Hello, all, and as Elvis Costello says, "Welcome to the Working Week"!
I know that most of my initial mailings of Volume 13 have been safely
escorted to their destinations and I hope they are being enjoyed. Lemme take
a moment or 30 to run down the tracks and tell everyone who's interested how
they can get a copy...
1. Bettie Serveert, "River" - LOVE this one! It's got a real Cowboy Junkies
feel to it, it stands out much like the Nile or Amazon as a truly outstanding
River!
2. Catherine McKinnon, "Both Sides Now" - Catherine's version is very pretty,
the arrangement is straightforward, nothing really breathtaking, but it's
certainly likeable.
3. Parasites, "Both Sides Now" - NOW we're talking! For starters, they begin
with a duplication of the harpsichord sound on Judy Collins' version, then
they open it up with a Replacements/Ramones sound that is great, and is very
successful imo. And the CD this comes from rocks from start to finish. Great
power pop!
4. Shawn Colvin, "River" - another unreleased live track, Shawn is a HUGE
Joni fan and plays a very heartfelt version. This was from a Christmas Eve
1998 broadcast, so the quality is wonderful! Anyone who has Shawn's "Covers
Girl" record knows that she has a talent for interpretation, not to take
anything away from her own songwriting talents!
5. Buddy Holly, "You're So Square (Baby I Don't Care)" - Buddy was so excited
about the covers project that he returned from the dead to make this
recording! Just kidding, this is actually from the fifties, his version of
the Lieber-Stoller tune that Joni made her own on WTRF.
6. Mannfred Mann's Earth Band, "Banquet" - They miss a couple of verses,
change some others (Some turn to Africa?) and layer the thing with synths and
give the whole thing sort of a Night Ranger feel...interesting, but easily
pinpointed to about 1986, which is when it was recorded.
7. Marcel Dadi, "Both Sides Now" - The OTHER Marcel. I was expecting more
from this guy...not to take anything away from it, he's a very capable
guitarist, but the whole track is less than 2 minutes. No vocal. Maybe it
would be of interest to the many talented players out there as he layers
finger picking with some chords...
8. Chaka Khan, "Man From Mars" - Oh my my!!! This is simply one of the best
things I've ever heard! Chaka makes up for her fumble of Hejira in Central
Park with this spot-on, soulful, mournful take on Joni's song of love & loss.
Chaka's chops wring out every nanogram of emotion, and there's a wonderful
electric piano solo by Mark Stewart that reminds me of Ray Manzarek's in
"Riders On The Storm" in the way it builds and climaxes. Eight minutes of
pure bliss! And as if this one wasn't enough...
9. Lydia Van Dam Group, "All I Want" - The piano intro will have you doing
the Snoopy dance in your living room. Lydia's jazz version of this song is
superb. She stays close enough to Joni's melody, but ventures out enough to
wail and let her fine band stretch out!
10. Ralph Martin Willey, "Chelsea Morning" - Color me guilty...when I heard
the wonderful Chaka & Lydia tracks, I became overanxious to complete #13. (So
I'm an excitable boy...sue me! ;~D) I finished out the CD with 6 of the
tracks from "Came Upon A Child of God". I would encourage everyone to pick up
the original CD - it's cheap. Anyway, this Chelsea Morning is a laid-back
finger-picked version that is very nice, sounds like Harry Chapin.
11. Vera Haime, "Carey" - Vera does 3 or 4 of the tracks on the tribute, she
has a very capable voice. Carey is NOT an easy song to sing (without
helium!)Her versions are all true to Joni's, what they lack in creativity
they make up for in competence.
12. Bette Midler, "Twisted" - Perhaps the only version out there that's
funnier than Joni's, I loved this one that has Bette playing both singer and
audience commenting on the singer. What a world it would be if we all had her
sense of self-confidence!
13. Lydia Van Dam Group, "Down To You" - More Lydia, with more to come!
Another excellent cocktail jazz take on Joni, this time she tackles the
"suite" of Down To You and where she captures the joy of All I Want, she just
as easily nails the melancholia of Down To You. I think I've fallen in love
with Lydia - and she won't return my calls! :~)
14. David Hay, "Chinese Cafe" - Always a pleasure to hear a fine male voice
doing Joni songs, and this one is a Xerox copy of Joni's arrangement but
obviously with a masculine feel. Very nice bass work as well. He sounds like
Colin Hay (Men At Work) - wonder if they're related?
15. Vera Haime, "Big Yellow Taxi" - Again, very close to the original, but
Vera's voice handles all the little yodels and tonal leaps required.
16. Lydia Van Dam Group, "Shadows & Light" - Another gem from Lydia, this
adds a quiet contemplative instrumental arrangement and features more singing
that captures the nuances of some of Joni's most difficult lyrics. Like
Campbell's used to say, it's Mmm Mmm Good!
17. Treasure, "Both Sides Now" - This too is from "Came Upon A Child of God"
and is good, features a female vocal with a voice that sounds like Bernadette
Peters or somebody like that. High notes no problem! And nice addition of
harp!
18. E-Clypse, "This Flight Tonight" - Sounds more like Joni than Nazareth!
The vocalist sounds similar to Treasure, but the arrangement is almost
something outta Nashville. Nice slide guitar effects, and the C&W vocal
completes the picture.
Whew! So that's what on it, them that's got it feel free to add your own
thoughts.
Many thanks to our JMDL contributors for this volume:
Monica, who single-handedly restores dignity to the name!
Ranger Rick, looking for covers in the woods
Steve B., hunter of rarities
John Van Tiel, an AmsterDAM fine fellow
Officer Bill Pearson
Jerry "The Hunk" Notaro
Couldn't do it without ya, gang!!
If you want a copy, you can send me a blank MUSIC CD and postage and I'll
spin one for your very own collection. Just include a note reminding me what
you want, "Lucky #13"! And if you've come in late and want to play catch-up,
I'll do my best to hook you up. If you prefer trades or other arrangements,
lemme know.
Bob Muller
309 West Prentiss Ave.
Greenville, SC 29605
NP: Chaka, "Man From Mars" (NOT to be missed!)
