From: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org (JMDL Digest) To: joni-digest@smoe.org Subject: JMDL Digest V2011 #509 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://jmdl.com JMDL Digest Wednesday, November 16 2011 Volume 2011 : Number 509 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- Re: 50 Words for Snow NJC [gerard mclaughlin ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:46:49 +0000 From: gerard mclaughlin Subject: Re: 50 Words for Snow NJC Oh, yes I remember it as if it was yesterday. I did summersaults at the cover. It was the day it was released over here. I rushed back to where I was living at the time and put it on the turntable and wondered "What the hell ?". A gloominess came over me and increased with each track. Strange Boy put me over the edge ! Blue Motel Room sort of saved it. I laugh now of course. Ms Mitchell since then has taken me on an journey only she could have and my musical tastes have gone places I could never have imagined. It most certainly was a love me or leave me sort of ultimatum that album, for this particular person. Thank God I had the guts to stay because then came DJRD and Mingus and with that trio my life has never been the same again ! It's two predecessors MOA and THOSL I was already in love with. The five of them are my real Joni period. After Hejira I got into stuff like Arvo Part, Bjork, PJ Harvey, loads. Before it Joni had been my exception to pop really. Hejira blew my world up ! Of course I cannot forget the day this happened to me. She took me somewhere else.Always will I guess.What would life be like without her ? Silly thing to say but really she has enriched it so so much with her work. On Wed, Nov 16, 2011 at 2:11 PM, Catherine McKay wrote: > Lucky you, that you remember your first listen of Hejira. I certainly > don't. It was too long ago and my memory just isn't that good. > > I didn't know it was Bertie on the beginning of the first song, but that > explains how that voice could sound sort of like Kate, and yet not. I did > wonder about that! He definitely sounds a bit like her. I had to stop and > check to see how old he'd be now, and apparently he's twelve, so I guess he > still has the boy soprano voice. > > I suspect I won't be listening to this particular Kate Bush album a lot > because I think it will require too much paying of attention! I hate saying > things like that, but my attention span just isn't there anymore. At first > listen (and I haven't heard all the songs yet), I do like the feel of it. I > really don't listen to albums the way I used to. Between lack of quiet > time, short attention span and general impatience and the nagging feeling > that I should be Doing Something Useful, I sometimes feel that I acquire a > lot of music (and books) that I may never have the time to truly savour. > > So many of KB's songs have that freak element and I guess I didn't notice > for a long time, because I was paying more attention to the music than to > the words, and often couldn't make out the words in any case and then, when > I did or took the time to read them, usually had absolutely no idea what > she was talking about. With Joni, I feel that I do get something out of the > words right from the start, but maybe it's because Joni sings about herself > and her feelings and those feelings are universal. With Kate Bush, she's > often singing a story, and it's often a very odd story, maybe based on myth > or fairytales, either ones she has heard of or possibly ones she makes up > herself, so there is definitely a freaky, sometimes creepy element. The > snowman definitely fits into that category. I suspect there's a lot of, > "What if....?" in her song ideas and they seem somehow allegorical to me, > which softens the potential creepiness. > > There's some Joni content in this, but I've left it marked njc, since I'm > never really sure what riles the Joni-onlies. There may be too much KBC in > this one. > > And, regarding the comment I made the other day in response to Betsy's > saying maybe she wasn't British enough to get it (paraphrasing based on > crappy memory), and then my response, I'm not sure either that it's > necessary to be English or British to get Kate Bush, as I know there are > people on this list who probably have no affiliation with the British Isles > who nevertheless appreciate and love British music, (I can think of a few > off-hand, but won't name-drop). I guess it's more of how a particular type > of music resonates on some deeper level, even though we North Americans > probably wouldn't get a lot of the references. > > ------------------------------ > *From:* gerard mclaughlin > *To:* Catherine McKay > *Cc:* Betsy Blue ; "joni@smoe.org" > *Sent:* Wednesday, November 16, 2011 4:54:52 AM > > *Subject:* Re: 50 Words for Snow NJC > > I remember when I first heard Hejira it actually hurt me just listening to > it but being by then a Joni addict I knew if I listened often enough and > did my usual , learning every word and nuance I'd get there ! This of > course I had done within a fortnight and Hejira is to this day my favourite > album. 50 words for snow is a different kettle of fish however. I listened > all day yesterday and went from aversion to maybe just getting it. Once I > actually floated up into the realms of appreciation and it was delightful > but the bubble burst again next listen .I have no doubt its a good one but > not an easy listen.I didn't realise the voice at the opening was Bertie's > and sat open mouthed wondering what she was playing at. The snowman in bed > is a wee bit freaky even this morning....the day after as it were. lol. > Only la Bush could come out with something like that. I feel like writing > to Joni to beg for one more...I really feel the need for musical sustenance > as the winter steals over us and it looks like Joni is keeping all of her > blankets to herself. Ah well old ones can be good ones. Looks like they'll > have to be.With Hejira I kept thinking "Why can't she give us a tune?" I'm > a bit like this with Snow although I wouldn't put it in the same league as > Joni's wondrous winter offering.It wasn't until DJRD when she sang > unchained melody that I was to hear what I recognised as a tune and I felt > the old , familiar rapture . I remember weeping when I heard her sing that > and I played it over and over as if recovering something lost. Of course > she went on to creating marvellous stuff in a new way and I went with her. > Maybe this is what Kate is doing in her own way too. I am a bit shy of > listening to 50 words today though so I wont. Got things to do anyway.... ------------------------------ End of JMDL Digest V2011 #509 ***************************** ------- To post messages to the list, send to joni@smoe.org. Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe -------