I just came across a recording of a concert that Ani Difranco did in Australia at the Port Fairy Folk Festival in 1998. She said some interesting things about Joni between songs:
Ani was having trouble re-tuning her guitar and said, "These alternative tunings always seem like a real good idea when I'm at home and they're written out in front of me. I once saw Joni Mitchell play a show and she was just standing there for like ten minutes going, 'ah..., ah...' trying to re-tune her guitar to some ridiculous tuning. I felt that it affirmed my whole life..... You know it's funny, I spent last August with Mr. Bob Dylan. I was touring/opening shows for him and ever since then...all the interviewers keep asking me..'What was it like touring with God?' and 'What words of wisdom did he bestow upon you?'...There's this kind of religion of hyperbole that surrounds Bob and 'long live the church of Bob.' You know, I would never attempt heresy in that area, especially not in my line of work, but it's funny because Bob was never really a deity for me, not anywhere near the scope of which Joni Mitchell was and I think that respecting his work...is a good idea...he's done quite a few cool things...but it seems that in the states, the canon of Bob seems to become deeper and richer and more ingrained in my culture every day and Joni seems to be systematically forgotten and periodically condescended to by the media....It's really strange to me, not as strange as I wish it was to me. It's actually quite familiar. I think there's something very elusive about, the sort of liberal, open, inclusive, revolutionary, folk singing, change the world 60's scene that wasn't quite ready for a babe. To listen to people talk these days, it seems like all those voices have come down to one, in our collective memory. Anyway, I'd just like to put my vote in for Joni....as I'm struggling with this tuning..." Any thoughts on this? Kerry NP - Ani - "Sorry I Am"
