> << when is an artist ground breaking - when an artist truly comes up with > something new or combines influences in a way that has never been done > before? >> > > I think this happened when Joni heard the Dylan song that made her realize > that lyrics could be about anything. (I forget what song it was, but someone > will know.) This lead to her "confessional" period, which was terrific, and > then she was off and running . . . out-writing and out-composing everyone, in > my opinion, for many years. > I think Murphy hit the nail right on the head.
My take on it is that until Joni came along, you had Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon and a few others who were writing songs with lyrics that were approaching the level of poetry in their depth and quality. In my mind, Dylan was lauded mostly because his songs dealt with social issues. Cohen & Simon's writing was more personal and in some cases, interesting musically but not particularly daring or innovative. Then along comes Joni. Her lyrics are personal, poetic, beautifully descriptive, complex and precise. Added to that, she is writing melodies that the others have not begun to approach in their intricacy and beauty. Plus the lyrics and melody fit together in such a way that one is the perfect expression of the other. She pushed the boundaries of pop music from the very start both lyrically and musically. She continued to develop and then in 1975 she released 'The Hissing of Summer Lawns' and almost left the realm of pop music completely, imo. There may have been other artists who had combined pop & jazz before her, but I have never heard it done in quite the same way. And lyrically she put herself in a class by herself with that album. The poetic imagery, the analytical depth and the intelligence of those lyrics set a standard that few could aspire to then or now. The amazing part is that she kept going and continues to amaze me to this day. Mark E Marcus Aurelius in Seattle
