From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V4 #40 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, February 1 2002 Volume 04 : Number 040 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [RS] Point of View [RockinRonD@aol.com] Re: [RS] Point of View [SMOKEY596@aol.com] [RS] St. Louis show ["Kristen Myshrall" ] [RS] Re: It was his career or mine [LBECKLAW@aol.com] Re: [RS] St. Louis show ["Rob Knautz" ] Re: [RS] Point of View [Scribbling Woman ] Re: [RS] Point of View [Scribbling Woman ] [RS] new...or old...? Richard [jim colbert ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2002 09:15:36 EST From: RockinRonD@aol.com Subject: [RS] Point of View In a message dated 2/1/2002 4:56:26 AM Eastern Standard Time, Smokey writes re: Gabriel Yacoub's cover of YSH: >>> As he explained it, he just doesn't believe that God is to blame for war, > which I agree with...God isn't to blame for anything we idiot humans > do...free will and all. :-) I think it would be wise to keep in mind that Richard wrote this song with the intent that the narrator is a universal husband, father and victim of the oppressive conditions in Bosnia. It isn't neccessarily Richard's point of view about God, but that of the father in the song. From this viewpoint, I think Richard is dead on as to how the man would feel, given what he and his family and his people have suffered at the hands of the "Tiger" and his army of criminals. This is what makes the song so profound and poignant. Richard's ability to write songs where the narrator is universal and as invented as the lyrics is what makes him so unique a songwriter. In fact, few songwriters, in this or any era, have done this as well as he. IMO. RonD ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 01 Feb 2002 09:28:47 EST From: SMOKEY596@aol.com Subject: Re: [RS] Point of View RockinRon so eloquently wrote: >>>I think it would be wise to keep in mind that Richard wrote this song with the intent that the narrator is a universal husband, father and victim of the oppressive conditions in Bosnia. It isn't neccessarily Richard's point of view about God, but that of the father in the song. <<< And I respectfully reply that I believe I expressed this view as well a little farther down in my posting: >>>I think, as in most songs, that the characters can be made up with their own beliefs and feelings without compromising the performer's beliefs and feelings. <<< I probably could have said that better than saying "characters can be made up"...that sounds too simple. Ron's posting expressed it much better. :-) I definitely agree that Richard can create a character in a song better than anyone else I've heard. YSH is actually one of my very favorite songs for just that reason, and I think it's one of the best songs ever written by anyone anytime. SMOKEY ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2002 09:56:53 -0600 From: "Kristen Myshrall" Subject: [RS] St. Louis show Hi everyone, Ok, the doors open at 7:00 tomorrow (!!!) for the show in St. Louis. There are still tickets left. We're leaving around 11 so we should be getting there early (probably 4-5) and grabbing something to eat nearby and then heading over to wait for the show. Hope to see some of you there! I'll be the blonde who is obviously WAY to excited!! Yay..my first full length, solo Richard show!! Kristen www.angelfire.com/folk/lucykaplansky .Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2002 12:11:21 EST From: LBECKLAW@aol.com Subject: [RS] Re: It was his career or mine In a message dated 2/1/2002 4:56:26 AM Eastern Standard Time, owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org writes: << nfortunately, when he was introduced, the announcer said something like "And with his new album, 'Career', please welcome Richard Shindell". >> With all due respect to Texans, d'ya think maybe this was the way they pronounce "Courier" in Austin? Mebbe? Say the two words outloud (make sure no one is watching you if you are in a public space) with a Texas drawl. See what ah mean? Then again, maybe the announcer is a total loser. Laura ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2002 11:31:42 -0600 From: "Rob Knautz" Subject: Re: [RS] St. Louis show I'm jealous...I considered driving down from Chicago, but I have scheduled my vacation in April to allow me to see him here on Friday, Madison(WI) on Saturday and Ann Arbor on Tuesday (Is this stalking or a road trip? I haven't decided yet)...then on to Nashville for the Bluebird Cafe, Exit/In and Friday Night Opry. I will be seeing Robbie Schaefer (EFO) solo tomorrow night here. On another subject, does anyone have a good, clean recording of "Home Team"? I've gotten pretty attached to that and Steve Goodman's baseball songs recently and I only have a pretty poor recording of it. I just wish I could perform any of them as well as the originals, just don't have a singing voice. Thanks - ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- From: "Kristen Myshrall" Reply-To: shindell-list@smoe.org Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2002 09:56:53 -0600 >Hi everyone, > >Ok, the doors open at 7:00 tomorrow (!!!) for the show in St. Louis. There are >still tickets left. We're leaving around 11 so we should be getting there >early (probably 4-5) and grabbing something to eat nearby and then heading >over to wait for the show. Hope to see some of you there! I'll be the blonde >who is obviously WAY to excited!! Yay..my first full length, solo Richard >show!! > >Kristen >www.angelfire.com/folk/lucykaplansky > >.Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2002 09:56:26 -0800 (PST) From: Scribbling Woman Subject: Re: [RS] Point of View A few points to complicate things and then I'll be quiet... 1. RS is splendidly gifted at crafting character. He had me at Mary Magdalene. 2. I recently read Bob Franke's songwriting lecture notes, an experience which probably affected the wording of my question. To paraphrase and probably misinterpret Franke, he notes a connection between the personally expressive nature of songwriting and the universal message songs communicate. (Oh dear heavens -- Roberta Flack's "Singing My Life" is stuck in my head.) Agreed that it is intrusive to speculate on RS's views of God or War (or Yacoub's), which is why I wondered if either has made any declarations. It is presumptuous (and often way off base) to assume that a narrator's views and the writer's are one in the same. The best writers (IMO) possess an empathy which allows them to express viewpoints, sometimes... perhaps often... differing from their own. No doubt the narrator in "YSH" has what many would consider a "universal" viewpoint for the situation. On the other hand, if my feeble attempt at reading the French post on the discussion board is correct, that person has a different viewpoint, at least as to the existence of God. I suppose differences in what is "universal" are the nature of war. He's absolutely brilliant, isn't he. 3. Maybe a better way to pose the question would have been to ask whether either RS or GY had commented on the narrator's views. RS wrote the song for a reason; GY performs it for a reason. One of the great things about going to live performances is to hear what the writer and/or performer *choose* to share about a song. Just wondering if they had. Thanks for the thoughtful responses. To comment on your comments: Smokey wrote: re: Gabriel Yacoub's cover of YSH: >>> As he explained it, he just doesn't believe that God is to blame for war, > which I agree with... I think Smokey's "he" is in reference to GY(rather than the narrator as he interprets him). Thanks, Smokey. To which RonD replied: I think it would be wise to keep in mind that Richard wrote this song with the intent that the narrator is a universal husband, father and victim of the oppressive conditions in Bosnia. It isn't neccessarily Richard's point of view about God, but that of the father in the song. From this viewpoint, I think Richard is dead on as to how the man would feel, given what he and his family and his people have suffered at the hands of the "Tiger" and his army of criminals. This is what makes the song so profound and poignant. Richard's ability to write songs where the narrator is universal and as invented as the lyrics is what makes him so unique a songwriter. In fact, few songwriters, in this or any era, have done this as well as he. IMO. Eloquent indeed! But can he say it in French?! Yahoo! Auctions Great stuff seeking new owners! Bid now! ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2002 10:04:30 -0800 (PST) From: Scribbling Woman Subject: Re: [RS] Point of View (Oh dear heavens -- Roberta Flack's "Singing My Life" is stuck in my head.) Uh, that would be "Killing Me Softly." Yahoo! Auctions Great stuff seeking new owners! Bid now! ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 01 Feb 2002 13:27:12 -0500 From: jim colbert Subject: [RS] new...or old...? Richard Spotted this on the new village records e-newsletter: VARIOUS FAST FOLK: A COMMUNITY OF SINGERS & SONGWRITERS To celebrate the twentieth anniversary of "Fast Folk Music" magazine comes this two disc set. This live set features thirty-our tracks from a wide variety of folk artists. Those paying tribute to the magazine include Steve Forbert, Lucy Kaplansky, Jack Hardy, Dave Van Ronk, Richard Shindell, Christine Lavin, John Gorka, Shawn Colvin, Suzanne Vega, Louise Taylor and a bunch I haven't heard of but am now curious to hear more from. If you like your folk music with the smell of coffee in the air then pull up chair and grab a cup. Smithsonian/Folkways $22.99 Ships February 26th (ooo, ooo, I hope there's a Frank Tedesco cut or Eddy Lawrence on it!) Anyone know what track rs is contributing, and if it's new, old, live, whassup? Also from the same newsletter, they mentioned Courier: RICHARD SHINDELL COURIER: LIVE More than any other type of music, except maybe Jazz, live is the best way to hear folk music. No phony trapping of the studio or a heavy handed producer to get in the way. This fifteen track disc is a great showcase for what Shindell does best. And that is entertain with his voice and well crafted songs. Backed by a small group he works through some of his best work and a cover of Lowell George's "Willin'" and Bruce Springsteen's early gem "4th Of July Asbury Park." Lucy Kaplansky is on board for harmony vocals. Sounds like it was quite a night. Signature Sounds $12.99 For anyone who doesn't have a good local source for a lot of the stuff we listen to and that is discussed here, you can do a lot worse than village. I have no affiliation, btw, other than having ordered stuff from them through the years. www.villagerecords.com. Jim Colbert and it's finally getting sunny in State College PA ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V4 #40 **********************************