I was listening to Travelogue this afternoon, for the first time in a few weeks, and was struck by some interesting rhythms in Joni's singing on certain lines of some songs.
I love how she sings, "In the church they light the candles" on Hejira and "Slippers are shufflin' into folding chairs" on Otis and Marlena. I assume that with the bigger orchestra that she needs to be a bit more careful about fitting the lines into the rhythm of the music, which is why it sounds a bit more fluid and modulated than her usual singing rhythms. I also love it on Otis and Marlena when she sings, "Otis ... empties out the trunk," with the pause punctuated by that little burst of strings. Travelogue is a time-consuming album to listen to and I've been busy, which is why I haven't been particularly able to sit down and digest it all. But little subtleties are starting to make themselves known. I love it. As for artists sticking up for Joni I heard an interview with Natalie Merchant a few years ago who cited Joni as someone who is creating new roles for female pop musicians as they age, saying she is one of the few artists who is composing music about the processes of age and life. So, Joni's tactics are not going unnoticed by all. -Andrew Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com
