It's not a big deal to me. There are no artists I can think of who have done nothing but masterpieces. Joni is one of the greatest artists in popular music of the latter half of the 20th century - in fact the whole century, why not? And she has had a very long career, covering many bases, and with great differences in the reception her work has received.
Like any fan, I've prized some albums over others. To me the 70s was her decade, and all of her great studio albums came out of that decade. I've always looked forward to her albums, as I have with David Bowie, Kate Bush, Jane Siberry, Richard Thompson and others. And as with many people, I have learned to temper my expectations. I enjoyed her 90s albums when they came out, but they didn't leave as much of a mark as her greatest work. The songwriting was simply not as good - there, I've said it! It doesn't mean she had become a bad songwriter; to me it did suggest that the flame of her genius was no longer burning as brightly as it once did, and I began to suspect that it never would. That's where I remain, but I haven't ruled out a spectacular return to form - after all, Dylan did it with Time Out Of Mind, against - surely - even steeper odds. As to her voice, for me the decline (OK, IMHO, but that's what I hear, no ifs or ands or buts) has been very slow, merging with the deepening and ageing process that most voices go through, albeit at very different rates. By the time TTT appeared, it was sounding very frayed, but it still worked for me - the dizzying descent in the chorus of Harlem in Havana is still a delicious moment. At that time, I could completely appreciate the argument that while her voice had lost out a lot in range, it still had enough horsepower to carry the songs, while it had gained a weight of experience and expressive ability. By the time BSN appeared, the balance was tipping over into critical. She just didn't have the pipes any more, and Vince Mendoza's arrangements blah blah blah... Travelogue? Well, all I can say is I'm very sorry! One slight paradox about my love of Joni, who is usually the first person I mention when people ask me about my favourite music: because I didn't start listening to her until the mid 80s, there has never been a year when a Joni album was my favourite of the year. Letting go is not hard for me, partly for this reason. There's never been a time when I've regarded her as the best *current* songwriter, if you know what I mean. That "title" has gone to Richard Thompson, Shawn Colvin, Jane Siberry, Aimee Mann, Ron Sexsmith, Neil Finn, Nick Cave, etc etc. Do I hope Joni will make another great record? Of course I do. Do I think she will? I doubt it. I'll live, I guess. Azeem in London NP: Buffy The Vampire Slayer - the rather amazing Musical edition - fantastic!
