Hi guys,
I signed in to your pleasant chatroom a couple of weeks ago and have had a
wonderful time following the different discussion on Coyote Guys, Blue vs
Blood on the Tracks, Jack and Grace, We Have Heaven lyrics et cetera. Being
European (Swedish to be exact) I find many of the best American artists
being discussed here, things to be really proud of as an American, as well
as enjoy all over the world, over and over again. Luckily, music speaks an
international language. International is also the passion of making lists,
it seems..
On the subject of which period of Joni's career is the best, I would say she
has different age groups of fans getting into different phases of her
career, all of them equally important. Personally, after starting exploring
her in the late 70s/early 80s, I enjoy the jazz chops the most - her voice
together with Wayne's sax and Jaco's bass lines are simply made in heaven (I
used to think they played harp up there, but apparently it fretless bass),
but every period has it's unique kind of magic. Her venture into electronics
with Dolby's warm synths in the background, and of course James Taylor
gently humming behind her on Blue or for that matter Michael McDoobie on Dog
Eat Dog - I wouldn't miss out on any of it. I have cherished every new
release as much as the vintage ones I gradually sought out. "Bad" Joni is
better than most good music out there, I'm tempted to state.
And now, my top ten list of today, arranged alphabetically. Tomorrow it
might look slightly different (but then again, it might not):
Blue Motel Room
Cool Water*
The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines
Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
Harry's House/Centerpiece
Hejira
Impossible Dreamer
Ouverture/Cotton Avenue
Ray's Dad's Cadillac
Yvette in French
Skel from Jan in Stockholm (who saw her beside our king when she received
the Polar music awards and thought "you better behave, you're standing next
to royalty". Luckily, he did.)
*Joni and Willie - how could they lose?
>> Date: Tue, 01 May 2001 10:51:42 -0500
>> From: mags <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> To: Mike Hicks <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> Subject: Re: The top 10 Joni songs...
>
>> what about Blue and Turbulent Indigo as well as Don Juans Wreckless Daughter
>> and in
>> this particular CD, I am drawn to Paprika Plains..what a magnificent body of
>> work
>> that song is in and of itself.
>>
>> Mags
>
> All of these you mentioned had their moments, but none of these are
> as solid throughout as the ones I mentioned, in my opinion of course.
> I can count on one hand the number of times Blue has graced my
> turntable and cassette deck. When I taped my favorite songs off lp's
> all of Hejira and Court were definitely on there, as was most of For
> the Roses and Hissing. I have to pick and choose with the rest, even
> though I own all of them on cd now. Even bought the BSN promo
> package cd, and rarely ever play it. I will continue to buy
> everything she ever does knowing full well it can never eclipse that
> period in the 70's.
>
> Mike
>>
>> Mike Hicks wrote:
>>
>>>> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>> Date: Fri, 4 May 2001 09:56:47 EDT
>>>> Subject: Re: The top 10 Joni songs...
>>>> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>> Reply-to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>
>>>> In a message dated 5/4/01 8:30:25 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
>>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>> writes:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> And I don't think I'm in the minority, either, than while Joni has
>>>>> continued to put out good music, nothing after Hejira measures up to
>>>>> anything
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> For me, TI ranks up there with the very best of Joni's (or anyone's for
>>>> that
>>>> matter) work. The emotional intensity--the sense of desperation--that she
>>>> captures in Sunny Sunday is, IMHO, unmatched in any other song. And the
>>>> poetry of Sire Of Sorrow matches that of Hejira (my favorite song and LP).
>>>> I
>>>> feel TI is a true masterpiece: it comes from the perspective of an older
>>>> woman than what we hear on the albums from Blue thru Hejira, and while it
>>>> may
>>>> be "darker" than some like, it captures emotions as strongly as any of
>>>> Joni's
>>>> works. I have always been drawn to Joni's work because she hits a chord in
>>>> me--I respond to her music and lyrics on a visceral level (I can't always
>>>> explain what she touches off in me, but she always brings up intense
>>>> feelings).
>>>>
>>>> Stephen
>>>
>>> You are right. If anyone could pull it off at this point of a career
>>> it would be Joni. I guess aerosmith fans could say the same of them
>>> now. Still, for me song for song, Hejira wins. Joni has more than a
>>> couple masterpieces. Mine are FTR, Court, Hissing, and Hejira.
>>> Outside of Blue, this may be the favorites by many others on the
>>> list. To me, this body of work is nearly unmatched by anyone I can
>>> think of. (Of course their are some in my opinion that come
>>> close...Yes, Genesis, Beatles, Hendrix, Stones, Jefferson Airplane,
>>> CSNY, Tull, and early Steve Miller Band had it's moments .) And when
>>> you think about it, 4 albums is one heck of a body of work. Am I
>>> leaving any out?
>>>
>>> Mike
>>
>> --
>>
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> _~O
>> / /\_,
>> ___/\
>> /_
>> -----------------------------------------
