ" Subject: Re: Miles Beyond - ----- Original Message ----- From: > In fact, parts of THOSL sound much more dated to me than ANYTHING on C&S > or > MOA (particularly the comparatively lightweight sounding fluff of "Shades > of > Scarlett Conquering," the clichid and superficial "Harry's House," the > downright hokey opener "In France They Kiss On Main Street... > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > --------------------------------------------------------------- > Well what about them in particular makes you think they sound dated? > And why do you find Harry's House superficial? We're all entitled to our > own > opinion but it's good to ask. Discussion is healthy. Just curious as > always. > -Monika I myself find "Harry's House" one the most profound JM songs of all. The timbre of her voice when she sings/speaks "Nothing's any good" made my hair stand on end the day the album came out, and still does, these many years later, when I listen to it on my IPod. I find it an incredibly dense (in a good way) musical statement about not simply American culture in the 1970s, but still as timely in 2007 as it was when it came out. And it is a strangely bifurcated song, which makes it endlessly fascinating to me to this day. - --AJ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 22:34:46 -0400 From: Victor Johnson Subject: Re: "Bruuuuuuuuu" njc On Apr 30, 2007, at 10:08 PM, Motitan@aol.com wrote: > . For a moment I heard what I thought sounded > like "boooooooo!" but then realized the crowd was saying > "Bruuuuuuuuuce." > They did that several times. > -mon > This is a strange phenomenon that occurs rather frequently. I remember seeing the Grateful Dead several times with Bruce Hornsby on keyboards and they would be doing the same thing, shouting "Bruuuuuuuuuu" though it sounded like "Booooooo". And when Kevin Youkalis of the Boston Red Sox goes to bat, people shout "Youuuuuuuuuu" which again sounds like "Booooo." And then of course there's the famous quote from the Simpsons.... Mr. Burns: Smithers, are they boo-ing me? Smithers: Uh...no. They're saying boo-URNS, boo-URNS Mrs. Burns: (To the crowd) Excuse me, are you saying BOO or BOOURNS? Crowd: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! !!! Hans Moleman: (to himself) I was saying boourns. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 1 May 2007 00:26:14 EDT From: Wtking59@cs.com Subject: Re: Joni & Jaco Bruce -- THANKS for providing more details on Jaco's death. Such an unfortunate loss for many (including Joni, I'm sure). And I agree with your logic 100% on the possibilities of why the couple eventually parted ways, as well as your probable theories about what was responsible for Joni's lighter, more positive mood while creating WTRF. XXXOOO, Billy ================================= Bruce (LBVaughn@comcast.net) wrote: >>> Billy, >>> You are correct. Jaco died from injuries (declared brain dead after lapsing into a coma) sustained in a heated disagreement with a bouncer in an establishment that he'd been refused entrance to. His date of death, I believe was September of 1987 which would have made him about 35 or so. <<< >>> I suspect he and Joni parted ways due to Jaco's health (manic depression) and substance problems which from what I've read made him quite unpredictable and somewhat "black flagged" in the music world. I wouldn't know, but I suspect Joni is the type that when she's recording would be blisteringly angry when she had a head full of ideas and her bass player ended up MIA. <<< >>> WTRF was probably considered more of a happy album for any number of reasons. I've heard that it was supposed to be more of a rock styled album (not sure I'd call it that) but it was something different and fresh from what she had been doing. Klein was probably the largest influence on her mood at the time but WTRF was also her first release for a new record label and she might have had high hopes that they would treat her better than recent years with Asylum and it reunited her with David Geffen who was behind her more commercial successes, FTR, MOA, and CAS. Might have been a very optimistic Joni at that time. <<< Bruce in Tucson <<< ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 1 May 2007 01:48:53 EDT From: Wtking59@cs.com Subject: Re: Miles Beyond Monika wrote: >>> Well, what about them in particular makes you think they sound dated? And why do you find Harry's House superficial? We're all entitled to our own opinion but it's good to ask. Discussion is healthy. Just curious as always. <<< Almost everything, Monika. But to be more specific, I suddenly found most of the lyrics on THOSL to be soooooooo cliched compared to the classic, deeply confessional mid-period of BLUE, FTR and CAS. Disappointingly detached and emotionally bankrupt. I think "Shades of Scarlett Conquering" is weak both musically and lyrically, and "Harry's House" isn't much better. To me, they're largely nothing more than pretty sounding, superficial gloss and glitter, with very little discernible substance (as the majority of critics pointed out in 1975). And then 'Hejira' (in '76), while a bit more profound in the lyric department (except when compared to her most seminal period), was even LESS musically challenging than its predecessor--mostly droning from one chilly dirge to another. In some ways she rebounded a bit with DJRD in '77, but it was only a matter of time before she'd attempt a return to her earlier, most acclaimed sound (on WTRF)--with only mixed results. However, this is just the most popular general opinion (and the opinion I happen to share), and certainly some people feel differently. I can appreciate that. But at the same time, I occasionally feel the need to express my own point of view (like everyone else here)--just to balance things out, so-to-speak, and to make sure Joni's earlier brilliance is never overlooked or forgotten ;-) XXXOOO, Billy NP: 'We're Children of Coincidence and Harpo Marx' (1976) by Dory Previn ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 1 May 2007 02:37:40 EDT From: Wtking59@cs.com Subject: Re: Miles Beyond AJ (ajfashion@att.net) wrote: >>> I myself find "Harry's House" one the most profound JM songs of all. The timbre of her voice when she sings/speaks "Nothing's any good" made my hair stand on end the day the album came out, and still does... <<< Oh, yeah--and what about that thrilling part just afterwards (returning to the original melody), when she sings: "shining hair and shining skin, shining as she reeled him in..." with that all-too-brief but fabulous guitar flourish right in the middle!? Although I find it superficial, I ADORE that little moment of bliss! AJ added: >>> I find it an incredibly dense (in a good way) musical statement about not simply American culture in the 1970s, but still as timely in 2007 as it was when it came out. And it is a strangely bifurcated song, which makes it endlessly fascinating to me to this day. <<< AJ--you're not the only one who feels that way. But for me, that's part of the problem with THOSL: I didn't want a "dense, musical statement" about modern American culture coming from Joni (?). Instead, I wanted more of the brilliantly emotional, romantic poetry of the individual "heart and mind" that an entire generation had come to know and love. The style she'd finally perfected on CAS. XXXOOO, Billy NP: 'We the People' (1973) by Ellen McIlwaine ------------------------------ End of JMDL Digest V2007 #176 ***************************** ------- Post messages to the list by clicking here: mailto:joni@smoe.org Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe -------