"Mary E. Pitassi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: >Bryan wrote: >"Having just read the W interview in full...please let's clarify: Joni >didn't swipe at Judy, she swiped at Judy's too-sweet, sing-songy arrangement of >BSN. As for "ripping off"...please! Joni's career was in large part launched >by the covers that Judy and others did. That's certainly not a rip-off." > >Me now: I agree with Bryan that Joni's career got a huge jump-start thanks >to the covers done by Judy Collins, Tom Rush, the late Dave Van Ronk and others >in the mid-sixties. Judy, as the most commercially successful of this >initial group, perhaps deserves the most heartfelt "thank you" from Joni fans.
It's safe to say that without Judy's version paving the way, the history of Joni Mitchell would be very different, very possibly not as sweet. My own entry to Joni was through Judy's beautiful Wildflowers album, with "Both Sides Now" and, especially, "Michael From Mountains." Not to mention (but I will) Judy's own equally beautiful "Since I've Asked," plus wonderful versions of Leonard Cohen's "Sisters Of Mercy" and "Hey, That's No Way To Say Good-bye" (Judy was also my entry to Cohen). In my view, this is still one of the essential core albums of all time. Judy's version of BSN was more mainstream pop, which in those days did not mean The Doors' version of "Light My Fire" but, rather, Jose Feliciano's. And because it was pitched right down the middle of that plate it hit big. Joni's version would not have had similar success if it were mainstream culture's first exposure to the song. For that alone Joni should be grateful to Judy. But all that aside, did anyone here other than me hear Judy's current version, which is as different from her own earlier take as it is from any of Joni's? She sang it on the PBS special, American Soundtrack: This Land is Your Land, currently airing (and re-airing several times for pledge week), and it's fantastic. Taped last May, Judy sounds as great as she ever did (which is a little more hit and miss to my ears these days), and her 2002 model BSN swings like no other, using asymmetrical meter and phrase-length in the arrangement, and a quite elastic (in time, not pitch ... her intonation is right on) vocal delivery. Buoyant, celebratory ... eminently life-affirming. By all means, catch the show if it comes your way. Fred
