From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V12 #422 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 Friday, March 15 2013 Volume 12 : Number 422 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: [RS] The Championship Round. ["Kevin B. Pease" ] Re: [RS] Fall River, MA 3/14/13 [Carol Love ] Re: [RS] Pope [Howie ] Re: [RS] Final Four - Ok, you changed my mind [Carol Love ] Re: [RS] The Championship Round. ["Michael & Linda Marmer" ] [RS] Be Careful What You Wish For [Pete Jameson ] Re: [RS] The Championship Round. [Shelda Eggers ] Re: [RS] Pope [Carol Love ] Re: [RS] The Championship Round. [Laurence Krulik ] [RS] The Championship Round. [] [RS] final four [Bernadette Marian ] Re: [RS] The Championship Round. [Janet Cinelli ] Re: [RS] The Championship Round. [Shelda Eggers ] Re: [RS] Final Four - Ok, you changed my mind [Laurence Krulik ] Re: [RS] Final Four - Ok, you changed my mind ["Michael & Linda Marmer" <] Re: [RS] Re: Courier. [Carol Love ] [RS] Re: Final Four [Dave Hoppenrath ] Re: [RS] The Championship Round. [Vanessa Wills ] [RS] Final Four - Ok, you changed my mind ["Sue Maskaleris" ] [RS] Transit & The Examined Life [Pete Jameson ] [RS] Re: shindell-list-digest V12 #417 [Bart Gallagher ] Re: [RS] Transit & The Examined Life [Nancy Scott ] Re: [RS] Re: Courier. [Howie ] [RS] Re: shindell-list-digest V12 #418 [Tom Havard ] Re: [RS] color commentary [Nancy Scott ] [RS] Re: Courier. [] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2013 10:30:00 -0400 From: "Kevin B. Pease" Subject: Re: [RS] The Championship Round. An easy choice for me in this round, too. Reunion Hill The basic calculus for me is this: I tend to enjoy Richard's "story" songs a lot more, and to me, Reunion Hill is a fuller story. Transit is a fine song (and I especially like the last verse or so), and it certainly tells a story, but I can't help feeling that it's a story where the (largely faceless) choir of convicts is who the song is really about - and I think Richard's done a much better job of putting faces on characters like that in some of his other songs. To me, Transit feels more about "an idea" than "a person," and no matter how much I like the theme or the idea, and no matter how delicately the song is phrased, I start feeling that the "idea songs" are clubbing me over the head with their deeper message on repeated listens. I guess I'm more into illustrative parables than philosophical treatises. Kevin ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2013 11:46:13 -0400 From: Carol Love Subject: Re: [RS] Fall River, MA 3/14/13 I have to agree with Vanessa and Michael. Sara Milonovich was definitely an asset in his show down here in St. Pete. I'm not sure I've ever seen him with a violinist before. (Every time I see Sara Milonovich in print, my brain goes... "Milla Jovovich??") While I prefer RS stripped down and acoustic, I have always loved his choices for violin on his albums. SM's solos during the show soared and did make the songs even better. My husband, the nurse, of course had to ask her after the show if she had neck pains and had something like a callus that violinists can develop. Sara does not have the callus and she and hubby went on to discuss violin playing and human anatomy. ~ Carol ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2013 08:34:57 -0400 From: Howie Subject: Re: [RS] Pope Hey, wait a minute. Has anyone ever seen both the pope and Richard in the same place at the same time? Hmmm? - -Howie At 08:20 AM 3/15/2013, you wrote: >I'm surprised that no one's brought up the fact that the new pope is >from Argrentina. Richard lives there now and has a very religious >background. (Didn't I read a bio that said he was on track to >becoming a priest at one point in his life?) > >Has anyone seen him in concert in the last couple days? Any mention >of the pope news? > >Peter ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2013 11:51:59 -0400 From: Carol Love Subject: Re: [RS] Final Four - Ok, you changed my mind Laurence wrote: > Why does he tune so damn much?! Can't he just get a tuner? Laurence, How can you call yourself a Shindell fan if you don't realize what a perfectionist he is!! :-) And imagine me living in the humid State of Florida. I bet I see more tuning than most. The perfections thing is my theory on why he takes so long to put out an album. I think a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away RG explained the frequent tuning to me. Can't remember his answer now. Ron, do you remember?? ~ Carol ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2013 08:20:03 -0400 From: Peter Booth Subject: [RS] Pope I'm surprised that no one's brought up the fact that the new pope is from Argrentina. Richard lives there now and has a very religious background. (Didn't I read a bio that said he was on track to becoming a priest at one point in his life?) Has anyone seen him in concert in the last couple days? Any mention of the pope news? Peter ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2013 06:13:59 -0400 From: "Michael & Linda Marmer" Subject: Re: [RS] The Championship Round. Reunion Hill Mike ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2013 08:14:10 -0400 From: Vanessa Wills Subject: Re: [RS] Fall River, MA 3/14/13 Thanks, Michael! Especially as this was the last show of the tour, I was hoping someone would write up a report for us. :) Glad you got the chance to see Sara with Richard. Of the various accompanists I've heard play with him, she is one of my very favorites. On Fri, Mar 15, 2013 at 12:57 AM, Michael Larkin wrote: > Saw Richard's show tonight (rescheduled from Feb 9 due to snow) at the > Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River, MA. The band included Marc > Shulman (guitar), Lincoln Schleifer (bass), and Sara Milonovich (violin). > As he has apparently been doing on this tour, Richard played electric > guitar on most of the songs (even making a few jokes about it). I didn't > write down the setlist, but he played a number of standards (Wisteria, > Transit, AYHN, Mary Magdalene, Mavis, Kenworth of My Dreams, Next Best > Western) as well as a bunch of new songs that presumably will be on the > upcoming album. The encore was a very cool version of "I Know You Rider" in > DADGAD tuning. I hadn't heard Sara Milonovich play with him before; in > fact, I hadn't heard her play before at all. Not only is she a very > talented and engaging violinist, but her playing wonderfully complimented > Richard's playing. One of the best RS shows I've heard; immensely > enjoayble. The new tunes are very good. I was surprised, as Richard is a > former seminarian and a resident of Buenos Aires, not to hear any quips > about the new Pope. > > MJL ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:11:54 -0400 From: Pete Jameson Subject: [RS] Be Careful What You Wish For Well, here we are...and Transit is just too dark in the end...one could argue that the redemption that Sister Maria delivers to the incarcerated is enough to mitigate the behaviours of the horde, but hers is just a flicker of grace in a sea of sin, whether venial or mortal (that blinding light can't even help the idolatrous horde)... Reunion Hill is redemptive...the soldier's wife is not unlike Sister Maria -- selfless, but instead of a choir of sinners, her flock is her husband's company...and when Richard sings, "...a single hawk in G_d's great sky, looking down with G_d's own eyes...he soars above Reunion Hill, I pray he spirals higher still, as if from such an altitude, he might just keep our love in view." It's a statement of hope, even though the husband is not likely to return...we see this in Abuelita, too...a hope borne of faith, no matter the odds... As for the Pope, what a surprise...initially, I was disappointed because he's another old (76) white male, his family is from Italy, but it turns out he is a champion of the poor and even eschewed the Cardinal's castle in Buenos Aires, instead living in an apartment and taking the tram to work daily...as a way of living among the people...so, perhaps there is...hope...and grace... Thanks, Ron, for doing this...I missed Richard on this tour (other than concert window), but the discussions have been lively and they've caused many of us to re-visit his catalogue and even discover a few new ones (thanks, too, to Mike Marmer)... May you know the bright eyes of your fellow followers as we honour St. Patrick this week-end, Paddy in PA P.S. My own subjective voting puts Mavis @ #1, Fishing @ #2, and Reunion Hill @ #3... ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2013 09:02:06 -0500 From: Shelda Eggers Subject: Re: [RS] The Championship Round. >So your Championship Round is "Reunion Hill" versus "Transit." > >This is pretty much Easy Street for me (official vote post to come), >but here's something for your viewing pleasure. > >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l12rlGGjxBM >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUQlN9h-ugQ Pretty much easy street for me too. I would have agonized over Reunion Hill v. Wisteria. Courier v. Transit would have been difficult too. This pairing, not so much. I don't disagree with Laurence's assertion that Transit is the more sophisticated song, but I think I referred in a much earlier round to Reunion Hill as "nearly perfect," and that still stands for me. The images are evocative and touching, the music haunting, it captures the general heartbreak of the Civil War in a very specific person and place, and then there's Richard writing from a woman's point of view and doing it so very well, etc. etc. Reunion Hill takes this one for me. And thanks for the videos, RG. I hadn't seen either of those. I was wondering who the violinist was, and then there she was in the last moments of the Reunion Hill clip. Mmmm! Shelda ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2013 11:27:01 -0400 From: Carol Love Subject: Re: [RS] Pope Howie says: > Hey, wait a minute. Has anyone ever seen both the pope and Richard in the > same place at the same time? Howie, You make an excellent point and now I'm going to worry about that all day. Do we really think RS would look good in that hat?? On the current tour would Marc Shulman knock it off his head while playing his guitar?? Back to Peter, I actually did reflect on the new Pope being from Argentina both in terms of Richard and the fact that he is the first pope from "The New World". (I was raised a full frontal Protestant, so I don't completely understand the significance of him being a Jesuit.) When I saw the jubilance from Argentina broadcast, I assumed that I was looking at the streets of Buenos Aires, the capital. I thought about that being Richard's home town now and that these are some of the people he passes in the street while coming up with songs like "Balloon Man". ~ Carol ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2013 23:51:25 -0400 From: Laurence Krulik Subject: Re: [RS] The Championship Round. Transit has always been my favorite. Reunion Hill is a great tune, but the recent threads should convince us all Transit is the more sophisticated song. At a minimum, who could argue with a tune which successfully rhymes exits and vortex. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2013 20:36:57 -0700 From: Subject: [RS] The Championship Round. Well, both winners of the Final Four round had the benefit of first round byes, but likely would have beaten all opponents. After that, one of them walloped "Fenario" 30-3 in the Round of 32, beat "Next Best Western" 20-10 in the Sweet Sixteen, and demolished "Mary Magdalene" 36-7 in the Elite Eight. The other beat "Summer Wind, Cotton Dress" 21-11 in the Round of 32, crushed "Waiting for the Storm" 38-2 in the Sweet Sixteen, and squeaked by "Fishing" 23-20 in the Elite Eight. And here are your Final Four results. "Reunion Hill" over "Courier" 25-18 "Transit" over "Wisteria" 27-16 So your Championship Round is "Reunion Hill" versus "Transit." This is pretty much Easy Street for me (official vote post to come), but here's something for your viewing pleasure. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l12rlGGjxBM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUQlN9h-ugQ It would also be great, instead of just announcing your choice, for at list a little snippet of reasoning for your selection. Let's get ready to rumble!!! RG ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:50:31 -0400 From: Bernadette Marian Subject: [RS] final four Reunion Hill over Courier Toughest of choices here. These two could be my final two. Wisteria over Transit Less of an interesting choice for me so flipped a coin. Bernadette ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2013 09:54:36 -0700 (PDT) From: Janet Cinelli Subject: Re: [RS] The Championship Round. At first I thought this was going to be an easy pick but reading and thinking about everyone's Transit posts had me re-thinking the song. It certainly evokes memories of when I first discovered Richard in the summer of 2000. I heard Transit more than once that weekend so I became familiar with it but I wasn't sure I liked it. After hearing the original last week for the first time in a long time, I realized how much I did like it. BUT, after saying all this, it came down to what makes me happier to hear and hands down it's Reunion Hill. I love the story, it's such a visual song that I can play it like a movie in my head when I hear it. It also reminds me of when I used to go visit my daughter in college. I'd get off the New Jersey turnpike, to the Pennsylvania turnpike and without fail there would always be 2 hawks soaring higher still. And I don't know, I just find Reunion Hill's melody so much prettier. So, my pick is Reunion Hill. On another note, I wonder if there's a list somewhere that has all the songs Richard has done back-up vocals on. Vanessa posted a pretty song he does, the song/performer's name escapes me right now but other than Lucy and Antje, what other singers are there? Oh I know one, Lori McKenna! But who else? Has he always sang back-up with just women? Wondering, wondering, Janet ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:21:46 -0500 From: Shelda Eggers Subject: Re: [RS] The Championship Round. Laurence: >Let me say I love Reunion Hill. However, I think the actual phrase >"Reunion Hill" always struck me me as, well, cheesy. Maybe folks here can >change my mind, but what was actually reunited on that hill anyway? I've always assumed it was the real name of an actual hill. Like "Indian Boulder" which he mentions next. Just a geographical location. Interesting, Shelda ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2013 16:22:56 -0400 From: Laurence Krulik Subject: Re: [RS] Final Four - Ok, you changed my mind > After reading the commentary from all of you and considering your > interpretations and symbolism I had not grasped before, you have succeeded > in switching my vote. Welcome to the dark side, Sue. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:05:43 -0400 From: Laurence Krulik Subject: Re: [RS] The Championship Round. Let me say I love Reunion Hill. However, I think the actual phrase "Reunion Hill" always struck me me as, well, cheesy. Maybe folks here can change my mind, but what was actually reunited on that hill anyway? He states, during their last farewell, she ran across "that hill just to watch him walk across the valley". She never actually reunited with her husband there. Or is it simply the dream that one day he would return and they would meet there? And she goes back every so-often to muse about the reunion which might have been? ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2013 20:25:51 -0400 From: "Michael & Linda Marmer" Subject: Re: [RS] Final Four - Ok, you changed my mind One of Shindell's kids thought it was Hey Duck, instead of Hey Doc. Mike - -----Original Message----- From: ronsfolkchords@cox.net Sent: Thursday, March 14, 2013 7:39 PM To: shindell-list@smoe.org Subject: Re: [RS] Final Four - Ok, you changed my mind >> Welcome to the dark side, Sue. << Too bad we weren't discussion "Confession," because then you could have said "Welcome to the Doc side." Anyway . . . few hours left for Final Four voting. Each current leading song would pretty much need to pull a Bill Buckner of massive proportions to lose at this point, but stranger things have happened, and there ARE enough people who've voted in previous rounds who haven't voted yet to theoretically make this a nail-biter. Stay tuned. Or, as typically happens at a Shindell show . . . stay tuned, and then tune some more, and tune some more. RG ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2013 11:32:43 -0400 From: Carol Love Subject: Re: [RS] Re: Courier. Howie wrote: > At 10:19 PM 3/11/2013, Carol Love wrote: > >> .......And he didn't even almost hit you in the face with the end of his >> guitar. (I'm not exaggerating, there, either.) He was all driving my ADD >> Honey bats--t. >> >> Everything was worth it for hearing Wisteria live at that particular >> moment. My soul, which is a tick dented right now, needed that. >> > > Perhaps if you take the tick to the body shop your soul will be better too. ...This is a pairing usually reserved for Jimmy Buffett, but my soul body shop requires Shindell and Margaritas. ~ Carol ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2013 18:32:31 -0500 From: Dave Hoppenrath Subject: [RS] Re: Final Four Well, all 4 of these are wonderful songs. I wouldn't be disappointed with any of them ending up the winner. For me, both pairings have a "powerful" song matched against a "beautiful" song. (That's oversimplifying of course, all of them have both elements.) For whatever reason, I chose to go with "powerful," so: 1. Courier (over Reunion Hill) 2. Transit (over Wisteria) - -Dave ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:30:57 -0400 From: Vanessa Wills Subject: Re: [RS] The Championship Round. Although I'd be perfectly happy to have either of these songs win, the fact that I'm attached to each of them for totally different reasons makes it complicated to decide between the two. "Reunion Hill" is the song nearer and dearer to my heart. When I first became an RS fan, it was the song that really stood out to me above all others, the one that I absolutely adored singing, the tune I couldn't get out of my head. "Reunion Hill" has such a wonderful melody. I believe it is one of the most beautiful melodies Richard has ever written. And it has a few of my favorite lines. I know I've said a million times how much I love the line "I cleaned the brow of many a soldier/ Dousing for my husband's face", but, oh, hell, I'm saying it again. Who else would think to use that "dousing" pun? (I have to admit, though, I much prefer the faster version of "Reunion Hill" and find the slower one a little snoozers. Sorry!) But I don't think there is any question that, like it or lump it, Richard's songwriting has become more complex and experimental over the years, and "Reunion Hill vs. Transit" is a great example of how in some cases (not all), the later (or in this case, "transition-period") pieces can end up seriously outclassing the earlier ones, imho. If I really try to take a more objective view of the relative excellence of these two songs, then "Transit" pulls way ahead. "Transit" is rich, and layered, and complex. It has themes of damnation, redemption, callousness, alienation, and grace. It is a great story-song and quintessential Shindell in that regard. I love the final scene in the penitentiary and how you can just see it unfold before your eyes. I have never listened to that section without picturing crystal-clear the choir, the room, Sister Maria, the bars, and the light pouring in. I love the rise of Richard's voice towards the end, mirroring the sound of the prison choir's "glorious harmony", especially on the line, "They poured out their souls, they poured out their memories, they poured out their hope for what's left of eternity to Sister Maria". (That line, by the way, reminds me a bit of the line from Courier, "Hand him all you've seen, hand him all you've heard, hand him all your pearls.") For some reason, I had "Transit" pegged as the more intellectual but less musically beautiful song, but upon re-listening, I was reminded of and struck by the way the song opens up at the end and becomes really absorbing and exquisite-sounding. It tracks the content of the lyrics. First, the tune is sort of slogging through the traffic jam. Then it lightens a bit when we get to Sister Maria who's calmly changing the spare and not paying any mind to the "horde". And then the melody opens up and soars to echo the prison choir. It is just such a perfectly constructed song. (It reminds me a bit of some early Genesis prog rock tunes in the way the lyrics and music work together to tell a whole narrative tale in miniature.) I feel that in "Reunion Hill" RS attempts to pull off something similar at the end with the transcendent imagery of the "single hawk in God's great sky" to close out the song, but it seems almost forced in contrast to the final moments of "Transit". The prison choir with the "light of forgiveness on all of their faces" fits seamlessly into "Transit"'s narrative. All this being said, in the Final Four, I voted for "Transit" in its pairing and against "Reunion Hill" in its match-up. So perhaps it's no surprise that my vote this round goes to: **TRANSIT**. A final comment. This tournament has made me go back to the studio albums--in one case, with "Blue Divide", for the first time in years! It's been eye-opening and a great deal of fun to experience afresh Richard's vocal performances in the studio. You can do things with your voice in a recording booth that really don't translate well in a live performance. For instance, I'd almost forgotten how gently he can caress a tune (on "Gray Green", for example), especially as he has such a powerful voice. I've had so much fun doing "Much Madness". Thank you so much to Ron for the great idea and for administering it! I'm excited to see which song grabs the title of "List Favorite" and to continue the great conversations we've been having around here. I've really been enjoying and appreciating the chance to chat more with you all. What's next? Maybe "Song of the Week"? - --Vanessa On Thu, Mar 14, 2013 at 11:36 PM, wrote: > Well, both winners of the Final Four round had the benefit of first round > byes, but likely would have beaten all opponents. > > After that, one of them walloped "Fenario" 30-3 in the Round of 32, beat > "Next Best Western" 20-10 in the Sweet Sixteen, and demolished "Mary > Magdalene" 36-7 in the Elite Eight. > > The other beat "Summer Wind, Cotton Dress" 21-11 in the Round of 32, > crushed "Waiting for the Storm" 38-2 in the Sweet Sixteen, and squeaked by > "Fishing" 23-20 in the Elite Eight. > > And here are your Final Four results. > > "Reunion Hill" over "Courier" 25-18 > "Transit" over "Wisteria" 27-16 > > So your Championship Round is "Reunion Hill" versus "Transit." > > This is pretty much Easy Street for me (official vote post to come), but > here's something for your viewing pleasure. > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l12rlGGjxBM > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUQlN9h-ugQ > > It would also be great, instead of just announcing your choice, for at > list a little snippet of reasoning for your selection. > > Let's get ready to rumble!!! > > RG ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:49:33 -0400 From: "Sue Maskaleris" Subject: [RS] Final Four - Ok, you changed my mind I have to admit, I have routinely skipped over Transit to the next song on shuffle when it comes up in the queue. Yea, it's a good song but it never really grabbed me the way Wisteria does. Wisteria brings me to tears routinely, Transit never does. However... After reading the commentary from all of you and considering your interpretations and symbolism I had not grasped before, you have succeeded in switching my vote. While I do not prefer Transit over Wisteria as a personal preference, I have come around to the opinion that Transit has so many more layers to it and that it deserves to win this particular pairing. **Transit over Wisteria Now as for Reunion Hill and Courier -- That is a hard one but in the end, because of the "Courier" live version of Courier, my vote goes to that song, as much as it pains me to see Reunion Hill paired up against it. I've always liked the poetry and the delivery of this song on that album. **Courier over Reunion Hill Sue M. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:15:57 -0400 From: Laurence Krulik Subject: Re: [RS] Final Four - Ok, you changed my mind I'm aware of his "perfection" flaw. Which is why we haven't seen more than a single issue in his "concert series". Or maybe because he can't remember all his lyrics during a single performance (side bar: does he not have all the lyrics written on those papers he always fumbling through?) However, while not exactly aligned with "artistry", what could be more perfect then allowing a machine to determine the actual frequency of the note. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:44:19 -0000 From: "Claire Latham" Subject: RE: [RS] The Championship Round. Reunion Hill - for every reason I gave before. Every time this plays when my MP3 player is on shuffle, I take a moment to stop and breathe and listen. Claire - -----Original Message----- From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org [mailto:owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org] On Behalf Of ronsfolkchords@cox.net Sent: 15 March 2013 03:37 To: shindell-list@smoe.org Subject: [RS] The Championship Round. Well, both winners of the Final Four round had the benefit of first round byes, but likely would have beaten all opponents. After that, one of them walloped "Fenario" 30-3 in the Round of 32, beat "Next Best Western" 20-10 in the Sweet Sixteen, and demolished "Mary Magdalene" 36-7 in the Elite Eight. The other beat "Summer Wind, Cotton Dress" 21-11 in the Round of 32, crushed "Waiting for the Storm" 38-2 in the Sweet Sixteen, and squeaked by "Fishing" 23-20 in the Elite Eight. And here are your Final Four results. "Reunion Hill" over "Courier" 25-18 "Transit" over "Wisteria" 27-16 So your Championship Round is "Reunion Hill" versus "Transit." This is pretty much Easy Street for me (official vote post to come), but here's something for your viewing pleasure. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l12rlGGjxBM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUQlN9h-ugQ It would also be great, instead of just announcing your choice, for at list a little snippet of reasoning for your selection. Let's get ready to rumble!!! RG ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2013 21:18:19 -0400 From: Carol Love Subject: Re: [RS] Final Four. 1. Courier 2. Wisteria ~ wasn't sure until it actually made me start to cry when I heard it live Sunday night. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:22:25 -0400 From: Pete Jameson Subject: [RS] Transit & The Examined Life John McD, For me, Transit is an indictment of consumerism, keeping up with the Joneses, and a lack of moral depth on the part of many Americans. I, too, got sucked in by it, with the starter house in Westchester County, the SUV, and the inevitable departure from a deep relationship with Maker. If we were to examine the lives we live from on high, they might appear callous and mostly focused on selfish interests. I'm not saying the nurse, cop, and teacher (to name but a few) don't give their all to their fellow man on a daily basis. But I am saying that we have been a society shaped by Madison Avenue and Hollywood for over 50 years now. Just take a look at the manner in which most people (myself included) spend their leisure time. Sure, we go out to the the occasional show and perhaps share dinner & drinks with close friends. But, more and more, I see people who content themselves with tv or Internet offerings...and that's o.k., until it starts to affect the way we interact with each other...and, again, for me, that's what i hear Richard saying in Transit -- I deserve MINE, and to hell with you...I also heard it in Confession, a song that vilified Wall Street at a time when not only the money changers were "riding high", but also many of us whose investments were buoyed by the inflated market of the late 90s... Remember, this is a man who has long sought ANSWERS...you don't major in religious studies as an undergrad, attend a theological seminary, AND a buddhist monastery, and then join the horde...Talk to him about his leisure time, especially now that he's in Buenos Aires, and it's spent playing music, reading, and gathering with friends. It's an OLD lifestyle, and his art is a reflection of that... I'm a seeker, too, like many of you...it's just that I don't believe that the American way of life is sacrosanct...we get sucked into suspect cultural behaviours and sometimes it takes someone else to point that out to us.... [and i agree with the bard that Mavis is a brilliant, multi-layered composition -- with its own inherent societal commentary) pedro in pa ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Mar 2013 21:16:52 -0400 From: Bart Gallagher Subject: [RS] Re: shindell-list-digest V12 #417 Bart's Vinyl Four down to the Binary... Reunion Hill over Courier - this was the tough one for me. I'm always game for a rousing rendition of Courier, one of my favorite songs. Reunion Hill, I'll skip once in a while. That said, though I like Courier better, I think RH is a better song, one of Shindell's best. Well that sounds dumb, all of the Four are of his best Transit over Wisteria - as much as I love Wisteria ( I bought SNP for the people we bought our house from), Transit is, in my opinion, Richard's finest song...so far... : ) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:46:34 -0700 From: Nancy Scott Subject: Re: [RS] Transit & The Examined Life Jean, exactly my favorite part of the song too, along with Sister Maria's soul like a prism (and thank you, Carol for the lyrics to Softly & Tenderly). I love how the music of the song crescendos up toward that moment of grace as well..... beautiful. :)-nancy Jean wrote: >>the prisoners, who are *human beings* as well as "mobsters and murderers"...and they blossom into song, with "the light of forgiveness on all of their faces," living in that moment of grace... *which is why it's my very favorite RS song**<< Shelda wrote: > He also has a line about Sister Maria's soul like a prism, which I always thought went nicely with vortex. > I'm with you about grace, and maybe also redemption. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2013 10:20:58 -0700 From: Nancy Scott Subject: Re: [RS] Transit & The Examined Life I am enjoying the Transit interpretive thread- as it has long been a favorite of mine! I appreciated considering the interp that had the motorists spinning off into Hell, but I found it a bit Dante-esque in the end, pretty harsh. I feel like the song is more directly a commentary on American consumerism and in particular, its mindlessness. Perhaps the drivers weren't evil so much as they were asleep. Thus, missing exits, etc. To me that is the trouble with the issues that Pete points out. "We whose duty is wakefulness itself" -Nietzsche > But, more and more, I see people who content themselves with tv or Internet offerings...and that's o.k., until it starts to affect the way we interact with each other... Beyond this, I love it because of the way the imagery IS so anchored in our mundane, subjective experiences. Who of us hasn't been part of the "horde" in traffic and felt its pull into a vortex of some kind? I love that. And I love RS's songs for pointing us to the deeper meanings in such a powerful and poetic way. > Remember, this is a man who has long sought ANSWERS...you don't major in religious studies as an undergrad, attend a theologicalseminary, AND a buddhist monastery, and then join the horde...Talk to him about his leisure time, especially now that he's in Buenos Aires, and it's spent playing music, reading, and gathering with friends. It's an OLD lifestyle, and his art is a reflection of that... Thanks for the convo, y'all! :) -nancy ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:28:08 -0400 From: Howie Subject: Re: [RS] Re: Courier. At 10:19 PM 3/11/2013, Carol Love wrote: >.......And he didn't even almost hit you in the face with the end of his >guitar. (I'm not exaggerating, there, either.) He was all driving my ADD >Honey bats--t. > >Everything was worth it for hearing Wisteria live at that particular >moment. My soul, which is a tick dented right now, needed that. Perhaps if you take the tick to the body shop your soul will be better too. - -Howie ducking, not ticking ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:16:11 -0400 From: Tom Havard Subject: [RS] Re: shindell-list-digest V12 #418 My votes: Reunion Hill over Courier Wisteria over Transit 4 great songs, though. - Tom ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2013 22:19:28 -0400 From: Carol Love Subject: Re: [RS] Re: Courier. ron wrote: > > I watched the Passim show from Concert Window and found him to be terribly > distracting. Don't get me wrong, I love when Richard plays solo, I love > when he plays with a band, I love when he plays with Sara, but I HATE when > he plays with showy intrusive sidemen. .......And he didn't even almost hit you in the face with the end of his guitar. (I'm not exaggerating, there, either.) He was all driving my ADD Honey bats--t. Everything was worth it for hearing Wisteria live at that particular moment. My soul, which is a tick dented right now, needed that. ...Carol ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Mar 2013 19:38:39 -0700 From: Nancy Scott Subject: Re: [RS] color commentary Ah, so I am not the only one (surprised by The Courier making the final four)...... but thank you Ron, for your input, it makes more sense to me now... helpful. Anyone else? I'd love to hear more about your vote for The Courier~ about what resonates for you in this song. :) -nancy > I told him we were in the Final Four and he was curious to know which four - he > agreed with 3 of them, but seemed surprised to hear Courier was there, and not > Mavis (his favorite song of his, he said). ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:48:06 -0700 From: Subject: [RS] Re: Courier. >> I guess it depends on what you mean by "important". << Which made me think about what Much Madness really is, because it's certainly not a "what's important" or "what's his best song?" competition. I guess it depends on what factors the list members are using to determine their individual preferences in each pairing. Personally, each pairing causes me to carefully consider how consistently excellent each song has been in all its variations (which is why the studio version of "Reunion Hill" may NOT work in its favor for me should it reach the championship round), how much each song stands up to repeated listening, how much I like playing it on guitar, how important each song is to me from a personal connection standpoint, and how important each song is in some difficult-to-define Overall Grand Sense. And to me, a song that describes him as an artist/performer that's also deemed (by him) important enough to be the title of a live body of work is key to that definition. At the end of the day, it's really just a fun popularity exercise. And what's Richard's favorite may not necessarily resonate with his fans, who bounced "There Goes Mavis" in favor of "State of the Union" in the Round of 32. >> I don't know how to describe it, but Shulman gets so into his playing that he starts doing something that looks like Joe Cocker with a guitar. I love that someone is so into what they are doing, but if they are three to four feet from you and the guy you came hear sing, it's a might distracting. << I watched the Passim show from Concert Window and found him to be terribly distracting. Don't get me wrong, I love when Richard plays solo, I love when he plays with a band, I love when he plays with Sara, but I HATE when he plays with showy intrusive sidemen. YMMV, of course. RG ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V12 #422 ************************************