From: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org (JMDL Digest) To: joni-digest@smoe.org Subject: JMDL Digest V2007 #491 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 Friday, December 7 2007 Volume 2007 : Number 491 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- Re: neil young CDs, njc [Rian Afriadi ] Re: JMDL Digest V2007 #490 [Chuck Eisenhardt ] Christmas Tree Tales, njc [Laura Stanley ] Subject: re: Taylor/Kunkel NJC [Bryan ] Re: Happy Hanukkah (sjc) [Monika Bogdanowicz ] Re: neil young CDs, njc [Monika Bogdanowicz ] Re: Subject: re: Taylor/Kunkel NJC [J Kendel Johnson ] Grammy nominations [Joseph Palis ] njc, seeking truth [Patti Parlette ] Re: Christmas Tree Tales, njc ["Donna Binkley" ] Re: Christmas Tree Tales, njc [Catherine McKay ] Re: Christmas Tree Tales, njc [Victor Johnson ] Re: Happy Hanukkah (sjc) [Rian Afriadi ] Re: Christmas Tree Tales, njc ["Cassy" ] Re: Christmas Tree Tales, njc [Catherine McKay ] Re: Grammy nominations [Rian Afriadi ] Fwd: Lisa Haley GRAMMY Nominee for "Best Zydeco or Cajun Album" [Michael ] Re: Grammy nominations [Monika Bogdanowicz ] Re: Grammy nominations [Bob Muller ] Joni says Bah Humbug SJC [Monika Bogdanowicz ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 03:43:41 -0800 (PST) From: Rian Afriadi Subject: Re: neil young CDs, njc Randy menulis: >>>I think Trans is a great album- just not what most people expect from Neil. +++ Rian menulis Well, Dog Eat Dog is not an album most people expect from Joni. But i love the album. I dunno if this will work with Trans. But, ah, i'll give Trans a chance. (i still haven't bought it  workworkworkwork) Rian NP. Joni -- Fiction - --------------------------------- Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 07:50:23 -0500 From: Chuck Eisenhardt Subject: Re: JMDL Digest V2007 #490 > ~~ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 04:58:42 -0800 (PST) From: Laura Stanley Subject: Christmas Tree Tales, njc Bob wrote: I remember our pretty decorated trees, and especially AFTER Christmas when we would walk up and down the roads and drag all the trees back to our backyard to build a Christmas Tree fort. Hi Bob, Sounds like fun! This reminds me of how one year after Christmas in the 70's my brother and I and our friends went around the neighborhood collecting Christmas trees that were left by the curbs. We tied them together with a big hemp rope and pulled them on the streets behind my Honda Civic. The count was 50 trees and my brother rode on top of them as my little car struggled to pull them. Also in the 70's, to avoid killing a pine tree, my brother climbed a large pine tree and cut off the top which we used for a Christmas tree. The tree was one of three near a road, and there is one of them still there today. The other two were taken down when they put up a parking lot for a church. Anybody else have any Christmas tree tales? Love, Laura ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 06:03:42 -0800 (PST) From: Bryan Subject: Subject: re: Taylor/Kunkel NJC >From the JM.com entry article about the Troubadour shows: >"Taylor and King were never connected romantically and only briefly as artists. (In fact, >Taylor and Kunkel at some point were involved in each other's lives. But that's a different >story.)" Can someone elucidate? I missed that one. >CC I seem to recall that after James and Carly divorced (several years later, I think), Carly and Russ were involved and were even intending to marry (though I don't think they did). Just a recollection from some reading long ago....not sure if it's true. That's the only personal Taylor/Kunkel connection I can think of. Bryan -- Happy Holidays, ya'll. Oh, almost forgot, I'm going to two (count 'em, two!) shows with Judy Collins and the Dayton Philharmonic this weekend. She'll be doing some holiday songs...which I am already sick of on just Dec. 6, but whatever.... ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 07:37:07 -0800 (PST) From: Monika Bogdanowicz Subject: Re: Happy Hanukkah (sjc) Thanks for sharing. Both are nice pictures but Joni reminds me of a Lord of the Rings character in the one photo with the sword! She'll take back Middle Earth herself I bet. -Monika Brian Gross wrote: While doing some Hanukkah shopping today, I came across a large format hardback entitled "Fearless Women - Midlife Portraits" Our Joan is featured prominently, with her picture opposite the title page in addition to the section on her. It's too bad her eyes were closed in the picture across from her text. Check out the great title page shot and the article here: http://s131.photobucket.com/albums/p285/njJoniGuy/?action=view$t=Fearless_Joni_Pic.jpg http://s131.photobucket.com/albums/p285/njJoniGuy/?action=view$t=Fearless_Joni_text.jpg The ISBN is 1-58479-412-7 I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season. Brian - ----------------------------------------------------------- Politicians and diapers both need to be changed often. And usually for the same reasons. - ----------------------------------------------------------- ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs - --------------------------------- Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 07:52:34 -0800 (PST) From: Monika Bogdanowicz Subject: Re: neil young CDs, njc Oh, On The Beach is a must have. Someone just mentioned it but I thought I'd reiterate as it's that good! I don't know if anyone mentioned Zuma but you must eventually get that as well. Three words. Cortez. The Killer. And....if you want something to really blow your mind, get Neil's "Live Rust." It's from '79 and it features a variety of his material to that day (including his new stuff at the time--from Rust Never Sleeps). It really is something. -Monika Rian Afriadi wrote: Randy menulis: >>>I think Trans is a great album- just not what most people expect from Neil. +++ Rian menulis Well, Dog Eat Dog is not an album most people expect from Joni. But i love the album. I dunno if this will work with Trans. But, ah, i'll give Trans a chance. (i still haven't bought it  workworkworkwork) Rian NP. Joni -- Fiction - --------------------------------- Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. - --------------------------------- Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 08:16:53 -0800 (PST) From: J Kendel Johnson Subject: Re: Subject: re: Taylor/Kunkel NJC Bryan wrote: Oh, almost forgot, I'm going to two (count 'em, two!) shows with Judy Collins and the Dayton Philharmonic this weekend. She'll be doing some holiday songs...which I am already sick of on just Dec. 6, but whatever.... I have seen Judy Collins twice in the last 5 years or so, and her bell-quality voice remains just as remarkable as ever, but a disappointing thing occurred in both performances, when she forgot the words -- to more than one song per performance. At the Folk Alliance conference in Austin in 2006, it was particularly embarrassing, as she was the "keynote" concert and was really having a hard time. She laughs it off, but it's painful to witness. Would be nice if she would bring cue cards or a teleprompter. I'll be interested to hear your report from her Dayton dates, Bryan. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 17:26:03 +0000 From: Patti Parlette Subject: "buying the war" njc I wish nobody bought it and it sat up a loft somewhere! RR wrote:What really gets me is that, in European news, and themarginalized alternative news in the US, all the scamsto sell the war were revealed very quickly, in the firstdays (if not before) the invasion, yet the Senators likeKennedy didn't seem to catch on for at least a year,and acted like the info was not available. Like the yellow cake uranium forgery that was signed by someonethat had been dead for some time. These kinds of fraudscould not have been sold to the people without the fullcooperation and cheerleading of the major media, andthe enabling of the Democrats. What's fascism, again?The merger of the gov't and big business. Yeah, wehave that.***Yep. My European friends, when they return to the U.S, are absolutely flabbergasted at our media.Selling the war. Fascism. Suicide. Genocide. Hate and cruelty. Strong and wrong. Oh My Sweet Lord. Whatever happened to "truth, justice, and the American way?" Superman, Mighty Mouse, somebody save us! Send us somebody, who's strong, and somewhat sincere. "Looking for a leader, to take our country home." Right on, Neil. Here's a quote that will freeze the holy wine in your blood: "Naturally the common people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. ...Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country."-- Hermann Goering (one of Hitler's men love war, that's what history's for..... a mass murder mystery, history....)Joni's got words for everything.Peace,Patti "If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace."-- John Lennon _________________________________________________________________ Put your friends on the big screen with Windows Vista. + Windows Live. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/shop/specialoffers.mspx?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_CPC_M ediaCtr_bigscreen_102007 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 20:35:26 +0100 (CET) From: Joseph Palis Subject: Grammy nominations So exciting to see Joni's "One Week Last Summer" nominated in the pop instrumental category this year, but a little sad that not one of her vocal efforts got nods. However Herbie Hancock's "The Joni Letters" earning Album of the Year nomination is a welcome addition to the list that usually heavily favor what is on top 40. Herbie himself was suprised to hear the nomination and much as he did not need validations of this sort, he claimed that it was his first nomination in the Album of the Year category. He also was cited for his solo instrumental work for "Both Sides Now". I hope this raises the profile of the album on an even higher plane. Some Joni-related stuff: Glad to see Chaka Khan's "Funk This" among the best r&b album nominees. Bettye LaVette who wowed a lot of us in the Carnegie Hall tribute to Joni in 2006 got nominated for her album too. Other faves on the list of nominees: Tom Waits' 3-CD "Orphans" is in the Best Americana album category. The late Lorraine Hunt Lieberson's vocal album on Neruda poems set to music by her husband got nods for Classical album of the Year and Classical-Vocal. Nice to see underrated singer Patti Austin slugging it with Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling, Tierney Sutton and Freddy Cole in the jazz vocal category. Lily Allen and Bjork's latest albums are in the Alternative Album category. No RLJ? Not even Over The Rhine? Or are their albums properly filed under Americana. Labels labels. Then there's Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova from "Once" whose album was nominated in the Best Film Music category as well as solo nomination for their song "Falling Slowly". Our own North Carolina broadsheets rhapsodized over the nominations of NC-based singers and institutions: Daughtry, Fantasia, James Taylor and Merge Records. And you know there's more in the List. I just did a quick-read of the list. Here's the link for the complete list. http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/50th_Show/list.aspx#03 Joseph in Chapel Hill np: Gidon Kremer - Improvviso (from Un Diavolo Sentimentale) - --------------------------------- Ne gardez plus qu'une seule adresse mail ! Copiez vos mails vers Yahoo! Mail ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 19:51:06 +0000 From: Patti Parlette Subject: njc, seeking truth Dear Americano Joniamigos: Here's a petition to call for the truth: http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/1138/t/527/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2039 "Truth, justice, and the American way!" -- Superman "If you believe in justice -- it's dying -- if you believe in freedom...." - CSNY Please pass it around as you see fit. Peace, Patti NPIMH: Cause out on the edge of darkness, there rides a peace trainOh peace train take this country, come take me home again _________________________________________________________________ Connect and share in new ways with Windows Live. http://www.windowslive.com/connect.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_Wave2_newways_112007 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:44:36 -0600 From: "Donna Binkley" Subject: Re: Christmas Tree Tales, njc Galveston, Texas has a program that encourages people to take their trees after Christmas and put them in the sand dunes at the beach. This way the trees get recycled in that they help build up and enrich the dunes. db >>> Laura Stanley 12/6/2007 6:58 AM >>> Bob wrote: I remember our pretty decorated trees, and especially AFTER Christmas when we would walk up and down the roads and drag all the trees back to our backyard to build a Christmas Tree fort. Hi Bob, Sounds like fun! This reminds me of how one year after Christmas in the 70's my brother and I and our friends went around the neighborhood collecting Christmas trees that were left by the curbs. We tied them together with a big hemp rope and pulled them on the streets behind my Honda Civic. The count was 50 trees and my brother rode on top of them as my little car struggled to pull them. Also in the 70's, to avoid killing a pine tree, my brother climbed a large pine tree and cut off the top which we used for a Christmas tree. The tree was one of three near a road, and there is one of them still there today. The other two were taken down when they put up a parking lot for a church. Anybody else have any Christmas tree tales? Love, Laura _______________________________________________________________________ _____________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 18:00:17 -0500 (EST) From: Catherine McKay Subject: Re: Christmas Tree Tales, njc > Anybody else have any Christmas tree tales? > > Love, > Laura > > My Dad was so cheap (How cheap WAS he?) that he'd wait until late in the day Christmas Eve to go to the Christmas tree lot, and of course the attendants would have left already, so he'd just take one. We kids would have been going mental thinking we weren't going to get a Christmas tree at all. It's kind of ironic, because my Dad was usually a very good person and would never think of stealing anything and would give us kids hell if we ever took anything that didn't belong to us, but I guess he figured, the guys were gone and the trees would go to waste, so what the hey. Later, my Mum bought an artificial tree on sale for really cheap and they had that damn fake tree for at least 20 years. I live in a small apartment now so I've got a small fake tree but, once you cover it with decorations, it doesn't look too bad, especially if your eyes are out of focus. Catherine ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be smarter than spam. See how smart SpamGuard is at giving junk email the boot with the All-new Yahoo! Mail. Click on Options in Mail and switch to New Mail today or register for free at http://mail.yahoo.ca ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 18:22:53 -0500 From: Victor Johnson Subject: Re: Christmas Tree Tales, njc On Dec 6, 2007, at 6:00 PM, Catherine McKay wrote: > once you cover it with decorations, it > doesn't look too bad, especially if your eyes are out > of focus. And how much eggnog do you have to drink till your eyes are out of focus? an inquiring mind ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 15:21:46 -0800 (PST) From: Rian Afriadi Subject: Re: Happy Hanukkah (sjc) Monika wrote: Thanks for sharing. Both are nice pictures but Joni reminds me of a Lord of the Rings character in the one photo with the sword! She'll take back Middle Earth herself I bet. Rian menulis: Lord of the ring? LOTR? Well Monika, you must have forgotten that Joni is LOTC. LOTC? Lord of The Canyon. Yes, Joni will slay all those music smeagols... Rian NP. Madonna - Holiday (i'm listening to her The Immaculate Colections) - --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 15:41:14 -0800 From: "Cassy" Subject: Re: Christmas Tree Tales, njc From: "Laura Stanley" <<< Anybody else have any Christmas tree tales? >>> When I lived in Texas I always bought my tree on Christmas Eve, the prices were dirt cheap then and I was living alone, away from my family so it made for a special evening of decorating. Friends would drop in and out all night visiting, putting an ornament or two on the tree while they were having a cocktail. It was an annual event for many of my friends. I moved back to Michigan in 1988 and still had a real tree but bought it earlier in the season. My son was born in February of 1989, that year we bought the tree and put it up but during the night he started having problems breathing and had a full-blown asthma attack. At the hospital they asked what was new in our environment and the only thing was the tree. At 3 a.m. we were tearing ornaments back off the tree and tossing it to the curb to get it out of the house. Someone must have thought it was Christmas because when we got up the next morning it was already gone! At least my son was better and we had realized he is allergic to pine. From then on we had an artificial tree much to my dismay. This year, as many of you know, I moved to the Seattle area and my son chose to remain in Michigan so I went out yesterday and bought a real tree and went kind of overboard because it barely fit where I wanted to put it and it takes up a huge chunk of my living room but I don't care! It will be a difficult Christmas for me this year as I'm away from my child for the first time in his life. The real tree won't quite make up for that but it helps. Warmly, Cassy NP: Joan Baez - Ave Maria (in German) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 18:58:52 -0500 (EST) From: Catherine McKay Subject: Re: Christmas Tree Tales, njc - --- Victor Johnson wrote: > > On Dec 6, 2007, at 6:00 PM, Catherine McKay wrote: > > once you cover it with decorations, it > > doesn't look too bad, especially if your eyes are > out > > of focus. > > > And how much eggnog do you have to drink till your > eyes are out of > focus? > > an inquiring mind > Yuk. I hate eggnog. But I'm blind as a bat. All I have to do is take my glasses off. Catherine ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be smarter than spam. See how smart SpamGuard is at giving junk email the boot with the All-new Yahoo! Mail. Click on Options in Mail and switch to New Mail today or register for free at http://mail.yahoo.ca ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 15:13:59 -0800 (PST) From: Rian Afriadi Subject: Re: Grammy nominations Thanks for the link, Joseph, the reason i'm online this morning is because i want to see the nominee, and you provided it. Merci beaucoup. Yes! Yes! Yes! Do you guys remember 2 months ago i made a statement that One Week Last Summer will be nominated?? Weeeeeeee!!!!! So glad Joni is nominated!!!! I had a feeling she'll win.... Herbie's Joni Letter on Album of The Year??? That roxx! It surprised me! I never thought it will be nomnated on that superb category. But, yes yes yes... It's Joni after all. But, i have a feeling that Album of The Year category will fall to Amy Winehouse, and so will any other categories. Her Back To Black is superb!!! For those who haven;t heard the album, i recommend you this album. Another correct prophecy: Norah Jones's Not To Late is not on the list. Feist as best new artist? Nooooo. She's not that new. She has released more than 1 album. (ah, so has Amy Winehouse) Amy will win. Bjork vs Lily? I DO HOPE this time Bjork will win. You know, all of her previous albums, Debut, Post, Homogenic, Selmasongs, Vespertine, and Medulla were nominated but SHE NEVER WON. This is so not right. So not right. (I was a Bjorker before I found Joni. But i still adore her.) Hey, James Taylor is on the list too... And so is Madonna (her Confessions Tour was superb) blah blah blah blah blah Rian NP. Madonna - Justify My Love - --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 19:28:43 -0600 From: Michael Paz Subject: Fwd: Lisa Haley GRAMMY Nominee for "Best Zydeco or Cajun Album" This just in from Lisa Haley. Any voting members please consider supporting my friend the lovely talented and very sweet Lisa Haley. Lub Paz in chilly Buffalo headed towards McKay country in Toronto tomorrow. Michael Paz michael@thepazgroup.com Tour Manager Preservation Hall Jazz Band http://www.preservationhall.com Begin forwarded message: From: "BlueFiddle" Date: December 6, 2007 3:20:49 PM CST To: Subject: Lisa Haley GRAMMY Nominee for "Best Zydeco or Cajun Album" Lisa Haley & the Zydekats are most pleased to announce: We are officially GRAMMY Nominees for the 2008 "Best Zydeco or Cajun Album" Category. Our congratulations to all the artists, and a heartfelt thanks to the Recording Academy for bestowing on us this great honor. LISA HALEY BLUE FIDDLE RECORDS www.lisahaley.com www.bluefiddle.com 310-676-4884 Field 14  Folk Category 72 Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album (Vocal or Instrumental.) Le Cowboy Creole Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie [Times Square Records] King Cake Lisa Haley [Blue Fiddle Records] Live: A La Blue Moon Lost Bayou Ramblers [Swallow Records] Blues De Musicien Pine Leaf Boys [Arhoolie Records] Racines Racines [Swallow Records] The La Louisianne Sessions Roddie Romero And The Hub City All-Stars [Octavia Records] Live! Worldwide Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience [AIM Trading Group P/L] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 19:09:23 -0800 (PST) From: Monika Bogdanowicz Subject: Re: Grammy nominations Well, I don't care too much for the Grammy's but it's always nice to see Joni get some recognition. What is she up against in that category? It's also cool to see Herbie's project up for album of the year. -Monika Joseph Palis wrote: So exciting to see Joni's "One Week Last Summer" nominated in the pop instrumental category this year, but a little sad that not one of her vocal efforts got nods. However Herbie Hancock's "The Joni Letters" earning Album of the Year nomination is a welcome addition to the list that usually heavily favor what is on top 40. Herbie himself was suprised to hear the nomination and much as he did not need validations of this sort, he claimed that it was his first nomination in the Album of the Year category. He also was cited for his solo instrumental work for "Both Sides Now". I hope this raises the profile of the album on an even higher plane. Some Joni-related stuff: Glad to see Chaka Khan's "Funk This" among the best r&b album nominees. Bettye LaVette who wowed a lot of us in the Carnegie Hall tribute to Joni in 2006 got nominated for her album too. Other faves on the list of nominees: Tom Waits' 3-CD "Orphans" is in the Best Americana album category. The late Lorraine Hunt Lieberson's vocal album on Neruda poems set to music by her husband got nods for Classical album of the Year and Classical-Vocal. Nice to see underrated singer Patti Austin slugging it with Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling, Tierney Sutton and Freddy Cole in the jazz vocal category. Lily Allen and Bjork's latest albums are in the Alternative Album category. No RLJ? Not even Over The Rhine? Or are their albums properly filed under Americana. Labels labels. Then there's Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova from "Once" whose album was nominated in the Best Film Music category as well as solo nomination for their song "Falling Slowly". Our own North Carolina broadsheets rhapsodized over the nominations of NC-based singers and institutions: Daughtry, Fantasia, James Taylor and Merge Records. And you know there's more in the List. I just did a quick-read of the list. Here's the link for the complete list. http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/50th_Show/list.aspx#03 Joseph in Chapel Hill np: Gidon Kremer - Improvviso (from Un Diavolo Sentimentale) - --------------------------------- Ne gardez plus qu'une seule adresse mail ! Copiez vos mails vers Yahoo! Mail - --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 19:35:36 -0800 (PST) From: Bob Muller Subject: Re: Grammy nominations It's Joni VS The Beastie Boys! I'm sure she couldn't be more pleased. Bob NP: Audioslave, "Shadow On The Sun" Best Pop Instrumental Performance (For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, without vocals. Singles or Tracks only.) Off The Grid Beastie Boys Track from: The Mix-Up [Capitol Records] Paris Sunrise #7 Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals Track from: Lifeline [Virgin Records] Over The Rainbow Dave Koz Track from: At The Movies [Capitol Records] One Week Last Summer Joni Mitchell Track from: Shine [Hear Music] Simple Pleasures Spyro Gyra Track from: Good To Go-Go [Heads Up International] - --------------------------------- Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 19:47:06 -0800 (PST) From: Monika Bogdanowicz Subject: Joni says Bah Humbug SJC This was originally the 100 Christmas Bummers but I only posted the top 15 to save room and because those 15 were the only ones to have something written about them. Joni's beautiful, lovely "River" (ah how I love this song) made #4. -Monika From EW.com - found at tinyurl.com/26pejj Bah, Humbug! 100 Great Christmas Bummers Tired of traditional holiday cheer? Try Prince's ''Another Lonely Christmas,'' Joni Mitchell's ''River,'' or William S. Burroughs', ''A Junky's Christmas'' on for size. Our list of the top break-your-heart Xmas songs. By Chris Willman 1. Judy Garland, ''Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas'' (1944 soundtrack version) If you think this is a cheerful song, you (a) have been listening to the wrong versions and (b) must have missed our article last year on the history of this perennial. (Get up to speed here.) The ballad was penned for a particularly sad scene in Meet Me in St. Louis where Judy Garland tries to convince her tearful little sister Margaret O'Brien that it's okay they're about to move away from their beloved home and friends. Of course, Garland does such a poor job of uplift here that the musical number ends with O'Brien running off and destroying a snowman. That's our kind of sacrilege! 2. Merle Haggard ''If We Make It Through December'' It's the economy, stupid. Will this laid-off dad be able to buy his kids presents for Christmas? Sounds like there's gonna be nothing but loose almonds in those stockings. 3. Dwight Yoakam, ''Santa Can't Stay'' Here, ''Santa'' is a drunken, costumed ex-husband who has to be forcibly run off the property by Mom's new boyfriend, while the distraught kids can't fathom why Saint Nick is getting the bum's rush. The ultimate dysfunctional anthem  yet, amazingly, this one you can actually dance to. 4. Joni Mitchell, ''River'' As recently covered by James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Aimee Mann, Sarah McLachlan, and half the celebrity-singing world. If Robert Goulet were still alive, he would be covering this one this year. 5. Bing Crosby, ''I'll Be Home for Christmas'' Another one you mistook for upbeat? Do pay attention to that ''...if only in my dreams'' kicker, plus the WWII-era copyright date. 6. The Who, ''Christmas'' Being deaf, dumb, and blind can actually be a big plus on Xmas morning  at least when you're Tommy and you've got a shrewish mom ranting through this part of the famous rock opera. 7. The Everly Brothers, ''Christmas Eve Will Kill You'' Homeless for the holidays, Don and Phil try to thumb a ride in a blizzard, in vain. Despite being about to freeze to death, they pronounce forgiveness on all the busy family men passing them by, figuring they'd do the same thing. (This one's currently out of print, but you can find it on a used copy of Rhino's excellent Bummed Out Christmas collection, which also includes a few others on this list.) 8. Prince, ''Another Lonely Christmas'' Not only is his girlfriend gone, not only is she dead, but she died...on December 25! (Of pneumonia, or strep  he's not sure.) Of course, this being a Prince song, there's a verse devoted to fondly remembering her naked. 9. Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison, ''Please Daddy, Don't Get Drunk This Christmas'' Many artists have covered this country chestnut, from John Denver to the Decemberists, but husband-and-wife team Willis and Robison do the best job of expressing the melancholia of a little boy hoping an alcoholic dad keeps it together. Is it campy? Maybe a little, unless you're an ACA, in which case it may come off as abject realism. 10. Jill Sobule, ''Christmas Is the Saddest Day of the Year'' Some holiday-phobes will hold this truth to be self-evident. 11. William S. Burroughs, ''A Junky's Christmas'' Against a musical backdrop of funky elevator music, the late author recites a short story about one man's vain search for holiday heroin. Spoiler: There's an unexpectedly heartwarming ending even Capra might find corny. 12. Reba McEntire, ''Santa Claus Is Coming Back to Town'' Don't let the title fool you into playing this for the kids: It's about divorce, child custody, and mixed feelings that arise when the ex comes over to open presents. 13. Material Issue, ''Merry Christmas Will Do'' You already ruined his life, missy. Would it be too much to send a frickin' card? 14. Simon and Garfunkel, ''7 O'Clock News/Silent Night'' This little-remembered track pits the duo's version of the traditional carol against an actual '60s newscast, full of reports of Vietnam, serial killers, and other non-merriment. (And to think this hasn't been licensed yet for the annual Starbucks or Pottery Barn Christmas CDs.) 15. Low, ''If You Were Born Today (Song for Baby Jesus)'' Some of the members of this lo-fi rock combo are devoutly religious...which may explain their sincere pessimism about humanity when they open this ode to the Christ child by insisting, ''If you were born today, we'd kill you by age eight.'' Yow! .............................etc etc... - --------------------------------- Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. ------------------------------ End of JMDL Digest V2007 #491 ***************************** ------- Post messages to the list by clicking here: mailto:joni@smoe.org Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe -------