//  Some ideas for your holiday shopping ... ;-)   - MF

From: dford7@juno.com (Dennis Ford)                               
Subject: Top 5 Plus 5                                                

Hello-

        I have probably purchased more CD's in the past year than any
year before, but only 5 were released in 1997 so these are my winners by
default, listed in order of my preference:

1- Blue Roses From the Moons- Nanci Griffith
2- End of the Summer- Dar Williams
3- Surfacing- Sarah McLachlan
4- Bringing Down the Horse- The Wallflowers
5- Living in Clip- Ani DiFranco

        I will list 5 more I hate to exclude on a technicality.  Except
for my #1 above, these are the new albums I've listened to the most.

6- Kind Hearted Woman-Michelle Shocked (1996)
7- This Moment in Toronto- Victoria Williams (1995)
8- Tidal- Fiona Apple (1996)
9- Sheryl Crow (1996)
10- Between the 1 and the 9- Patti Rothberg (1996)

        Numbers 6 and 7 tie for my greatest listening experiences of the
year, which I will expand upon in another message related to the Other
Voices Other Nancis discussion.

 
_________________________________________________________________
 
From: blau@nps.navy.mil (Joe Blau)                                
Subject: Top Ten Albums of 1997                                      

JOE BLAU'S TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 1997  (not in order)

- Nanci Griffith, Blue Roses From The Moons.  Not one of her best albums,
  but still a fun one to listen to, and it does have moments of brilliance.

- Jennifer Berezan, Refuge.  If you're feeling a bit chilly this winter,
  get this album: it will surely warm your heart.

- Van Morrison, The Healing Game.  I just love the cool, bluesy mood of this
  album; a great one to mellow out to after a long day.

- Alison Krauss and Union Station, So Long So Wrong.  One of my favorite
  discoveries of 1997, thanks to the woman I fell in love with this year!

- Solas, Sunny Spells and Scattered Showers.  Another fine album by these
  incredible Celtic musicians.

- Tom Russell, The Long Way Around.  Most Misleading Title of the Year:
  this album is actually a SHORTCUT to learning what a talented songwriter
  this man is.  Great supporting cast too.

- Guy Clark, Keepers.  Yup, they sure are.

- Kate Campbell, Moonpie Dreams.  I like this album not quite as much as
  her first one, Songs From the Levee, but it's still very good.  Both
  of Kate's albums should be in every Nancinetter's collection.  I mean,
  if you didn't enjoy music like this, you wouldn't be on this mailing list.

- James Keelaghan and Oscar Lopez, Compadres.  James has been mentioned a
  few times on this list, but most of you probably aren't familiar with his
  music.  If you like early Gordon Lightfoot and Stan Rogers, you will most
  surely like James' voice and songwriting.  Oscar is a fabulous guitarist.
  Together on this album they make "Celtino" music, a delightful blend of
  Celtic and Latin sounds.

- Burns Sisters, In This World.  This is my album of the year.  A very
  enjoyable mix of sweet ballads and lively bluegrass tunes, and the
  sisters harmonize beautifully together.

Biggest Disappointment: Mary Black, Shine.  I was shocked to see this on
a number of other Nancinetter lists.  IMHO, it doesn't even begin to compare
with some of her earlier albums.  Mary still has the most beautiful voice
I ever heard, but the choice of songs and arrangements have gotten steadily
worse in her past few releases - she even resorts to electronic drum machines
on Shine.  I just wish she would go back to traditional Celtic music.

Concert of the Year: Nanci and the BMO at the KPIG Fat Fry. (Partly because
of the "surprise" guest - mine, that is!)

 - Joe

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From: ferg@world.std.com (Mark E Ferguson)                        
Subject: Top Ten -- the Year of the Men                              

Over the past several years most of my favorite albums have been from
female performers, but this year the men took over.  Every one of my Top
10 is from a male singer/songwriter.  What's going on here, eh?

Anyway, here are my favorites for '97.  Descriptions of these and many
other fine albums can be found here: http://world.std.com/~ferg/drivel.html

These are listed in approximate order of preference:

1.  Richard Buckner   Devotion + Doubt (MCA)
2.  Jon Dee Graham    Escape from Monster Island (Freedom)
3.  Steve Earle       El Corazon (Warner Bros.)
4.  Buddy Miller      Poison Love (HighTone)
5.  Robbie Fulks      South Mouth (Bloodshot)
6.  Richard Shindell  Reunion Hill (Shanachie)
7.  Bruce Robison     Wrapped (Boar's Nest)
8.  Ron Sexsmith      Other Songs (Interscope)
9.  Jim White         Wrong-eyed Jesus (Luaka Bop/Warner Bros.)
10. Matthew Ryan      May Day (A&M)

Honorable Mentions:

 Son Volt          Straightaways (Warner Bros.)
 Fred Eaglesmith   Lipstick Lies & Gasoline (Razor & Tie)
 Trish Murphy      Trish Murphy (Raven)
 Joy Lynn White    The Lucky Few (Little Dog/Mercury)
 Greg Brown        Slant 6 Mind (Red House)


Happy shopping!

Mark Ferguson
ferg@world.std.com
http://world.std.com/~ferg/
 
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From: dford7@juno.com (Dennis Ford)                               
Subject: Other Voices Other Nancis                                   

Hello Fellow Nanciphiles-

        If anyone wants to hear another opinion on the Other Voices Other
Nancis theme, please read on...  Personally, I thought the discussion
degenerated a bit from some serious offerings of Nanci-like artists to a
hodge podge of personal favorites.  I mean, someone even recommended Ani
DiFranco!  If you don't know her, she is a
female-singer-songwriter-guitarist-foul-mouthed-work-booted-pierced-
punk-rocker...   so 4 out of 8 makes her like Nanci?....   Just kidding.
I own Living in Clip myself.  I've even played it.  Twice.

        But there are two artists I would seriously like to recommend:

        Michelle Shocked- Her CD's vary from folk to hill country to
swing, but she is consistently good in all styles.  Her best, Kind
Hearted Woman, is a masterpiece of raw-edged folk songs of female and
life experiences.  Caution: Don't be put off by the opening song,
"Stillborn."  At times her wailing is so discordant it is unpleasant, but
when one understands it is a midwife's lamentation for a stillborn child,
it is overpowering and perfect.  "A Child Like Grace" is heart-wrenching
while beautiful.  "Silver Spoon" is soft while celebrating strength.

        Victoria Williams- Very much like Nanci in style and spirit.
This Moment in Toronto is a live CD of great songs.  She has a unique,
childlike voice and distinctly identifiable speech (sound familiar?) and
some idiosyncratic lyrics and style.  Two of my favorites are cover songs
of some 30's-40's era songs.  I found this CD captivating, but my
reaction was also colored by seeing her at the Lilith Fair too.  On
stage, her soft, sweet self comes through in her music and rapport with
the crowd.  (another familiarity?)  I just got my second CD, Happy Come
Home, so I can't comment on her work in total.  She has a new CD coming
out in January.  Her work was the subject of the first Sweet Relief CD.

        These were my favorite CD's of the year, except for Blue Roses,
of course.  So now I feel caught up with my NanciNet thoughts.

        My sincere apologies to Ani DiFranco fans.
 
_________________________________________________________________
 
From: Dan.Gerson@mckesson.com                                     
Subject: Nitty Xmas in the Bay Area                                  

     Do any of you netters in the S.F. Bay Area know if one of our PBS
     stations is going to show the Nitty Gritty Christmas show?

     So far I've seen stuff like a tribute to Yanni and Perry Como's Irish
     Christmas. What's next? The Jackson Brothers (Alan and Michael) cover
     Lawrence Welk's Christmas songs?

     Dan 'where is Slim Whitman when you need him?' G.
 
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From: Mike Chesman (chesman@preferred.com)                        
Subject: Re: Top Ten (uh! Seven!) List                               

I bought plenty of music in 1997 (some that I would rank higher than some
choices on this list) but not all of it is of 1997 vintage.
Here are a few disc-coveries or re-disc-coveries that have gotten a lot of
listening to by me.
Be forewarned, these choices are from a true "child of the sixties" and
advancing age (or senility) could be playing a part in some of the
selections.  Sorry Robert, I could only find seven discs to put on my list....

1. Bob Dylan - Time Out of Mind  [He's still got it and this is as good an
album as anything he's ever released]

2. Nanci Griffith - Blue Roses From the Moons  [I was disappointed on first
listening and now I can't let a week go by without hearing it in its
entirety.  My wife will probably confiscate my portable CD player and
headphones, off the table next to the bed, once she finds out I go to sleep
to the strains of Nanci's latest winner.  If Other Voices, Too! turns out to
be two discs it's gonna take me twice as long to fall asleep at night.]


I don't think anyone has mentioned the next choice, so I'll give it a little
more commentary...
3. Laura Nyro - (The Best of Laura Nyro) "Stoned Soul Picnic"  [As a singer
songwriter Laura was top notch - this two disc set might be two "urban" or
"jazzy" for some of the more folk oriented Nancinetters, but her songs were
covered by a bunch of big names in the late sixties.  If you've not heard
Laura's own versions of Wedding Bell Blues, Blowin' Away, Stoney End, And
When I Die, Eli's Comin', or Stone Soul Picnic you need to give a listen.
There's lots more material from throughout her career.  She passed away not
very long ago and had just completed assembling this anthology and was
getting prepared to record material for a new album.]

4. Tom Russell - The Long Way Around - [I first heard Tom on the few bonus
tracks that were on the ARK tape from Nancinet but this album really turned
me on to his talent.  I enjoy his voice and lyrics.  St. Olav's Gate with
Nanci is worth the price of admission alone.]

5. The Byrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo - [Yes, it was released in 1997
remastered with bonus tracks as well as 7 other early Byrds albums and they
never sounded better.  This is an album that in the sixties defined
Country-Rock and is probably more true to its roots than a lot of stuff
coming out of Nashville today.]

6. Bill and Bonnie Hearne - Diamonds In The Rough - [I learned about this
one from Nancinet.  Western country/folk and produced by Jim Rooney.  This
one took quite a few listens but its grown on me.  Some real nice tunes.]

7. Gilbert O Sullivan - The Best of - [Yikes, I'll probably get flamed for
this one, but "Alone Again Naturally" I always found to be a quirky but
perfect little pop song.  Okay, so I succumbed to nostalgia and found myself
enjoying Clair, Who Was It, and several others.  The ladies for sure and
even us men, will not agree with the antiquated sentiments of "A Woman's
Place".  Hey, at least I put this disc at the bottom of my list.]

_________________________________________________________________
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