> The critics should be able to be honest. (And like Blair says, you have to know the tastes of the critic to begin with.) They're not afraid to pan Dylan, or JT, or McCartney, or anyone. Joni doesn't play to them anyway...I think our reactions around dealing with bad reviews of the artists we idolize are more about *our* own egos anyway.
That's very true. I remember reading a review of a Grateful Dead concert I attended in the Greensboro News and Record. The only thing the reviewer found worth mentioning was the Chuck Berry cover that they played...all the other incredible ORIGINAL songs meant nothing to him. But hey, he's just being honest. :-} As with Joni, critics have been fairly irrelevant to the success of the Grateful Dead. Its not so much a bad review that I mind...its just irritating when someone simply doesn't get something and tries to categorize it, to place it in a box. But that's the nature of critics. I think too, that the disparity about her singing that has been shown on this list...is pretty mild compared to how the average fan may react, or critics for that matter, who do not have a predisposed love for Ms. Mitchell. Yes, our own egos definately come into play here. Victor, winner last night of two free tickets to any Grey Eagle show in the next year at the "Grey Eagle open mic competition"...I've managed so far to miss Victoria Williams, Stacy Earle, Ellis Paul this year...but I'm sure there are more great shows to come... NP: Tom Waits "We're all Mad Here" --- Victor Johnson --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit http://www.cdbaby.com/victorjohnson Look for the new album "Parsonage Lane" in March 2003 Produced by Chris Rosser at Hollow Reed Studios
