Great post Scott thanks a lot for sharing it's good to see you uncloaked! Paz
on 11/25/02 4:15 PM, Scott Price at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Joni's latest album, Travelogue, has had my attention for a few days and it > will take several more for it to sink in. Like so many others here, I was > blown away by the packaging and spent at least an hour studying the book > and the CD visuals before delving into the music. > > Upon opening the book, I saw the image of Icarus and knew that we were > about to be taken on a journey up toward the sun. Also like Icarus, I knew > that at some point we'd crash back to earth, and it didn't take long before > the images of September 11 were bringing me back to the cold and still > unbelievable events of that day. Joni depicts the television news camera > images of the towers on fire, the faces in the smoke, and a president > bearing the weight of the catastrophe wrought by people whose motives are > unfathomable to most of us. A ghastly scenario was hinted at before in > "Slouching Toward Bethlehem," which foresaw a "blood dimmed tide loosed > upon the world," but who could have guessed it would be this horrendous? > Her painting of the flag of the United States being raised by firefighters > with the World Trade Center ruins in the background pays tribute to the > victims as well as the survivors and chillingly illustrates the lyrics: > "innocence is drowned in anarchy" while trying to comprehend the actions of > those who are "full of passion without mercy." > > The next several paintings seemingly accompany "Refuge of the Roads" which > is my all-time favorite Joni composition. The cross-country trip which > spawned the song and the album "Hejira" was just one of her life's > journeys, but exemplifies how she observes and captures the things one can > see as we go through life. Next up, to the lyrics from "Woodstock," and > "The Circle Game," we see pictures of children playing in the idyllic > setting and a portrait of Marlin, her grandson, who may be a couple of > generations removed but will soon enough find the circles of time passing > ever more quickly and will be dragging his feet to slow them down. > > After reading some reviews and previews of the album I was most pleasantly > surprised to find that this ravaged voice I had been hearing about was > actually sounding more youthful and strong that it had on the last project > (BSN). Joni has chopped off so many of the sustaining notes lately that it > sometimes seems that she is short of breath, but on several of the > "Travelogue" songs she belts it out and holds the notes and proves that > reports of her vocal deterioration are greatly exaggerated. The sopranic > innocence is gone but has been replaced by a highly-nuanced presentation > that colors the sonic palette with an ease that could only come from an > artist so supremely talented. The lack of Mitchell vocal overdubs (a > trademark throughout her career) is not missed due to the dramatic > flourishes of the orchestra and the featured players, especially Wayne > Shorter, whose expressive riffs help create these musical masterpieces. > With so many instruments in the orchestra and the arrangements which > quickly move between moody quiet passages to huge crescendos there are > abundant musical colors throughout. > > The songs are all-so-familiar to those of us who have played the older > albums for years. To re-work them all, with the new arrangements, was a > courageous move that will no doubt draw fire from critics who are content > with the old versions, but they give me a whole new appreciation for her > craft and also speak volumes for her ability as a songwriter. Only songs > with a deep and complex base, songs like "Judgement of the Moon and Stars," > "Slouching Towards Bethlehem," and "The Sire of Sorrow" could be given this > orchestral treatment and remain so cohesive and dramatic. Others, such as > "The Dawntreader" and "The Last Time I Saw Richard," show true creative > genius in their adaptations. > > Joni, I've been travelling this road with you for 30 years. We've seen many > of the same things, felt many of the same things, but you have the unique > ability to convey that which you see and feel to us through your music and > your art. "Travelogue" is a continuation as well as a review of the > journey, richly annotated and inspiring. Life may indeed be a circle game; > everything goes around and around, including your songs. But you show us > that as the cycle continues, there is still room to consider, to adapt, to > reinvent, and for that, I thank you. > > Scott
