From: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org (JMDL Digest) To: joni-digest@smoe.org Subject: JMDL Digest V2012 #1510 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 Tuesday, October 2 2012 Volume 2012 : Number 1510 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- Re: Magical Night With Joni & Bella Lugosi [Phyliss S Ward ] RE: (Shine on) Reverend Pearson [Susan Tierney McNamara ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2012 10:57:20 -0400 From: Phyliss S Ward Subject: Re: Magical Night With Joni & Bella Lugosi Thank YOU Laura! I am so freaking busy right now i barely have time to breathe. I keep meaning to share more but can't find time. So here is a snippet: I told Joni I was one of the crazy internet fans (giggling) and that I had met her before in LA in 1998, and as a result of that I was able to attend PWWAM. She lit up at that and said you were there?! Did you see the Broadcast? I said yes and that I also owned the DVD. (I forgot to tell her I actually had a party at my house for the broadcast complete with Joni quiz for prizes). She said how wonderful it was going to be to watch it under the moon and pointed to it over the lake... On Oct 2, 2012, at 10:17 AM, est86mlm@ameritech.net wrote: > Thanks to everyone who posted their thoughts and details!!! ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2012 14:28:08 +0000 From: Susan Tierney McNamara Subject: RE: quintessential Joni I think a transitional album for Joni was For The Roses. As I was thinking of what quintessential song involved all of the genres you mention, Paul, I hit on Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire ... it has all the elements: her inventive tuning style, with all the strings playing the parts; the bluesy jazz rhythm, and the virtuoso prose of her songwriting style. It's also a very cerebral song that not everyone would latch on to, but that's Joni. Susan Tierney McNamara email: sem8@cornell.edu - -----Original Message----- From: owner-joni@smoe.org [mailto:owner-joni@smoe.org] On Behalf Of Paul Ivice Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2012 5:18 AM To: joni@smoe.org Subject: quintessential Joni Catherine McKay wrote: I don't dislike "Big Yellow Taxi" and agree that it makes its point in a way that has stood the test of time, so I'm not disagreeing that it's a good song. Here's a question for all. I understand that much of Joni's magic comes from how she grew as a musician through a progression of genres, from folk to rock to jazz, But if you had a friend who'd never heard of Joni and had to choose only one song of Joni's to play for your friend, what song would you choose that would give your friend the best sense of who Joni is? In other words, what song do you think is quintessential Joni and why? Paul Ivice ;>) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2012 19:43:58 +0000 From: Susan Tierney McNamara Subject: RE: (Shine on) Reverend Pearson I really enjoyed this Betsy. The story of him visiting the church in San Francisco was awesome! I also noticed two very interesting details: Rev. Pearson said "flies on their babies eyes" while talking about seeing a TV show of Africa, and at one section the music was the introduction to Jethro Tull's "My God." Very cool. Susan Tierney McNamara email: sem8@cornell.edu - -----Original Message----- From: owner-joni@smoe.org [mailto:owner-joni@smoe.org] On Behalf Of Betsy Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2012 2:11 PM To: joni@smoe.org Subject: (Shine on) Reverend Pearson This American Life did an hour on Carlton Pearson back in 2005. I found it interesting to hear more about him, since there was just a passing mention in Shine. You can listen to it here: Tinyurl.com/2ccd24c Betsy ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2012 15:39:34 -0400 From: Bob.Muller@Fluor.com Subject: Undercover Presents "Blue" Now HERE'S a batch of covers that go way outside the lines. The Saturday-Sunday concerts last weekend in San Fran featured these acts and the recorded songs are on the web for streaming and/or purchase: http://undercoverpresents.bandcamp.com/album/blue-a-tribute-to-joni-mitchell Imagine "River" done as an Appalachian blues...This Flight Tonight as a hip-hop treat, a couple of these play it safe but most of them f*ck around with the basic song and I love it. Bob - ------------------------------------------------------------ The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain proprietary, business-confidential and/or privileged material. If you are not the intended recipient of this message you are hereby notified that any use, review, retransmission, dissemination, distribution, reproduction or any action taken in reliance upon this message is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender and may not necessarily reflect the views of the company. - ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2012 11:45:52 -0700 (PDT) From: Catherine McKay Subject: Re: JMDL Digest V2012 #1499 Joni songs that we hate, or don't quite like I agree absolutely with what both of you said. Dave, thanks for reposting what you did - I don't remember seeing it before, so maybe I just wasn't paying attention at the time (or else maybe it's just my really crappy memory.) "Blue Motel Room" is kind of what it claims to be - a rest-stop on the journey. - ----- Original Message ----- > From: Susan Tierney McNamara > To: Dave Blackburn ; "Bob.Muller@Fluor.com" > Cc: Catherine McKay ; JONIMITCHELL DISCUSSION LIST ; Mary Morris > Sent: Tuesday, October 2, 2012 1:04:04 PM > Subject: RE: JMDL Digest V2012 #1499 Joni songs that we hate, or don't quite like > >T his is a great piece, Dave! I don't remember reading it the first time you > posted it. Thanks for sending it again. It's funny but I have always felt > Blue Motel Room had a different feel than the other songs on Hejira, but I never > felt it shouldn't be on the album. Coming from a painter's perspective, > it's the contrast color in the corner of the composition that highlights the > grey tones! :-) > > Susan Tierney McNamara > email: sem8@cornell.edu > > > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-joni@smoe.org [mailto:owner-joni@smoe.org] On Behalf Of Dave > Blackburn > Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2012 10:15 AM > To: Bob.Muller@Fluor.com > Cc: Catherine McKay; JONIMITCHELL DISCUSSION LIST; Mary Morris > Subject: Re: JMDL Digest V2012 #1499 Joni songs that we hate, or don't quite > like > > On Oct 2, 2012, at 5:13 AM, Bob.Muller@Fluor.com wrote: > >> I quite like "Blue Motel Room". I think it's jazzy, bluesy > and >> humourous as well. It doesn't come off as affected to me at all.> > > > I wrote this piece about Blue Motel Room in a post in 2007. In case anyone would > like to read it (or re-read it) here it is again: > > Much has been said (and no doubt remains to be said) about the philosophical > depth of certain songs on Hejira (Hejira, Refuge of the Roads, Amelia) as well > as about others which offer rich Shakespearean character portraits (Old Furry, > Coyote, A Strange Boy, possibly even the absent Sharon by inference). Blue Motel > Room appears, on the surface, to contain neither; It has an easy swing groove > from another era (the romantic Bing Crosby era that Joni grew up in and > loved--as she describes in the WOHAM DVD). Some feel that its torch ballad vibe > is out of place stylistically on the album, and that the sentiments are relative > fluff compared to the penetrating insights and poetic craft so evident on the > Hejira album as a whole. > I offer these thoughts: > Blue Motel Room reveals a side of Joni seldom shown before or after: namely, > sweetness. Vulnerability is all over Blue of course, and self reflection is > everywhere in her career, but there's a particular sweetness in her plain > language here: "will you still love me when I get back to L.A town" or > "I hope you'll be thinking of me, because I'll be thinking of you, > when I'm traveling home alone." Perhaps "See you Sometime" > shows a similar side of Joni but I can't think of many other examples from > her work of such unguarded softness. As such, I think the song offers an almost > unique angle of this most complex woman. Here she is the opposite of the tough > worldly rock star, the later political ranter or the sardonic commentator on > humanity's baseness. Joni the girl is still visible here. Dare I say it, but > it's sexy... > Then thematically, on a road album, what could be more apt than home > sickness in a drab motel room in the pouring rain in the opposite corner of the > continent from where you live? Road adventures when alone usually contain more > of that feeling than exciting liaisons or spiritual awakenings, even though she > manages all three on this legendary trip (that we all wish we were a fly on the > wall for). > As Joni often does, she word associates heavily in this song: on the word > "Blue", not for the first or last time. Blue bedspread, blue motel > room, the blues inside and outside my head (no doubt suggesting the relaxed > blues feel of the music to her). For a painter, what could come more naturally > than seeing the connections between and connotations of colors. The poet is > still crafting language threads even with her "high falutin'" > switch turned off. I also love the cold war metaphor, anachronistic as it > became. She probably saw some TV news in her blue motel room with some Soviet/US > developments about peace talks and instantly wove that beautifully into the > song. > > Blue Motel Room is a lovely piece of colored cloth that fits into > Hejira's rag rug in a gentle and most sensuous way. I love it... > > > Dave ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2012 16:17:21 -0700 From: "Eaton, Shari" Subject: Dylan Hello, I wasn't part of this group when she made her comment about Dylan being a plagiarist. What was the consensus there? Feel free to forward any particularly thoughtful commentary on the matter or voice your own. Personally, I think she had been long fed up with being compared to him she probably wanted to draw the line and show how clearly separate they were. Unfortunately I think it made her appear really bitter and spiteful. I wonder how it's affected their relationship. Lots of Joni, Shari ------------------------------ End of JMDL Digest V2012 #1510 ****************************** ------- To post messages to the list, sendtojoni@smoe.org. Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe -------