What with spring sprung and my hibernation behind me, I went for a lo-o-o-ong
walk this morning and as invariably happens I amused myself by "playing" songs
in my head. I've never been one for a Walkman (how ironic) - keep bumping into
lamp-posts and misjudging steps on stairs and generally resemble Stan Laurel.
Les R sent me a video and CD of the Fest just recently and that got me humming
some of the tunes thereof. I'm strolling along and the Mixons' version of BYT
came to mind for some reason and I realised I hadn't heard the LOTC version
for yonks. One hears so many covers it's sometimes easy to forget what Joni's
original sounds like - well maybe not but gimme a break. I must confess to
skipping the poppier / played-to-death songs in favour of ... what's the word
... deeper(?) songs; the later works let's say. So I gets back and opens my
emails and there's Bob having forwarded the Danish postry:
<<When we first started on Joni Mitchell, I thought that it was very
interesting (specially the tunings) and we just wanted to try new songs all
the time, and now our duo "BIG YELLOW TAXI" nearly only plays Joni
Mitchell.>>
Anyway, I put on BYT and though I knew it inside out, it still sounded as
fresh as daisy one. So what's yer point WtS? If you played all Joni's albums
back to back from STAS to BSN, how long would the running time be? To think
that BYT lasts a mere 2mins 16secs and yet it is her ... what's the word ...
showpiece(?)!
Let's say you were going on a long car journey with people who had never
heard any Joni, except BYT (and there's that mental block thing going on
therein - oh no that wailing woman!!) but these people were of a "discerning"
taste in music and you wanted to compile a selection to introduce Joni. Which
songs would you opt for? The reason I ask is that I will be long driving with
some friends soon and would like to do away with this myth that BYT epitomises
Joni's music. They are the type who shrivel up whenever that wailing woman
comes on. Maybe time I got some new friends.
We've had HITS and we've had MISSES. I'm gonna combine the titles and
call the compilation HISSES (FOR BUMMER SONGS). Maybe just half a dozen Joni
songs dotted throughout a compilation tape. I'm thinking along the lines of:
Car on the Hill, The Jungle Line (a great one in a car), The Dry Cleaner from
Des Moines; driving music. Any thoughts very welcome. It's time we had a Top
Ten thread again. The Anything-But-Big-Yellow-Taxi Top Ten - introductory
course to Jonigenius for those averse to Joan Baez sound-alikes.
Willy the Shake
