"Victor Johnson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>I would tend to agree with Jamie here, that
>she was just making small talk and finding an amusing way to deal with the
>situation. It's not like this is a serious "60" minutes interview. I
>don't see what the big deal is really.
I agree that she was wryly dealing with the situation. It's not a BIG deal,
but whatever size deal it is, it's meaningful to some extent. It's long been
a part of the Joni canon (until only recently) that she doesn't like to look
back, and rarely performed older songs. That's why on her more recent tours
(with Dylan, pre-orchestra) so many were so delighted that she did indeed
sing some older songs. And she did them without the audience having to shout
requests, which I agree, is often a drag. My prior suggestion that an artist
can give the audience a small taste of comfort and familiarity while still
presenting new material remains valid.
"Mark or Travis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote"
>>But Jamie, she's using that illustration to fend off requests for
>>her to sing an old song.
>
>Fred that doesn't make sense. The song she follows that monologue up
>with is 'The Circle Game'
Are we sure that what is on record is chronologically sequential? Edits can
imperceptible. I haven't gone back to check, but does she say anything like "
... paint a Starry Night again ... and now we're gonna do Circle Game"? If
not, it could be an out of sequence edit.
"Kakki" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>>Not to gang up on Fred (really Fred!) but I had this thought of Fred
>>playing
with his jazz band in a stylish sophisticated setting and
>>wondering how he
would respond if several people in the audience
>>started disrupting the
planned set yelling out requests. Fred, you
>>may have had a better comeback
or analogy, but as far as the way
>>Joni diverted the attention, I think she
was successful for coming
>>up with something clever on short notice.
People yelling out requests during my set would be a welcome improvement; I
played versus a large table of loud, drunk Russians last Saturday ... they
were yelling, but it had nothing to do with the music.
But I agree that Joni is successful at diffusing the tension, and I do
realize that straddling the line between pleasing one's self as an artist and
pleasing the audience is a difficult task. If an artist wants to concentrate
exclusively on new material, that's great with me, or wants just to do hits
(as long as they're freshly performed), that's cool, too. I understand both
motives.
I agree: she's not into denying the audience, she does do some older songs on
the MOA gigs (well, they're not as old then as they are now), and she is
gently trying to push the audience into accepting some new stuff ... that's
all fine and well. But her specific analogy, which is clearly a response to
requests for older songs, falls apart upon examination.
I want to remind everyone that I began my diatribe by saying this bit of
illogic on Joni's part is an admitted pet peeve of mine; I've never said that
I can't go at it over a relatively picayune issue like this with the best of
them. C'mon ... sometimes it's fun to argue about nothing. Besides, it's fine
if Joni doesn't always make perfect sense, isn't it? She's still SIQUOMB,
isn't she?
-Fred Simon
