I'm certainly not trying to squelch anyone. However, just because I recognize the right off each to voice their opinion doesn't mean that I think that one opinion is as good as another. Far from it. I will "dare to be different" on this score: Some people's opinions flat-out suck. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mark or Travis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, November 23, 2002 9:35 PM Subject: Re: awww
> > I guess I just don't understand the difference in allowing someone to > express > > their discontent or disappointment with Joni's work, even as they > acknowledge > > that it's Joni's vision. It reeks of those high school days when kids all > > pretend to like the same bands/clothes/TV shows etc. so they can fit in, > and > > anyone who dares to be different is criticized. > > > > Don't get me wrong - I'm not comparing Joni to a couple of disposable pop > > sensations. I'm just addressing the concept that Joni's "realized vision" > may > > not suit some people, even some of her most faithful lifelong admirers, > and > > that should be OK as opposed to a patronizing "awww". > > Of course Travelogue is not going to be everyone's cup of tea and most all > of us have Joni albums that we prefer over others and some that we don't > like at all. Everyone has a right to their opinion and discussing what we > like and don't like is fine. What I have a problem with is people who like > to point out how she did it 'wrong' or what she 'should have done'. Someone > else posted that it isn't the critics job to force their own vision on a > work of art. Their job is to try and evaluate whether or not the artist was > successful in creating the vision that the *artist* was aiming for. The > critic also should comment on the quality of the execution of the various > components - in the case of recorded music, the sound quality, the skill of > the playing or singing and the integrity of the whole. > > I can't understand how anybody who has followed Joni from the beginning of > her career can say that any of her records were poorly conceived or put > together or represent anything other than her total commitment to the > project and her consummate skill as a writer, performer and musician. There > is nothing slip-shod about any of her records. Whether you like all of them > or not is a different story. But to make snide, glib comments about them > and imply that you somehow would have known what *should* have been done > seems incredibly egotistical and very annoying, imo. I've trashed artists > from time to time, I admit it. But I really do get annoyed with critics who > publish in newspapers or magazines or give oral reviews on tv or radio who > are much more concerned with 'skewering' and making witty, scathing remarks > than they are with actually doing any kind of real analysis or constructive > criticism. There are people who use these excuses for reviews to decide > whether or not they might see a certain film or buy a certain record. And I > think that's a sad state of affairs all the way around. > > Mark E. in Seattle > who would like to submit Rickie Lee Jones name for consideration as a 'poet'
