Hi all- Reading all this discussion about "Tenth World" set me thinking about a pleasant incident involving that album. I was living in LA for awhile (in 2000), and was finally able to spend time with one of best friends, Nancy. It was the first time in 20 years we'd lived in the same town (ironically, she moved to New York City 2 months after I arrived), and we tried to make the most of it.
One evening, we returned to my bungalow after dinner, and she came in for awhile. "Play me something I've never heard". She was looking through my CD's, and pulled out "Don Juan's" and said, "How's this album?" I was incredulous. "What, you've never heard this?" "No, I've never even seen it before." My selection was easy, at that point. We altered our mood a little, and I lit some candles, and put on "Paprika Plains". Nancy loves Joni, and she's also a painter, so this piece of music was the perfect choice. We didn't speak at all while it played... I just watched her as she listened to this music that I knew so well. It was very interesting being both an observer, as well as an active listener. I found that, even though I knew every note and nuance of this opus, I was hearing it with fresh ears, as I tried to imagine what it was like for Nancy experiencing it for the first time. Of course, she was absolutely stunned by it. I was surprised at how powerful the end of the song is, when the electric bass and the drums come in. And Wayne! To have such a visceral impact from music that I've heard hundreds of times over the years...was just amazing. A month later, Nancy called from Brooklyn and left me a message. In the background, some music was playing. "Can you hear it?" she asked, then paused so I could. It was "Paprika Plains", from the first CD she had purchased for her new home. An aural portrait of the land and the sky, that one is. Rus
