> I hold nothing against Geffen for not promoting this material.
> What possible way could one package these to a mass market audience in
> love with main stream, feel good pap? Do you really think 4 out of 10
> average music buyers is going to listen to Wolf in Lindsey and think,
> "Coool. Let's get that album for tonight's party!" based on promotion?
> It may have drawn the curious enlightened few, but Joni's music doesn't
> 'fit' the general norm people buy and play music: as feel good listening
> entertainment, to dance to, as atmosphere at a party, or to make love
> to. She's too heavy, too off the beat, to verbose and cerebral, and too
> cynical for general consumption.
>
This is certainly true and right on the mark for Mingus, but I think
that CMIARS and NRN were seriously undermarketed -- CMIARS, in
particular, could have been huge -- had all the right pop hooks, the
gazillion guest artists, etc. However, the label basically left it
there to rot, where it could have shot up the charts. Same thing for
NRN, especially with the recent "come back" of Bonnie Raitt, Rondstadt,
etc. But again, the label chose to throw millions into the latest Cher
album, and spent a bundle on videos of Cher prancing around with her
arse hanging out all over the place. Admittedly, I get really tired of
the Joni "I make no money and the industry is out to get me" stories,
but with those two albums, she's more than justified.
Evian
np: FTR (been listening to this all day, haven't played it for
months... doesn't get any better than this)
ps -- Just finished watching Almost Famous -- what a frigging awesome
movie!
