From: les@jmdl.com (onlyJMDL Digest) To: onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Subject: onlyJMDL Digest V1 #223 Reply-To: joni@smoe.org Sender: les@jmdl.com Errors-To: les@jmdl.com Precedence: bulk onlyJMDL Digest Monday, October 11 1999 Volume 01 : Number 223 The Official Joni Mitchell Homepage is maintained by Wally Breese at http://www.jonimitchell.com and contains the latest news, a detailed bio, original interviews and essays, lyrics, and much more. ------- The JMDL website can be found at http://www.jmdl.com and contains interviews, articles, the member gallery, archives, and much more. ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- Superficial Observations (was: Stevie Nicks ) LJC [MGVal@aol.com] Re: Superficial Observations (was: Stevie Nicks ) LJC [TerryM2442@aol.com] Lurker Days (was Oops, Read the directions!) [Brian Gross ] Re: guitar question (SJC) [Mark Domyancich ] joni's letter to rickielee [john noble ] Re: joni's letter to rickielee [CaTGirl627@aol.com] RE: joni's letter to rickielee ["Wally Kairuz" ] Re: joni's letter to rickielee [zapuppy2@webtv.net (Penny)] Re: Highs in Low Places ;-D (Joni content) [TerryM2442@aol.com] Re: Highs in Low Places ;-D (Joni content) ["Kakki" ] Re: Highs in Low Places ;-D (Joni content) [TerryM2442@aol.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 08:37:56 EDT From: MGVal@aol.com Subject: Superficial Observations (was: Stevie Nicks ) LJC First Suzanne takes you down..... << a reaction against people who had come before me like Joni Mitchell or > James Taylor, who I felt wrote about things on a more superficial > level..." Then Dan comments: >>I can understand what Suzanne is saying about James Taylor. He is no where near the poetic genius that Joni or Suzanne is...my opinion. I cannot understand where she is coming from by lumping Joni in there. >> MG with a bit of JT defense, (although she noticed and appreciated Dan's "my opinion"): Having discarded my latest Joan Baez run for JT and RLJ on my turntable, I have JT a bit more fresh on my mind right now. Some of his songs have been doing that "NPIMH" gig all week long. I think that JT is to music as the Shakers are to furniture. I think that since his music is usually of the more simple, less complicated nature than Joni's, his poetic genius gets lost in the sauce. Or in this case, in the lack of. He is an exquisite craftsman with wonderful flashes of terrific lyrics. He captures the essences of codependency with: "first you make believe I believe the things that you make believe, then I'm bound to let you down. Then it's I who has been deceiving, purposely misleading, when all along, you believed in me." Or soulful longing: "moving in silent desperation, keeping an eye on the holy land, a hypothetical destination..." And my absolute favorite love song, with or without Joni on the singing: "well the sun is slowly sinking down and the moon is surely rising. so this old world must still be spinning round, and I still love you..." For me, there are a number of JT songs that are doofy, (technical musical term, right?), and hide this lyrical talent, ("Country Road," "Music," are two that spring to mind), but there are so many more that showcase his written gifts in music that is as smooth as the dovetail joints on a Shaker sewing stand. MG np: James Taylor: "You Make It Easy" ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 10:04:07 EDT From: TerryM2442@aol.com Subject: Re: Superficial Observations (was: Stevie Nicks ) LJC In a message dated 10/10/1999 8:40:10 AM Eastern Daylight Time, MGVal@aol.com writes: << I think that JT is to music as the Shakers are to furniture. >> MG, Well said! JT's work is beautifully understated, and I think of him as one of our greatest American story tellers who will someday ( I hope ) earn that title. His guitar playing is also exquisite and not easily copied. Terry, needing a Secret O' Life fix ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 11:56:32 -0700 (PDT) From: Brian Gross Subject: Lurker Days (was Oops, Read the directions!) - --- Kakki wrote: > I was wondering again today about how there are > almost 600 people on the list and probably fewer than 50 post on a regular > basis. I propose we put aside at least two JMDL "holidays" a year called > "Lurker Days" when all the lurkers have to check in and all the of the > regulars give it a rest ;-D I think that's a wonderful idea, Kakki. Why don't we do the first one on Siquomb's birthday, coming up in less than a month on November 7th? So even if you're super-shy, a birthday wish to Joni makes a really good reason to come out of the shadows for a day. Take care, everyone. Brian np: Eleanor McEvoy - Some Mother's Son soundtrack (again) ===== "No paper thin walls, no folks above No one else can hear the crazy cries of love" yeah, right __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 05:18:48 +1000 From: "Takats, Angela" Subject: guitar question (SJC) Hey there, Can u guitar buffs out there give this amature a hand...I've been trying to play "Just like this train"...and I'm using Mark's version of the tabs...and I'm cruising along sweetly...I'm understanding it all, and it's even sounding almost like the real thing...and then I get to this: l l A B l l and l l C C l l now I understand this l l 7 7 l l .....to mean that I put my fingers on these spots on the 7th fret...but have I missed something somewhere, with this ABC stuff? I am just totally brain dead? So help me out you guys...and please assure me that it is easy to play, cos I'm so close to being able to play this song, that I love....THANKS guitar wizzes..I luv your work Byeeee Ange Sydney ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 15:14:12 -0500 From: Mark Domyancich Subject: Re: guitar question (SJC) We use letters above the 9th fret to keep everything aligned, and also if we used something like II1110|| someone might mistake it as 1st fret on the 4th, 3rd and 2nd string. In the case of JLTT, | | A B || is just x x 10 11 x x, index finger on the 10th fret and your middle finger on the 11th fret. | | C C | | is x x 12 12 x x. >THANKS guitar wizzes..I luv your work Thanks, Ange! It feels good to hear that! :-D Mark NP-Hejira ___________________________________ | Mark Domyancich | | Harpua@revealed.net | | http://home.revealed.net/Harpua | | ICQ: 21619464 AIM: CalifKitch | |_________________________________| ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 14:10:31 -0700 From: john noble Subject: joni's letter to rickielee Here's that letter to Musician Magazine from Joni: Joni to Rickie When I was a kid there was a time when Geraldine Campbell chased me with a wood hatchet whenever I passed her house. "This is my sidewalk-this is my sidewalk!" she would chant brandishing the hatchet and glowering and pouting ferociously. Rickie Lee-jazz, too, is a public sidewalk-no matter how near you live to it, it belongs to the city and anyone it pleases-it was there before you were born and it will be there long after you move away. "It's a free world-Geraldine!"-I used to say-tipping my beret. Joni Mitchell Los Angeles, CA Glad to be of service! Love, Tucker ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 19:31:03 EDT From: CaTGirl627@aol.com Subject: Re: joni's letter to rickielee In a message dated 10/10/1999 5:09:34 PM Eastern Daylight Time, noble@taosnet.com writes: << Rickie Lee-jazz, too, is a public sidewalk-no matter how near you live to it, it belongs to the city and anyone it pleases-it was there before you were born and it will be there long after you move away. "It's a free world-Geraldine!"-I used to say-tipping my beret. Joni Mitchell Los Angeles, CA >> Thanks for digging up this post and Thank you Joni for telling it like it is even if certain people don't like it! Whooo-HOOOOO! Catgirl ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 20:41:36 -0300 From: "Wally Kairuz" Subject: RE: joni's letter to rickielee you see? you see? i told you there was a woman with a hatchet somewhere!!! it wasn't a joan-crawford induced hallucination, after all. wallyk > Here's that letter to Musician Magazine from Joni: > > Joni to Rickie > When I was a kid there was a time when Geraldine Campbell > chased me with a wood hatchet whenever I passed her house. > ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 18:19:49 -0700 From: "Kakki" Subject: Highs in Low Places ;-D (Joni content) Last night I experienced one of the most magical times of my life and have been way too high to post until now. So often the best times happen when you least expect them and in the least likely places. Yesterday I read on the CSNY list about a tribute band called Deja Vu playing in L.A. last night. I wasn't sure if I would go because I'm ordinarily not into tribute bands and they were playing at a bar in a, shall we say, rather "sketchy" neighborhood near the L.A. airport. The post mentioned something about Henry Diltz showing up at the gig but I didn't put much stock in that. Diltz, for those who may not know, is the Ansel Adams of Rock photography and shot most of the famous well-known photos of Joni that we are all familiar with. Yet the weather has been beautiful here - finally summer - with warm nights and the Santa Ana winds blowing and it would have been a crime to stay home so I called up an old friend and dragged her out with me. When we arrived, we *really* thought there was some mistake - we are talking real dive pool hall bar here. But I could see a CSNY-looking band setting up through the window so we chanced it. Almost immediately after entering the place, we were swept up by Henry Diltz himself into his party of friends! I had barely ordered a drink before I was being grabbed to get in with several photo shots taken by his friends. All I could do was laugh deliriously and fly with it. One friend was Dave Zimmer, former writer for Rolling Stone and BAM magazines who wrote the definitive biography of CSNY. Another friend was Scott Oxman, an archivist who holds the world's largest collection of CSNY/Byrds/Buffalo Springfield memorabilia. All of them were incredibly friendly and talked at me non-stop about every aspect of music lore, the boys, the 60s, Joni, that you could imagine. All this to the backround music of the band who sounded exactly like CSNY when you closed your eyes. After hours of us all talking excitedly we settled into to singing along with the band. The band made references to Joni when introducing "Our House" and "Woodstock" Even using my best editing skills, I cannot begin to relate all the amazing stories I heard last night. Mainly I want to relate about the amazing Henry Diltz. Like Joni, he is "instantly intimate", very warm, funny, humble, and a wonderfully animated character who has the biggest sparkling smile on his face at all times. I was completely bowled over by him. He told me that he has been working on a special to air on The Learning Channel in February 2000. The show will be about all the famous 60s album covers he shot and he said there will be a special section on Joni's albums. He also said he has spoken to Joni lately regarding that show and also about contributing some photos to her upcoming books. Henry, my friend Sandy and I closed down the bar. Before we left Henry grabbed him camera and asked Sandy and I to pose for a photo (Wow!) although is was definitely an "art" shot. On the old wooden floor of the bar there was an ancient, scuffed and peeling painted stencil of an 8-ball surrounded by red cue sticks and the words "Westchester Bar". He asked us to pose our feet (both in open-toed sandals with painted toenails) near the logo and those is our only images in the photo. Look for us in Henry's next book ;-D Henry hugged and kissed us goodbye and we took off floating on a cloud. But, hey there may be another chance for a party with them and I want the SoCal group to mark their calendars for sometime in April 2000, when those guys are having a book signing and party for Dave Zimmer's updated edition of the biography. There may be some more wonderful surprises at that party and I've already been invited ;-) I keep thinking I must have hallucinated the whole night, but photos of Henry, Dave and me are right next to my keyboard as I type and an email from Scott this morning told me that more are in the mail. WOW! I'm not coming down from this one for a long time. Kakki NP: Byrds - Eight Miles High ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 19:09:32 -0700 (PDT) From: zapuppy2@webtv.net (Penny) Subject: Re: joni's letter to rickielee Thanks John, for coming up with Joni's letter to Ricki Lee! And thanks, Wally, for remembering it so well! What a hoot....as it usually is when women are observed getting catty. Being a woman myself, maybe I can get away with saying that! ;-) But as far as this whole thing of Joni vs the other women artists goes, I think I can see a bit of both sides of the coin. What a pain in the ass, waste of time and emotional energy it must be to have the media pit RLJ or Suzanne Vega or Jewel or whoever against you, year in and year out. I can see why Joni seems to cringe with being pigegon-holed in the "women artists" catagory if these type comments (ie RLJ and Vega's) are the norm for her to have to deal with when the media starts asking for the next "new Joni Mitchell" to comment. What's the great need to compare anyway???? I've never understood it, and probably never will. I'm on Joni's side all the way here. (as for the RLJ comments specifically, I'd say there was a little extra sensitive edge to that one, from how much Mingus cost Joni in terms of radio airplay) But in defense of RLJ, Vega, etc. maybe it should be a consideration that the comments seem to come early in their careers when they're feeling their way around success amid industry pressure and media hype. I would image with a few more years of adjustment under their belts, the comments made, may be much more gracious and respectful. But unfortunately, these poor *kids* get stuck with their quotes read years after they've changed or softened their views. I know I wouldn't be very proud to read some of the things I said 10, 15, or 20 years ago! Yikes!!! Idealistically Penny NP Rams-Niner's highlights. ;-) (30 year Ram fan....it's been a long time since I've been able to smile about the football season!) ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 22:10:06 EDT From: TerryM2442@aol.com Subject: Re: Highs in Low Places ;-D (Joni content) In a message dated 10/10/1999 9:49:35 PM Eastern Daylight Time, kakkib@att.net writes: << WOW! I'm not coming down from this one for a long time. >> That's it. All these incredible stories from Kakki- I'm moving to L.A. Terry ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 19:28:57 -0700 From: "Kakki" Subject: Re: Highs in Low Places ;-D (Joni content) Terry wrote: > That's it. All these incredible stories from Kakki- I'm moving to L.A. Come one, come all!! ;-D Think what we could pull off as a GROUP! :-D Also - I meant to post Henry's new web site address for those who want to see many cool photos of Joni and the others. It's at http://www.henrysgallery.com/ Kakki NP: Byrds - So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 00:11:23 EDT From: TerryM2442@aol.com Subject: Re: Highs in Low Places ;-D (Joni content) In a message dated 10/10/1999 10:58:36 PM Eastern Daylight Time, kakkib@att.net writes: << http://www.henrysgallery.com/ >> Kakki, These are just gems! Make sure you also check out the one titled Eric, David and Joni. I don't think I've ever seen that one. Terry ------------------------------ End of onlyJMDL Digest V1 #223 ****************************** The Song and Album Voting Booths are open! Cast your votes by clicking the links at http://www.jmdl.com/gallery username: jimdle password: siquomb ------- Don't forget about these ongoing projects: Glossary project: Send a blank message to for all the details. FAQ Project: Help compile the JMDL FAQ. 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