I headed up Bank Street to the HMV on the corner of Sparks and there she was, two full rows of Joni looking longingly, sensually, out from her dark canvas at the passers by. The place was packed with noon-hour Christmas shoppers and a few of the albums had been snapped up already. I hastily grabbed my copy; $35.99 seemed more than worth it to me.
The guy at the cash seemed happy I was buying it: "It's great," he said. "You'll love it." He was only about 28, three years my senior, and it pleased me to intereact with someone else my age, only briefly, who had affection for Joni. I rushed home, after stopping to get a few things at the grocery store, and tore open the package... Astounding! This is by far the most beautiful package design I've ever seen for a CD, excluding special editions, which always tend to be a little more glamourous. But this was exquisite. I gave it the attention it deserved, not playing the album until I had thoroughly scoured the contents of the design. I love the outer casing containing the CD booklet and the lyric booklet - it's like opening a little treasure trove, which I'm sure is the idea. The paintings within are incredible. They are so beautiful. They actually evoke a kind of subconscious soundtrack in and of themselves and their relevance to the album is subtle yet clear. When I saw Joni's palms with the golden eggs, that famous passage from For The Roses sprung to mind: "They toss around your latest golden egg/Speculation/Well, who's to know if the next one in the nest will glitter for them so." And we've been tossing around this golden egg for a week now with very mixed ideas about how well it glitters in the nest. My favourite painting is the cover portrait. Upon closer inspection it is extremely sensual and sexy, and this is coming from a man who is not attracted to women. The parted lips, the bedroom eyes, the shine of blond hair, the plume of smoke framing her face and the glisten of an earing. God, I wanted to kiss her! Joni's vanity is put to excellent use on that portrait - it's ghostly, haunting and so evocative. I'd love to see the "inverse" paintings all in a line, in a gallery. From the World Trade Centre to Osama, the bible in hand to the American flag, one after the other. Spectacular. My boyfriend and I pondered over these ones for a good 20 minutes, absorbing every detail. I also loved the very fractured photos of Joni's garden and her little puppy, the odd inclusion of her hand with a paint brush or a wayward foot stepping out onto the patio. She's the best. She is just the best. I'm not sure what else to say except that the presentation of this album is so classy and timeless. I may end up buying another copy of this album sometime down the road for posterity. Keep it safe for my little nephew to one day pass on to his children, etc. Stay tuned for my impressions of THE MUSIC, if you're interested. I need the night to absorb it all and probably won't post my opinions until tomorrow morning. I'm very excited about listening to this! love, Andrew Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now
