Fascinating debate, folks; I've adjusted the subject, as I'm more exercised
about BSN than DJRD - and for the record, I wouldn't cut anything from the
latter.
In a message dated 23/06/01 04:57:03 GMT Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
writes:
<< I think we can, as Bob said, analyze and examine but in the end I just
can't bring myself to say 'Joni should have done this differently' or 'Joni
should have cut that song from this or that album'. >>
My take on this is: why not? After all, we're just a bunch of fans chewing
the fat about our favourite (give or take) singer and songwriter. None of us
has the power to influence her artistic decisions, but we're perfectly
entitled to volunteer our opinions on what she produces. After all, most of
the comment on this list is much more considered and erudite than a lot of
the press flak Joni has fielded over the years.
<< There aren't many people in the music business with the genius to be able
to, first of all, conceive a complete, fully realized work of musical genius
and then secondly, be able to go into a recording studio and make it happen:
compose the music, write the incredible words, play the guitar, play the
piano, >>
Not trying to be a smartarse here, but one of my gripes with BSN is that on
that project, Joni doesn't do any of these things! To me she's not playing
to any of her many strengths; as far as I'm concerned, her voice has lost a
lot more than it has gained with the wear and tear of the years. I know
there are plenty of repectable voices who totally disagree with me here, but
I'm sticking to my guns, and I think it may be a touch of artistic hubris
creeping in that persuaded her to undertake this project. I'd add that it
was only her two original songs on BSN that made much of an impression on me,
apart from arrangements - for which she was not responsible.
<< I'm not saying that I don't appreciate some albums more than others but
there's almost no-one else whose entire output is as brilliant overall as
Joni's. >>
I agree up to a point, in that I don't think Joni's ever made a bad record,
or even a record that was less than good, unlike, to take the most obvious
examples, Dylan or Neil Young (although I'd say the same - no substandard
records - about Laura Nyro); however, I'm with those few Jonifans who don't
think she's made a GREAT record for quite some time. It's not as if she
hasn't earned a break from being blindingly brilliant, and she had a longer
streak than most.
Q magazine made a comment a few years ago, I think when Chalk Mark came out,
that while she had plenty left to say, she had nothing left to prove. This
strikes me now as very astute, and provides another parallel with Laura Nyro,
whose flame burned with spectacular intensity for 3 albums (the trilogy of
Eli & the 13th Confession/New York Tendaberry/Xmas & the Beads of Sweat), and
then burned more steadily thereafter. Joni's purple patch, for me, was from
Blue to Don Juan. To have made just one of those records would have granted
immortality on anyone.
That's my two penn'orth on this vexed question.
Cheers,
Azeem in London
NP: Fools Give Birth To Angels (sublime new album from a spellbinding duo)
