Tanya, Yes, it's the same me! Wow - figured I'd meet a friend here. Scott also did mention that he knows For The Roses by heart on piano - he says that's your favorite. Cool!
Haven't read the Hinton book but I've heard only bad about it. In contrast, I thought the O'Brien book that just came out in England was quite good. She covers the Crosby-as-producer angle well, and it's exactly as you say. Joni somehow broke in with complete creative control over just about everything. This isn't entirely shocking, given the fact that this was the time when rock music (and by extension the singer-songwriters) were being seen for the first time as artists more than mere entertainers. Still, it was just the beginning of this mentality c. '68. James Taylor, if Ian Halperin's quite embarrassing biography can be trusted on ANYTHING (I certainly doubt, for instance, that Carly Simon was dating Picasso in 1980!) didn't start out that way. (Found out too late about Timothy White's bio - but will consult it at some point). The JMDL website has been a great source for me already - the record reviews in particular have been invaluable. Discussions here have been interesting as well. Particularly enjoyed the modal/tonal thread a few days ago. Best, dan s. (of registrar baseball fame indeed - let's see someone figure THAT out!)
