I decided last night to celebrate Joni's birthday by listening to several of the new tracks from Travelogue (thanks, Moni!). I decided to listen to the songs in the sequence that Joni placed them on the CD. As such, I listened to Otis and Marlena through Slouching Towards Bethlehem.
My first impressions were mostly favorable. Of the songs I listened to, You Dream Flat Tires was the biggest surprise. Joni has really transformed this song into a little gem. As far as the orchestration goes, I think this is a major improvement over BSN. The arrangements seem much more adventurous and diverse, Though I was a little disappointed with Amelia. Maybe this song was just too perfect in it's original form, but (at least after only one listening), this new version did very little for me. I thought all of the other songs were very nicely done, and I'm sure they will only improve with repeated listenings, expecially on my home stereo. I'm sure there will be people disappointed by this release, but hell, that's the story of Joni's life. My feeling is that whatever keeps Joni interested in creating music is just fine with me. Would I prefer her to come out with a masterpiece of all new material? Certainly! But given the choice of this, or nothing, I gladly, eagerly, and open-heartedly welcome this new release. Jack
