//  A report on the Nitty Gritty special, the Top Ten survey, and more
//  artist suggestions.  
//
//  We're about to head for the U of Texas campus for the taping of the
//  Townes Van Zandt tribute.  We'll let y'all know how it was.  ;-)
//  (I sure do like Austin.)  - MF

From: Bill Page (bpage@scctel.com)                                
Subject: Nanci & the Dirt Band                                       

Hey, y'all...

Just watched the Nitty Gritty Dirty Band's Christmas special, with the
Nanseter, Kathy Mattea, and Aaron Neville. Missed the first segment, so I
missed Nanci's first song, I imagine...the only one I caught was "Brave
Companion of the Road."  But it's a pretty good special, if you like the
mentioned performers. Neville does "O Holy Night," and the closing
rendition of "Jingle Bells" has some nice keyboard work by Mr. Brown, aka
Hooker. It was nice to see her, though, and to hear her sing backup to
Mattea (and vice versa).

This was, of course, a fundraiser for our local PBS station...they offered
the video of the show and a CD for specific dollar amount pledges...but
according to CDNOW's track listing, the CD does *not* match the TV
show...no Nanci, no Kathy...but it does have Alison Krauss!

Let me use this moment to remind you that Kathy Mattea's _Good News_ is one
of the very best Christmas CDs EVER produced. It is well worth an
investment this season...get it instead of the Dirt Band's offering...

Bill "with ny brave companion" Page


//  Nanci also sang "On Grafton Street" -- she sounded perfect and 
//  looked great!  Hooker did his usual fine job with the piano and
//  harmony vocal.  Overall, a most enjoyable holiday program.   - MF
_________________________________________________________________
 
From: Robert Pugsley (rmp6@leicester.ac.uk)                       
Subject: TOP TEN 1997: A NEW RULE!                             

Dear All,

Linda mailed me with this suggestion, which is, I think, a darned good
one...hope she doesn't mind me passing it on.

(((...you could put something in the rules about having a
particular subject line so that folks who don't want to read them can delete
them if they find there are too many messages!)))

I guess this could be Rule 4...

Best wishes to you all, and thanks to those who have already mailed me their
lists, quick of the mark or what!

Robert (Pugsley)

_________________________________________________________________
 
From: Cynthia Courtney (courtney@mpi.com)                         
Subject: Top Ten Rules                                               

I agree with Steve that people should post their top 10 lists to the list
(and I also vote for having them included in the Digest since I don't
subscribe to the unmoderated list!) - I enjoy reading the comments that many
people include with their lists, and it also helps to know who is doing the
recommending - after being on this list a couple of years now, there are
certain individuals whose opinions I respect and whose tastes closely match
my own, and I am more likely to buy CDs they recommend.

The above comments don't imply that I don't want a compilation too Robert!
:-)  Knowing how many "votes" particular artists/CDs get is extremely
helpful in narrowing choices down when we can't afford to buy everything!

Just my $0.02,

Cindy Courtney
Natick, MA
courtney@mpi.com

_________________________________________________________________
 
From: SayraLiz (SayraLiz@aol.com)                                 
Subject: Re: Marcia Ball

In a message dated 12/5/97 4:34:13 PM, you wrote:

((Hear she has a new Rounder record (her
current one "Wanna Play With Your Poodle" is great) coming with Irma
Thomas and Tracy Nelson. That sounds promising!
>>

Marcia and Irma and Tracy's album will be out in Jan.  I was lucky enough to
get a cut on this one that i wrote with (funky) Donny Fritz.  Marcia and Tracy
do it as a duet.  They performed it at austin city limits and knocked my socks
off!!!!!
Sarah Elizabeth campbell

_________________________________________________________________
 
From: Victoria Smith (vsmith@nm.net)                              
Subject: Personal details                                            

In NanciNet Digest #97C03 ListMeister Mark reminded us:

> //  It's far from a proven fact that Nanci suffered physical abuse
> //  during her marriage.  - MF

Thank you, Mark.

I understand that people like to speculate on the private aspects
of some people's lives.  If you have no personal knowledge of
something, it is unfair to make statements that read like fact.
Eric Taylor is a dear friend of mine, and statements like this
are hurtful, both to him and to his family.

We talked at length -- at his instigation -- some months ago about
this topic having come up on NanciNet in the past.  It was his
feeling that it was not something that should be discussed here,
that it was not true, and that he had no defense when these types
of things were said in this type of forum.

I understood and agreed.  There _are_ two sides to every story.

Thanks,

Victoria

_________________________________________________________________
 
From: Bill Page (bpage@scctel.com)                                
Subject: Lucy Kaplansky - to see or not to see?                  

Andy Ross wrote:
>Hi Nanci fans,
>Lucy Kaplansky is playing in London on the 17th Dec.  I know nothing about
>her other than she's on the "other artists" list in the FAQ file.
>Please tell me why I might kick myself for missing her...

No reason other than intelligence, beauty, exquisite lyrics, superb voice,
great tunes.

BP

_________________________________________________________________
 
From: kevin gibley (Kevin.C.Gibley.1@nd.edu)                      
Subject: catching up . . .                                           

Hello all,

At the end of a long week settling in after the holiday, thought I'd  grab
some time to say hey and respond to recent threads.

Thanksgiving weekend, spent back in Philadelphia, afforded me a number of
near-Nanci content moments (her presence follows one even away from the CD
player).  WXPN in Philly is one of the top 5 stations in the land.
Listening to it every chance I get.  Heard Dar Williams a number of times
(Nanci connection: wouldn't know and love Dar without the original notices
here), but no Nanci.

Flipping the channels, I came across one of those PBS music specials--Gael
Force, I think they called it.  Irish music, Irish singers, including Maura
O' Connell and Mary Black (and two others whose names I did not
catch/recognize) doing a great version of "Hard Times (come again no more)"
soon to be on OVOR 2, right?

Heard "Live from Mountain Stage" (warning: no nanci content here) with a
performance by Jonatha Brooke (sp?).  Has she been mentioned here?  Who can
tell me more and offer recommendations?

OK: less babbling, more direct response.

Let me 10th the recommendation of Patty Loveless, from a huge bias point.
She could sing the phone book and I'd listen.  I am not as high on her
latest as others here, though
"Like Water Into Wine" is awfully good.

Other artists thread: I may have missed this mention, but I checked the FAQ
and do not see her name.  Let me add Mary Karlzen's name to the list.

top ? of 97:  I struggle remembering when things were officially released,
but I forsee
"Blue Roses" (natch), Dar's "End of the Summer," Indigo Girl's "Shaming of
the Sun" occupying space.  Speaking of Dar, what do the rules say about EPs?

Enough from me for now, but for a Christmas recommendation: kathy mattea's
"Good News."

Take care, all


Kevin Charles Gibley
 
_________________________________________________________________
 
From: Carolyn Andre (candre@mcs.net)                              
Subject: Re: Kate Campbell (no Nanci content)                        

On Fri, 5 Dec 1997 jcq@ABPEDS.ORG wrote:

> Can someone out there give me some info on Kate Campbell? I've noticed
> a few references to her recently, and I think I need to know more.

Check out her website:
   http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~ac490/kate.html

Bruce Armstrong took over running the site for her, after the Compass
record label one ... faded away.

Bruce's own site also includes features on artist such as ... Nanci

Regards,             Carolyn's House of Music:
Carolyn Andre                         http://house-of-music.com
Chicago, IL / USA
 
_________________________________________________________________
 
From: Charlie Macdonald (charlie.macdonald@virgin.net)            
Subject: Townes, Parsons and Cosmic American Music                   

Hi Guys,

Following the recent discussions about Townes, and as we are all working
on our top ten lists for Robert, I thought that some of the NN'rs might
be interested in the following lists.

They are taken from the UK music and movie magazine 'Uncut' and follow
an article about the late Gram Parsons. The article discusses GP's dream
of the fusion of country music and rock'n'roll which he called 'cosmic
American music' and how his legacy has been rediscovered by a new
generation of alternative country rockers.

Classic Cosmic Americana (records that inspired today's alternative
country)
7 The Byrds  - Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1968)
7 Dillard and Clark  - The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard and Clark
(1968)
7 The Flying Burrito Brothers  - The Gilded Palace of Sin (1969)
7 Paul Siebel  - Woodsmoke and Oranges (1970)
7 Townes Van Zandt  - Townes Van Zandt (1970)
7 Michael Nesmith  - Pretty Much Your Average Ranch Stash (1973)
7 Gram Parsons  - Grievous Angel (1974)
7 Guy Clark  - Old No 1 (1975)
7 Emmylou Harris  - Elite Hotel (1976)
7 Joe Ely  - Joe Ely (1977)

New Cosmic Americana (records that re-established country rock)
7 Cowboy Junkies  - The Trinity Session (1989)
7 Palace Brothers  - There Is No-One That Will Take Care Of You (1993)
7 Freakwater  - Feels Like the Third Time (1993)
7 Uncle Tupelo  - Anodyne (1993)
7 Lambchop  - I Hope You're Sitting Down / Jack's Tulips (1994)
7 The Scud Mountain Boys  - Massachusetts (1996)
7 Sparklehorse  - Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionpilot (1996)
7 Wilco  - Being There (1997)
7 The JayHawks  - Sound Of Lies (1997)
7 Jim White  - Wrong-Eyed Jesus (1997)

The text that supports the Townes Van Zandt entry is: -
"Van Zandt, who died earlier this year, spent most of his career in
alcoholic obscurity, his reputation for hard-drinking and reckless
living overshadowing the uncommon brilliance of his songwriting. The
best of Van Zandt's songs are bleakly beautiful, starkly poignant,
eloquent essays in romantic despair, underpinned by a grim, gallows
humour. Songs here like 'Waiting Around To Die' and 'Lungs' anticipate
the unnerving country noir of Will Oldham's Palace Brothers, the darker
side of Bill Callahan's Smog and the deadpan reflections of David
Berman's Silver Jews."

Best Wishes,

Charlie
charlie.macdonald@virgin.net

Now playing: Poco  - The Forgotten Trail (they should have been on the
first list!)
Up next: Chris Whitley  - Living With The Law (he should have been on
the second!)

_________________________________________________________________
 
From: Halesbop (Halesbop@aol.com)                                 
Subject: she "took to" bowling                                       

Hooker indicated that Nanci didn't take too kindly to his ad-libbing of a
certain much-discussed lyric of Tecumseh Valley one night. So James, are you
suggesting that Nanci does indeed get a little tempermental and bitchy on
occasion? (JUST KIDDING, gang! But I couldn't resist, given the amount of
postings on this topic recently). Seriously, though, with the high turnover
rate of guitarists in her bands over the years I've always suspected that she
has very precise expectations of the way she wants things done. And rightly
so, of course. But that is a funny anecdote! By the way, whatever happened to
Nanci's old running partner Rick West? I always thought he seemed like a
pretty cool guy.                                              -Steve


p.s. I'd like to go on
record as one of those who does think Tecumseh Valley is a great song--just as
it is. Take out the "whorin'" line and you lose the whole song.

_________________________________________________________________
 
From: Halesbop (Halesbop@aol.com)                                 
Subject: Marcia Ball                                                 

Marcia's a personal favorite and has a decent following in these parts. She
gets up here usually a couple times a year. Several years ago both she and
Nanci were on the bill of the Ann Arbor Folk Festival. Nanci introduced Marcia
prior to her set and related how she used to sneak into clubs in Austin to see
her when she was underage. They rocked out a great No Expectations finale
together that night (along with the other artists that were there). I,too, am
looking forward to that upcoming Rounder session w/Irma & Tracey.
Steve

_________________________________________________________________
 
From: HenryJG (HenryJG@aol.com)                                   
Subject: "Lost" Nanci stuff and Top 10s                              

I've been enjoying a tape of misc. Nanci stuff I made a couple of years ago.
Mine includes much of what was mentioned already, but I also added "Wichita
Falls Waltz" which I dubbed from the OFSE video and "Double-Standard Blues"
from the B.F. Deal Sampler.  Oh, and "Dollar Matinee" from TALBTW because I
never play that album in its entirety but I do like that song quite a bit.

Now, for my top tens of 1997, in no particular order

Top 10 regular releases:

Nanci--Blue Roses
Trish Murphy--Crooked Mile  [Nanci lovers will love Trish]
Kim Richey--Bittersweet
Pizzcato Five--Happy End of the World
Janet Jackson--The Velvet Rope
Erasure--Cowboy
k.d.lang--Drag
Ivy--Apartment Life
Peach Union--Audiopeach
Bernadette Peters--Sondheim, Etc.: Live at Carnegie Hall  (my personal
favorite of the year)


Top 10  Reissues and Compilations:

[Mama] Cass Elliot--Dream a Little Dream: The Cass Elliot Collection
5th Dimension--Up, Up & Away: The Definitive Collection  (lots of great Jimmy
Webb songs)
Dusty Springfield--Anthology
Austin Powers--Soundtrack
Traveller--Soundtrack   (highly recommended for classic country fans)
Etta James--Her Best
V/A--Wild, Cool & Swingin' Too! (Ultra-Lounge, vol. 15)
Nina Simone--The Ultimate Nina Simone
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil--Soundtrack (just k.d.lang's "Skylark"
and Alison Krauss' "This Time the Dream's on Me" make it worth the $)
Burt Bacharach--Plays His Hits
 
_________________________________________________________________
 
From: Halesbop (Halesbop@aol.com)                                 
Subject: AATW xmas cd-no Nanci                                       

While in town to get tickets to a show (rockabilly/swing guitar ace Bill
Kirchen, Sarah Brown & others at the Ark on 12/27) I spied and snatched up the
new Christmas cd by Asleep at the Wheel. While I personally feel that Ray
Benson & company peaked with the "Collision Course" album many moons ago (the
Bob Wills tribute is great, of course), this new holiday recording is a lot of
fun--better than I expected. Makes a good addition to one's collection of
seasonal music.                   --Steve

 
_________________________________________________________________
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