I didnbt want to submit anything too long for fear of taking up too much
space on this site but someone suggested I do and just write b longb in the
title, so here I am. Ibve been receiving these Joni Digestbs for some time
but have either been too busy to get involved or concerned about the usual
chat room-type b weirdosb but it seems webre dealing with a different class
of people here... I should have known Joni fans would be special even in a
place like this.
After reading some of the exchanges that have been going around since the
b Big Showb , Ibve gotten the urge to put my two-cents worth in. Ibve already
been in contact with some fine people from this site so Ibm looking forward
to more of the same. Ibve read that some of you are happy to see some new
e-mail addresses popping up since the Special, so Ibm hoping the time is
right for me to jump in.
Ibd like to tell you all about b Me & Jonib , if youbre interested. Of
course, the title is deceptive; Joni and I have never been together nor have
we ever met. Itbs just all about my love and appreciation for Joni...
something Ibm sure youbve read many times, from many other people. Itbs
going to be long so if anyone wants out, nowbs the time to scan that arrow on
the side of the window and bail.
First, a little about me (Ibll try to keep it simple): Ibm 59, married
for 37 years to a wonderful woman, with two kids (girl/boy) and two
grandchildren (girl/boy) from our daughter. I'm currently managing an auto
service/repair shop for an import dealer; I also have a part-time business
making custom-imprinted apparel and awards/trophies.
My daughter played piano years ago and my 5 year-old granddaughter wants
to learn so, Ibm starting to teach her. My son has played and teaches guitar
and is currently learning the African Djembe drum. That about sums up my
immediate familybs musical abilities.
Ibve always been passionate in the major things Ibve undertaken so at
15, I bought my first car and started to customize it because all I cared
about was cars and hot rods. I had many great cars over the years but the
first one was featured in nine magazines; that led me to a career in the auto
repair business... not very glamorous but I was good at it and I enjoyed it,
at least for a while.
I was also very involved in photography from an early age and,
eventually, I joined several photography groups and pursued the fine art
thing; Ibve received many awards and sold some of my work through galleries.
I've since let the photography lamp go dim and I've taken up writing; I'm
currently producing a quartery journal for a Cooperative Press Association
with twelve members. Ibve taught auto mechanics and photography in adult-ed
classes and continue to give shows, lectures and seminars at photographic
organizations to this day. Ibve had many other interests which consumed much
of my time and energy butbthrough it allb my love for music was always
strong.
Unfortunately, while Ibve always wished I could play something, I never
had the time or placed it as a high enough priority to actually learn. So,
about a year and a half ago, I decided, more than anything in the world, I
wanted to learn to play the piano before I died. (Hey, I've haven't been told
I've got six months to live but you never know when that's going to happen.)
I found a really cool teacher (a girl half my age in a local piano store) who
has helped me to accomplish something I never thought Ibd be able to do. I
may not be very good but one of the first complex songs I learned was b Both
Sides Nowb (itbs easier than many other Joni tunes.)
Learning to play the piano, for me, has been an epiphany! I'm so glad I
finally took the time to try. I've composed a song already and my teacher
thinks it's quite good; I think it could be recorded by someone with talent
(not me, of course.)
Ibve been through a great deal in my life; some bad, some good. But, as
Joni hinted at in her Special, you learn from the bad and use it to grow. I
have no regrets (sure, I would have liked the opportunity to do some things
over/different) and if I died tomorrow, Ibd die a (relatively) happy man.
I've had some great friends, some beautiful lovers, fine children &
grandchildren and I've been fairly successful (hey we've still got a roof
over our heads.) The one thing I would change, if I had it to do all over: I
would have been a musician, (piano player,) and/or a teacher (a music
teacher); of course, thatbs all easy to say now.
I have to relate one thing that happened one night during a lesson which
I'm sure all of you will understand. I was playing a piece from one of my
lessons for my teacher when I stopped and played one chord, in particular; I
looked at Colleen and said, "Listen to that chord...isn't that beautiful? I
love that chord!"
Colleen loked at me, smiled, and replied, "That's my favorite chord, Ken."
It was then that I realized two people could share a love of something so
strongly, together, and yet, still not be lovers themselves.
Ibm a very sensitive and emotional person; when Ibm sad, Ibm crushed...
when Ibm happy, Ibm elated. I also consider myself very open-minded and I
try to treat everyone fairly. I make no attempt to hide the fact that I cry
at things that deeply touch me... just standing at the Viet Nam War Memorial,
in Washington DC, even though I didnbt lose anyone personally, was a
traumatic experience! Ibm not exactly a wuss; I mean, if I had been on that
plane over PA on 9-11, I could easily see myself saying, b Letbs roll!b and
rushing the terrorists. But, at 59, I donbt feel too macho anymore either.
Ibm like Joni in this one regard: I put myself out there and bare my soul for
you because Ibm very confident about who I am, how I feel and what I believe
and Ibm prepared to defend it.
Enough about me.
I first heard Jonibs songs from pop radio; in the late b60bs, this was
AM, baby. FM stereo was still a few years away from breaking radio open. I
was married in b65 and we had our daughter a year later but you know, I
donbt think anything from Jonibs first album ever got a lot of airplay in
the NYC area. The first things that probably made her get noticed by most
people were b Both Sides Nowb (even though Judy Collins had the bigger hit),
and b Chelsea Morningb . I liked Jonibs music then but it didnbt make me run
out and buy it at the time.
I wasnbt the type to buy a lot of albums when I was first married unless
I knew Ibd like the entire thing, so much of Jonibs early work stayed hidden
from me at this point. Perhaps the fact that I was very into some other
singers at the time whobs work I was more interested in, kept me from
searching deeper into Jonibs work. Of course, by the time LOTC came out,
everybody was going wild over b Big Yellow Taxib , b The Circle Gameb and
b Woodstockb . The radio stations played them to death!
It wasnbt until 1974 when my cousin and his wife had us over and put on
the Court and Spark album that I really took my head out of the sand and
noticed something special going on. I was so overwhelmed by hearing that
album at their house on that night; a little dinner, some drinks, the
music.... By the time I left his house, I made him let me borrow that album.
I took it home, made a cassette tape copy and proceeded to play it in the
house and in the car... I was totally blown away by the feeling, complexity
and variety of material on that album. That tape has long since been worn
out and Ibve bought several vinyl copies and, of course, the CD in later
years.
C&S was exactly that: the spark that made me look further. I began
checking all the older albums that I had never bought and, one at a time, Ibd
buy each, saying, b I donbt know if Ibm going to like everything on this
but....b Each time I bought an older album, I shook my head in disbelief,
thinking, b Okay, this one is great... let me check out anotherb until I
eventually bought them all. It was then that I felt, b Oh my God; look at
what Ibve missed over all these years!b
Looking back, I donbt know if I would have appreciated those early albums
if I had bought them when they first came out; to be honest, I really wasnbt
into the b folk thingb although I now consider those albums to be much more
intricate than b folkb . Folk was Pete Segar, The Kingston Trio and Bob Dylan.
Joni's stuff was much more personal, sensitive, delicate, spiritual... but I
donbt know if my head would have been ready for them then.
To this day, therebs usually at least one of Jonibs first six albums in
the CD rotation in one of our disc holders at any given time. I love to lie
on the living room floor with the lights out, late at night, with earphones
on, listening to either of those first six discs.
Donbt get me wrong; I like a lot of the stuff on subsequent albums. I
occasionally play HOSL, Hijara or DJRD, and I respect Joni for branching out
into new territory on all her later endeavors. I just began to like less
songs on each new album... I liked some songs a whole lot, others not very
much... some, not at all. But I donbt see anything wrong with that; can
anyone out there say theybve loved every thing Jonibs done? I think our
personal favorite albums and songs have a lot to do with who we are,
ourselves, and the time frame and point in our lives when webre introduced to
the music.
Oh, and I still own all the vinyl; I have a pretty large collection of
vinyl that I not only refuse to give up but add to whenever I get the chance.
Lots of good things from the past will never be digitized and, besides,
therebs nothing like a good olb record album cover with full liner notes, is
there?
I could give you a lot of reasons why I love Joni's work but I'm sure
you've all heard them before; even I think I've heard them all in just two
days of monitoring this web site. I just feel transported to within her soul
when I hear some of those lyrics and listen to those musical passages; I
think it is so hard to put down on paper or in a song, what we feel inside of
us. It's like trying to define love! Yet, I think Joni does just that and
it's probably that magic that I appreciate most.
My favorite song of all time is Jonibs b Down to Youb , from C&S. I find
it so graphic and intricate... Ibve always dreamed of putting a photographic
essay together with that story, long before the advent of music videos. I
once asked the perfect couple, friends of ours, if they would pose for me to
do just that: a series of slides to go alng with the story. Of course, when
the girl realized I planned on having them naked at the point in the song
where Joni sings:
b When the closing lights strip off the shadows
On this strange new flesh youbve found
Clutching the night to you like a fig leaf
You hurry
To the blackness
And the blankets
To lay down an impression
And your lonelinessb (B) 1973 Crazy Crow Music, of course)
the girl balked at the idea. it would have been done in good taste; possibly
silhouettes, low light or rimlit... I can see it now. Alas; my music essay
was never made!
I love the piano passages in DTY and have been trying to find sheet music
for that song for a couple of years now. If anyone can help me in this
regard, Ibd be eternally grateful. Ibm not sure if every Joni fan is aware
that DTY received a music award in b74 for b Best Arrangement.b I learned of
this about a year ago and said, "I knew that was a good song!" ;-)
In case youbre interested in my other musical preferences, they include
Todd Rundgren, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Flo & Eddie, Joe Walsh, Neil
Young, Peter Gabriel and many other b70bs luminaries. As for latter day
artists, I like Aimiee Mann but am really impressed with Ben Folds, Michael
Penn, Rufus Wainwright, and the new David Crosby band: CPR.
My wife is not a big Joni fan but we still love each other.
I've got some videos of Joni in various interviews or performances on
shows like Letterman and that thing called "Second Fret"; in case anyone is
interested, I'd be willing to make copies of assorted things to trade for
something I want & don't have. I don't have a list of what's available
'cause I didn't plan on getting into this whole thing but, after reading the
buzz since Wednresday night....
Well, I guess Ibve used up enough space on Lesb site by now. I must say
hebs done an admirable job in maintaining it and Ibm sure everyone is most
appreciative. If anyone would like to chat with me about anything, my e-mail
address is up there somewhere.
Kenny B
