After *listening to* the onlist furor since Joni's new CD came out, I finally picked it up in Saskatoon the other day while doing the last of my Christmas shopping.
I put it in the player at my friend's house in the city, but too much noise and conversation was a distraction so I turned it off and waited till we got home. Drink in hand, probably a smoke, soft lighting, my lover's head on my shoulder, I listened as the CD-player randomly chose a track from Travelogue. I did not know what to expect, after all the previous criticism, but the song (I forget what it was already) knocked my socks off. Wow. The arrangements were powerfully affecting, and Joni's voice was her own (which I appreciate as a lush, warm and lovely one), and I thought "She has created something unique and beautiful again" and being overwhelmed by the majesty of it. Frankly, I was astounded. Kindof awestruck. The song that followed, I liked less because it had a too-regular, long-lasting drumbeat for my taste. I have yet to listen through the two discs from start to finish, what with the holiday bringing with it all the visitors and visiting and everything else. Tracks have been randomly played throughout the days since we've been home, and I like what she's done. Joni has impressed me, as usual. I am looking forward to two straight hours of listening to the songs in their proper order and getting the full intended effect of Travelogue. I can't always say why I love Joni's music, just that I do. Sigh. My .02. Kate du Nord
