> Also, Wild THings Run Fast used to erk the hell out of me, but I
honestly
> appreciate it for what it is, A good pop album, and nothing else.
Some people (not you Blair) have commented on the sound of Joni's 80s
albums. Words like 'cheesy' and 'synthesizers' have popped up. It
made me reflect back on 80s pop music. When I think of 'cheesy 80s
pop' I think of people like Hall & Oats, Kim Karnes, The Human League
and Madonna. Then when I consider 'Wild Things Run Fast', 'Dog Eat
Dog' and 'Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm' I find little or no resemblance
in those records to Hall & Oats or any of those others that I
mentioned before.
There was also some of what I would consider very good pop music in
the 80s. The Eurythmics come to mind. Joni's 80s records don't sound
like them to me either.
Then there was some truly interesting stuff that had real substance to
it that came out in the 80s. The Police did 'Ghost in the Machine'
that had a lot of synth work on it. They also put out a record called
'Synchronicity' that had some great writing and production. Talking
Heads released 'Remain in Light' and 'Speaking in Tongues.' The
Pretenders released at least 2 great records in the 80s. But quite
frankly Joni's stuff from the same period doesn't really make me think
of those artists either.
Joni may have chosen some of the instruments & musicians that were
prevalent in 80s music but to my ears she made them sound like
something uniquely her own. Weren't the acoustic guitar and piano the
instruments of choice for singer/songwriters in the late 60s and early
70s? I guess where you rank the 80s albums in her overall output is
all a matter of personal taste. Depends on what kind of music you
tend to gravitate to. But I don't think any of those records deserves
to be dismissed as 'cheesy' or 'failed attempts at 80s style pop.'
There's far too much going on in them. And Blair, although I would
have to agree that lyrically WTRF is no Hejira, I still don't think
you could call it lightweight. 'Moon at the Window' has some great
lyrics. So does 'Man to Man' and there are some great lines in the
title track as well. And her re-working of Corinthians in 'Love' is
wondrous indeed.
Mark in Seattle
