From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V10 #21 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 Sunday, February 15 2009 Volume 10 : Number 021 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: [RS] Strength Through Integrity [] [RS] Re: shindell-list-digest V10 #20 [jimcolbert@aol.com] [RS] Re: Walden Well. [] Re: [RS] Strength Through Integrity [Carol Love ] [RS] pants on fire [njohnson@ent.umass.edu] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2009 11:48:39 -0800 From: Subject: Re: [RS] Strength Through Integrity >> However, I'm not a big fan of the production/instrumentation of "Parasol Ants." I've really really been hooked on this song ever since I heard it live for the first time, and I've since come to love the solo stripped-down performance. The "band" feel of the finished tune, with the drums and all, just isn't working for me in comparison. But likely I've listened to the solo version way too much for objective review; I'm sure I'll get used to the studio version in time. << Ah, the ongoing "we tend to hear these songs first in solo acoustic live settings and get all ferklempt when we hear the fully produced versions" conundrum, something I've dealt with as far back as Shawn Colvin's "Steady On." Not only do the solo songs become more or less the "definitive" versions in our minds, but in many cases -- in my opinion at least -- they're better. "Reunion Hill" and "Last Fare of the Day" come to mind immediately: epic songs that were done a disservice by "epic " production. I, too, have lived with some of these new songs for a while, although -- as opposed to when I lived on the east coast and would hear almost all Richard's new songs performed live before ever hearing them on CD -- I've only heard a few of them before (in live recorded versions), one of them ("One Man's Arkansas") live in concert once, and some of them ("Bye Bye," "Mariana's Table" and "Gethsemani Goodbye") not at all. So, I'm looking forward -- and hoping -- to be pleasantly surprised. RG ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2009 16:13:39 -0500 From: jimcolbert@aol.com Subject: [RS] Re: shindell-list-digest V10 #20 I liked Walden Well but found it a little heavy-handed... it almost felt to me like a different person had written the second half of the song.B Compare, say, I dunno, the lyrical subtleties of Reunion Hill with Walden Well's lines about turning off the TV. That being said, I probably did prefer it to a few of the selections included here. - -jim c Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:04:46 -0500 From: Amy Cocuzza Subject: Re: [RS] Strength Through Integrity You know, I really liked Walden Well, but always felt it was very un- Richard-like. His genius is generally in the subtleties of lyric and theme, and I felt as though Walden Well was so . . . overt. The message was much more in-your-face than I'm used to with Richard. I mean, it certainly reflected the feeling of the particular political moment when he wrote it (at least for those who share my sensibilities), but I never saw it as a song that would play well with the others. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2009 13:59:26 -0800 From: Subject: [RS] Re: Walden Well. >> I liked Walden Well but found it a little heavy-handed. << Here's what Richard said about the song when I heard him do it: _ _ _ _ _ I've always thought of myself as sort of an "art for art's sake" person. I've always been a useless folksinger. However, desperate times call for desperate measures. So I've tried to write a song which is slightly more useful. Not that you could -- I don't know -- fix a carburetor with it or anything. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2009 19:36:21 -0500 From: Carol Love Subject: Re: [RS] Strength Through Integrity On Sat, Feb 14, 2009 at 2:48 PM, wrote: >>>Ah, the ongoing "we tend to hear these songs first in solo acoustic live settings and get all ferklempt when we hear the fully produced versions" conundrum, something I've dealt with as far back as Shawn Colvin's "Steady On." Not only do the solo songs become more or less the "definitive" versions in our minds, but in many cases -- in my opinion at least -- they're better. "Reunion Hill" and "Last Fare of the Day" come to mind immediately: epic songs that were done a disservice by "epic " production.<<< .......For me one of the most difficult tunes to hear a band come in on was "The Next Best Western". That tune played so beautifully acoustically and he actually does the first verse on the "Reunion Hill" CD with nothing but his guitar -- and then the band comes in on the chorus, which for me wasn't so pleasant a surprise. HOWEVER, he put it on "Courier" unplugged and that's definitely my favorite recorded version. Perhaps we'll get a "Courier" for some of his post "Somewhere Near Paterson" catalog. Speaking of "Courier", why are any of us surprised that we've heard that a song wasn't going to be on the CD and then it's on the CD?? Right before he goes into "Fourth Of July, Asbury Park/Sandy" he proclaims, "This next thing is NOT going on the record..." There is documented proof for the ages that RS does have pants on fire -- and frequently -- when it comes to what will be showing up for release. ....Carol ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2009 21:50:02 -0500 From: njohnson@ent.umass.edu Subject: [RS] pants on fire Quoting Carol Love : >> For me one of the most difficult tunes to hear a band come in on was "The Next Best Western". That tune played so beautifully acoustically and he actually does the first verse on the "Reunion Hill" CD with nothing but his guitar -- and then the band comes in on the chorus, which for me wasn't so pleasant a surprise. HOWEVER, he put it on "Courier" unplugged and that's definitely my favorite recorded version. Perhaps we'll get a "Courier" for some of his post "Somewhere Near Paterson" catalog. << I actually prefer the Reunion Hill version. In that version, there's a pause in Richard's voice in the line "it's in the nature of the beast.." that isn't on the Courier version, and that pause still gets to me even after hearing that version many times. >> Speaking of "Courier", why are any of us surprised that we've heard that a song wasn't going to be on the CD and then it's on the CD?? Right before he goes into "Fourth Of July, Asbury Park/Sandy" he proclaims, "This next thing is NOT going on the record..." There is documented proof for the ages that RS does have pants on fire -- and frequently -- when it comes to what will be showing up for release.<< Right! Norman ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V10 #21 ***********************************