From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V9 #42 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 Tuesday, April 3 2007 Volume 09 : Number 042 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: [RS] Delia... ["kunigunda" ] [RS] South of Delaia ["John McDonnell" ] [RS] Delia!! ["Kristen Myshrall" ] RE: [RS] South of Delaia ["Kristen Myshrall" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2007 14:33:01 -0500 From: "kunigunda" Subject: Re: [RS] Delia... Just got mine! Skipped through it. Sounds promising. More later... Carrie in KC Subject: [RS] Delia... > South of Delia was in my mailbox today. There is no label name on the > disk or the jacket, just Richard's web address. After my first listen > through all of the tracks, I *really* would love to hear an entire record > of Richard singing in Spanish. Solo le Pido a Dios is lovely. Much too > early to compose any kind of review. Oh, but Sitting on Top of the > World, with it's sparse T5/voice/foot-tap arrangement grabbed me and > won't let go. Back to listening. > > Best wishes for speedy delivery to the rest of you who pre-ordered, > > john ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2007 20:55:35 -0400 From: "John McDonnell" Subject: [RS] South of Delaia Hey all, Well, after much gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair, the new CD finally arrived, and I have only one word--if it is a word: faneffingtastic! I haven't had much time to post in detail/at length in the last few months (work!), and that may be a good thing, but I am very excited about this new CD. I just listened to it straight through, and I don't have much in the way of in-depth analysis to offer (again, maybe a good thing--remember my "billion blue eggs" tizzy?) but my immediate reaction is that it is a true refelction of just how great an intepreter of songs RS is (again, good writers make good readers--query: is it the same way that good fences make good neighbors??) I had asked before if anyone knew of any overarching theme for the disc--i.e., why he chose the songs he did--and his blurb on the inside cover explains it. I can't really reduce it to a phrase or idea for two reasons: I don't have any Spanish (so I can't assume anything about that song--track 11), and I've only listened to the disc once (I'm a little slow). That said, it seems to have "alone" and something "to God" and the melody is like a Leonard Cohen medley (that's not an insult--it sounds like a Leonard Cohen song), so I assume that it fits thematically with the rest of the disc, which could be powelessness, or loss, or the latter because of the former. I have only a couple of unrelated observations--the Eliza Gilkyson harmony on "Deportee" is subtle and sublime; thank God you can't really hear the bouzouki--on any of the tracks; his version of BITUSA gets the message across better than the original; the ponderous original of "The Humpback Whale" is averted; "Sitting on Top of The World" is the saddest song I've heard in a long, long, time; "Lawrence, KS" surprised me, in that I thought it was a somewhat glib, life affirming song ( I'm not familiar with the original)--"I can't leave this world behind" but then the last line hit me (I said I was a little slow) "My wings are made of hay and corn husks, so I cant' leave this world behind.'--talk about powerlessness--wow. In the end, the prescience of art, the lessons from loss and suffering, which, I think, go unheeded struck me from the disc. After a few more listens, I think I'll have more. John McD. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2007 21:09:31 -0400 From: "Kristen Myshrall" Subject: [RS] Delia!! Oh my god. I got the cd today and went for a long drive to listen to it (as that's the only appropriate way to listen to a new cd!). My exact words when I got out of the car..."That is the best f***ing album I have ever heard in my life!!" It is absolutely stunning. The songs chosen, the way he interpreted them, the music, harmony, and his vocals (OH HIS VOCALS!!!) are absolutely perfect. His voice is seriously perfect on this album with amazing intonation at just the right spots. I am completely blown away and I love his intro note inside the cd. It was very worth the wait. It is so good I would have waited another 2 years for it ... ok maybe that's pushing it. A very brief review... Acadian Driftwood is beautiful...very similar to how he's been doing it in concert for the last year (or as it been two?) though slightly slower. Seqor is just absolutely fantastic! Not many people can do Dylan and make me happy but that is the best Dylan cover I have ever heard. Humback Whale has amazing vocals! When I first heard Born in the USA live from RS I wasn't sold on it being sung that way. Now, it has more than grown on me, I love it! Mercy Street is breathtakingly beautiful and literally brought me to tears with the vocals. Storms on the Ocean is Northbound 35 is one of my favorite songs and he did it justice. Having Lucy on background vocals is perfect and Sara and Lucy really add that finishing touch. Sitting on Top of the World surprised me when it first came on because I had heard him do it live very differently. He obviously went back and reinterpreted it and after listening to it a second time, I can see why. Texas Rangers is just perfectly done. I still prefer it a capella like he did it in Northampton but it sounds great. Deportee is one of my favorite songs of all time and he more than did it justice. Eliza's harmonies on it are unbelievable. With Solo le Pido a Dios you would have thought he spoke spanish his entire life! Beautifully done with many Argentine musicians (and a NY fiddle player) that just makes it perfect. Lawrence, Kansas makes me so happy. I love love love that song but honestly, I can't stand Josh Ritter's voice so having Richard cover it makes me blissful! It is the perfect end to the theme of this cd. _________________________________________________________________ MSN is giving away a trip to Vegas to see Elton John. Enter to win today. http://msnconcertcontest.com?icid-nceltontagline ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2007 21:25:52 -0400 From: "Kristen Myshrall" Subject: RE: [RS] South of Delaia >I can't really reduce it to a phrase or idea for two reasons: I don't >have any Spanish (so I can't assume anything about that song--track 11), >and >I've only listened to the disc once (I'm a little slow). That said, it >seems to have "alone" and something "to God" and the melody is like a >Leonard Cohen medley (that's not an insult--it sounds like a Leonard Cohen >song), so I assume that it fits thematically with the rest of the disc, >which could be powelessness, or loss, or the latter because of the former. Solo le Pido a Dios or I only ask of God A (likely really bad) translation is.... I ask of God that I am not indifferent to the suffering That thirsty (?) death does find emptiness in me (umm yeah??) and without myself having done sufficient things I only ask of God that unjust things do not make me indifferent that my other cheek is not slapped after a claw has scratched this luck into me. I only ask of God that I am not indifferent to war it is a great monster and steps strongly on all the poor, innocent people. I only ask of God that deceit does not make me indifferent (something about traitors and more than a few...I can't make sense of that line) that those who do, do not forget it easily I only ask of God that the future does not make me indifferent the one who leaves is the one that has to march to live in a different culture (???) I only ask of God that war does not make me indifferent it is a great monster and steps strongly on all the poor, innocent people I'm sure someone else can do a much better job with that but hey I spoke 20 words of spanish a month ago, 2 weeks in Argentina has done wonders as I think that more or less gets the point across!! It definitely fits the album! - -K _________________________________________________________________ Mortgage refinance is Hot. *Terms. Get a 5.375%* fix rate. 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