From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V12 #291 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 3 2013 Volume 12 : Number 291 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: [RS] Much Madness, Round One. [Vanessa Wills ] Re: [RS] Much Madness, Round One. [Carol Love ] Re: [RS] Much Madness, Round One. [=?utf-8?q?john_cl=C3=A9irigh?= ] Re: [RS] Much Madness, Round One. [Adam Sampson ] [RS] Re: shindell-list-digest V12 #268 [Michael and Linda Marmer Subject: Re: [RS] Much Madness, Round One. Yeah, I think "State of the Union" ends up getting an extra boost from the fact that it is the song that almost wasn't. The rumored reason--that Obama's election obviated the song--added to my irritation. The basic themes in the song, a protest against warmongering and militarism, and against the conditions conducive to crime and drug use, are as relevant now as ever. On Fri, Feb 1, 2013 at 5:52 PM, Peter Booth wrote: > > 11.State of the Union -- I hold this song close as there was a rumor > here that RS had said he wasn't going to put this on his album and then *I* > posted here that he *had* to put it on because the line about Presdient > Bush "smilin' that smile" simply could not NOT be recorded for history. > The song then ended up on the album and I *know* that Richard read my post > and I personally changed his mind. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 2 Feb 2013 10:36:49 -0500 From: Carol Love Subject: Re: [RS] Much Madness, Round One. Norman (not Howard) Johnson wrote: > Norman's choice: Wisteria - You Can't Go Home Again. ......Norman, GREAT way to sum up that song. I don't think those exact words have come to me. I also can relate to this song as a parent. My only child is 20. Not a particularly enjoyable age and the time in her life when she must start pulling away from me. While knowing it's a healthy and normal stage, I still look at younger girls when I see them and have a deep longing for the moments when she thought I knew everything and TV time meant snuggling and watching shows together. (Now it's an argument on why I can't stand another moment of the Kardasians...) I feel all the longing RS puts in this song at those moments. (I also drive by the house I grew up in every time I have to go to the north part of my county...) Norman's choice: Confession. Captures pre-tech bubble crash Wall Street > perfectly > .....What Norman said!! Again, I hadn't even thought of that!!! ....................................................... Adam Sampson wrote: > > 3. Abuelita (vs. Wisteria) > > Nearly too close to call. Abuelita's chorus just tips it, though. ......Adam. this was my hard choice, too. You are SO right about the chorus. My daughter, who is not really an RS fan, cannot listen to this song because it makes her cry. She has been very involved in the Invisible Children Project (for the sake of brevity, I would tell anyone to Google it, rather than have me explain it here) and when she found out (though Shindell's song) that there had also been genocide and children left without parents in Argentina, she was profoundly moved. And the heart breaks in the chorus when you realize that a mother is now looking for faces that could be her grandchildren, all she has left after her son. This may be one of RS's most important songs. BRING IT BACK AS A WILD CARD, Gritz!!!!!! ..........Carol ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 02 Feb 2013 16:02:06 -0000 From: =?utf-8?q?john_cl=C3=A9irigh?= Subject: Re: [RS] Much Madness, Round One. 1. You Stay Here2. Waiting For The Storm3. Wisteria (tough pairing)4. Get Up Clara5. Ascent6. Balloon Man7. Fenario8. Howling At The Trouble9. You Again (again, tough choice)10. There Goes Mavis11.One Man's Arkansas12. Hazel's House13. Mary Magdalene-- john clary Sent from my BlackBerryB. PlayBookb" ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 2 Feb 2013 10:41:24 -0500 From: Vanessa Wills Subject: Re: [RS] Much Madness, Round One. This was one of the toughest calls for me. My brain says "Last Fare" but my happy heart says "Get Up Clara". I love how Richard's voice is so exasperated and lines like, "never listen to a mule, even one as cute as you" crack me up every single time. P.S. Josh Ritter's going on tour this spring. I'm so excited! I was introduced to his music through Richard's recording of "Lawrence, Kansas", for which I am eternally grateful. On Sat, Feb 2, 2013 at 9:55 AM, Chris Foxwell wrote: > 4. Last Fare of the Day vs. *Get Up Clara (alt mix)* > I loves me some 'Last Fare", but "Get Up Clara" tickles just about every > bone in my body. It's whimsical, it's catchy, it's about a mule, and it's > got all sorts of history geek references. "Vandals, Celts, and Visigoths > are everywhere" might be my favorite thing anyone has written in a song > ever anyone ever. (Except Josh Ritter's "You're not a good shot but I'm > worse".) I MUCH prefer the alt mix from *Mariana's EP*, by the way. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 02 Feb 2013 13:32:13 +0000 From: Adam Sampson Subject: Re: [RS] Much Madness, Round One. (I'm only going to comment on a few of these, since I don't think I've listened to Richard's earlier albums enough to give all the pairs fair consideration.) 1. Mariana's Table (vs. You Stay Here) ... oh, yeah, start with an easy one, why don't you. ;-) They're both fantastic songs -- but Mariana's Table (the stripped-down version on the EP, which has significant musical and lyrical differences from the album) is the clear winner for me. I think it's a great example of how it's possible to write a powerful, beautiful song about an utterly everyday occurrence. I also love the Am-Dm-Am turnaround in the middle of the verse; it's a very satisfying song to play and sing. 3. Abuelita (vs. Wisteria) Nearly too close to call. Abuelita's chorus just tips it, though. 4. Get Up Clara (vs. Last Fare Of The Day) Nothing wrong with a good silly song about a mule (viz. Erie Canal), and this is a particularly good one. 7. Confession (vs. Fenario) I really like the musical design of Fenario, but Confession is just so much fun to sing with two people (especially the bit at the end)... 11. State of the Union (vs. One Man's Arkansas) I like the album version better here. I'm always dead impressed at how well the song works with no rhyme scheme -- a good story, a political point and a neat bit of repetition in the final lines of the verses. 13. Mary Magdalene (vs. So Says The Whipporwill) An excellent idea well executed. (Not to say that Whipporwill isn't, of course.) - -- Adam Sampson ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 2 Feb 2013 11:02:21 -0500 From: Michael and Linda Marmer Subject: [RS] Re: shindell-list-digest V12 #268 I originally picked By Now, then I changed it, because I saw the first few votes coming in against, as there was just a discussion on it on how weird the song is. So I figured, I better change it or I will be crucified. O:)! No I see many are picking the song. Oh well. Gosh all of Richard's songs are great, very hard to just pick one best. O:)! Mike ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V12 #291 ************************************