Re: definitive covers (some JC)

[Dan Olson]

One very interesting thing about Woodstock on LOTC is Joni playing (solo) ELECTRIC piano (a Wurlitzer, I believe). I don't recall her doing that on any other songs (did she?). Of course, Herbie Hancock plays very distinctive Fender-Rhodes electric piano on Mingus, and Joni's 80's albums had lots of electronic keyboards (played by her and others), after the demise of the electric piano, which went the way of the turntable. Well I finally got my turntable working properly, so I've been listenting to a lot of Joni's albums that I don't also have on CD.

I found it interesting that on NRH (which I have on vinyl), in "Nothing Can be Done", the music was by LARRY KLEIN (words by Joni). And on "The Only Joy in Town," Joni plays OBOE. Who knew?

On a related Woodstock note: I dragged out my vinyl of LOTC (I don't have it
on CD) and listened to the original version of Woodstock again -- I hadn't
listened to the LOTC Joni rendition in a long time (years). And I was struck
by the fact that the song is not performed as some sort of hippie anthem at
all. (CSNY turned it into almost a march.) In fact, it has much of the same
mood that she uses on Traveloque, though orchestrated differently -- and
that spooky choir vocal at the end. Wow! So strange -- and hardly ends the
song on an '....and-we-all-lived-happily-ever-after-once-we-got-back-to-the-
garden' note.

Bruce