From: owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org (onlyJMDL Digest) To: onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Subject: onlyJMDL Digest V2009 #187 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 Monday, July 13 2009 Volume 2009 : Number 187 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- Magdalene [Rian Afriadi ] Re: Magdalene [Gerald Notaro ] Re: Magdalene [gerard mclaughlin ] Re: Eilidh Grant sigs Joni Mitchell [gerard mclaughlin ] Writers on music... and Joni [PassScribe@aol.com] Re: Joni - A Tribute To The Legendary Joni Mitchell [Melissa Gibbs ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 12 Jul 2009 03:18:56 -0700 (PDT) From: Rian Afriadi Subject: Magdalene Magdalene is trembling Like a washing on a line Trembling and gleaming Never before was a man so kind Never so redeeming The question is, who is this Magdalene? Joni used 2 Magdalenes on her song : Passion Play and Magdalene Laundries. And they both sound sorrowful. But Magdalene on PP has no relations with Magdalene on Magdalene Laundries, right? Just came in my mind. Rian NP. Peter Joback - Stockholm i Natt ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 12 Jul 2009 07:47:48 -0400 From: Gerald Notaro Subject: Re: Magdalene Not specifically, but as of Mary Magdalene of the of the New Testament. A penitent woman, a woman who had sinned, but was saved by Jesus with the phrase "may the first of you who have not sinned throw the first stone." No doubt, the guilt Joni felt for her unwed pregnancy and giving up her daughter lead to "Magdalene" becoming such a major character in her writing. Jerry On Sun, Jul 12, 2009 at 6:18 AM, Rian Afriadi wrote: > Magdalene > is trembling > > Like a washing on a line > > Trembling and gleaming > > Never before was a man so kind > > Never so redeeming > > > The question is, who is this Magdalene? > > Joni used 2 Magdalenes on her song : Passion Play and Magdalene Laundries. > And they both sound sorrowful. > But Magdalene on PP has no relations with Magdalene on Magdalene Laundries, > right? > > Just came in my mind. > > > > Rian > NP. Peter Joback - Stockholm i Natt > - -- Jerry ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 12 Jul 2009 13:55:23 +0100 From: gerard mclaughlin Subject: Re: Magdalene I have always taken this Magdalene to be Mary of Magdala from the gospels and the man who has been kinder than any other the Christ. Joni refers to herself of course but in a sort of everyman way . "I am up a sycamore" I took to be taken from the story of the little man who wanted a good view of Jesus as he passed by but because the crowds were so big he climbed up into a sycamore tree to get a good look .Best seat in the house as it were. (The gods?) His efforts paid off as Christ not only noticed him but asked him to come down and take him to his house for dinner. One of my favourite Joni lines of them all is "Magdalene is trembling like a washing on a line, trembling and gleaming..." Of course there is no evidence that Mary of Magdala was the penitent we have come to call the Magdalene.The man in the Sycamore tree is clearly defined as a rogue - a sinner of some position.If my memory serves me correctly he was a bit of a swindler.Maryof Magdala on the other hand was a highly regarded woman in the early church.Apostle to the apostles is a title accorded her. Augustine- one of Joni's favourites!- branded her as a whore and the rest is history. Whatever, I am sure most folks who appreciated him trembled like a washing on a line whenever they saw him so Mary of Magdala would have as well no doubt. She must have on the day she found the empty tomb.She being the first to see him after the resurection. I am ashamed to admit though all the exon blues etc throw me and I haven't ever got to understand what this beautiful song is really all about. I sing that first line often myself when i am feeling particularly happy though! Any help with the rest of the song would be gratefully appreciated. On Sun, Jul 12, 2009 at 12:47 PM, Gerald Notaro wrote: > Not specifically, but as of Mary Magdalene of the of the New Testament. A > penitent woman, a woman who had sinned, but was saved by Jesus with the > phrase "may the first of you who have not sinned throw the first stone." No > doubt, the guilt Joni felt for her unwed pregnancy and giving up her > daughter lead to "Magdalene" becoming such a major character in her > writing. > > Jerry > > On Sun, Jul 12, 2009 at 6:18 AM, Rian Afriadi wrote: > > > Magdalene > > is trembling > > > > Like a washing on a line > > > > Trembling and gleaming > > > > Never before was a man so kind > > > > Never so redeeming > > > > > > The question is, who is this Magdalene? > > > > Joni used 2 Magdalenes on her song : Passion Play and Magdalene > Laundries. > > And they both sound sorrowful. > > But Magdalene on PP has no relations with Magdalene on Magdalene > Laundries, > > right? > > > > Just came in my mind. > > > > > > > > Rian > > NP. Peter Joback - Stockholm i Natt > > > > > > -- > Jerry ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:05:09 +0100 From: gerard mclaughlin Subject: Re: Eilidh Grant sigs Joni Mitchell njc. and then the rain came!! What a downpour after all that sunshine! Gerry in rainy Glasgow. Just going to look at Eilidh singing Joni. Thanks. On Sat, Jul 11, 2009 at 11:06 PM, Gordon MacKie wrote: > Dear all > I was at a concert the other night in Glasgow to hear Eilidh ( pronounced > Ailie) Grant perform at St Andrews n the Square. A most wonderful space and > most wonderful performer. She sang two Joni songs - 'A Case of You' and' > Little Green'. She spent some time speaking of her love of Joni and the > story behind 'Little Green' > > You can hear her sing 'Little Green' hear > > http://www.eilidhgrant.com/html/news_page.htm > > Very moving... > > > See where she performed these Joni songs > > > http://www.standrewsinthesquare.com/Flash/saints.html > > Magical > > Gordon in sunny Glasgow ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 12 Jul 2009 10:11:30 EDT From: Warrenkeith91354@aol.com Subject: Re: The Magdalene Laundries Date: Sat, 11 Jul 2009 09:36:18 -0700 From: "Mark Scott" Subject: Re: The Magdalene Laundries Thanks for this, Laura. I love this song and think it is one of Joni's masterpieces, somewhat overlooked. It has a beautiful, haunting melody that is perfectly wedded to some wonderful lyrics. It's one of those songs that tells a personal story but manages to pack a wallop of a message as well. I can't understand how anyone can listen to this song and say Joni has never produced anything that matches the quality of her 70s work. Mark in Seattle - - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Laura Stanley" To: Sent: Friday, July 10, 2009 10:35 PM Subject: The Magdalene Laundries > _http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU1Zymqlhko&feature=related_ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU1Zymqlhko&feature=related) Mark I couldn't agree with you more. I would goes as far as to say "Turbulent Indigo" ,as a whole, is proof that Joni is still capable of matching the quality of her 70's work. I have several friends who hadn't bought a Joni album since "Court and Spark", heard "TI," and immediately purchased it.It is a beautiful work of art, of which I never tire. Enough said... **************Summer concert season is here! Find your favorite artists on tour at TourTracker.com. (http://www.tourtracker.com/?ncid=emlcntusmusi00000006) ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 12 Jul 2009 09:14:33 -0700 From: "Mark Scott" Subject: Re: Magdalene - ----- Original Message ----- From: "gerard mclaughlin" The man in the Sycamore tree is clearly > defined as a rogue - a sinner of some position.If my memory serves > me correctly he was a bit of a swindler. If I remember correctly from Sunday school and church, the man who climbed the tree to see Jesus was a tax collector named Zaccheus. He was not liked by the people, of course, being a tax collector. This may have been the place in the New Testament where Jesus makes the remark in reference to taxes, 'render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and render unto God what is God's', maybe in defense of Zaccheus. But I couldn't swear to that since I am a lapsed Xtian who doesn't subscribe to any organized religion anymore. And I never really read the Bible all the way through. I did read the book of Job after hearing Joni's 'The Sire of Sorrow (Job's Sad Song)', just to get the background for that song. > > I am ashamed to admit though all the exon blues etc throw me and I > haven't > ever got to understand what this beautiful song is really all about. > I sing > that first line often myself when i am feeling particularly happy > though! > Any help with the rest of the song would be gratefully appreciated. Well I have never been 100% certain of what Joni's meanings are in this song but I do have some ideas. I think the first part of the title, 'Passion Play', holds a key. A Passion Play is a play that portrays the final days of Jesus' life. The lyric in question is preceeded by what seems to be a stage direction 'enter the multitudes'. So it would seem that the song may not be about the actual events leading up to the crucifixion, but a theatrical representation of them, staged in the present day. From my theatrical studies in my college days, I remember that basic stage lighting typically has 2 basic colors. They are called steel blue and bastard amber (don't ask me why the one is called 'bastard' amber). So I think Exxon blue and radiation rose might be a reference to stage lighting and at the same time a comment on the ecological mess we have made of our planet, a theme Joni returns to again and again, and most fully expands on in the album 'Shine'. Or it might be the color of the costumes the actors are wearing. But I lean more toward the lighting interpretation since Exxon blue and radiation rose both refer to a kind of light or glow. And the line 'who you gonna get to do the dirty work when all the slaves are free?' seems to me to be an almost cynical questioning of Jesus' teachings, perhaps coming from Zaccheus. If we all truly love our fellow men and there are no more people who are obscenely wealth or devastatingly poor, who will do all the unpleasant, underpaid work that, to many, feels like slavery? Just my thoughts and opinions. This is one of my favorite Joni songs and another 90s masterpiece, imo. I have always loved delving into it and trying to work out a plausible interpretation of its lyrics. I would love to hear other people's opinions on the subject. I always post about this one when it comes up. So to some of you I'm sure my comments must seem redundant. But I just can't resist writing about it when someone brings it up. Mark in Seattle ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 12 Jul 2009 15:09:22 EDT From: PassScribe@aol.com Subject: Writers on music... and Joni Sunday's "Fanfare" section of (Long Island's) Newsday features five contemporary writers and their picks for favorite albums. It's part of an anthology by Peter Terzian called, "Heavy Rotation: Twenty Writers on the Albums That Changed Their Lives" (Harper Perennial, $14.99 paper). Obviously only a snippet from his entry, Colm Toibin (author of "The Blackwater Lightship,") picked Joni's Blue. The scoop: Mitchell's pain is felt across the Pond in Ireland. Fond Memory: "Soon the problems began and the problems were serious. I simply could not stop listening to it. First thing in the morning, last thing at night and all day in between." Revelation: "It matters to me still that Joni Mitchell meant business when she wrote most of these songs, that she was not laughing up her sleeve as she sang them at the effect they might have on a confused boy in a small town." Interesting... Kenny B ************** An Excellent Credit Score is 750. See Yours in Just 2 Easy Steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1222377098x1201454399/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=62& bcd=JulyExcfooterNO62) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2009 07:57:57 +1000 From: Melissa Gibbs Subject: Re: Joni - A Tribute To The Legendary Joni Mitchell Hi Mark - nice to hear from you. I9m definitely interested in this. I checked out the website, and it9s undergoing maintenance at the moment and wont be operating again until 14 July. Nevertheless, Katie Noonan, Wendy Matthews and Tania Bowra are enough of a drawcard for me. I9ll have another look at the website on the 14th. Melissa in chilly Sydney NP - ABC radio news ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 12 Jul 2009 17:39:46 -0500 From: T Peckham Subject: Re: Magdalene Very interesting analysis, everyone. What about "It's takes a heart like Mary's these days when your man gets weak . . ."? ;-) Terra, another ex-"Xtian" (brilliant!) who is happy to remember very little of the Bible. > > > Joni used 2 Magdalenes on her song : Passion Play and Magdalene Laundries. > And they both sound sorrowful. > But Magdalene on PP has no relations with Magdalene on Magdalene Laundries, > right? > > Just came in my mind. > > > > Rian > NP. Peter Joback - Stockholm i Natt > - -- Some things in life it just gets too late to learn . . . --Bob Dylan ------------------------------ End of onlyJMDL Digest V2009 #187 ********************************* ------- Post messages to the list by clicking here: mailto:joni@smoe.org Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:onlyjoni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe