From: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org (JMDL Digest) To: joni-digest@smoe.org Subject: JMDL Digest V2008 #117 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 Website: http://jonimitchell.com JMDL Digest Saturday, June 28 2008 Volume 2008 : Number 117 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- For Free [Michel BYRNE ] Re: For Free / Dylan njc now [Em ] Re: For Free ["Marian Russell" ] Re: Jim Dandy to the rescue!, njc - Faulkners? [Jennifer Faulkner ] Re: For Free [Monika Bogdanowicz ] Re: For Free / Dylan njc now [Monika Bogdanowicz ] Lyrics of today [Monika Bogdanowicz ] Re: njc, TV Alert: Emmylou on Charlie Rose right now ["Randy Remote" Subject: For Free Monika, make sure you get to hear Joni's reworking of For Free on her 1983 tour (it's on the Refuge of the Roads film). She added a gorgeous coda after each verse, with a lovely modulation from major to a strange ambivalent chord (sorry, dont have the musical education to describe it!): 'Playin like a fallen angel, / Playin like a rising star, / Playin for a hatful of nothin to the honkin of the cars...'. It really gives the song a new wistfulness, musically and lyrically. Re The Boho Dance, Sean Nelson spotted the birth of arrogance in Joni's work in that song (and HOSL more generally), in his book on Court and Spark. But I think it's an understandable development - Boho Dance seems to be written as a riposte to criticism that she's sold out as an artist, and she kicks back fighting. Also, For Free always struck me as being just on the verge of shmaltzy and over-romanticising - I mean, how happy is the clarinet-player, really: he might be playing just for the love of sharing his music, but equally he might be dirt-poor and desperate for money. It's saved by the sheer, cold-eyed honesty of having the narrator just walk on by because the lights have changed, swept along by her own, different priorities. Boho Dance then completely strips the poor-noble-struggling-artist idea of any romanticism. And I cant help thinkin - when Bob Dylan came out with songs of similar bite, even aggression, did any critic diss him for arrogance?.... M _________________________________________________________________ http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/msnnkmgl0010000009ukm/direct/01/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2008 05:45:50 -0700 (PDT) From: Em Subject: Re: For Free / Dylan njc now - --- On Fri, 6/27/08, Michel BYRNE wrote: > And I cant help thinkin - when Bob Dylan came > out with songs of > similar bite, even aggression, did any critic diss him for > arrogance?.... Yeah but he was ALWAYS prone to biting and aggression and arrogance and cynicism. That's just the kind of dog he was. Granted his very early songs seemed a bit more boyish and pure of heart, but we know from various bio's that he was not always so pure in his behavior in his scrambling to get ahead. The means to his end were not so pretty. Plus, the fact is that critics have dissed Dylan HUGELY for all kinds of things, over the years. I don't have a reference handy, but somehow, I'm pretty sure he's been called arrogant. But at least he was never crowned "Old Lady of the Year".... Em ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:42:57 +0200 From: "Marian Russell" Subject: Re: For Free Speaking of For Free, there is a beautiful guitar version done by Martin Giles in the guitar section of jmdl: http://www.jmdl.com/guitar/tab.cfm?id=310 Marian - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michel BYRNE" To: Sent: Friday, June 27, 2008 2:24 PM Subject: For Free > Monika, make sure you get to hear Joni's reworking of For Free on her 1983 > tour (it's on the Refuge of the Roads film). She added a gorgeous coda > after > each verse, with a lovely modulation from major to a strange ambivalent > chord > (sorry, dont have the musical education to describe it!): 'Playin like a > fallen angel, / Playin like a rising star, / Playin for a hatful of nothin > to > the honkin of the cars...'. It really gives the song a new wistfulness, > musically and lyrically. > > Re The Boho Dance, Sean Nelson spotted the birth of arrogance in Joni's > work > in that song (and HOSL more generally), in his book on Court and Spark. > But I > think it's an understandable development - Boho Dance seems to be written > as a > riposte to criticism that she's sold out as an artist, and she kicks back > fighting. Also, For Free always struck me as being just on the verge of > shmaltzy and over-romanticising - I mean, how happy is the > clarinet-player, > really: he might be playing just for the love of sharing his music, but > equally he might be dirt-poor and desperate for money. It's saved by the > sheer, cold-eyed honesty of having the narrator just walk on by because > the > lights have changed, swept along by her own, different priorities. Boho > Dance > then completely strips the poor-noble-struggling-artist idea of any > romanticism. And I cant help thinkin - when Bob Dylan came out with songs > of > similar bite, even aggression, did any critic diss him for arrogance?.... > M > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/msnnkmgl0010000009ukm/direct/01/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:54:32 -0700 (PDT) From: Jennifer Faulkner Subject: Re: Jim Dandy to the rescue!, njc - Faulkners? Hi Lori, I used to think I was related to him. The only reason I thought this was because my paternal grandfather, Dewey Faulkner, was originally from Mississippi. He told me he was born in Vardaman which is 40 miles away from William Faulkner's birthplace. However, I went to a William Faulkner bookstore once in New Orleans and the man running the shop told me that Faulkner changed his last name from "Falkner" which would mean I am probably not related to him. Or at least not as closely as I had thought. It is interesting to note, hoever, that my dad's name is William Faulkner. His mother didn't know anything about the author, just liked the name I guess. Jen - --- On Tue, 6/24/08, Lori Fye wrote: From: Lori Fye Subject: Re: Jim Dandy to the rescue!, njc - Faulkners? To: "Jennifer Faulkner" , joni@smoe.org Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 5:05 PM > I rejoined the joni list, finally, but I can't promise I will be on here very much. Hey Jennifer ... nice to see you *here* again. I've been meaning to ask the list for quite some time: wasn't/isn't there another Faulkner on the JMDL? I seem to remember a gentleman Faulkner from perhaps Mississippi or thereabouts. It also seems he was related to William Faulkner, but maybe I'm just imagining that. Anyway, Jennifer ... are YOU related to William Faulkner? The real reason I ask is that my spouse, Mary, is related to him and I'm now wondering if there is a cousin connection (perhaps more than one) here? Lori Santa Rosa ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:22:12 -0700 From: "Randy Remote" Subject: Re: njc, TV Alert: Emmylou on Charlie Rose right now From: "Patti Parlette" >Emmylou's on right now. What a nice surprise just before dreamland! >RR, are you up? (I hope the fires are not near you. I worry sometimes.) I missed Emmylou. We are in the heart of the fire area, with 107 wildfires burning in our N. Calif county, many of them not being fought due to resources stretched thin all over the state (we are priority #3 in the state). These fires were caused by hundreds of lightning strikes last weekend. The nearest one is a couple of ridges away-not a threat right now. I will say that the thunder was spectacular, but always a worry this time of year. There is intense smoke in many areas of the county, luckily the wind here is keeping air quality quite good. The Kate Wolf Memorial Folk Festival takes place Fri-Sun (just a few miles away), and it's still on. I did a fun interview with Wavy Gravy (MC) for local radio, and hope to catch at least some of it, but we'll see. Los Lobos, Ani DiFranco Band, Lindley, Waifs...etc http://www.cumuluspresents.com/kate/index.html RR ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:11:39 -0700 (PDT) From: Laura Stanley Subject: Re: njc An inquisitive mind wrote: I've looked at life from both sides now from up and down and still somehow it's life's illusions I recall I really don't know sex at all. Will the person who said this reveal themselves? Hi Q: Your chance of them doing this is best at the Full Moon pool. Love, Xcentric ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:06:48 -0700 (PDT) From: Monika Bogdanowicz Subject: Re: For Free You know, I read that book and although it was an interesting interpretation of Joni's work (and there were ideas I agreed with) there were some ideas I disagreed with and this is one of them. I don't find the HOSL to be arrogant in its tone. Just because Joni is looking outside of herself, I still feel a warmth from it. I feel as if Joni is the observer in the album and is telling a story without really judging anything. I think it is a misrepresentation of the work to say it is "arrogant" or "cold" or "condescending" (as many reviews I've read had said) in my opinion. But then again, music is subjective and different people get different feelings from it. But I dare someone to try and tell me "Sweet Bird" doesn't welcome you with open arms.....it brings such comfort. You can relate. - -Monika - --- On Fri, 6/27/08, Michel BYRNE wrote: Re The Boho Dance, Sean Nelson spotted the birth of arrogance in Joni's work in that song (and HOSL more generally), in his book on Court and Spark. But I think it's an understandable development - Boho Dance seems to be written as a riposte to criticism that she's sold out as an artist, and she kicks back fighting. Also, For Free always struck me as being just on the verge of shmaltzy and over-romanticising - I mean, how happy is the clarinet-player, really: he might be playing just for the love of sharing his music, but equally he might be dirt-poor and desperate for money. It's saved by the sheer, cold-eyed honesty of having the narrator just walk on by because the lights have changed, swept along by her own, different priorities. Boho Dance then completely strips the poor-noble-struggling-artist idea of any romanticism. And I cant help thinkin - when Bob Dylan came out with songs of similar bite, even aggression, did any critic diss him for arrogance?.... M _________________________________________________________________ http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/msnnkmgl0010000009ukm/direct/01/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:12:00 -0700 (PDT) From: Monika Bogdanowicz Subject: Re: For Free / Dylan njc now Right. But atleast Joni doesn't have a reputation of being a shitty singer who writes good songs! - -Monika, who has noticed that people who don't dig Dylan always comment on his voice... But at least he was never crowned "Old Lady of the Year".... Em ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:19:51 -0700 (PDT) From: Monika Bogdanowicz Subject: Lyrics of today We all know Joni has so many great lines in her song as was illustrated a bit ago by the "exploding lines" discussion. With that in mind, if you had to choose some lyrics to describe your life at this point...where you are at or what you are feeling or what you experience....without getting too personal (unless you feel the need to explain that is), what lines would you choose? Here are mine that come to mind right off: "Only a river of changing faces Looking for an ocean" "I am on a lonely road and I am traveling Traveling, traveling, traveling Looking for something, what can it be" Joni says it best. - -Monika ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:19:44 -0700 From: "Randy Remote" Subject: Re: njc, TV Alert: Emmylou on Charlie Rose right now From: "Patti Parlette" >http://www.charlierose.com/guests/emmylou-harris >Don't let the time of 56:01 scare you, it's really only 16 minutes. >What a lady. So genteel. So passionate about her music. >RR, I'm glad you seem to be relatively safe from all the fires, and that >the wind (TIC! let the wind carry me) is blowing in the right >direction. >You got to interview Wavy Gravy? Wow! High five! I hope you can share it >with >us somehow. I will try to provide a link to the audio archive when they broadcast it. I've done a few others with him in the early 90's. Very interesting guy and a compelling conversationalist with an incredible backlog of experience (taking walks with Albert Einstein as a kid, selling pot to The Beatles, dropping acid with Groucho Marx....) He has dedicated himself to doing good things-the SEVA Foundation has saved the eyesight of 2 million people over the years by providing inexpensive eye operations to poor people in Nepal and elsewhere. Thanks for the Emmylou link, Patti, and for the good wishes. Today the smoke is so bad you can't go outside, and has blotted out the sun. The govuhnator has finally declared our county a state of emergency, which will bring more resources in. A chopper is going over right now. There is also concern about the possibility of more thunderstorms this weekend. Things are a bit crazy around here, but, as some wisewoman said, "Be Cool"... RR ------------------------------ End of JMDL Digest V2008 #117 ***************************** ------- Post messages to the list by clicking here: mailto:joni@smoe.org Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe -------