From: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org (JMDL Digest) To: joni-digest@smoe.org Subject: JMDL Digest V2014 #694 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 Monday, May 12 2014 Volume 2014 : Number 694 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- CMIARS and everything else [Rob Procyk ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 11 May 2014 23:41:28 -0600 From: Rob Procyk Subject: CMIARS and everything else And the award for long rambling post written on an iPhone and hence littered with weird b's instead of punctuation or parentheses goes to... Ok, maybe this won't be as rambling as I think it is going to be. In defence of CMIARS, this was, I think, my second Joni album. I discovered Blue in Dec. 1987, and then bought CMIARS as it was current and the first two singles got a bit of AirPlay here, since it was Canadian Content. I still really like this album and never thought it was weak. While I am a child of the 80s and think that DED is in Joni's top 6, I think Joni was smart to try to adapt - synths, duets, mixing love and social issues... If she had proper promotion, it could have been very big. Indeed, I listen to CMIARS more than I do WTRF. Even though I love "Chinese Cafe" and "Solid Love" and I am not ashamed to say that "Underneath the Streetlights" makes me smile and makes me feel happy, to me, that album sounds more dated than her other 80s albums. And I think it is great that we debate her work, especially her later work. I, for one, was never gaga over TI. Yes, I get many here think it's a masterpiece. Yes, the writing is superb. But it just bums me out. My favorite track is "How Do You Stop", an AC song she didn't write. I love many songs on the album, I really do, but it doesn't hook me. Maybe I'm more a fan of personal Joni over political Joni. But that's why I love this place - we are comfortable enough to say what we like and "no blame for what we can or cannot feel." Joni isn't perfect - she has just as many foibles as I do, and some albums are stronger than others. I remember someone sending me an advance copy of TTT and I remember positively gushing my review. Is it among her best? No. In retrospect, does a song written for a cat seem like a lame motif? Possibly, if you aren't a cat person. But for whatever reason, I liked that album a lot at the time. Thus, you'd think Shine woulda did the same. Unfortunately, it doesn't. I just don't think you can compare Shine to, say, HOSL - I've been obsessing over "Sweet Bird" lately - that song, against anything on Shine, isn't comparable. I'm not ashamed to say that. Ever since Klein has been out of the picture, I'm not super excited. And isn't that ok? Why should we be made to feel guilty for not loving something Joni has done? Yes she's a genius, but she's also just like you and I, and I don't believe she farts rainbows. And that's why the JMDL is so cool - we have our opinions, and others have theirs, and sometimes we convince others to give something a second try. Lord knows, when I joined the JMDL in 98 (where all romantics met the same fate - I'm turning into Patti Parlette!), I wasn't hooked on FTR. However, as Kakki and Ashara, two of my favorite JMDLers, loved it, I gave it a few more chances, and, behold, it might be my #2 today. So that's why this space is so cool. But if I can't state that there are albums I don't like, or question things about Joni that piss me off (hasn't played Sask! atchewan ever but claims to know what it's like here now), etc., then what's the point of calling this a discussion list? Keep posting, people - loving the discussions! Rob Sent from my iPhone ------------------------------ End of JMDL Digest V2014 #694 ***************************** ------- To post messages to the list,sendtojoni@smoe.org. Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe -------