// Underrated songs, MP3, and more...no room to rehash the disco mix...
// Enjoy...[BP]
_________________________________________________________________

From: "Nina Gooch" (nina-gooch@mindspring.com>
Subject: NN: Tears of Stone

Does Nanci sing on the Chieftain's Tears of Stone album?
And is the album as wonderful as it sounds from the
description?

Nina Gooch
_________________________________________________________________

From: "Hans Janssen" (hjanssen@mail.dotcom.fr>
Subject: NN: Re: Tears of Stone

On this CD are:
Brenda fricker & Anzna
Bonnie Raitt
Natalie Merchant
Joni Mitchell
The Rankins
The Corrs
Sinnead O'Connor
Mary Chapin Carpenter in Gealic
Loreena McKennitt
Akiko Yano
Joan Osborne
Sissell
Diana Krall

But Nanci is not on the CD.

But it is a good CD.

met vriendelijke groeten,

Hans Janssen.
_________________________________________________________________

From: "n gaunt" (pawandporschecafe@email.msn.com>
Subject: NN: five and dimes and such

at the risk of flogging a dead equine....

i must say that "love at the 5 and dime" is one of my favorites.  perhaps i
should explain.  when i was a child, my grandfather on my mothers side was
of course, my hero.  he remains for me the essence of what it is to be
mannerly and compassionate.  and he played guitar and sang too.  i have
grown to appreciate him more and more as i get older; he passed away when i
was 10.  odd that as i go through this life, i miss him more the older i get
(all of 24 now).  as i grew and heard more stories of him, he changed for
me, from becoming the grandfather who was always sick (he battled TB and
other ailments all his life) to a young man full of dreams and choices.  i
found myself longing to know him as he was then, to speak to him and ask him
so many things.  anyway, he once owned a soda fountain, and i hear my mother
was always a hit at the school parties, what with all the free sodas and ice
cream.  so when i hear "5 and 10", i find myself wishing i could step into
my grandfather's soda fountain and see him as he must have been then, young
and healthy and full of life.  i know when i finally pass on, there will be
a place for me and my beloved, whomever she may be,  at his counter.  as for
the part about "dance a little closer to me"...well, isn't that what it's
like when you find yourself dreaming on someone?

nicholas at "The Paw and Porsche Cafe"

Dallas Austin Santa Fe
_________________________________________________________________

From: Catelaw@aol.com
Subject: Re: NN: five and dimes and such

>  i must say that "love at the 5 and dime" is one of my favorites. 

I really enjoyed this telling of such a sweet memory and story tied to what 
is also one of my favorite NG songs (and you can also put me in the "loves 
Ford Econoline" camp).  Her ability to make the hearer "see" the characters 
and the details is a part of what draws me to her music.  For example, when I 
hear the line about "she's got a house to keep" I can visualize what that 
house looks like.  I see numerous curio shelves covered with porcelain 
figures that Rita looks upon lovingly and dusts with care, recalling each 
memory that put the figure on each shelf.  Now I know this is quite an 
extrapolation, but to have the ability to engender that kind of imagining in 
a hearer or reader is to me the hallmark of excellent writing and 
storytelling.

Kate Wolf  was also a master of imagery. "Eyes of a Painter" never fails to 
catch at my heart with the images and memories it evokes...

Thanks for sharing.

Cate, in Atlanta
_________________________________________________________________

From: shalsey1@aol.com
Subject: Re: NN: Country Superstars

Hi!  I had to  laugh at your semi-apology (blush, blush) for your new Line 
Dancing hobby!  Me too!!!  I got hooked into it about 2 years ago, and now I 
teach it for the city Parks and Recreation once a week...it was the only way 
I could get to dance up here (so far away from Nashville) without having to 
do the bar scene!!  and you are right:  Shania's music is tailor-made for 
Line Dancing.  The beat is great!  You just can't give the same kind of 
attention to the words that you can to Nanci's.  ..and she is definitely 
eye-candy for the guys, but I can't help but like somebody with a smile that 
is that big and ever-present!  Sure would be nice if more people walked 
around with a sunshiner of a smile like hers and Nanci's!  

I am new to the Nancinet..and have already learned about some songs I've 
never heard (thought I had all her stuff!!) and some videos I didn't know 
existed! ....and a T-shirt, even!!!  How long has the nancinet been going?  
anybody know?   

Anybody else (besides me) planning to go see her live in Portland at 
Sokol-Blosser Winery?  Outdoor concert...Portland is beautiful in July!   and 
she's going to be at Stanford University on December 1st...think I'll head 
down that way too, God willing 'n' the creek don't rise........nice to meet 
y'all!
_________________________________________________________________

From: "Mark Gardner" (markdgardner@mindspring.com>
Subject: NN: Re: NanciNet #99626

Ron Hennesy wrote:

>That note on "listening" is E in the middle of the bass clef, WAY low in
>typical alto range!  I also love Nanci's velvety low singing in "Marilyn
>Monroe/Neon and Waltzes" from "Poet in My Window."  She gets down to E in
>that song too.

>As far as I know, that's the low note in any of Nanci's songs.  Does anyone
>know of a song where she sings lower?

I don't know enough music theory to discuss this in an erudite fashion, but
I'd like to hear more discussion of this. I'm fascinated by Nanci's
melodies, which seem to have a wide range and big intervals. My friend Doug
once observed, "Good melodies have big jumps," and he does seem to be right.
Does Nanci have preferred keys she writes in? Melodic devices she favors?

Mark Gardner
Louisville, CO
_________________________________________________________________

From: "Hank Van Slyke" (chevelle@pnx.com>
Subject: NN: Re: Billy Joe Walker Jr.

Mike was saying something good:

>I've also just got hold of "Warm Front" and I must say that "Moon of the
>Misbegotten" is great - played it three times straight off, and haven't yet
>listened to any other tracks on the album so I don't know what the rest of
>it's like. But it's worth getting just for the Nanci song.

Oh, gosh yes, it's good!  Billy Joe Walker Jr. is the kind of guitar player
that other guitar players pay attention to.  He has been on several of
Nanci's albums, and on Lyle Lovett's and Cheryl Wheeler's.
Here's how good he is, a little story of "how I got a friend hooked on
Walker":   One of my longtime friends has played guitar since grade school
and now is leading a pretty darn good band of guys who play stuff like
Steely Dan, Eagles, Joe Satriani, James Gang, Foreigner, Pink Floyd, Led
Zeppelin, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, etc. and have written a bunch of great
rockers.  I brought him a copy of "Warm Front", told him how other guitar
players listen to Walker. He sort of politely said thanks and put it aside.
About a month later I went to his band's weekly session and they had learned
the first tune on the album and were working on a couple more. My buddy
couldn't learn the tunes fast enough, and thanked me profusely for turning
him onto such a treasure.
Now if I could just get him hooked on Nanci as well...  ;-)
He did like "Moon of the Misbegotten, as a sort of rest time between the
guitar playing.
  Watch out for those short fuses on the Fourth!  be careful with the
fireworks too!

Hank "how much watermelon is enough?" Van Slyke
_________________________________________________________________

From: Tracy Applebaum (poohbear512@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: NN: Ford Econoline!!!!?????

ah yes, DADDY SAID and MARY AND OMIE--definitely two of her best.  I love 
the story about that show; I can really picture Nanci doing somehting like 
that.  AS for From A Distance, I see what you mean, and if there was amore 
specific story-song that got the message of FAD across I'd liek it betetr, 
but I think it is a message that needs to get out there,a dn Nanci is sure 
doing  a great job of that.

For what it's worth,

Tracy
_________________________________________________________________

From: Tracy Applebaum (poohbear512@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: NN: Uderrated songs and fan mail

Hi John and all--

I'm still trying to think abut my favorite underrated song; right now I'm 
thinking Last of the True Believers but that may be because I just got home 
(again home again home) from a trip; I'm not sure.  But anyway I wanted to 
ask another dumb question.  I've written to Nanci twice, after shows I had 
seen that were just SO REMARKABLE it was like, I had to let her know.  And I 
never got a response.  I'm torn between thinking, "Of course you didn't get 
a response; she's a really busy person and doesn't have time to read, let 
alone answer, all her fan mail, and thinking of how important she says it 
was to her to meet Carolyn Hester (on the OVOR video) and all that, and 
thinking is some acknowledgement really too much to expect.  I"d be 
interested to hear of anyone else has written her and what if any answer you 
got.

While I'm here, let me apologize to anyone I offended with my Country 
Superstars post.  I was remarking on the general style and appeal of the 
artists and didn't mean to suggest that Reba has never done nay good songs 
or anything like that.  I do listen to country music some, and I especially 
like LeAnn RImes and the Dixie Chicks.  And Jo Dee Messina and Hal Ketchum 
and Shedaisy (sp.?) and--I could go on.  But compared to the pared-down 
sound of Iris DeMent for example...there's a real difference, IMHO

Tracy "Troublemaker of the Group" Applebaum
_________________________________________________________________

From: shalsey1@aol.com
Subject: Re: NN: Country Superstars

The date is July 24 and she is going to be on the bill with Jim Messina.  The 
winery has a website....sokolblosser.com....you can find out about ticket 
availability that way, I think.  Portland is a great city!  Gorgeous, and 
tons of stuff to do!  
_________________________________________________________________

From: "Mark" (catfan@radiks.net>
Subject: Re: NN: Country Superstars

On 27 Jun 99, at 15:04, shalsey1@aol.com wrote:

> I am new to the Nancinet..and have already learned about some songs I've
> never heard (thought I had all her stuff!!) and some videos I didn't know
> existed! ....and a T-shirt, even!!!  How long has the nancinet been going?
>  anybody know?   

Welcome to the list!  I've been here off and on for about 2 years, I 
just don't post very often.  I hope all the new blood will wake this 
place up! :-)

I'm not sure how old the list is, but I'm pretty sure it's been around 
several years.

I found "Cradle" when a fellow list member stumbled onto a copy of 
the soundtrack for the John Mellencamp movie  "Falling From 
Grace". Apparently, the soundtrack is the best part of the movie!  
Well, Nanci's part is anyway.  ;-)  There's lots of stuff out there, you 
just have to look for it.  Good luck finding that soundtrack cd though, 
it was a cutout last last year and is probably pretty hard to find now, 
sorry.

Mark
_________________________________________________________________

From: James_Troiano@umit.maine.edu (James Troiano)
Subject: NN: New Folk Festival plus2 Nanci questions

Hi Folks: I was excited to see that the 1st. North Atlantic Folk
Festival will be in Rockport, Maine on Aug. 15. Singers include: Susan
Werner, who had one of the best albums of 1998 and changed from
Classical to Folk Music because of a Nanci concert, John Gorka-who has
collaborated with our hero, Cheryl Wheeler, Chris Lavin, Anni Clarke,
plus others. Call (207) 596-0376.   Also: has anyone heard about the
Nanci video of her OV 2 tour ,which was supposed to come out this
year?, I remember first hearing about it on the Nancinet. Another
question: will her new album be on Elektra-? I read here  a long time
ago that her contract with Elektra was to terminate with OV2.  I love
too many Nanci songs to list a favorite- it has gotten so that I find
it difficult to listen to other singer's voices and songs . Exceptions:
Eliza Gilkyson, Susan Werner, John Stewart and a few others. Most
underrated Nanci song: Fields of Summer- I rediscovered it-playing LNGH
in my car one beautiful summer day-it breathes power and life. See you,
Jim Troiano.
_________________________________________________________________

From: raj@inspace.net
Subject: NN: mp3's 

   Here's a touchy subject.  This past week end over on the news
groups (Usenet) some Nanci tracks were posted in mp3 format.  For
those of you not familiar with mp3, it is a method of encoding,
compressing and e-mailing (or posting to a bulletin board) music
selections.  This technology offers "cd quality" (although that
is variable)  Effectively, material can be pirated from
commercial releases and downloaded from web pages and news groups
gratis.
   Now, this opens up a can of worms in the old "Intellectual
Property rights" battle, as well as big headaches for the major
recording labels.  No one here is likely to "steal" a copy of any
Nanci stuff, most of us have it all already!  But what if you
come across something a little outside your normal buying habits,
say, a Mary Chapin Carpenter or Tom Russell.  Would you grab it? 
_________________________________________________________________

From: Ron Crain (ron@arken.net>
Subject: Re: NN: mp3's 

>But what if you
>come across something a little outside your normal buying habits,
>say, a Mary Chapin Carpenter or Tom Russell.  Would you grab it? 

If I were interested in a performer that I hadn't heard before, I most
certainly would download an MP3. It's an opportunity to learn for free
whether or not I like them.  If I liked them, then I'd use my "one-click"
account on Amazon.com and have the CD in my hands in a couple days.  I have
too many junk CD's that I bought on recommendations and are just not my cup
of tea.  The recording industry seems to want their cake and eat it too -
They refuse refunds on CD (even un-opened CD's) and they couldn't care less
about their customers being satisfied.

There is also a faction of musicians who condone taping at concerts and
distribution. Bela Fleck is one. I have in the last couple of weeks
downloaded one entire show in MP3 format.  I'm in the process of copying
them to CD-R to take with me tomorrow to listen to on my way to the
Sierra's - Bela is playing on Saturday night.  Bela isn't loosing out on
any profits from me, I already have everything he's done!  If he were
concerned, I would say that they need to produce more CD's to meet the demand!

I also have a copy of a Nanci show that was tapped. In my opinion, if her
or her record label feel they are loosing money to this sort of thing, then
they should get off their "marketing analysis" butts and start recording
some concerts for publication! 

Good topic though - much more tangible than Disco Nanci.
_________________________________________________________________

From: "Hans Janssen" (hjanssen@mail.dotcom.fr>
Subject: Re: NN: mp3's 

> I have too many junk CD's that I bought on recommendations and are 
> just not my cup of tea.  The recording industry seems to want their 
> cake and eat it too - They refuse refunds on CD (even un-opened CD's) 
> and they couldn't care less about their customers being satisfied.

At my favorite CD-shop, not for the price but it is close to my home, I have
a special pass and I can listen to a bought CD at home for a week and then
bring it back and choose another one. This decission is final. But I don't
have to buy that CD at that moment, I get a receipt and can buy a CD later
with that.

This system was invented before the break through of the CDR-recorders and I
don't think it will last much longer, but I hope it does.

I don't use it that much, only a few times a year. Most of the time when the
production of the CD is bad. That is something I can't hear at the shop, but
I hear it at home.

met vriendelijke groeten,

Hans Janssen.
_________________________________________________________________

From: "Matthew Bloomfield" (mailm@tthewb.u-net.com>
Subject: Re: NN: mp3's 

> Effectively, material can be pirated from
> commercial releases and downloaded from web pages and news groups
> gratis.

Which is great if you've got the bandwidth but I reckon it would take
roughly 4 hours on my home connection to download an albums worth of
songs and even then I can only play them on the computer as I would
have to buy a dedicated player to play them elsewhere.

> But what if you
> come across something a little outside your normal buying habits,
> say, a Mary Chapin Carpenter or Tom Russell.  Would you grab it? 
> 

Yes I do because as a try before you buy it's great and perhaps in
future music will become more like shareware.  But until bandwidth and
dedicated decoders/players become cheaper I can't see it having much
of an effect on record sales.  In the UK even the ancient ISDN is
still too expensive for most home users even with xSDL around the
corner and large files on analogue lines are no fun even with a
"fast", stable connection.

Apparantly the new Star Wars movie is available to download if you've
got the time.

Matt 
_________________________________________________________________

From: Annavedo@aol.com
Subject: Re: NN: mp3's 

mailm@tthewb.u-net.com writes:

(( But until bandwidth and dedicated decoders/players become cheaper I can't 
see it having much of an effect on record sales.  In the UK even the ancient 
ISDN is still too expensive for most home users even with xSDL around the 
corner and large files on analogue lines are no fun even with a "fast", 
stable connection. >>

OH, PLEASE!!!!	  Somebody translate this to English for me!!! LOL---I must 
be stuck in the dark ages, and here my family thinks I am so "with it" on the 
computer!  I feel so inadequate...
_________________________________________________________________

From: Ron Crain (ron@arken.net>
Subject: Re: NN: mp3's 

>Which is great if you've got the bandwidth but I reckon it would take
>roughly 4 hours on my home connection to download an albums worth of
>songs and even then I can only play them on the computer as I would
>have to buy a dedicated player to play them elsewhere.

I download large files overnight when I go to bed. You Brits are just
getting taken advantage of by your phone company! 

Using Winamp, you can re-direct the MP3 output to a .wav file instead of to
the sound card - then use regular CD-R software to cut a CD which is
playable on all CD players.
_________________________________________________________________

From: Annavedo@aol.com
Subject: Re: NN: mp3's 

   I'll bet I'm not alone in having a slow little 'puter that putt-putts 
through the downloading of even the simplest of files.  Excuse me, but I know 
not what MP3 stands for, nor do I have a CD-R (assuming this is a recorder?)  
Must those of you on the cutting edge take jabs as those of us unfamiliar with
1.)  the newest technology, and
2.)  the disco thing
????
   "Can't we all just get along?"  Simply answer the question that most 
appeals to you;  you needn't knock another's choice of topics.  I for one, am 
curious as hell about the idea of someone doing this to Nanci's music, and 
would die to hear it!  It's hysterical, not sacrilege fer cryin' out loud!
Anne (still a-kickin' booty) Pinkerton
_________________________________________________________________

From: "Matthew Bloomfield" (mailm@tthewb.u-net.com>
Subject: Re: NN: mp3's 

Annavedo@aol.com wrote:

> OH, PLEASE!!!!  Somebody translate this to English for me!!! LOL---I must 
> be stuck in the dark ages, and here my family thinks I am so "with it" on the 
> computer!  I feel so inadequate...
 
Sorry Anna,

Basically I was saying that at the moment MP3 (MPEG Layer 3, an
acronym for Motion Picture Experts Group who decide the standards)
cannot replace records as most people cannot afford/do not have access
to equipment that will allow them to use it more cheaply than current
methods (similar to what you said in your other post).

For more information on MP3 see 

http://www.mp3.com and read the frequently
asked questions. 

 If you ever get stuck on acronyms or terms you see
on the net then my bible would be.

http://www.access.digex.net/~ikind/babel.html

Unless we get back onto whether MP3 will replace records please reply
to my private address as this is now off topic for this list.

Regards,

Matt

From: BMiller224@aol.com
Subject: NN: Re: Five and Dime

I have to say a few words in defense of Love At the Five and Dime.  I do 
agree that it should be considered a country song.  But, then, I'm 
old-fashioned enough that I still think of Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash and 
Willie Nelson as country when pop country stations have long since stopped 
featuring their music.

I liked Kathy Matteas version of the song.  And her cover was one of the 
things that got Nancis music more familiar to a wider audience.  I haven't 
followed Kathy Matteas career much since the late 1980s.  But her version of 
Going, Going, Gone was also quite good.

Something tells me that there may be more behind Kenn Lipperts reference
to Five and Dime as his first love.  But, Kenn, what s all this "there is 
always a special place for that first love business?  My first love was a 
cute blond who had notions of being an artist, idolized Ayn Rand and wound up 
going to finishing school.  Yep, finishing school.  (Can somebody explain to 
the Yankees on the list what that is?)

I thought about her last month in Memphis when John Graveling told one of the 
better jokes Ive heard in a while, about a Southern lady whose husband sent 
her to finishing school.  That was a real nice joke, John.  But a Special 
Place?  Man, Im scared every time I stop near the city where she lived that 
Im going to run into her and shell be just as demented as I imagine her to 
be.

Now, this is nothing against Miss Rita and Eddie of the song.  Its just that 
with love like most anything else, you at least hope that you learn something 
from experience.

Because, like I say, I like the song.  And I dont see the Woolworths 
setting as implying cheap.  Its a song about a charming and sad romance 
with an ultimate happy ending between two regular working-class kids.  You 
know, the common people, regular folks, salt-of-the-earth?  The kind of 
people Andy Jackson brought to Washington to tramp mud into the White House?  
The folk of folk music  even though I call it a country song?

That album was the first Nanci Griffith record I bought.  And its still my 
favorite.  The song about the hooker, Working Girl, is on that one.  And 
the drinkin song about Ruby Tuesday-type romances, St. Olafs Gate.  Or 
maybe that ones about working girls, too.  Heres to the ladies you love 
and dont see again.  Heck, real romances are never THAT easy.

But is it really so bad for a song by a folk singer to be embraced by the 
masses?  I mean, cant somebody by creative and poetic, non-comformist, 
literary and still write about the lives and loves of working-class people?  
Does it only count as creative and poetic if its about drugged-out weirdos 
or overpaid yuppies?

Classical composers from Bela Bartok to Aaron Copland to John Adams used 
popular folks tunes in their music.  Heck, even Bach was known to take a 
popular tune and turn it into high-church music.  Lawrence Welk used to play 
Stephen Foster tunes, and Foster was a popular songwriter, in his day and 
afterward.  But that doesnt stop Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris or Nanci 
Griffith from performing Hard Times as a regular folk song.

And is it so hard to believe that the masses might occasionally have good 
taste in music?  I would argue that one of the problems with the 
corporate-dominated music industry is that there is a tendency to crank out 
lowest common denominator pop while neglecting innovative artists that 
could build a profitable niche for their companies if handled correctly.

Personally, I would be curious to hear Shania Twain perform one of Nancis 
more country songs, like Sing One for Sister or Lone Star State of 
Mind.  That way, I could decide whether her seemingly technically good voice 
contains real talent or whether shes just terminally bland.  And, as tepid 
as corporate country is right now, its not all Shania pablum.  Lee Ann 
Womack is one of my favorite popular singers at the moment.  And she finds 
some innovative songs and delivers them with some real character.

Bruce "and I like Merle Haggard, too" Miller
San Bruno, CA

Questions about NanciNet?  Send e-mail to (a href="mailto:bpage@scctel.com">bpage@scctel.com