From: owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org (onlyJMDL Digest) To: onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Subject: onlyJMDL Digest V2008 #91 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 Saturday, June 28 2008 Volume 2008 : Number 091 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- For Free [Michel BYRNE ] Re: For Free ["Marian Russell" ] Re: For Free [Monika Bogdanowicz ] Lyrics of today [Monika Bogdanowicz ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:24:34 +0000 From: Michel BYRNE Subject: For Free Monika, make sure you get to hear Joni's reworking of For Free on her 1983 tour (it's on the Refuge of the Roads film). She added a gorgeous coda after each verse, with a lovely modulation from major to a strange ambivalent chord (sorry, dont have the musical education to describe it!): 'Playin like a fallen angel, / Playin like a rising star, / Playin for a hatful of nothin to the honkin of the cars...'. It really gives the song a new wistfulness, musically and lyrically. Re The Boho Dance, Sean Nelson spotted the birth of arrogance in Joni's work in that song (and HOSL more generally), in his book on Court and Spark. But I think it's an understandable development - Boho Dance seems to be written as a riposte to criticism that she's sold out as an artist, and she kicks back fighting. Also, For Free always struck me as being just on the verge of shmaltzy and over-romanticising - I mean, how happy is the clarinet-player, really: he might be playing just for the love of sharing his music, but equally he might be dirt-poor and desperate for money. It's saved by the sheer, cold-eyed honesty of having the narrator just walk on by because the lights have changed, swept along by her own, different priorities. Boho Dance then completely strips the poor-noble-struggling-artist idea of any romanticism. And I cant help thinkin - when Bob Dylan came out with songs of similar bite, even aggression, did any critic diss him for arrogance?.... M _________________________________________________________________ http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/msnnkmgl0010000009ukm/direct/01/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:42:57 +0200 From: "Marian Russell" Subject: Re: For Free Speaking of For Free, there is a beautiful guitar version done by Martin Giles in the guitar section of jmdl: http://www.jmdl.com/guitar/tab.cfm?id=310 Marian - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michel BYRNE" To: Sent: Friday, June 27, 2008 2:24 PM Subject: For Free > Monika, make sure you get to hear Joni's reworking of For Free on her 1983 > tour (it's on the Refuge of the Roads film). She added a gorgeous coda > after > each verse, with a lovely modulation from major to a strange ambivalent > chord > (sorry, dont have the musical education to describe it!): 'Playin like a > fallen angel, / Playin like a rising star, / Playin for a hatful of nothin > to > the honkin of the cars...'. It really gives the song a new wistfulness, > musically and lyrically. > > Re The Boho Dance, Sean Nelson spotted the birth of arrogance in Joni's > work > in that song (and HOSL more generally), in his book on Court and Spark. > But I > think it's an understandable development - Boho Dance seems to be written > as a > riposte to criticism that she's sold out as an artist, and she kicks back > fighting. Also, For Free always struck me as being just on the verge of > shmaltzy and over-romanticising - I mean, how happy is the > clarinet-player, > really: he might be playing just for the love of sharing his music, but > equally he might be dirt-poor and desperate for money. It's saved by the > sheer, cold-eyed honesty of having the narrator just walk on by because > the > lights have changed, swept along by her own, different priorities. Boho > Dance > then completely strips the poor-noble-struggling-artist idea of any > romanticism. And I cant help thinkin - when Bob Dylan came out with songs > of > similar bite, even aggression, did any critic diss him for arrogance?.... > M > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/msnnkmgl0010000009ukm/direct/01/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:06:48 -0700 (PDT) From: Monika Bogdanowicz Subject: Re: For Free You know, I read that book and although it was an interesting interpretation of Joni's work (and there were ideas I agreed with) there were some ideas I disagreed with and this is one of them. I don't find the HOSL to be arrogant in its tone. Just because Joni is looking outside of herself, I still feel a warmth from it. I feel as if Joni is the observer in the album and is telling a story without really judging anything. I think it is a misrepresentation of the work to say it is "arrogant" or "cold" or "condescending" (as many reviews I've read had said) in my opinion. But then again, music is subjective and different people get different feelings from it. But I dare someone to try and tell me "Sweet Bird" doesn't welcome you with open arms.....it brings such comfort. You can relate. - -Monika - --- On Fri, 6/27/08, Michel BYRNE wrote: Re The Boho Dance, Sean Nelson spotted the birth of arrogance in Joni's work in that song (and HOSL more generally), in his book on Court and Spark. But I think it's an understandable development - Boho Dance seems to be written as a riposte to criticism that she's sold out as an artist, and she kicks back fighting. Also, For Free always struck me as being just on the verge of shmaltzy and over-romanticising - I mean, how happy is the clarinet-player, really: he might be playing just for the love of sharing his music, but equally he might be dirt-poor and desperate for money. It's saved by the sheer, cold-eyed honesty of having the narrator just walk on by because the lights have changed, swept along by her own, different priorities. Boho Dance then completely strips the poor-noble-struggling-artist idea of any romanticism. And I cant help thinkin - when Bob Dylan came out with songs of similar bite, even aggression, did any critic diss him for arrogance?.... M _________________________________________________________________ http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/msnnkmgl0010000009ukm/direct/01/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:19:51 -0700 (PDT) From: Monika Bogdanowicz Subject: Lyrics of today We all know Joni has so many great lines in her song as was illustrated a bit ago by the "exploding lines" discussion. With that in mind, if you had to choose some lyrics to describe your life at this point...where you are at or what you are feeling or what you experience....without getting too personal (unless you feel the need to explain that is), what lines would you choose? Here are mine that come to mind right off: "Only a river of changing faces Looking for an ocean" "I am on a lonely road and I am traveling Traveling, traveling, traveling Looking for something, what can it be" Joni says it best. - -Monika ------------------------------ End of onlyJMDL Digest V2008 #91 ******************************** ------- Post messages to the list by clicking here: mailto:joni@smoe.org Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:onlyjoni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe