Responding to Owen's suggestion about revisiting DED to 'fix' the production and lend it some more timeless quality or whatever - sorry that sounds disparaging. I am generally of the opinion that joni's live and acoustic takes on her songs are the ones of which I am most fond and feel work better. But I'm saying that not having heard all the (unofficially) available recordings of her live (ie non-produced) work.
Citing the San Remo performance of Lakota as an example. This is a song i really like from CMIARS which is transformed and wonderful when sung with just acoustic guitar (and klien's rather polka dot bass playing). Ashara gave each of us Jonifest 2002 attendees a splendid compilation video of joni clips one of which was joni playing Farm Aid back whenever. Joni played Three Great Stimulants and (a personal favourite) Dog Eat Dog. Well, TGS was 'nothing' and DED was hammered out on the 'pianner' in a stylee that brought to mind Nina Simone at her truculent worst. The song ended with Joni barking out 'Dogeatdog!', 'Dogeatdog!' All the beauty and light she brought to the recorded version, of what is a song of bitter subject, was entirely lost. It stank and the seemed hardly worth the effort. Both songs seemed slight and pissed off. Mind you, the audience was noisy and knowing our Joan's prediliction for attentive and well mannered audiences, no doubt this informed her performance. When listened to on the produced record with all the accoutrements of over-production I think they are very good indeed. I like them a lot. All, of course, in my very humble opinion. les (london and still rotten with post fest blues - get over yourself boy!)
