> if it is possible to put the smoking issue aside for one moment....is there some >insidious youth culture in all of us (i include myself) that is afraid> of ageing >which makes it hard for us to accept the natural ageing process-especially that of a >woman....it is so common to admire someone for their youthfulness rather than admire >them for their age...& do we have difficulty seeing the beauty of age because we are >so conditioned to only seeing the beauty of youth?
There's some validity to this, I'm sure. But let's face it, the problem is smoking. Critics who aren't mentioning the vocal problems in their reviews are being kind, but not doing Joni any favors, really. Someone in her inner circle, if she listens to anyone, needs to level with her: time to stop smoking or stop singing. Or at least limit the singing to jazzy numbers she can smokily croon through. But even that won't be possible after another year or two of smoking. Listening to much of this new collection is painful, and not because of Mendoza's arrangements. I hate to say it, but it's true. I adore Joni, as you all do, but the handwriting has been on the wall for years now. On that dreadful note...happy Thanksgiving to all. Bryan
