From: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org (JMDL Digest) To: joni-digest@smoe.org Subject: JMDL Digest V2015 #271 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 Friday, July 10 2015 Volume 2015 : Number 271 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- RE: Sydney Morning: Joni Mitchell: Lament for the Lady of the Canyon [] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 10 Jul 2015 18:52:01 -0400 (EDT) From: "mep@chorus.net" Subject: RE: Sydney Morning: Joni Mitchell: Lament for the Lady of the Canyon Steve wrote: "Wow, Sue, that is quite an appreciation!" The author, James Hughes, does seem to "get" Joni, and some of his descriptions of Shine are quite beautiful. However, in my opinion, he's got the chicken-and-egg order wrong on at least one point. Joni's lack of popularity in current mainstream culture was not caused by her caustic comments--some taken out of context--about her fellow musicians. Rather, the comments were caused, in part, by her consternation with being consistently undervalued, and seeing artists with output inferior to hers regarded more highly by (some) critics and by record companies. He also lost me with the statement, mid-article, "Let's assume it isn't because she's a woman." Um. . .let's not. Yes, women have achieved great fame, even critical acclaim, in the music industry. But who other than Joni did songwriting, singing, performing, arranging, synthesis of diverse genres, production, and even cover art, for as long as she has done, at such a high level of quality on all counts? She was/is the complete package, and, perhaps unforgivably to some, she knows it. It seems to me that no woman in the last half-century of popular music even attempted what Joni has achieved. In the minds of some, I think there's no room for a woman who tries to meet, let alone achieves, such lofty goals. Finally, how would Shine be as an introduction to Joni's work? It's a fascinating question, especially since my own introduction was through one of Joni's most recognized works (Court and Spark). But I've been listening to Shine a *lot* in the last few weeks, and my answer would be: not a bad one. Not at all a bad one. Mary P. ------------------------------ End of JMDL Digest V2015 #271 ***************************** ------- To post messages to the list,sendto joni@smoe.org Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe -------