I don't post often, but I've been inspired of late. About a month ago, Lama re-listed his list of essential Joni works; amongst being: "bShadows and Light', (1980) in its unedited edition (including the skating video) available on region-free DVD from a guy in Hong Kong who lists auctions on (ebay)." Volume 2003, Number 102.
I bought this as my first DVD, receiving it 2 weeks later, registered mail, from Singapore. I've never seen Joni live in concert. It's a masterpiece. I'm floored. In awe. Joni is a goddess. Thanks, Jim. The first Joni piece I remember is Both Sides Now by Judy Collins. I first really listened to Joni in the summer of 1970. Ladies of the Canyon. I remember listening to her at the anti-war collective where I later lived. It was at the end of high school. Joni became a guiding light for me. Back when I was a cab driver. My best friend and I used to sit in his apartment, drink somewhat wine and listen to Joni. Up to, and including, Court & Spark. But somehow, I because separated from Joni's music for a long time. Fast forward to Ogallala, Nebraska. In a heavy snowstorm, we're driving to Wisconsin for thanksgiving. We stop at the truck stop, and I'm thinking we need some good road tunes. Find Dog Eat Dog in a cassette. Fall in love with Joni all over again. And I still love Dog Eat Dog. Then I find ebay, and buy a bunch of used Joni CD's from one of the list members. You know who you are, Janine. She turns me on to the list, where I mostly lurk & listen. I have all her CD's except Hits and the Big Yellow Taxi single. Joni is 95% of the music I listen to right now. I guess you'd say I'm somewhat obsessed. I travel with a CD case consisting of 18 or 20 Cd's, I listen to her at work, in the car . . . I take shelter in Joni. I had a head injury from a high-speed auto accident 15 years ago, and have suffered major depression and memory-related problems. I find shelter in Joni's music, I use her to tune out problems. She's my travelling companion. Watching Shadows & Light has really been amazing to me. I love her even more. Tunes or words? I get into both. I understand why people don't like Dog Eat Dog. They are forgiven. No offense, Bob. This morning, someone instant messaged me on AOL, and asked what I was doing. I told him listening to Joni Mitchell and his reply was "who's that?" This always floors me. I don't understand why everyone in western civilization doesn't know her. I told him that she is a "singer-songwriter goddess." Then I sent him a link. My most-listened to CD's: Chalk Mark, Night Ride Home, Taming the Tiger, Misses, Wild Things Run Fast, Shadows & Light, Turbulent Indigo, Don Juan's Reckless Daughter. To a lesser degree: Hejira, Mingus, Both Sides Now, Travelog. They all get played, though. The only song I don't like is from her first album. It grates on my nerves. No need to mention the name, many people love it. A major goal in my life is to see Joni in concert. A note about over-use of acronyms. I subscribe to the full digest. I see abbreviations in folk's messages, I sometimes have no idea what they're talking about. My mind goes blank. Especially with the lesser-used acronyms. It's frustrating. Sometimes I have to stop my reading process and try to remember - sometimes I can't, and I just forget the post and go on to the next. I get over it, just something to consider. I'm grateful that the list has become less political. Just in sheer volume, I could hardly keep up. And it was divisive. I started frowning at people's screen names just by seeing them, because I knew what was coming. And they're folks I had respected, and still do. (I still look forward to reading an intelligent political post on occasion.) Thank Joni. God Bless good people everywhere; may the war be short. Sean basking in 8 or 9" of snow in Denver, and it's still coming like a banshee - hooray now playing & watching: shadows & light dvd
