From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V2 #229 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 Wednesday, August 30 2000 Volume 02 : Number 229 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [RS] Re: Viva le Difference [Rongrittz@aol.com] [RS] Re: Viva le Difference [Rongrittz@aol.com] [RS] Dar & Richard ["Clary, John (CLRY)" ] [RS] short stories [Lee Wessman ] [RS] Just Donut? ["Dave McKay" ] [RS] Wisteria Moment ["Dave McKay" ] Re: [RS] Wisteria Moment ["Norman A. Johnson" ] Re: [RS] Dar & Richard [Elwestrand ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2000 07:46:07 EDT From: Rongrittz@aol.com Subject: [RS] Re: Viva le Difference << Hey, maybe next week's topic should be potential Weird Al Yankovic versions of Richard songs. I got dibs on 'Diptheria' >> Absolute apologies to whoever wrote (and posted) this a bajillion years ago, but what follows is one of the funniest parodies I can recall (and I usually loathe parodies) . . . although the idea of "Diptheria" (it's such a chore to tame, you know) did make me snort an entire donut through my nose. RG THE KENMORE OF MY DREAMS I sold my washing bucket I sold my washing board A friend said he would take me to The big appliance store I walked around until I found The model I had seen In the advertising supplement: The Kenmore of my dreams. The salesman sang its praises He said "I'll demonstrate..." "This is Wash," he told us, "This is Agitate." We knew that there were cheaper ones, Without the famous names, But I proudly put my money down On the Kenmore of my dreams. Now sometimes, late at night when I can't sleep I grab a pile of dirty clothes, No one sees, no one knows, I load it up and turn that Kenmore on A lot of folks, they followed suit Convinced, when they saw mine They said using those old washboards, Just takes up too much time To spend your life in drudgery Can make you wanna scream They thanked me and went out to buy The Kenmores of their dreams Now sometimes, late at night when we can't sleep We grab piles of dirty clothes No one sees, no one knows We load 'em up and turn those Kenmores on My laundry's looking pretty good My clothes are mighty clean I load socks and shirts and everything I load my old blue jeans So if your hamper's piled high Just send it all to me, I'll wash anything, for anyone In the Kenmore of my dreams I'll wash anything, for anyone In the Kenmore of my dreams... ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2000 08:01:41 EDT From: Rongrittz@aol.com Subject: [RS] Re: Viva le Difference << After hearing Richard speak about songwriting at FRFF this year, and reading quite a bit about his motives, or inspirations, or what have you, it seems that he writes songs about people or ideas that interest him at the time he is writing the song. I can't conceive of him writing a 'concept' album, because he probably wouldn't want to concentrate on that concept long enough to write 11 or 12 songs about it. >> Just before the release of "Reunion Hill," I had the opportunity to chat with Richard for a little while between sets at the Turning Point. I asked him about songwriting and whether he was already giving some thought to what he might do as a NEXT release. He indicated that he was thinking about exactly that -- a "concept" album, for lack of a better description -- that would follow the story of a few characters through the entire CD. Sort of what, I think, Emmylou Harris did with "The Ballad of Sally Rose." He obviously didn't follow through on it, but it's a damn interesting idea. RG ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2000 09:31:30 -0700 From: "Clary, John (CLRY)" Subject: [RS] Dar & Richard I am guessing that these next words will be taken wrong because I really do love Dar. This whole Dar/Richard thing is funny. I wasn't going to even get into it, but since we should be able to let other's opinions live for what they are, here's mine: I think Richard is better in every way except being the cute girl next door. I mean, Dar is wonderful, don't get me wrong. She is like my friends growing up who dabbled in guitar and singing. She is not polished, her voice is weak (in a good way!), and she plays very simple stuff. And now all of a sudden 600,000 16 year old girls "get" her. This is a good thing as Dar's perspective can be a good influence on 16 year old girls. I'm not the target audience. Last time I saw Dar, it was like I was the only man there. Not a bad thing. Richard is incredible, and a role model for me as a songwriter and performer. Dar does something completely different for me. I bet Richard would never sit in my living room and jam, but Dar might. Also, Dar would be willing to help me in the kitchen with my latest tofu creation and she'd help me eat it too. Dar, if you're listening, the wine is breathing and the guitars are tuned... j a c ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2000 09:21:50 -0700 From: Lee Wessman Subject: [RS] short stories Of Richard's tendency to create little movie vignettes through his characters, RonG wrote: "this abstracted literary approach is commercially counterproductive, and thus not much in fashion (the only other artist I can think offhand of who consistently writes this way is Kate Bush)... I would mention Richard Thompson in that vein. He was one of the first songwriters I noticed making a concerted effort to sing fiction in the first person. And his approach has certainly been commercially counterproductive. Thompson's characters, I might add, are more whacked out that Shindell's characters, and so many of the songs feel less honest and less moving. (Some, on the other hand, rival anything I've ever heard for poignancy.) One of the qualities I like most about RS is that his characters don't feel exaggerated; they have the feel of real people caught up in real circumstances... Another thing I admire is his uncanny ability to cut to the core of a character in sort of haiku-like precision. Just a few syllables, every one of them loaded. lee ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2000 19:04:50 +0100 From: "Dave McKay" Subject: [RS] Just Donut? RonG charmed us with: > although the idea of "Diptheria" (it's such a chore to > tame, you know) did make me snort an entire donut through my nose. Have you noticed that there's never a camera to hand when your *really* need one?! :-) Nice image, Ron! Dave. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2000 19:52:14 +0100 From: "Dave McKay" Subject: [RS] Wisteria Moment I experienced my own Wisteria last Friday. I took my girlfriend for her first visit to Scotland these past five days, and at one point we drove to the town which, for seven years prior to moving to the south of England, I called home. Before I left, a major housing development had begun, and some of the area around where I used to live had been transformed with new roads and a significant number of new houses. But when I returned this time, after a two year gap since I was last there, the change was astonishing. Across the road from where I lived, the houses used to back onto a farm road and arable field ... now there are houses as far as the eye can see, from just over the rough wall to the few remaining trees of the forest which used to form a backdrop. And to top it all, my little conifers and rockery had been removed from "my" front garden! :-( I've never been back to my childhood home, although I have driven past it on a couple of occasions over the years. Although from the main road it looked like it always did, I feel that it will have changed beyond all recognition, both from alterations made by the inhabitants since my parents moved out, and also by changes to my own perceptions over the years. Dave. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2000 14:59:44 -0400 From: "Norman A. Johnson" Subject: Re: [RS] Wisteria Moment Dave wrote: >>But when I returned this time, after a two year gap since I was last there, the change was astonishing. Across the road from where I lived, the houses used to back onto a farm road and arable field ... now there are houses as far as the eye can see, from just over the rough wall to the few remaining trees of the forest which used to form a backdrop. >> That also sounds like Gorka's "Houses in the Field". Norman ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2000 15:48:23 -0400 From: Elwestrand Subject: Re: [RS] Dar & Richard John wrote: I think Richard is better in every way > except > being the cute girl next door. Ok, I don't want this to be a flame and I am going to try to keep from cursing here only because of that, but that is a totally sexist, demeaning, ridiculous thing to say. And it says volumes about the person who said it. You would call an artist of this caliber, and a feminist no less, a "cute girl?" Do you think Richard covers her songs because she's cute? I just can't let a comment like that be unchallenged. And I imagine the rest of the women on the list just haven't read your post yet, because I can't imagine Ms. S Gold among others will not be horrified by you attempt to diminish Dar and also infer that Dar plays to a sixteen year old mentality. What would a sixteen year old comprehend about a song like "This is Not The House that Pain Built," or "Your Aging Well" or "The Ocean" or "When God Descended" (Note to possible sixteen year olds offended by that comment - you may enjoy these songs now, but see how much more they mean to you when you are older, after life beats you up for a decade or so). Dar is not writing to a young audience. That her music appeals to some segment of that audience is to the credit of those young people who want quality from their music and are desperate for a role model other than Brittany Spears. It is not teeny-bopper adoration that draws them to Dar. They are drawn to Dar because she is one of very few female artists actually concerned with, and writing songs directly about the spiritual and emotional welfare of women (and everyone, really). Rather than a problem, it is a miracle that women like Dar and Ani and Natalie Merchant and Jewel and Sarah Mc Glaughlin have become popular. Women AND men, if they would only listen, desperately need to hear what they have to say. I mean, Dar is wonderful, don't get me > wrong. She is like my friends growing up who dabbled in guitar and > singing. > She is not polished, her voice is weak (in a good way!), and she plays > very > simple stuff. And now all of a sudden 600,000 16 year old girls "get" > her. > This is a good thing as Dar's perspective can be a good influence on 16 > year > old girls. I'm not the target audience. Last time I saw Dar, it was > like I > was the only man there. Not a bad thing. Richard is incredible, and a > role > model for me as a songwriter and performer. Dar does something > completely > different for me. I bet Richard would never sit in my living room and > jam, > but Dar might. Also, Dar would be willing to help me in the kitchen > with my > latest tofu creation and she'd help me eat it too. Dar, if you're > listening, the wine is breathing and the guitars are tuned... > > j a c Don't hold your breath - she's not coming. And I am sure you think that I am overreacting, but attitudes like the above are so damaging to women. Dar deserves as much respect as Richard and her music, voice and talent do to. Your comments are very akin to me saying: I just like Richard cause he has dreamy eyes. And his music - boy you can really dance to it! And it seems like I am spending alot of time defending Dar when I like Richard just as much. But interestingly, I don't have to defend Richard nearly as often. Gee, I wonder why it is so easy for some of you to dismiss Dar. Thank God your idol Mr. Shindell does not. Otherwise we would not have have his version of CTM. Which I understand is a very good song. End Rant- E ________________________________________________ Get your own "800" number - Free Free voicemail, fax, email, and a lot more http://www.ureach.com/reg/tag ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V2 #229 ***********************************