From: owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org (onlyJMDL Digest) To: onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Subject: onlyJMDL Digest V2007 #317 Reply-To: joni@smoe.org Sender: owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk Archives: http://www.smoe.org/lists/onlyjoni Websites: http://www.jmdl.com http://www.jonimitchell.com Unsubscribe: mailto:onlyjoni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe onlyJMDL Digest Sunday, October 7 2007 Volume 2007 : Number 317 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- Shine : Mojo Review [dovetusai ] Re: joni mitchell black and white photo Reprise promotional poster [Cath] joni mitchell black and white photo (Photograph - Michael Stipe and Natalie Merchant) [Susan Moss ] Mickey Mouse and Joni Mitchell, together again! [Victor Johnson ] Re: onlyJMDL Digest V2007 #315 [StDoherty@aol.com] Re: onlyJMDL Digest V2007 #315 [StDoherty@aol.com] Re: onlyJMDL Digest V2007 #315 [StDoherty@aol.com] Re: onlyJMDL Digest V2007 #315 [StDoherty@aol.com] Re: SV: Too many people/too little land [jeannie ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2007 11:55:39 +0200 From: dovetusai Subject: Shine : Mojo Review What a beautiful 5 stars review...: MOJO, October 2007 by Mat Snow JONI MICTHELL * * * * * SHINE We're hurtling to hell in a handcart: have a nice day. Provoked out of a five-year musical retirement by the sideshow 'war against terror' while the world overboils, Joni Mitchell delivers a counter-intuitive, brilliant artistic response: she bestows upon our suicidal folly the blessing of serenity. Even her trademark suspended chords of doubt and inquiry enrich the reverie of long lyrical piano- led melody lines; her voice, partially restored to its full range by physical therapy, is never raised. And so you listen when you might otherwise turn off a tour -de-force title song which itemises humanity's irretrievably overdrawn account with a loving beauty that accepts it all without fear or rage. No less hushed and hallowed, If I Had a Heart, Bad Dreams are Good and Strong and Wrong also conjure the bitterest heresy that perhaps we as a species cannot but perish by our own grasping hands, so let us at least go to our doom gracefully. And Joni being Joni, among the 10 songs here she pointedly revisits her skittish Eco-dystopia of 1970, Big Yellow Taxi: you can't say she never warned us. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2007 08:00:23 -0400 (EDT) From: Catherine McKay Subject: Re: joni mitchell black and white photo Reprise promotional poster - --- Catherine McKay wrote: > I found one that is kind of cute: > http://www.duvekot.ca/eliane/archives/2004_07.html Past the naked chick... Go to the bottom of the page. Catherine ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 06 Oct 2007 10:43:16 -0400 From: Susan Moss Subject: joni mitchell black and white photo (Photograph - Michael Stipe and Natalie Merchant) Hello, All - Mags wrote: I've just received and early bday gift, a black and white image of Joni. It is on card stock, and is a very young Joni, one with braids in her hair. It's a headshot and her face is turned slightly toward the right. She has her right hand up to her face, index finger lingering along her bottom lip. Big rings on her fingers. This is a promotional poster, as it were, from Reprise. I dont have a clue what year. Ive done a bit of searching but so far have found nothing. I have seen many images of Joni, but never this one. It's gorgeous, she looks very happy, and beautiful. If anyone can help identify when/where and by whom the photograph was taken, I would greatly appreciate that. I dont have a lot of Joni stuff, so this was a complete surprise. Dang, I'm one lucky gal. This sounds very similar to a photo my friend Robert Corwin took, of Joni at Newport, 1969 - I actually donated 5 signed (by Robert, not Joni...? :-)?postcards of this to the JoniFest raffle a few years back... http://www.robertcorwin.com/historic.html Scroll about 2/3 of the way down - does this look familiar? Susan www.labyrinthcafe.com ? "god bless the sound of music god bless the golden rule..." ~ Danny Schmidt ________________________________________________________________________ Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 06 Oct 2007 12:41:06 -0700 From: "Mark Scott" Subject: thoughts on Shine - long I have listened to Shine a few times now. Although I haven't become familiar enough with it to do a song by song review, I do have some impressions that I would like to share with my fellow Joni fans. Like a few other people on the JMDL, I was somewhat disappointed and apprehensive when I first read the song lyrics for this cd on JoniMitchell.com. The thematic content was not surprising, pretty much what I was expecting. But, with one or two notable exceptions, most of the lyrics seemed a bit on the awkward side and there didn't seem to be much of the beautifully crafted turns of phrase and poetic imagery that Joni has consistently delivered over the years. Joni's lyrics are what initially drew me to her music. She has amazed me over and over again by seeming to express my own feelings in intelligent but heart-felt words, words that are so creatively arranged and so clever that they stimulate the brain and resound in the ear. Maybe not poetry, but certainly poetic in nature. In my opinion, there are a few of her songs that at least approach the level of poetry in their careful construction and compression of meaning. However, after becoming a member of the JMDL way back when and reading all the thoughts, opinions and commentary from the many musicians that belong to this community, over the years I have developed a better appreciation for Joni's musical innovation and creativity. Although I always loved the music Joni has created, it was always secondary to the lyrics and I never spent as much analytical thought on the musical aspect as I did with the lyrical. The JMDL has educated me in many ways and for that I am eternally grateful. So I decided I would reserve judgment on Shine until I had actually heard it. Keeping an open mind is not always the easiest thing for me to do but, in this case, it was well worth doing. For maybe the first time, the thing that first struck me most about a new Joni Mitchell release was the music, not the words. The music for Shine drew me in almost right away. The textures and colors of this particular musical landscape engage my senses and keep me coming back to experience it again and again. Yes, I hear echoes of piano figures from Court and Spark. Yes I half expect to hear 'Sex Kills' after the guitar intro to 'If'. There are reminders of many of Joni's previous works scattered through-out Shine. But once again, Joni has drawn on all of her previous output and taken up various strands and woven something entirely new. She uses her considerable foundation and builds something that sounds new and fresh to me. In my opinion, she has always done this with every successive album. Each builds on what came before and takes it all to another level. My impression is that Joni was operating under several different motivations in making Shine. Certainly there was a strong desire to get a message out. I think that ultimately, she was less concerned with poetry in writing the lyrics than she was with communicating. Much of the lyrical content is direct and sometimes blunt. Joni's vision of ecological disaster and societal indifference is not pretty. She's laying it on the line here, no holds barred, in language that is easy to understand and to the point. I am not completely sure about which came first and I may be wrong about this, but some of the songs for Shine were originally created for the ballet, were they not? If that is the case, I'm thinking that Joni was thinking about dance and movement when she composed the music for some of the songs on Shine. After seeing clips from the ballet and thoroughly enjoying the eye candy on the cover of the cd ;-), I very much want to see the film that was made of it. When Aleda asked if we thought some people would miss the love songs on a new Joni Mitchell cd, my thought was that it isn't love songs that I would necessarily like to hear from Joni. I think it would be more interesting to hear something about her whole experience of finding her daughter and being a mother and grandmother. But maybe those experiences are too intensely personal for Joni to share. She may have protective feelings toward Kilauren, Marlin and Daisy as well that make her want to keep them pretty much out of the glare of public scrutiny. On the other hand, I have been mulling over the lyrical motif in the title song, 'let your little light shine', and thinking that perhaps, indirectly, Shine is about Joni's grandchildren. Maybe the 'little light' she refers to is partly meant to be the perception of these two young humans that have so enriched her life. Their little lights are shining on a planet that seems to be balanced on a critical edge. They illuminate global warming, war, overpopulation, indifference, greed, spiritual bankruptcy and all kinds of bad dreams that are glaringly prominent elements of the great plan as it now presents itself. And then again, maybe she is urging us all to let our little lights shine, become aware, focus our perceptions outward and focus our energies to become a united force for positive change. Maybe we can at least start the process of change that will motivate successive generations to continue to do the hard work and make the sacrifices needed to turn things around. There is hope in Shine. The little lights also shine on good humor, good will and a hopeful girl in a dreamy dress. And in the end she gives us a recipe for survival and tells us we'll be alright 'cause you've got the fight, you've got the insight'. Maybe she does think it's illogical, but in the end she is still holding out hope and urging us all to do the same. Maybe it's not too late after all. Mark E. in Seattle ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2007 17:51:32 -0400 From: Victor Johnson Subject: Mickey Mouse and Joni Mitchell, together again! Act now, and you can get Mickey Mouse Disco plus Joni Mitchell Hissing of Summer Lawns. What a combination! I know I always think of Mickey when I'm listening to Shades of Scarlet Conquering. Better hurry though, there's only 2 days left! http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ViewItem&Item=170154689134&Category=306&_trksid=p3907.m29 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 06 Oct 2007 17:59:14 -0400 From: motitan@aol.com Subject: Re: SV: Too many people/too little land B Hey, all is well then.B I didn't mean to upset you but from what I read (oh how writing is so easily misconstrued) anything with anyone and Hitler in the same sentence (in any sort of relation) is never a good thing (especially when it comes to Joni!).B I realize you don't actually think Joni's thinking is like Hitler's but the one comment suggested some similarity so I just wanted some clarification.B B This is what a discussion list is for!B No hard feelings, much Joni love to you. - -Monika - -----Original Message----- From: Marion Leffler To: motitan@aol.com; joni@smoe.org Sent: Sat, 6 Oct 2007 2:07 pm Subject: SV: Too many people/too little land Hi Monika, ince I was the one who mentioned Hitler I have to clarify one major mportant thing here: I did not compare Joni's thinking to Hitler. What I aid was that some people might get the idea that reducing population would ave the earth, and that was what I compared to Hitler's cry for Lebensraum. elieve me, Monika, I do know German history! And I was very clear in my ost that I did not mean to say that Joni was suggesting something like hat. So this time you really did misunderstand me. I sure hope nobody else id, because if so, I will unsub because I couldn't stand the thought of nybody believing I compared Joni to Hitler. The sheer absurdity is psetting me. arion - -----Ursprungligt meddelande----- rC%n: owner-onlyjoni@smoe.org [mailto:owner-onlyjoni@smoe.org] FC6r otitan@aol.com kickat: den 6 oktober 2007 05:24 ill: joni@smoe.org mne: Too many people/too little land "There's just too many people now oo little land..." ? I can't find who it is my email folder but someone recently mentioned eing uneasy with this particular line.? A JMDL poster said it seemed like oni was?suggesting (unintentionally I suppose) some sort of population ontrol and compared Joni's?thinking in this line to what Hitler was trying o do.? I have to say I don't find this line far off the mark at all.? In act, there's a lot of truth in it.? We, as humans, keep reproducing at a asty, hasty rate, using up resources (especially limited one with such ase), building here, building there,?etc etc.? I don't think Joni was rying to suggest killing anyone off or any means of population control at ll.? She was simply stating?what she thought.?? And it's unfair to compare her thinking to Hitler.? Hitler wasn't trying o reduce the population.? He was trying to exterminate certain groups of eople while ENCOURAGING reproduction among others he found to be superior his Aryan race...I believe his goal was to have some x million German, ryan babies be born but the number was?closer to x hundred thousand or so). That's not the same at all.? Joni speaks the truth.? Hitler spoke from his wn twisted misconceptions. Monika??? ________________________________________________________________________ mail and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - ttp://mail.aol.com ________________________________________________________________________ Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 06 Oct 2007 19:07:55 -0400 From: Deb Messling Subject: Re: thoughts on Shine - long Great post, Mark!!! Just the other day, I finally got around to thinking about the meaning of Shine and specifically the little light. I just love the idea that the light represents her grandchildren. I also think of the Quaker concept of the light within - the divine presence that we find in ourselves through silent contemplation, that prompts us to acts of good in the world. If there is a recurring theme in Shine, it's a vision of spirituality that's an alternative to the Nobodaddy of Christianity. The rational spirituality of Buddhism, and the love-centered spirituality inherent in Universalism. At 03:41 PM 10/6/2007, you wrote: >On the other hand, I have been mulling over the lyrical motif in the >title song, 'let your little light shine', and thinking that >perhaps, indirectly, Shine is about Joni's grandchildren. Maybe the >'little light' she refers to is partly meant to be the perception of >these two young humans that have so enriched her life. Their little >lights are shining on a planet that seems to be balanced on a >critical edge. They illuminate global warming, war, overpopulation, >indifference, greed, spiritual bankruptcy and all kinds of bad >dreams that are glaringly prominent elements of the great plan as it >now presents itself. > >And then again, maybe she is urging us all to let our little lights >shine, become aware, focus our perceptions outward and focus our >energies to become a united force for positive change. Maybe we can >at least start the process of change that will motivate successive >generations to continue to do the hard work and make the sacrifices >needed to turn things around. > >There is hope in Shine. The little lights also shine on good humor, >good will and a hopeful girl in a dreamy dress. And in the end she >gives us a recipe for survival and tells us we'll be alright 'cause >you've got the fight, you've got the insight'. > >Maybe she does think it's illogical, but in the end she is still >holding out hope and urging us all to do the same. Maybe it's not >too late after all. > >Mark E. in Seattle - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Deb Messling -^..^- dlmessling@rcn.com http://www.sensibleshoes.vox.com - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2007 20:22:33 EDT From: StDoherty@aol.com Subject: Re: onlyJMDL Digest V2007 #315 In a message dated 10/5/2007 3:45:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time, owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org writes: - ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2007 10:28:17 -0700 (PDT) From: rian afriadi Subject: Dog Eat Dog i dont know why critics hate this album i found "impossible dreamer" and "lucky girl" better than every songs from TTT, even CMIARS ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2007 20:21:35 EDT From: StDoherty@aol.com Subject: Re: onlyJMDL Digest V2007 #315 In a message dated 10/5/2007 3:45:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time, owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org writes: Then my thoughts moved to the first time I discovered Joni Mitchell.com and read all about Wally Breese and followed his fight to stay alive. Soon after, I found my way to the JMDL and I remembered people's love for Mary Grace, whom I never got to meet, and Jack Nielsen who I did get the good fortune to meet at Joni Fest 2003. I remember so distinctly his version of Blue Boy. So my thoughts today have been very much with those who have loved Joni's music as I have, but won't ever get to hear 'Shine'. I'm going to send them, and those I may have forgotten but have been part of this list, lots of love and hope that, wherever they are, their little lights are shining! Anita I'm a long time lurker - so while I didn't know the folks referenced above e-personally - I do have a sense of what they meant to this community. I love the essence of this post. ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2007 20:22:23 EDT From: StDoherty@aol.com Subject: Re: onlyJMDL Digest V2007 #315 In a message dated 10/5/2007 3:45:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time, owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org writes: - ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2007 10:28:17 -0700 (PDT) From: rian afriadi Subject: Dog Eat Dog i dont know why critics hate this album i found "impossible dreamer" and "lucky girl" better than every songs from TTT, even CMIARS ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2007 20:23:56 EDT From: StDoherty@aol.com Subject: Re: onlyJMDL Digest V2007 #315 In a message dated 10/5/2007 3:45:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time, owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org writes: - ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2007 10:28:17 -0700 (PDT) From: rian afriadi Subject: Dog Eat Dog i dont know why critics hate this album It's a great album ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2007 17:49:00 -0700 (PDT) From: jeannie Subject: Re: SV: Too many people/too little land Oh, Dearest Marion, You're too right on to be misconstrued here on the JMDL. I meant to tell you days ago, after you felt livelier after that little bout of feeling sort of lowdown with the seasonal changes, that your Shine review was written and expressed so beautifully. You're gifted in so many ways, Marion. So, just don't ever give up your fight for the light, nor let yourself get dimmed. You're light years ahead of the game and I'm so glad you are here. Lovingly, Jeannie PS: Monika's one of the coolest of the coolest fair and tender, young maidens here on the JMDL and extremely intelligent. motitan@aol.com wrote: B Hey, all is well then.B I didn't mean to upset you but from what I read (oh how writing is so easily misconstrued) anything with anyone and Hitler in the same sentence (in any sort of relation) is never a good thing (especially when it comes to Joni!).B I realize you don't actually think Joni's thinking is like Hitler's but the one comment suggested some similarity so I just wanted some clarification.B B This is what a discussion list is for!B No hard feelings, much Joni love to you. - -Monika - -----Original Message----- From: Marion Leffler To: motitan@aol.com; joni@smoe.org Sent: Sat, 6 Oct 2007 2:07 pm Subject: SV: Too many people/too little land Hi Monika, ince I was the one who mentioned Hitler I have to clarify one major mportant thing here: I did not compare Joni's thinking to Hitler. What I aid was that some people might get the idea that reducing population would ave the earth, and that was what I compared to Hitler's cry for Lebensraum. elieve me, Monika, I do know German history! And I was very clear in my ost that I did not mean to say that Joni was suggesting something like hat. So this time you really did misunderstand me. I sure hope nobody else id, because if so, I will unsub because I couldn't stand the thought of nybody believing I compared Joni to Hitler. The sheer absurdity is psetting me. arion - -----Ursprungligt meddelande----- rC%n: owner-onlyjoni@smoe.org [mailto:owner-onlyjoni@smoe.org] FC6r otitan@aol.com kickat: den 6 oktober 2007 05:24 ill: joni@smoe.org mne: Too many people/too little land "There's just too many people now oo little land..." ? I can't find who it is my email folder but someone recently mentioned eing uneasy with this particular line.? A JMDL poster said it seemed like oni was?suggesting (unintentionally I suppose) some sort of population ontrol and compared Joni's?thinking in this line to what Hitler was trying o do.? I have to say I don't find this line far off the mark at all.? In act, there's a lot of truth in it.? We, as humans, keep reproducing at a asty, hasty rate, using up resources (especially limited one with such ase), building here, building there,?etc etc.? I don't think Joni was rying to suggest killing anyone off or any means of population control at ll.? She was simply stating?what she thought.?? And it's unfair to compare her thinking to Hitler.? Hitler wasn't trying o reduce the population.? He was trying to exterminate certain groups of eople while ENCOURAGING reproduction among others he found to be superior his Aryan race...I believe his goal was to have some x million German, ryan babies be born but the number was?closer to x hundred thousand or so). That's not the same at all.? Joni speaks the truth.? Hitler spoke from his wn twisted misconceptions. Monika??? ________________________________________________________________________ mail and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - ttp://mail.aol.com ________________________________________________________________________ Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com - --------------------------------- Boardwalk for $500? In 2007? Ha! Play Monopoly Here and Now (it's updated for today's economy) at Yahoo! Games. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2007 00:31:13 -0300 From: "Miguel Arrondo" Subject: Re: Famous Blue Raincoat 20th Anniv. Lindsay wrote, talking about Jennifer Warnes and her L. Cohen cover album "she did say she talked to Starbucks about releasing this for her and they said they didn't think she was in the Starbucks demographic. Huh? Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell are but she's not?" I'd say that Joni or Dylan are very far ahead and above Warren, very, very far... I like the Famous Blue Raincoat album very much, I listen to many other artists too, but let`s not compare diamonds with marble... Thanks anyway for the info, I don't have the bonus tracks in my CD (it must be the 4th or 5th anniversary edition :) ) And to Rian, there is a two stars chorus with Joni and James Taylor in the song "Will you still love me tomorrow", from the famous Tapestry album by Carole King, and I remember too "Another sleep song", by Graha Nash... I think there are many colaborations by Joni, we should check the web section. Here in Buenos Aires Shine is about to be released in a few days... no Starbucks nearby. Saludos a todos, Miguel ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2007 23:10:40 -0500 From: "Dan Olson" Subject: Shine Greetings All: Four and a half years ago, due to the loss of my email address and a geographic relocation (I moved from a remote spot in the mountains of Colorado to the inner city of Minneapolis), I lost my connection to the discussion list. With the release of "Shine," I have finally rejoined the list. I never meant to be gone so long. My take on Shine: "One week last summer": Too soon to comment. This Place: Opening guitar riff reminds me of a number of songs on NRH and TI; But the SOUND reminds me of "The Crazy Cries of Love": (It's the unique combination of Joni's electronic guitar, Greg Leisz's unique pedal steel sound - mispelled "peddle" steel on TTT, soprano sax, and HER VOICE), which she has mastered on "Shine" (it worked extremely well on that one tune on TTT, but not any others, IMO). If I had a heart: TTT Hana: The driving rhythm reminds me of "Slouching Towards Bethlehem", with the electronic effects of Shiny Toys (maybe DED in general). Bad Dreams: Taming the Tiger (on solo piano), complete with cat reference. BYT: I think this version is fantastic (I've always considered her LOC version my least favorite song of hers). Notable is the driving rhythm in spite of no drums (analog or electronic), and a completely solo effort by Joni. Night of the Iguana: Shine: Others have hinted at the overpowering emotional response that I feel listening to this. I can't think of any of her earlier work that this reminds me of. Is it the extremely deep bass (an octave or two lower than a normal analog bass)? Is it the extremely slow tempo? The second time I heard it (driving on my way to work), I burst into tears, and had to turn it off. If: Obviously starts out like "sex kills". Joni's piano playing is remarkable, and much more of a traditional jazz style than I've ever heard from her. Is this the first album in a very long time (like DJRD) that she played considerable, if any acoustic piano? "Two Grey Rooms" comes to mind, though we now know (from the Geffen boxed set) that she composed the music (played it?) in the WTRF era (also, an incredibly long time ago). As for Joni's tunes standing on their own without her words: Yes, many of them work as jazz tunes, but a voice (as in musical instrument) has to play the melodies that Joni sings. I think I can appreciate all of the songs on Shine, listening to her voice as an instrument, for the most part, without trying to find meaning in the words. I long for the subtle images she used to convey (a very long ago). But IMO, her voice has never been better. I just started listening to "River" (H. Hancock). I was going to ask why Wayne Shorter is not on Shine. He's been on EVERY Joni album since DJRD (except S & L). I was wondering if Wayne had quit playing or become ill, but he's certainly alive and well (and fantastic) on "River". Imagine if Joni had recorded "Shine" with with that band. Cheers. ------------------------------ End of onlyJMDL Digest V2007 #317 ********************************* ------- Post messages to the list by clicking here: mailto:joni@smoe.org Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:onlyjoni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe ------- Siquomb, isn't she? (http://www.siquomb.com/siquomb.cfm)