A friend of mine was over to visit a few evenings ago. He "likes" Joni (but is not a diehard fan) and said to me, "Gary, you know the thing I like most about Joni is the way she puts sounds together on her records." (I think he prefers Joni's later material.) It's not just her voice, or her lyrics or the song itself but the WAY she takes certain sounds and blends them together. The chord progressions, surprising background vocals, etc. She's really a genius when it comes to how she blends sounds together in such a unique way." Then he mentioned liking the song "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter" so much (which of course I was happy to immediately play for him) and to my surprise, used that song as an example. I had a pretty good idea of where he was coming from, and then I played him a couple of things from HOSL and the HOSL demos to give him an idea of how some songs sound stripped down. Then came the question. He said, "Exactly what is the "Boho Dance" and what does the word "Boho" mean?"
I was rather struck silent and wasn't sure how to explain it to him, or even if I had the right interpretation of this song. And it's one of my favorite songs on HOSL. I really haven't seen it discussed in detail before, being on the list only nearing two years, so I ask all who are willing - or if it has been discussed before and are still willing - to give me your interpretation of the song and the word "Boho" so I won't look like such a Bozo next time someone asks me! Thanks! Gary
