hi everyone! i'm writing from my new computer (a compaq presario notebook), which is the first i've bought in over five years -- AND, it has the internet on it! some of you may be thinking, well, of course -- but some of you may remember that i NEVER had access before, so: yeah! also i'm testing out that new email address i posted about before. it's all very exciting. oh, and now for the joni content: i played the London BBC 1970 concert with james taylor last night -- courtesy of BOB, who made me a copy of this tape tree so kindly, just over a year now -- thanks, bob! anyway, i hadn't listened to this in a while -- and i was just stunned by "for free" which they do as a duet, JT's singular guitar trickling along with her piano. i mean, my tears were spilling. it was a wonderful song -- how i would loved to have been there. that song packs a punch for me -- it's just so brave. so many artists seem to yammer about "selling out" -- but here i hear joni really struggling to comprehend something for herself: that she is no longer that street musician, that she will turn away from him now, just like the others. i don't know, it's such an inward song -- and yet -- it's like she is throwing down the gauntlet, somehow. to james? thinking about "for the roses," if that's meant for him: "you used to play to the soundhole and your knee" (paraphrasing)-- these are very real issues between them. i loved listening to them sing this together, thinking about music as an art, music as a business. i hear so much loss of innocence, so much self-awareness,as she sings "and i sing if you HAAAAVVVE the money..." it's kind of heartbreaking. OK, just wanted to throw this out there. have a great tuesday! -- emily NP: "the arrangement," on MY NEW COMPUTER'S CD-ROM!!!
