Joni Mitchell by Jewel

reggiedvd · 01-28-2008, 05:08 PM

from rollingstone.com

Joni Mitchell is a bigger icon than she is a star. Bob Dylan and Keith Richards became famous in such a worldwide way that they became stars and icons. But Joni is still quite unknown to a lot of people. The impact she had wasn't big and flashy. But she influenced people who became stars. I remember a friend in high school playing me "A Case of You," from Blue, and me liking it -- a lot. I could tell that Joni was a painter by the way she wrote lyrics. She describes smells and sounds to translate what is happening in her songs, using fewer words to transmit more feeling. Her melodies are all about shapes. The singing lines are slow, steep plateaus. One of the things that I learned from Joni, and that I love about her: If you can tell the story right and keep things moving, you don't need to return to the chorus on time.
Joni never tries to make herself more perfect in her lyrics. What she writes is closer to journalism: On Blue, you hear everything she experienced, the highs and the lows. It's such a lonely album: not in the "I don't have any friends" sense but in the sense that you're a little bit removed, and always watching. And it takes a lot of courage to be that honest, especially as a woman -- to talk about love and other intimate things so frankly. When she first did it, it was a very fluffy time -- pretty girls singing about pretty things.
Joni had an edginess that not many women expressed then. Most women singers had strong vibratos and a lot of mascara. Joni Mitchell never made a big deal out of being a woman. She had such a strong sexuality, but she didn't feel the need to deny that part of her in order to be taken seriously. She also didn't play it up -- although many of her songs are about sex.
I met her only once, at a Vanity Fair photo shoot. It sounds like a pathetically feeble Hollywood story, but Stevie Wonder introduced us. He took my hand -- I guess I led him to her -- and he said, "Joni, I'd like you to meet Jewel." I just shook her hand and tried to swallow. I didn't have anything to say to her. Her influence on me is so obvious. I hope she can hear it.
(From RS 972, April 21, 2005)
Next: Tina Turner by Janet Jackson

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Lara · 01-28-2008, 05:17 PM

I love Joni Mitchell! "A Case of you" is a beautiful song... And yes, you can feel her influence in Jewel's music...

01-28-2008, 05:08 PM	#1
reggiedvd JKF Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: St. Louis, MO. Posts: 403 Rep Power: 230	Joni Mitchell by Jewel from rollingstone.com Joni Mitchell is a bigger icon than she is a star. Bob Dylan and Keith Richards became famous in such a worldwide way that they became stars and icons. But Joni is still quite unknown to a lot of people. The impact she had wasn't big and flashy. But she influenced people who became stars. I remember a friend in high school playing me "A Case of You," from Blue, and me liking it -- a lot. I could tell that Joni was a painter by the way she wrote lyrics. She describes smells and sounds to translate what is happening in her songs, using fewer words to transmit more feeling. Her melodies are all about shapes. The singing lines are slow, steep plateaus. One of the things that I learned from Joni, and that I love about her: If you can tell the story right and keep things moving, you don't need to return to the chorus on time. Joni never tries to make herself more perfect in her lyrics. What she writes is closer to journalism: On Blue, you hear everything she experienced, the highs and the lows. It's such a lonely album: not in the "I don't have any friends" sense but in the sense that you're a little bit removed, and always watching. And it takes a lot of courage to be that honest, especially as a woman -- to talk about love and other intimate things so frankly. When she first did it, it was a very fluffy time -- pretty girls singing about pretty things. Joni had an edginess that not many women expressed then. Most women singers had strong vibratos and a lot of mascara. Joni Mitchell never made a big deal out of being a woman. She had such a strong sexuality, but she didn't feel the need to deny that part of her in order to be taken seriously. She also didn't play it up -- although many of her songs are about sex. I met her only once, at a Vanity Fair photo shoot. It sounds like a pathetically feeble Hollywood story, but Stevie Wonder introduced us. He took my hand -- I guess I led him to her -- and he said, "Joni, I'd like you to meet Jewel." I just shook her hand and tried to swallow. I didn't have anything to say to her. Her influence on me is so obvious. I hope she can hear it. (From RS 972, April 21, 2005) Next: Tina Turner by Janet Jackson Advertisement __________________ I'm Jelous of Shopping carts and all of their brand new things.

01-28-2008, 05:17 PM	#2
Lara JK Fan nÂ°1 in Croatia Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Europe, Croatia Posts: 289 Rep Power: 0	I love Joni Mitchell! "A Case of you" is a beautiful song... And yes, you can feel her influence in Jewel's music... __________________ Time knows nothing, we'll never grow old...