From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V4 #244 Reply-To: shindell-list@smoe.org Sender: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk shindell-list-digest Monday, August 26 2002 Volume 04 : Number 244 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [RS] archives vs new old threads [Jim Colbert ] [RS] Undeliverable mail--"if this doesn" [postmaster ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 26 Aug 2002 08:58:10 -0400 From: Jim Colbert Subject: [RS] archives vs new old threads Let's face it, there only are so many songs around that can be fodder for song of the week. The fact that one has been talked about before shouldn't discourage anyone from bringing one up again, IMHO. There are usually valid points about SOTW in the archives, but that's never the final word. Unless Richard actually contributes his thoughts on a song, we all have our own interpretations and meanings to the songs; different things touch each of us differently. There have been points of view presented that I would have never considered, and they often made perfect sense when things were explained a bit. Iron gate about a dog is a great example, and the first thing that made me want to do was grab the disc and listen to it. (Sadly, I could not because it is in my truck and I am on my motorcycle today.) After a show at Godfrey Daniels once Richard and I spoke briefly about Merle Haggard, about the song Kern River. I always kind of thought that could have been about a dog, too... good tune in any case. Dave Alvin has done a cover of it a few years back too. Jim Colbert somewhere near bellefonte PA ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Aug 2002 12:19:40 -0400 From: postmaster Subject: [RS] Undeliverable mail--"if this doesn" The following mail can't be sent to gwallace@columbus.rr.com: From: shindell-list@smoe.org To: gwallace@columbus.rr.com Subject: if this doesn The attachment is the original mail ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Aug 2002 12:34:44 EDT From: Pfleary@aol.com Subject: [RS] Sebastopol, CA 8/24 This was one of those amazing shows where everything just came together in perfect harmony. My wife noticed it as we sat waiting for the show to begin. "This is a happy crowd," she said. I looked around and people did seem really glad to be there, smiling, greeting neighbors, and just generally anticipating a good time. Richard played first of course, and although there were a few of us letting out little whoops and clapping hard, it was obvious that this was most people's first exposure to Richard. People also gave themselves away as neophytes by laughing their way through the first few lines of Mary Magdalene. Richard felt compelled to pause for a second and say that the song was about to stop being funny. He dazzled the audience and picked up quite a few fans. He walked on stage to polite and friendly applause and left to a standing ovation. I forgot my handy little spiral pad and pen at home and almost didn't get a set list. But, thanks to Holly fishing around in her purse and finding an eye liner pencil and a gas station receipt, I am able to provide this set list for y'all: Next Best Western Mary Magdalene Arrowhead Wisteria Beyond the Iron Gate Transit Farewell to Saint Dolores (very nice, he was joined by Joan's band here and Rani Arbo sang harmony as well as played violin) ENCORE: Are You Happy Now? Joan's set was longer, of course, but Richard was on stage most of the time, with the exception being when Joan did solo songs or played with just one member of her band. I had never seen Joan prior to this night, but had grown up listening to my big sister's Joan Baez records. She was in fine form and could obviously feel the love from the audience, telling us over and over what a cool crowd we were. We were the coolest crowd thus far she said at one point, claiming that she did not say that every night. Also her parents were there in the audience, sitting just a couple of rows in front of us, and she was really happy to have them there. Her set was an amazing mix of covers and old faves. A mostly complete list follows, but I think I missed a few, due to the eye liner pencil wearing down and the gas receipt running out of room: Rexroth's Daughter (a Greg Brown song, she referred to Greg as "pure gold") Elvis Presley Blues (by Gillian Welch) Reunion Hill (what a high it must be for Richard to hear an old peacenik like Joan call this the best anti-war song ever written) The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (an audience sing along on the nananana part) Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos) (Woody Guthrie) Christmas In Washington (Steve Earle) Joe Hill The Mountain (she spoke lovingly of Dave Carter and talked about how songs would come to him in his dreams. "He would go to sleep, dreams a song, wake up and then write it down---the bastard!" Richard chimed in, "it was sickening." This cracked me up and brought a tear to my eye as well. With all the heavy mourning of Dave that has been going on and that I have been engaging in, it felt good to laugh and be a bit irreverent). She then introduced her parents and did an Irish song for her mom and a Spanish song for her dad. Then she told a story (with songs) about her brief flirtation with R&B in early high school, dedicating it to local R&B legend Johnny Otis. Very funny story. Gospel Ship Flora Sing Me Back Home (Richard sang lead on this) First Encore (with band): (It's All Over Now) Baby Blue. This was a great rockin' version of this song. I always get a kick out of people imitating Bob Dylan, but there's something especially entertaining about hearing Joan Baez do it! Second Encore: Diamonds and Rust Like I said it was a great show. I would have to call it the best I've seen all year, and I have seen some really wonderful shows this year. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Aug 2002 17:43:09 -0400 From: B Gallagher Subject: [RS] Re: shindell-list-digest V4 #243 on 8/26/02 4:55 AM, shindell-list-digest at owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org wrote: > Subject: [RS] bark bark > > Have any of you ever listened to Beyond the Iron Gate and heard it as a song > about a dog? My brother offered that interpretation recently which I > thought was very interesting having never considered that perspective > before. I've never heard an explanation from Richard about it's meaning. > > Bill Actually all of Shindell's songs are about dogs, except for "Courier", which is about pigeons. Bart ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Aug 2002 20:23:21 -0400 From: Joe Lanzalotto Subject: Re: [RS] RS-Christian Imagery Adam: I'm 50 years old, Catholic and NOT fiercely religious, but do know that you have not talked to "most" Catholics to ascertain that they have "figured it all out". Like most religions, we believe what we believe. Catholics lately have had their faith severely tested and I would guess that most of them do not believe that they have it all figured out, quite the contrary. Its too bad that at 22 you have seen enough of the world to make sweeping statements about very large groups of people, like all Catholics. Joe adam plunkett wrote: > I am 22 years old and have been in catholic education > since i was 14. I am not Catholic. The main problem, > to me, is an idea of rightness. To most Catholics and > Christians is an idea that they have figured it all > out. And they press this belief on others. > > I like Richard's music because it is religious on a > non-denominational sense. Yes, its clear what his > religion is but we don't have any down your throat > songwriters. > > I have always been a fan of Southern songwriter Pierce > Pettis, a Christian who Richard has recommended in > concert. he is a wonderful songwriter but I really > find his "religious" songs overbearing. > > Take "Next Best Western". I see it more as a complex > story song about losing spirituality in a tough world > than any sort of preaching. > > -Adam > > --- Lisa Davis & Family > wrote: > > You misunderstand. First off, the very idea that I > > would suggest, even > > for a second, that Richard's music "should" or > > "should not" reflect > > anything one way or the other, is absurd! As if! > > > > Anyway, the point is that in a Christian-dominated > > country there is > > always anxiety from non-Christians that Christians > > who make repeated > > overt and repeated reference to the particular > > features of their > > religion may be proselytizing or at the very least, > > speaking only to a > > select group of listeners, the in-crowd. (There is > > a whole category of > > "Christian" music that markets itself as such, and > > is speaking to a > > particular audience.) Obviously, I'm a major > > Richard fan and don't feel > > that way about his music. In fact, I think early on > > this ATTRACTED me > > to Richard's music simply because it made clear he > > was dealing with > > difficult spiritual issues, that interested me. > > (I'm thinking of Sea if > > Fleur-de-Lys and Nora in particular -- the idea of a > > singer discussing > > what was and was not "sin"!!) But not every > > listener, especially a new > > listener, would feel that way if their first > > exposure was a subgroup of > > songs each of which had such overt references. My > > dad, who is of Jewish > > background and as hostile to proselytizing as > > anyone, loves Richard's > > music too, but I don't think I would have chosen to > > play him e.g. > > Ascent, Transit, Love Before you Go (with intro), > > "Shades of Black, > > shades of blue," etc. as his first taste. > > > > I love all Richard's songs but I do think, based on > > my last listen, that > > UNLESS he wants people to think his focus is > > narrower than I believe it > > is, he might want to mix things up a bit when > > choosing his set-list. > > > > Lisa Davis > Yahoo! Finance - Get real-time stock quotes > http://finance.yahoo.com ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V4 #244 ***********************************