First of all, a happy christmas and new year to all from this down under lurker.
Like many I suspect, I have been dropping in and out of the Travelogue commentary. Wow, its really created an impact, hasn't it? Joni being Joni - she must or would be pleased. Well she should be. Since the record (they'll always be records to me) didn't seem to be released in Australia the discussion has all been a bit remote but I must admit that the diversity of opinion was shifting me away from such a major purchase, especially with all the other christmas distractions. But there, yesterday, on my weekly visit to Borders, there it was. Just the one copy staring up at me for the amazing price of $30! Only about $16 US! What was the deal? Were they dumping copies I asked myself. but did it really matter. It was a sign. BUY!!! I did and then rushed across to HMV on the other side of the Pitt St Mall. And there amidst the blitzkreig lights and Norah Jones being played was Travelogue, several copies, for a whopping $45 (the expected price). My bargain was a christmas gift from JM. Ok, so I fiinish the rest of my shopping, rush across Hyde Park to the car. Rip open the packgaging (and by the way, yes the packgaging is just gorgeous. Absolutely no problem that it is the same theme as the previous records. The colour of the cover is perfect), slide in disc one (thank God for the car CD player) and then I was on my way. The streets of Sydney began to glisten. Industrial landscapes began to turn into verdant green forests. A marvellous transformation had begun. While I could hear, and even understand, all the negative comments people had made, they turned to irrelevancies because, here, the divine JM had turned her glorious past into a new and just as glorious, present. Indeed, perhaps a car is the perfect place for such a record. No neighbours and surround sound. It has to be LOUD. You have to pretend to be in the best concert hall, perhaps the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam with its perfect acoustics. The whole thing quickly dragged me into its spell. I was expecting slow, and I guess it is, but then Brian Blade is always there pushing it along so that to my ears, it never becomes lubrigious. And its fun! It sounds like everyone is having a great time creating this most unusual and probably the most successfully orchestrated pop record, at least of the last couple of decades. It feels live. As every new song comes on, I begin to wonder what Joni will do with her voice. She turns the limitations of her range into a hot rod of emotion. Despite the panting, she is not running to catch up because, after all, this is HER music. These are HER songs and that is so clear in every note, every lunge and peak of the orchestra. And the songs are paintings. It seems as if finally JM has really painted herself into the music and the visuals almost take over. We have always known Joni the romantic in terms of her words, but here the romance is in the orchestration. It has to be lush and huge and it is. Yes, there are elements of the arrangements that could be seen as annoying, especially if heard as a series of flippant brush strokes. But that's not how I hear it and Wayne Shorter in particular turns the usual into the particular. Throwing in themes and working them up to just the right depth of colour. Oh its GLORIOUS. And of course some songs seeeeeem to work better than others. But there is so much to choose from, one doesn't quite know what to go back to, where to begin. And this is just my first listen! Yes there is something fine here and I urge those doubters to undoubt yourself. You must have it! Its not the same old songs its the songs of our lives transformed. The originals exist forever. Some (think everything from Hejira) exist in their perfection with Jaco etc. But this, Travelogue, is another story. Not imitation, so to my mind, all the changes, the shifts in rhythm etc are not about diminishing what's gone before, its about finding out what the orchestra can do. Anyway enough you all say. But I had to say it. Even if you buy it and hate it, you have to have it, cause one day, its going to sneak up on you. Prediction! from the first time listener. Will I live to regret my comments? I don't think so. This is the right record for JM to have made now. BSN was/is superb. It grows and grows. Taming the tiger - well it has its moments, but the songwriting pen seemed to be running out of ink for the moment. Travelogue doesn't need new ink. Its about paint, paint and more paint!!!!!Don't be timid, throw yourself into and see what happens. Nicholas Sydney
