Hey Terry - I appreciate your argument for PJ Harvey. She is indeed extremely talented. Having said that, I don't think anyone can really be called "the new Joni Mitchell." I know that Joni herself kind of resents the idea of a new "her" since she is still very much alive and well! Why replace one with another? I'm of the generation that should find people like PJ Harvey more interesting and relevant than Joni Mitchell but I think Joni has tremendous resonance for people in their mid-20s. Whether they are listening or not is another matter, but the wisdom contained in some of her older records far exceeds the level of brilliance on any "new" record I've heard. I'd look to Joni for generational understanding before I'd look to PJ Harvey. Also, I think a case could be made for a lot of musicians who have followed in Joni's footsteps and carved out a similar path for themselves. My vote goes to Annie Lennox, who has been in the game since the late 70s and is just starting to be recognized as an astounding contributor to music, with her recent "Contribution to Music" Brit Award and her 2002 Billboard Century Award. One writer said about her, "Annie Lennox is the missing link between Joni Mitchell and the future."
To say ONE artist is the NEW Joni Mitchell is excluding a whole roster of interesting people, not all of them women, who have learned from Joni's example, although as I say above PJ Harvey is certainly among that group. Still, there's only one Joni and as long as she's around (probably even after she's gone) she'll be regarded as the gold standard for any musician of any generation. -Andrew [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:i've been saying it for years, and maybe, now, someone will take me seriously. i''m not saying their styles are similar, and i never seem to be able to put my finger on exactly why i think this....but pj harvey is the joni mitchell for the new generation. if you had started with pj on her first release and then progressed with her through the decade, perhaps you could help me verbalize the parallels... perhaps it's just that no one else could touch her. perhaps it is the undeniable presence of this thing called "art." perhaps it is that each release saw her entering new territory--breaking new ground. i really do believe this. i really do. :-) terry Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now
