//  Nanci's book is in the stores.  Also, more commentary, a parody,
//  and a game to play.  - MF

From: Jennifer Reall (jreall14@earthlink.net>
Subject: The Book

The book is in fact out. At least, the store I work at received it on
Friday. I have it prominently displayed in many locations and was accused
this evening of being biased. I agreed and moved on. I plan on buying my
copy tomorrow and if anyone is interested, I'll be happy to let y'all know
how it is.

Jenn :)

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From: Shelly Brisbin (sbrisbin@prismnet.com>
Subject: Mixed Notes

Hi Folks,

It's been many moons since I've posted here, so bear with me. I've got a
lot of ground to cover.

First, I enjoyed Nanci's "All Things Considered" interview quite a bit.
Nanci seemed thoughtful, and unaffected, and did a fine job of explaining
her intent in OVToo.

Eric Taylor played a few songs on KUT Radio (Austin) last week, and the
topic of OVT and the criticism it has received came up. Eric defended
Nanci, particularly in her use of so many musicians. "She wanted to use
them while they were still alive" but he did make a comment to the effect
that he might have made slightly different production choices. He also
allowed as how being on the Letterman show with Nanci and company was a lot
of fun. BTW, he sounds great!

Count me among the people for whom OVT is becoming a more cherished musical
companion. There are still several cuts I kinda hate, and others that are
cluttered and over-stuffed, but there are good song choices, too. You can't
argue with Nanci's generosity toward the other players and singers on the
record. Nanci has a tendency to take herself too seriously (the letter is a
perfect example), but she is not afraid to share her spotlight.

The topic of depression, as mentioned by Nanci, and commented upon by
others intrigues me. The other morning, NPR's Sunday program featured a
composer from the 20s named Amy Beach. The comment that struck me most was
that Ms. Beach was so sensitive as a child that she cried when she heard
music played in a minor key. I instantly connected with that statement, and
I think I understand what Nanci means about depression acting as a creative
spark. There's a kind of emotional fuel in sadness, and also in
experiencing art that evokes it. I suspect that has something to do with my
fondness for folk music.

-shelly (no Prozac here, either)
 
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From: BMiller224@aol.com
Subject: NPR and other public manifestations

I have admired Nanci Griffith's songs for years now, and I've always thought
of her as an impressive individual.  And I still do.  Though I did not find
"Other Voices Too" to be a strong album, a number of the cuts are good,
including "Wings of a Dove," "Dress of Laces" and "Wasn't That a Mighty
Storm."

But I've never quite had the level of admiration felt by some of her fans on
the NN, a few of whom seem to credit her with a higher level of infallibility
than the Catholic Church claims for the Pope.

Although I joked about them in my previous post, I myself was a bit disturbed
by her comments on NPR's "All Things Considered" about depression and
creativity.  Because I would hate to see her words used to glamorize
depression, which is quite a serious problem for many people.  I'll be curious
to see those comments in context in her book.

There is the normal kind of depression that we all have as a regular part of
life.  But there are also clinical types of depression that seriously impair a
person's life.  I don't know to which type Nanci was referring, although
presumably the book will clarify this point.

Some of the medical people on the NN may know if there's any real evidence
that the clinical forms of depression can be said to enhance creativity.  But
I tend to doubt it, on the whole, though apparently some NNers believe
anything Nanci says is not just true but wonderful.

And some of Nanci's more uncritical devotees still love That Letter.  I've
already posted more text on the NN commenting on it than the letter itself
contains.

But just out of curiosity, I asked one of my co-workers who is a native Texan
to read Nanci's Texas letter.  This woman dated a guy years ago who owned a
Texas nightclub that had lots of folk music.  She doesn't follow Nanci's music
now, but she did remember having seen her play years ago at her friend's club.

Her comments on the letter were, "well she's obviously pissed off" and, "I've
never heard anything about Nanci Griffith to make me think she would write a
letter like that."

As a long-time fan, I can only say that some of her wording in the letter
struck me as very different from the posture she usually takes in public.  

Bruce Miller, who admires Nanci only as a mortal
San Bruno, CA
 
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From: Bell/Wrightson (onemansmusic@mindspring.com>
Subject: Steven Fromholz

As we mentioned him a couple of weeks ago, I thought some of you might
like to see this article...the cover story for this week's Austin
Chronicle.

http://www.auschron.com/current/

Hope everyone on the Texas coast is safe and dry?

Sarah

_________________________________________________________________
 
From: Jodi Reed (jreed@mail.sdsu.edu>
Subject: Gulf Coast Highway

Gulf Coast Highway is a favorite of mine.  I used to sing my daughter to
sleep with it, and she still asks to sing it now and then.  My daughter is
5 years old and can sing most of it herself.  Her favorite phrase:
"This is the only place on earth bluebonnets grow
once a year they come and go
at this old house here by the road"

I DEFINITELY prefer the Mac McAnally duet and find it difficult to listen
to the Darius version.  I like Darius  Rucker's singing in other songs, but
the Mac McAnally version is embedded in my nervous system  and won't budge.

"Beacon Street" got me started listening to Nanci in 1985 and is still a
favorite.  Recently, I've fallen in love with "Yarrington Town" from the
latest Other Voices CD.

Jodi
jreed@mail.sdsu.edu
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/edfirst/JReed/JReed.html

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From: Tom Gill (tgill@igc.org>
Subject: West Texas Event-Induced Parody

It was about the time that "Other Voices, Too" came out earlier this
summer... One Monday evening I was heading home from Texas Tech
University, with the latest Nanci Griffith release playing on my car
stereo,
when I saw something dark and stormy rolling at me from across the
plains (someone's put a picture of it on the Web at
http://lubbockcam.com/Media/display2.jpg!  It was a wall of dust, and
I was soon engulfed in it.  Maybe it was the electrical charges of the
dust particles disrupting my brainwaves, maybe it's just living here in
West Texas... but even before I was home, I was singing along to the
chorus of "Other Voices Too"'s first song (but with apologies to Richard
Thompson and Nanci, I had changed the lyrics a bit).  I recently flushed
it out a little by tweaking the rest of the lyrics to insert some
references
to other "dusty" Nanci Griffith songs, as is seen below. 
The extreme drought of early this summer has led to some real-life
"trouble in the fields" here in 1998; much of the cotton crop atop the
Caprock has failed, leading in part to the conditions which wound up
inspiring
the parody below. 

As some of you know, there's more than just parody and symbolism in
this for me, since in my "real life" I am a dust-storm researcher at
Texas Tech, and I've seen more than a few "walls of dust" "slapping my
face" and "taking away the native soil" on the "dust blown plains of
(Nanci's) parents' West Texas."  I invite you to take a look at a
real, literal "wall of dust" at http://www.atmo.ttu.edu/dustwall.html -
To learn a little bit more about these "dust blown plains" visit
http://www.atmo.ttu.edu/dust.html or my colleagues' page at
http://www.csrl.ars.usda.gov/wewc/wewc.htm   - both of these pages also
have other real-life "walls of dust" illustrated.

Tom Gill
Lubbock, Texas
tgill@igc.org

----------------------------------------------
Wall of Dust

Let me ride out a wall of dust one more time
Let me ride out a wall of dust one more time
I should've sold the crops and drilled for oil
The wind's taking away our native soil
Oh, let me take my chances on the wall of dust

You can go with the crazy people on a twister chase
I'll stay where the dust's so thick it slaps my face
A hurricane might amuse you
And the old north wind might confuse you but
Let me take my chances on the Wall of Dust

In a Wall of Dust
All the world is hard to see
Oh, the wall of dust
It's the nearest to misery

If the rain won't fall, then the dirt is sure to blow 
And there's trouble in the fields when the dust's as deep as snow
I'll wave through my silted windowpane
As I watch the mud balls fall, not rain
Oh let me take my chances on the Wall of Dust

Let me ride out a wall of dust one more time
Let me ride out a wall of dust one more time
It's eroding away my native soil,
I'd be better off drillin' for oil,
Oh, let me take my chances on the wall of dust
Oh, let me take my chances on the wall of dust
Oh I have took my chances on the wall of dust

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From: MreenParr@aol.com
Subject: Nanci advertises menswear!

There is an advert in the magazine supplements of the British weekend papers
for a menswear collection sold by a leading department store (House of Fraser,
for those who are interested).  

There is a right-hand full-page picture of a well-dressed man with the legend
'Your second favourite collection'.  

On the left hand page is a stack of 38 (at first count; might be different
when I try again) CDs which, presumably are his 'first favourite collection'.
Included with Mozart and Puccini, Charlie Parker, James Brown and Ella
Fitzgerald are two Nanci Griffith CDs: 'Lone Star State of Mind' and 'One Fair
Summer Evening'. Lyle Lovett also has two inclusions, as has Tom Petty.  Steve
Earle and Joe Ely have one each.  

This man has taste in his music; who cares about his clothes sense?

Maureen,
London

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From: nmrs@freeway.net
Subject: OVToo

I just found this site.   Gee, I thought I was the world's biggest Nanci
fan and that my sister was number 2!  I first saw her on Austin City
Limits and became addicted to her music to the point I drove my family
crazy.  I converted some friends with OVOR.  I do particularly love the
songs she has written and have always found her performances on TV
wonderful.  I bought tickets to see her a couple of years ago and you
guessed it - it was the Chieftains tour and I never saw her.  My heart
broke.

I actually liked Flyer and my daughter liked Blue Roses.  And when I got
OVtoo my husband really liked it and told me I should send a message
that we think it is a great album.

As for the flack about her letter writing of late, I know nothing about
the Texas music scene.  I know nothing about Texas critics or what would
motivate this particular critic to be so negative about Nanci's work or
anything about her history with Texas critics.
Hey, I only know that I love folk music and that I love her music
especially.  I agree with others that not all of her choices are my
favorites but she is the artist and she does the choosing.  Someone else
already said it:  her not so good stuff is so much better than anyone
elses who cares.

Sometimes I feel like we just overanalyze everything and right now maybe
it is Nanci

Anne in Michigan

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From: Petop@aol.com
Subject: Album Tournament: Round 1

Trying to lighten things up on the list a little bit and hoping to have some
fun in the process, I would like to try something that is often seen as a nice
way to spend some time on other lists.
    It's the Nanci Griffith Album Tournament and the rules are simple. I have
picked 16 albums (because, in a single elimination format, the only other
reasonable number to work with would have been eight and that would have
eliminated important albums from which to chose). I have semi-randomly paired
them. Vote for one album in each pairing. I will tabulate the winners and they
will face off in round two until we have a champion. Each Round will last
three days, so for Round 1, your votes must be dated prior to midnight,
central time, on Sept. 16. In order to get 16 albums, I had to include
retrospectives and two appearances on other albums. Here goes:

Vote for one in each pairing:

The Last of the True Believers vs. Poet in My Window

One Fair Summer Evening vs. Storms

Flyer vs. Other Voices, Too

Chieftains Celebration vs. Once in a Very Blue Moon

Little Love Affairs vs. Woman to Woman, Vol. 2

Blue Roses from the Moons vs. Other Voices, Other Rooms

Late Night Grand Hotel vs. Lone Star State of Mind

The MCA Years: A Retrospective vs. There's a Light Beyond These Woods.


//  If you'd like to vote, please send your selections to Petop@aol.com
//  directly, not to the NanciNet.  Thanks!  - MF

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Questions about NanciNet?  Send e-mail to ferg@world.std.com