> On August 5 these articles were published:
>
> 1971: "Blue" - Rolling Stone
> (Review - Album, with photographs)
> http://www.jmdl.com/articles/docs/710805rs.cfm
When I read the following lines from this review:
(referring to 'All I Want'): 'The accompaniment - James Taylor and
Joni drumming a nervous, Latin-flavored guitar pan over a bass
heartbeat that throbs throughout the song'
(referring to 'California'): 'James Taylor's twitchy guitar and Russ
Kunkel's superb, barely detectable high-hat and bass-pedal work give
it just the right amount of propulsion.
and finally:
'In "A Case of You," James repeats the same dotted guitar riff he
played in "California," only the melody here is slow, stately and
almost hymnlike. '
I thought to myself: 'Why no mention of the dulcimer? Did he
actually *listen* to this record? Doesn't he read the liner notes of
the records he allegedly 'reviewed'???'
So I went and looked at the liner notes on 'Blue'. I looked at the
first 'Blue' cd I bought. I looked at the gold DCC disk I was
fortunate enough to win in one of Wally Breese's contests. Finally I
dug out my vinyl copy and lo and behold! There is no mention of the
dulcimer anywhere in the liner notes for 'Blue'! Of course it also
doesn't mention that Joni plays piano or guitar (does she play
guitar?) on 'Blue'. I guess this is supposed to be evident or assumed
since she is known for the piano and guitar. But this was the only
album that she played dulcimer on so to me it seems odd that it would
not be credited. And it seems even odder that the reviewer for the
bloody Rolling Stone wouldn't at least do enough home work to know the
instrument when he heard it and recognize it's contribution to the
sound of these songs! Especially 'A Case of You'. Just about every
cover I've heard of this song echoes that dulcimer line somewhere in
the arrangement and more than one blatantly copies it virtually
intact. It's almost like it's a necessary, integral part of the song.
(Jane Monheit's version is one exception and it does work, imo. I
don't think Tori Amos used it either.) But this guy mentioned James'
guitar and ignored the dulcimer. Could this be a bit of sexism? I
wonder....
There is also this little gem about 'Little Green': 'The pretty,
"poetic" lyric is dressed up in such cryptic references that it
passeth all understanding. '
What's so 'cryptic' about 'Little Green'? The only thing that was
cryptic about it was who it was really about. But the song itself
seems pretty straightforward to me.
The Rolling Stone. Was it ever really worth paying attention to?
Mark in Seattle
