Chris, thanks for your informative, sympathetic and beautifully written review of
Rickie Lee's show at Berkelee. You have such a nice way with metaphor and simile. I
was especially touched when you wrote: "During the musical jam segments, RLJ sat down
in a chair at the front of the stage, lowering her head and closing her eyes as if it
were way past bedtime." Your poetic descriptiveness brings a sad smile to my face,
even as a tear wells in my eye. I've seen Rickie Lee in concert many times and I can
certainly validate your perceptions.
Strangely though, I feel like somewhat of an enabler in that I turn to Rickie Lee
performances for the palatable angst, juxtaposed as it is with her gifted
musicianship, as catharsis for my own. Her persona is heart-wrenching sad, but
endearing and liberating somehow. In my mind it's the performance art equivalent of
Joni's confessional lyrical style, which I love so well.
It's an unfortunate fact that many of our times' greatest artists are afflicted with
these damnable substance-abuse demons. I'm thinking of Billie and Janis, but Macy
Gray and Whitney may be more contemporary examples. One of life's many perplexing
paradoxes is that their real-life challenges lend authenticity and depth to their
rendering of the blues. And their blues are a sobering reminder to me that, regardless
of who you are or your degree of "success," life can be wrought with heartach,
helplessness and pain. For best results, art needs to imitates life, warts and all.
Regardless, I find myself spinning my _Flying Cowboys_ disc often, and lately I've
taken to playing it back-to-back with my new _Billie Holiday: Anthology 1944-1959_.
When I *really* want to feel it, I follow that up with Neil Young's _After the Gold
Rush_. But I don't let it bring me down.
I count "The Horses" among my favorite songs, and when Rickie Lee covers "Don't Let
the Sun Catch You Crying" it's autobiographical:
Don't let the sun catch you cryin'
The night's the time for your tears
Your heart may be broken tonight
But tomorrow in the morning light
Don't let the sun catch you cryin'
The nighttime shadows disappear
And with them go all your tears
Cuz the morning will bring joy for every girl and boy
So, dont let the sun catch you cryin'
We know that cryin's not a bad thing
But stop your cryin' when the birds sing
It may be hard to discover
That you've been left for another
But don't forget that love's the game
That can always come again
So don't let the sun catch you cryin'
(Fred Marsden, Gerrard Marsden, Leo Maguire, Les Chadwick - 1964)
I would never, ever pass up a chance to see RLJ do "Satellites" and so many of my
other favorites live, however manic she might be. For my money, Rickie Lee Jones
exudes such sweet sorrow. When I pity her so profoundly, it's easier not to feel
sorry for myself.
-Julius
np: Joni's "Dreamland" from _Shadows & Light_
