NanciNet Digest 7-30-98
// The reactions to Nanci's latest CD continue. Also a radio alert.
// - MF
From: Doug Brown (Douggo@prodigy.net>
Subject: Other Voices Too
Greetings,
I love the new one! When Blue Roses came out I really had to sit down
and make time to listen to it and although there are many songs it I
like a lot, it never really captured my heart. But this one demands
that I listen to it and I have to force it out of the CD player so that
I don't drive the rest of the family crazy. I may be the only one, but
I like it better than Other Voices Other Rooms. To me this stands out
not just as a Nanci Griffith album, and it is more than a tribute to the
music that matters to Nanci, I think it can be seen as an album that we
can turn to, to see what folk music was all about. I am tempted to
compare it more to the work of a folklorist that provides an
appreciation of folk music in genreal. OVOR seemed more contemporary to
me and more an album of my favorite songs. Why can't I say what I mean
here?, oh well.
After Blue Roses came out I read many comments by those who loved that
album, that couldn't understand how others could not be as
enthusiastic. I guess I udnerstand now how they felt. The use of so
many voices adds so much to the songs, songs that cry out for many
voices. I do not hear a campfire song when I hear "If I had a Hammer",
I hear a protest song, a song sung by many on a march through the
streets of Birmingham, Chicago and Los Angeles. The pace of the song
matches the pace of the marchers and reinforces their determination to
keep at it until justice is achieved. The intertwining of voices on
Deportees pounds home what Woody Guthrie was talking about. He wasn't
talking just about the lose of lives, but the way the individual lives
were ignored in newspaper accounts that reported the deaths of just
"deportees". The loss is so much more meaningful when we hear the names
and voices of the individuals. The phrasing in "Who Knows Where the Time
Goes" so perfectly fits the song, it expresses the meaning even without
the words.
Somewhere out there on one of the many Nanci web sites, there is the
results of a poll taken some time back, and somebody took an incredible
amount of time analyzing the results. I think it is time for him to do
it again. I would like to see if there is a correlation between when a
person first heard Nanci and which albums they like best. Do people who
like Blue Roses, also like Late Night Grande Hotel, and do those who
like Other Voices Too, lean toward Poet in My Window?
It must be time for medication.
Doug from L.A.
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From: ChocChippy@aol.com
Subject: Re: NanciNet #98726
>Yes, I'm a weirdo, but I
>honestly like Nanci's last five or so albums the best of her whole
>catalog- and I am one who REALLY liked BRFTM.
...HEY, I'm a member of that club! I think as an artist, her work has
consistently grown more interesting and beautiful (and heartbreaking), and the
strong opinions called forth on stuff ever since "LNGH" to me mean that it's
touching people very deeply. The sign of a great artist. Brava. (And People
magazine called OVT the equivalent of a baseball all-star game, which I think
is a very appropriate comparison!)
Kathleen W.
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From: Danny Rakestraw (rakestraw@earthlink.net>
Subject: Looking for background
I am a little new to this list, so forgive me if my question is
inappropriate. I first heard Nanci when I was in Texas back in
1985-1986, and have been a fan since (saw her here in Vegas last
month). I have most (if not all) of Nanci's albums but I have not
tracked her personal life as it seems many others have. Therefore I am
in the dark when everyone talks about "everything she has been
through." Can anyone enlighten me?
Thanks for any info,
An Aggie in Sin City
// The FAQ file will answer most of your questions -- see the info
// box below. - MF
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From: DebraMunn@aol.com
Subject: Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Iris Dement, and other thoughts
I've been a "lurker" on the Nanci-Net for about a year now, but I've been a
fan of hers for years and have all of her CDs except for the newest one (I'l
wait till I go back to visit my folks in the US--in Texas--to get it, because
it'll be cheaper than getting it here in England, where I've lived for the
past three and a half years).
Anyway, I just wondered whether anyone else thought that Jimmie Dale Gilmore's
voice sounded like a male version of Iris Dement's (and vice versa). I like
both of them very much, and I think they sound quite a lot alike.
I love England and chose to come here after my divorce three years ago, but
for a while I was very sad and lonely, even though I'd moved to the place of
my dreams . I'm a Texas girl, like Nanci (but I'm from Amarillo), and it took
a while for me to settle in and feel all right again after my divorce. If it
hadn't been for my Nanci Griffith and Mary-Chapin Carpenter CDs, I don't know
how I would have coped! Those two ladies really got me through more than a
few rough times.
Anyway, life is wonderful again, and I've even turned my new English boyfriend
on to Nanci and Mary-Chapin Carpenter and other artists such as Jimmie Dale
Gilmore. (My boyfriend is also enjoying eating Mexican food and wearing t-
shirts with Texas themes on them!) I enjoy being part of the Nanci-Net, too,
and it makes me feel closer to Texas and its wonderful music scene. I also
especially like hearing from the Brits who like Nanci, too.
More later,
Debra Munn
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From: Beth Herron (bherron@asgnet.psc.sc.edu>
Subject: Wall of Death
I had been planning to post a message about REM's great cover of "Wall
of Death," but several Nanci Netters already have beat me to it. Nanci
had Peter Buck produce several songs on Flyer - she should have
consulted him again on this one! My husband has a live version of REM's
"Wall of Death" somewhere in his collection - I think this is a song
they have covered for many years. Nanci's version sort of drags along.
Beth Herron
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From: BROOKE ANSON (ANSONB@UWSTOUT.EDU>
Subject: OV2 and familiarity
John, I think you've picked out a critical point. I'm familiar with very few
of the "originals" that appear on OV2--I was able to listen to each cut as
a unique event--and I enjoyed every one thoroughly! One of the characteristics
that appeals to me about Nanci is that she does NOT remain the same. Like Mile
Davis, she changes and grows. And occasionally an experiment doesn't work out
too well. I find the album not better or worse than OVOR or Blue Roses or
Late Night--but different and stellar. Listen again, folks; try to forget
what's gone before; enjoy!
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From: MreenParr@aol.com
Subject: Moon and forty-two
Thanks to everyone who told me that these are domino games - some people even
included the rules. The Nancinet has already introduced me to Shiner Bock;
now I can play dominoes too. I am sliding down the road to degeneracy with a
speed that can only be described as enviable.
I also mentioned moon and forty-two to another Texan friend (not a
Nancinetter). He replied:
>Because of the count factor in forty-two, it is played by the edjikated. The
rest of us git to play moon.(
Right, moon it is for me as well, then.
Maureen Parr
London
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From: Kristina Plath (steenie102@yahoo.com>
Subject: Poet in my Window
Hi All
Whew! What an incredible batch of songs!!!!! If this is what she has
planned for her next album, I'm in 7th Heaven!!! I listened through
once, and was intrigued, so I listened again and read the lyrics along
with the songs. PIMW is almost like _Flyer_, the way it's so
introspective. She has some great fiction there, with Julie Anne and
Heart of a Miner, but the majority of the songs are about her.
Waltzing With the Angels uses a bass sound to cover up the meaning.
Even though it's in 3rd person, isn't it about Nanci? It says 'though
it's ten years gone by' didn't she write the song in 1981? Didn't
John die in 1971? And she mentions a necklace he gave her. In that
recent article........the address was in the last digest..........she
says that John gave her the St Christopher necklace. In any event
it's a beautiful song.
Some of those tunes need to be read in catch the meaning, imo. I also
love 'Wheels.' It does strike me as a speedin' song. Great album.
Kristina 'the forest for love songs' Plath
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From: SayraLiz@aol.com
Subject: Re: Mickie Merkins
About Mickie Merkins ....The woman that wrote "Yarrington Town"
There is no CD of Mickey as of yet.
BUT
You can hear her singing harmony vocals on Hal Ketchum's first album
"Threadbare Alibis," and you can hear the original recording of "Yarrington
Town" as well as another tune of hers, "Texas Summer Nights," on the 'Texas
Summer Nights' compilation vinyl, available (maybe) through Potato
Satellite Records, P.O. Box 472, Martindale, TX 78655. On that same label
two more of her songs appear on vinyl done by The Beacon City Band out of
San Marcos, Texas.
She can be heard singing harmony on the following CDs: Bill Staines'
'Looking For The Wind' and his 'Going To The West,' on which she also sings
a duet on the Doug Clegg song "Fill My Thirst." She can be heard on a
track from the band Midnight Choir's self-titled CD out of Norway--the Katy
Moffat/Tom Russell tune "Hearts Gone Wild."
Sarah Elizabeth Campbell
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From: CTX-USER (jifreedm@bellatlantic.net>
Subject: nanci -documentary
Perhaps around 8 years ago there was a VH-1 documentary about Nanci. If
anyone has a copy of this, please tell me how I can get it.
_________________________________________________________________
From: "Hank Van Slyke" (Chevelle@pnx.com>
Subject: OV2
Howdy, folks!
Thanks to Bill Lavery, my copy of this new album arrived quickly and =
included a poster of the cover. Wow. Still trying to decide on the =
best location to put it, and whether to frame it with or without glass. =
;-)
Sometimes a movie transports a character back to a previous time by =
giving a couple of quick jumps back and forth, from now to back then, =
followed by a near-total immersion in the past. That sort of happened =
to me on the first playing of OV2. Even more amazing, I was seated at =
the computer, reading NanciNet messages, playing the CD on the computer, =
listening to it through the little speakers. (No, I couldn't turn them =
up, since HRH Jacqui was taking a nap ;-)
The computer room is the same room I grew up in, same wood floors, only =
now it's a home office and LP storage library. Maybe that helped to =
jettison the modern trappings and reappear as the huge, sunny room of my =
childhood, with the smell of Mom's fried chicken wafting in and the =
sound of the old Truetone tube radio playing the music that I was =
hearing from Nanci's CD. Louisiana Hayride or something, I think. There =
was my plaid-covered twin bed, so big in those days, and the basket of =
toys on the floor. I could hear the family dog, "Boy", snuffling in the =
satsuma bush outside the window, scratching himself against the corner =
of the house like he used to do 35 years ago. As each song played, a =
new memory was dredged up or one was replayed. Some of the songs were a =
bit newer, such as "Who Knows Where The Time Goes", and it was very =
sweet to hear. Some of the jangly ones on the CD, the ones with the odd =
pronounciations some of the NanciNetters mentioned, I watched a group of =
performers sing them on the Porter Wagoner Show, on our black-and-white =
TV, while lying in my usual spot on the gray carpet that Mom put down 30 =
years ago. When the show ended, all 19 songs sung and enjoyed, I jumped =
up off the carpet, ran back to my room and nearly knocked the big black =
dial telephone off the stand on the way, thinking I'd get a ball and go =
play with Boy in the backyard before the Lawrence Welk Show would come =
on. But then the bookcases and desk and computer reappeared while I was =
getting the ball. Darn. I really wanted to play with old Boy again. =
Guess I'll have to wait until it's my time to cross the Rainbow Fields =
to do that. =20
I haven't been lucky enough to have that experience repeated when I =
listen to OV2 again, but I am very glad that I got to go back there for =
a time, thanks to the good ol' tunes kept alive by Nanci and the BMO and =
the 67 artists on the album.
Perhaps that was part of the purpose of the album, to keep the simpler =
times alive through the music. Like a carmaker who builds fast cars, =
then suddenly switches to restoring antique cars, it keeps some of the =
old ways alive. I have a late-80s car I do maintenance on, and also =
keep a '51 Chevy truck on the road. Between the two of them, it's a =
well-rounded experience in vehicles. So maybe the classic NG albums =
like LNGH, PIMW, OFSE, and the OV2 series give a well-rounded experience =
in the music our aNGel chooses to share with us. =20
I'm glad I bought the new album.
Hank "not drinking Shiner yet, but after writing this epistle I'm ready =
now" Van Slyke
_________________________________________________________________
From: David J Percy (djp@helpdesk.com.au>
Subject: CDNow Madness ?
I rec'd this cryptic message from CDNow.
Am I in a timewarp ?
DjP
Advance Orders
``````````````
Nanci Griffith Once In A Very Blue Moon Aug. 10
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From: "Tawni T. Hoang" (tth111@psu.edu>
Subject: another OV2 critic
Helooo. I've really enjoyed all the posts on OV2. I bought it last
week, and on my first few listens, I felt little emotional connection.
I was surprised, I thought I gave it a good chance, and I got slightly
worried that all my anticipation for this "last album" was going to lead
to disappoint. You see, OVOR was such, and still is, an important album
for me. It really touches me in ways that are hard to describe. Well,
you know. Caroline. I just didn't hear that in this new one. For one,
the harmony vocals were almost cacophonous at times. I could barely
hear Emmylou, and Lucy K and Gillian Welch. I think they were just
there for moral support. Second, the songs. Just nothing really
happened.
Well, tonight I gave OV2 another listen. And something clicked. I
listened to all 19 songs, and then went back to tracks 17, 18, 14, 15.
Then started it up again. Okay, I have to admit, I might be the ONLY
one on this list to NOT have heard a single track in another version.
*gasp!* I know. (Hope I haven't started a chain of shocked heart
attacks) Anyway, having no comparisons to make, all I can say is the
story of Darcy and Vandermeer is beautiful, this is definitely the
summer of Lucinda Williams, and Nanci sure can make sweet lov'in duets.
Her voice still makes me quiver.
Tawni "happy it clicked" Hoang
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From: Andrew Layden (andrew.layden@strath.ac.uk>
Subject: Other Voices Too
Hello everyone.
We go through a short period where people talk about every artist except
Nanci and when everybody finally starts talking about her, I find myself
accidently dropped from the list! Aaargghh!! I've missed all the discussion
about the new album.
I've tried to catch up by browsing through the NN archives courtesy of
Shelly Brisbin's Blue Moon Page. As this only contains the digest, I may
have missed the odd posting altogether. So my apologies if I am repeating
points that other people have brought up.
Right, OK, the new album. I think it's a fine album. I loved it right from
the first listen. Normally any album that I buy takes a while to grow on me.
"Flyer" and "Once In a Very Blue Moon" are the only other NG albums that I
loved instantly. They are definitely still my favourite albums. I wonder if
Other Voices Too will follow that trend?
Why do I like it so much? I think it's because it represents the diversity
of Nanci's music. She often refers to herself as a folk artist, but she
has experimented with more country sounds (Lone Star State of Mind) and
more pop/rock sounds (Storms/Blue Roses From the Moons).
Although I have a preference for the folk side of Nanci Griffith, I'm glad
that the new album does not focus just on that. That would make it too
similar to Other Voices, Other Rooms. It would have been easy just to churn
out more of the same sort of stuff as OVOR. The new album would then be
drawing comparisons with the first one. It would forever live in the shadow
of that album.
Some people ARE drawing comparisons between the albums. I can't see why.
Is it because of the names?
Is it because they are both albums of cover songs?
Is it because they feature many guest artists? (so does Flyer)
Is it because they share a similar booklet layout?
Sure, this is follow-up to the OVOR album. It's not a remake of it. Any
decent sequel should develop the themes of the original. In reality, this
is difficult to achieve. How many films have we seen, where the sequel
is just an inferior rehash of the original? This album is not a rehash. I
think it really is a successful development.
I like most of the songs on the album. In fact there's not really a song
that I have taken a strong dislike to. Nanci's vocals sound somewhat strained
on occasion, but absolutely flawless on other occasions.
Some people say there's not enough of Nanci for their money. I look at it
from another angle. Just look at how many artists you get for your money!
Surely artists of this quality are worthy to be in your collection.
In fact, there's too many artists! That's my only real gripe about this album.
I feel that many of the artists just don't get a chance to shine. Their
input is so unnoticable that I get the impression that they are just there
to make up the numbers. I would certainly like to hear Nanci record more
material with guest artists, but it works better with less artists. I think
OVOR and Flyer had just about the maximum amount possible, and Other Voices
Too has slightly too many for it to work properly.
Well, there we are. Those are my first thoughts on the album.
More may follow.......
Andrew Layden.
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From: RZwerdling@aol.com
Subject: N: Nanci on WFUV Live
On Sunday Morning Nanci and Friends will
be on WFUV Public Radio in NYC @ 8:00 w/
Jonathan Platt's Sunday Morning Breakfast (90.7 FM)
His show is always great.
Just thought you should know.
Oh yes, Guy Clark too!!!.
Ron
Rzwerdling@aol.com
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