Wading through the many posts that have accumulated since I left work on Friday...this may have played itself out, but on Saturday I read something that I thought worth sharing as it relates to the "should Joni do a simple solo project rather than get out of the business" thread.
>From Wall Street Journal, Friday November 15. "Fed up with expending hard work on records that few people bought or heard, and the radio didn't play, Mr. Cash had considered dispensing with his recording career altogether...Along comes Rick Rubin. Mr. Rubin, known for his production of cutting-edge rock acts like the Beastie Boys and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, liberated the artist from the shackles of record-label expectations. His purish vision, boiling Mr. Cash down to just guitar, voice and an endless stack of songs, brought the singer closer to the true nature of his artistry than any fancy studio in Music City could. This artistic freedom allowed Mr. Cash to explore , to try new songs, by young writers...to reinterpret old classics and delve into his own back catalog...'Rick told me,' relates Mr. Cash, 'I would like to just sit you down in front of a microphone and let you sing to your heart's content every song you ever wanted to record.'" I was struck by the similarities to the aforementioned thread. I would add, however, that it is OUR wish (for many of us) that she take this approach, not hers. She has chosen a route that is hers (not record-label dictated). If anything, I would think that her company would welcome the much-cheaper route that Johnny Cash has taken. But certainly it is a similar lament in that he didn't feel supported by the record company or the radio execs. Maggie NP: Beatles, "Good Day Sunshine" > -----Original Message----- > From: Patti Witten [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Saturday, November 16, 2002 7:35 AM > To: onlyJONI List > Subject: Re: Joni solo > > > Joni and the biz, solo or no? I believe her complaints about > the biz in > general are valid and always have been, but she's not going to win any > friends in high places this way. > > I think that one way she could make a comeback a la Raitt, Santana or > Clapton, would be to collaborate with current musicians (like > Santana and > Clapton have with Rob Thomas and Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds) either as a > natural extension of staying in touch with the musical > community or as a > more calculated decision. But it's my perception that she > never takes an > equal or backseat role in collaboration, preferring to > "drive." And why not, > good on her. Which brings us back to the gender roles issue, > perhaps -- the > bossy, bitchy female artist in American culture is not > exactly beloved. And > she would have to play big stadium tour dates to promote the resulting > comeback record. She does not seem to want to do either, or > perhaps no one > much wants to work with her, and/or her health prevents her > from going on > the road. > > A solo project, stripped down record would be so good... but > I guess her > current feel for composition doesn't go in this direction. She's an > orchestral composer, "orchestra" meaning large ensemble. Or > so it seems. > > Just some random thoughts. Of course I would love to see her > be happier and > more comfortable in the music biz, however she accomplished it. > > > NP: Patti Witten, "Walk A Mile > Bob, the new CD is ready and available at CD Baby and I-Town > Records. We had > a fantastic CD release gig last night. http://sycamoretryst.com > > NP: "Cipher" / Gabriel Tavares > > Patti > -- > Patti Witten, singer-songwriter > http://pattiwitten.com > Acoustic-Rock with a touch of Twang
