NanciNet Digest 5-12-00
// Concert reports galore, a last look at Woolworth's, a little
// more about Taylor guitars, and still more!
// Enjoy...[BP]
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN: Croydon concert
Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 08:41:35 +0100
From: "Reeve, Paul" (Paul.Reeve@Connex.co.uk>
Hi all
A brief review only, as I am at work: I did not have a chance to go online
lastnight after getting home. I am also therefore unable to see if anyone
else has posted. I do not have a complete set list.
Nanci was wearing a little black number with a sheer "over dress(??)" with
sparkly bits in it(!) and a maroon scarf. Interstingly, although she did
talk about the visit to Hanoi and Cambodia and the work of the US/UK
organisations, she did not mention the scarf and there were none on sale.
The BBC Concert orchestra started the first part with three short pieces,
then the conductor intorduced Nanci and the BMO. I haven't seen james Hooker
in a dinner jacket with all the trimmings before! They started with Trouble
in the fields, then followed....er I can't remember! Its gone clean out of
my head - and it was good. An open book and a superb Gulf Coast Highway
followed, amongst others, Drops from a faucet, Its a Hard Life and
Travelling through this part of me.
Highlights of the second half included Late Night Grand Hotel and Wing and
the wheel, Tell me how, Outbound plane (or was that in the first half?),
this heart, and finishing off with If I had a hammer. There was only one
encore, which was "Well alright". The concert finished about 10.20.
I came away slightly disappointed at the length of the concert, but
thoroughly enjoyed the different settings (only 2 were without orchestra).
Some which were missed out were Tecumseh Valley, From a distance and Lee
Satterfields song.
Nanci looked and sounded fine and seemed to be enjoying herself immensly -
she made her joke about trash and then pointed out that a member of the
orchestra grew up about 100 miles from Lubbock!
I met fellow netter Maureen before the show, we agreed at the interval that
it was different, but a good concert all the same.
Regards to all
Paul
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Subject: NN: Croydon concert
Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 21:18:55 +0100
From: "Mike Barrett" (mikebarrettuk@hotmail.com>
The set list was as follows, excluding the 6 items which the Symphony
Orchestra did (three at the start of each half) -
Trouble in the Fields
Love at the Five and Dime
These Days in an Open Book
Nobody's Angel
Gulf Coast Highway
Drops From the Faucet
Travelling Through This Part of You
(Intermission)
Always Will
Not My Way Home
Outbound Plane
It's a Hard Life
Late Night Grande Hotel
Tell Me How
This Heart
Wing and the Wheel
If I Had a Hammer
(Encore)
Well Allright
An excellent concert in an impressive venue. Nanci looked stunning - I
don't know if she is putting on weight or not, Cate, but she is sure looking
good. And she really seemed to be enjoying herself, with some nice rapport
between her and the conductor (even though it was the BBC Orchestra, the
conductor was Andrew Pryce Jackman who conducted the LSO on Dust Bowl
Symphony).
The highlights for me were Trouble in the Fields - has she EVER performed
that other than superbly? - Gulf Coast Highway, Not My Way Home and Late
Night Grande Hotel. The one new song - Travelling Through This Part of
You - is striking on first listening, and will I suspect quickily become a
favourite. During the intro she mentioned her trip to Vietnam and Eric
Taylor, Eric's response being that he wished all his ex-wives would go to
Vietnam!
A wonderful evening all round.
Mike Barrett
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN: Re: Croydon concert
Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 22:14:49 +0100
From: "Maureen" (mreenparr@clara.co.uk>
I'll just add a few thoughts, in no particular order, to complement Paul's
account.
I thought Nanci was in great form. There was no sign of the hay fever and she
was quite clearly enjoying herself. It struck me that the three times I've
seen her has always been with a slew of other performers. The first time was on
the Blue Roses tour with those ubiquitous Crickets. Then there was the Other
Voices with a stage-full. And now she attempts to trump even that with an
entire orchestra. I've never seen her with just the traditional support to
start and then her and her musicians. But I must say she seems to relish
sharing a stage. She was flirting with the conductor who was having an equally
good time, flirting back!
I'm glad Paul did the fashion notes. I wasn't even going to attempt this
:-) I didn't think she had put on weight, but I was sitting up in the
balcony, quite far from the stage, but still with an excellent view. My
seat was next to Nancinetters Nigel and Sally Brown - a happy coincidence.
I imagine the orchestra was on a time contract. It was unusual to have just
one very quick encore. I expected her to sing several songs, or to go out
and return more than once. The encore was, as Paul said, 'Well alright. I
wish she'd drop some of this Crickets stuff. There were so many references
to them and a couple of songs. They and their music is OK, and I enjoyed
them on the Blue Roses tour but enough is enough! She could have sung
another couple of her songs if she'd left them out last night. For example,
I was looking forward to that new one, written for her god-daughter, that
others have mentioned, but it wasn't included.
She sang 'Nobody's Angel' - great with the full orchestra but,
disappointingly, no didgeridoo! Wasn't there one on the recording? Sounded
like a barking dog? Or perhaps there a barking dog as well ;-) And 'Not my
way home' as well as all the ones Paul mentioned.
We left the auditorium to the strains of Whiter Shade of Pale - Nanci's
'best-kept secret'. A little in-joke for the fans, perhaps.
She made lots of references to Texas, the usual ones that we've already
discussed, trash and 'dust travels' and stuff like that. She could probably
usefully drop this now but I don't think she will because she can't stop
talking about it, writing about it, singing about it. She talked about
southern Texas bluebonnets and West Texas humour. She identifies with all
this and it's where her heart is. She doesn't mean the disparaging comments
she makes - it's irony, as so many have pointed out.
Hope some of you are going to Bristol tonight and can post about this
concert.
Maureen Parr
London
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN: Croydon
Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 22:09:14 +0100
From: "Paul" (paul@preeve.clara.co.uk>
Hi all again
Thanks Mike for filling in the blanks! Of course it was 5 & dime that I
enjoyed so much. I did remember in the end!
Yes Woolies did get a mention - "the first place I visit when I'm in
England" or words to that effect.
Cate - I'm not sure whether she's put on any weight: she looked fine anyway.
I don't think she looked a lot different to when I saw her in Tarrytown 2
months ago (but I was further back then)
Listened to OVOR on the way home last night: realised there weren't any
songs from it last night.
Hope all who are going enjoy the rest of the tour - I'd kinda like to go to
a non-symphony concert as well but never mind.
Paul
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Subject: Re: NN: Croydon concert, scarves, Woolworth's
Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 11:10:00 EDT
From: Catelaw@aol.com
Paul.Reeve@Connex.co.uk writes:
> Interstingly, although she did
> talk about the visit to Hanoi and Cambodia and the work of the US/UK
> organisations, she did not mention the scarf and there were none on sale.
Hi Paul and y'all,
Thanks for a wonderful review and especially nice details on the OFR. Did
you (and Maureen?) think Nanci looked liked she's gaining weight? Or do you
have a frame of reference? I would be glad to hear it if she is...
At the Birchmere show, the scarves were sold by representatives of the
Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, not by NG's folks. There were three
lovely young Asian women who set up and made great models for the various
scarves, sarongs and shawls outside the Birchmere's really cool gift shop.
They are truly beautiful and obviously very high quality garments and are
also, as Sue Peete reported previously, pretty pricey. Having blown the bulk
of our 2000 entertainment budget on the trip to Virginia and the concert
itself (worth every last cent) on top of being scarf-challenged, I am
thinking hard to find an appropriate party to receive one as a gift. Bill &
Sue's Nanci pages have a link to the Landmine Campaign and the Joom Noon line
of handmade products at http://nanci-griffith.com/. Vietnam Veterans of
America Foundation also has a link to the scarves at http://www.vvaf.org.
And speaking of Bill & Sue Peete's webmastery, they also have a great website
called "Music by Candlelight," which is the cyber- and inflation-scaled
version of "diggin' through that Woolworth's record bin and findin' a record
for 69 cents you always wanted, all yo' life," to paraphrase. Used CDs, book
recommendations on subjects and artists discussed here, CD of the month,
cookbooks and more! Proceeds go to retire the costs of Mary Margaret
(Maggie) Heenie's 1998 lung transplant and defray continuing related
expenses. Maggie is Nanci's childhood friend and the co-writer of There's a
Light Beyond These Woods (Mary Margaret), Alabama Soft-Spoken Blues and St.
Theresa of Avila.
Check it out at
http://members.cruzio.com/~billpeet/MusicByCandlelight/main.htm
(Both of these great websites are volunteer efforts and thus, unofficial.)
I love these concert reviews! Can't wait to hear Jenny's!
Great job, Vicki, on the top 10 list :)
Cate in Atlanta
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Subject: NN: Bristol Colston Hall concert
Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 13:20:09 +0200
From: "John Davis" (j.davis@virgin.net>
Last night I visited Bristol to see Nanci for the fifth time. The build up
to this gig had been strangely low key, with no new album to showcase and
the suggestion that the voice may be less than perfect due to allergies. I
even wondered whether my commitment to the cause was on the wane after a
dozen years. I needn't have worried.
I won't bore you with what is a pretty familiar set list, suffice to say
that Nanci and the BMO played something for everyone. The Bristol crowd was
fairly undemonstrative as usual - Nanci even remarking how quiet we were in
between songs. Nanci's voice was excellent, as good as I have ever heard,
and she seemed to be in a happy frame of mind. The new look BMO was as tight
as ever with Chas. Williams bringing a new dimension to the band with his
dobro and slide playing. Special mention for Lee who again was given her own
slot (with Nanci on b.vox) as well as providing faultless harmonies
throughout.
Surprisingly From a Distance and Ford Econoline were in the set. Nanci
previewed the former by joking that she might not be the best singer of the
song but she was the first to record it! The latter gave her voice a good
workout and only the highest notes were less than perfectly executed.
High points of the evening were the two new songs, Travelling Through This
Part of You and Midnight in Missoura (?). The tribute to Eric Taylor,
written after visiting Vietnam on landmine work, was particularly moving, to
the audience but moreso to Nanci herself, and will probably become a
standard. The Wing & the Wheel, Tecumseh Valley, Wall of Death and Hard Life
all deserve special mention.
I must admit, greatly though I enjoyed the evening, I find myself firmly in
the camp which has been advocating a dusting down of some of the less heard
but well loved numbers. Frankly I don't care if I never hear FAD again, and
I could do without Trouble in the Fields, Love at the Five and Dime (Nanci
referred to "a trip to Woolies!"), Outbound Plane and Across the Great
Divide, to name a few. Not that they are not great songs, but personally
(and I know we all have our particular favourites) I would love to hear live
versions of More Than a Whisper, So Long Ago, Workin' in Corners, Spin on a
Red Brick Floor and Drive in Movies (although I seem to have read that she
is playing this on the current tour), none of which I have ever heard live.
Strangely, there was no Road to Aberdeen with the house lights going up
after Wing. Nanci quoted Guy Clark when the band returned to the stage for
the first encore. She said that Guy had once said something to her along the
lines of, "Isn't it a strange game we play? I go off... I come back. I was
going to come back anyway!"
By the way, does anyone know who is featured on the button on Nanci's guitar
strap? No, not LBJ, the one on the other Taylor.
John Davis
np Blue Roses.
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN: Nanci @ the Centre of the Universe (Long, sorry!)
Date: 13 May 2000 00:07:15 +0100
From: "Matthew Bloomfield" (mailm@tthewb.u-net.com>
Hello NanciNetters,
Around 30 mins ago the finest group of musicians ever to grace
the Hemel Hempstead Pavillion's stage left the boards to go do
whatever musos do after concerts. They put in a fine performance,
better I think than the Barbican in 1998, which at the time I thought
was hard to beat. More on the performance in a moment first some
whinges.
Now I'm sure none of the people on here would ever be so inconsiderate
but I need to vent my frustration somewhere:
Much as Nanci's name was mis-spelled on the tickets the time was
correct. Clearly stating 8:00pm (you didn't even need to work out the
24 hour clock) why the hell were people still arriving and taking
their seats when Nanci had already taken the stage and had started
speaking. More to the point, why on earth did the same people do
exactly the same thing after the intermission when a bell had been
rung throughout the building indicating it was nearly over and seats
should be re-sat in. Finally, and if the person who committed this
sin is on the list may I let it be known you're a turnip, do normal
people really go to concerts with their mobile phones still switched
on? This &"£^!%"£ did! (/whinge>
I arrived earlyish, about 5 mins after the doors opened, though not a
huge venue it took a while to fill up, even at around 7:45 less than
half the people had taken their seats. By 8:00 though, apart from the
thoughtless individuals above, the Pav was full, I would guess it was
a sell-out although I couldn't see the backs of the balconies, natch.
Nanci came out dead on 8, she looked stunning, for the fashion
watchers she had on purple silky trousers and a shiny top which was a
slightly lighter, she was also wearing one of the scarves although she
neglected to mention the story behind it. Pat McInerney is, of course
from Hemel, Nanci mentioned this as being the Centre of the Universe,
she also mentioned this was the first time she'd played here.
The band were on fine form, the bassist and celloist Ron de la Vega
really deserves a mention he was excellent both as an instrumentalist
and as a vocalist, it goes without saying that so too was Lee
Satterfield and as alway Mr Hooker was a genius on the Ivories. When
he came in on Tecumseh Valley I swear you could here Townes Van Zandt
in his voice. Charles Williams was a solid guitarist but to be honest
I didn't think he stood out as well, maybe they should bring him more
to the middle and give him a mic too. There's no doubt he's a great
guitarist he just didn't seem like a member of the band. The beat-man
Mr McInerney did as grand-a-job as ever, he was particularly
outstanding on Outbound Plane. Nanci teased him about wanting to get
in a drum solo to show off in his home town!
I'm not a setlist man, there were many old favourites and as this was
only my second concert there was a lot of stuff I hadn't heard live
before. The show started with a favourite and my introduction to
Nanci, Speed of the Sound of Loneliness, Trouble in the Fields was in
there, as were the standards IA Hard Life WYG and From a Distance.
Listen to the Radio and Ford Econoline were done, so too were Not My
Way Home and Drops from the Faucet. If I had a Hammer almost got a
clap and a singsong from a very un-responsive audience (there was a
lot of applause throughout for the songs but not much joining in).
Battlefield is one of my least favourite songs from Blue Roses, but
this is a song that was meant to be done live, such energy! At this
point I should mention the lighting, I don't know if it's Nanci's own
people or the Pav's people that did it but it was very clever, during
Battlefied the backdrop looked like fire, during Outbound plane there
were two propellors flying across it and during Trouble in the Fields
the backdrop looked like wheat, there were probably some more effects
but those were the ones I noticed and they were a nice touch.
The new songs are both very good, I think we're going to be in for a
real treat when the new album is released. Lee Satterfields song was
excellent too, she is very talented, her voice (at least on the song
she did tonight), reminded me a little of Lucy Kaplansky, an album
from her would definitely get my support.
The encore was Well Alright and the divine Wing and the Wheel. A
beautiful way to end a fantastic performance from the best group to
grace Hemel's Pavillion in a long time (ever?). I can't wait for the
Royal Albert Hall which, being a performance in a completely different
vein will no doubt be just as special.
Until then...
Matt
--
Visit My New Website http://www.tthewb.u-net.com
For information on Nanci Griffith, Lucy Kaplansky and me!
Coming Soon - My New Amiga Pages
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN: Good News for Record Prices
Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 09:44:12 -0400
From: "Shawn Kimbro" (kimbroj@charter.net>
Hey folks --
I haven't seen anything here yet about the Federal government settling an
anti-trust suit this week with five music companies which illegally inflated
CD prices. According the New York Times:
"The agreements between the music companies and the retailers forbade music
stores from advertising discounts on CDs in newspapers, on television, or
even on posters in the stores themselves. In exchange for those commitments,
the music companies agreed to pay some or all of the advertising costs for
the CD's..."
The settlement is expected to result in a $2 to $5 per disc savings. It's
another great example how the present administration has aggressively
enforced anti-trust laws which were ignored during the Reagan/Bush years.
The companies involved are Time Warner, Sony, BMG, EMI, and Universal.
Warm Regards,
-Shawn
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Subject: Re: NN: Good News for Record Prices
Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 12:29:40 EDT
From: Tricia9999@aol.com
I wonder if this is good/bad/indifferent news for the small retailer and the
small record labels? Bill at Village Records? Any comments?
Tricia
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN: Lee Satterfield song/current tour
Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 09:01:44 -0700 (PDT)
From: Reid Mitchell (reidmitchell@yahoo.com>
Lee tells me that her song is only performed on the
non-symphony dates, as apparently Britain's and
Ireland's symphony orchestras have not yet learned the
music to it.
Reid "mouthpiece for the stars" Mitchell
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN: Taylors are not Free
Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 15:38:12 -0400
From: Steve Robertson (stever@mindspring.com>
In an earlier message, I included the following comment:
"Nanci started using Taylor guitars exclusively on stage at least ten
years ago. Of course, I'm sure Taylor supplies her with cheap or free
guitars- in exchange for the publicity."
An employee of Taylor guitars got a little upset that I would suggest
such a thing. As I tried to say in the earlier message, Taylors are
great guitars. I own one and I love it. Rather than quote his message,
I'll provide this link to Taylor's policy on their website:
http://www.taylorguitars.com/artists/awp/recording.html
Hidin' Out in the Georgia Pines-
Wishin' It Would Rain,
Steve Robertson
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: Re: NN: Taylors are not Free
Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 13:24:13 -0700 (PDT)
From: Reid Mitchell (reidmitchell@yahoo.com>
--- Steve Robertson (stever@mindspring.com> wrote:
>
> An employee of Taylor guitars got a little upset
> that I would suggest such a thing.
Heck, Steve, I guess this means they won't be giving
you a free guitar for plugging Taylors on the Nanci
net.
Reid "Salt in the Wounds" Mitchell
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN: Re: Taylors are not Free (continuing Guitar Wars)
Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 16:46:26 -0400
From: "Shawn Kimbro" (kimbroj@charter.net>
Steve writes:
> An employee of Taylor guitars got a little upset that I would suggest
> such a thing. As I tried to say in the earlier message, Taylors are
> great guitars. I own one and I love it. Rather than quote his message,
> I'll provide this link to Taylor's policy on their website:
I didn't know that, but I don't think you're that far off track, Steve.
While it's interesting that Taylor does not provide guitars, it's also true
that most guitar manufacturers do provide free guitars to better known
artists. And it isn't unusual for record companies, or studios, or even
retailers to support artists by providing them with instruments in exchange
for the advertising. I don't know if that's ever happend with Taylors or
not, but it doesn't really matter. I'm a fan of Taylor guitars, regardless.
Still, I think it shows good buisness sense to give artists guitars, even if
it is impressive that they purchase them outright. I wonder if the Taylor
web page isn't slightly misleading because nearly all the names I recognize
there also play other brands of guitars. Since many even have signature
models with other brands, the word "also" might have been appropriate.
Warm Regards,
-Shawn
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN: RE: Taylors are not Free
Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 11:01:09 -0400
From: "Panchyshyn,Roman" (panchysr@oclc.org>
Hey,
I see Bill Clinton is on Taylor's list of "civilians" that chose Taylor. I
hope this doesn't hurt their sales. I heard that saxophone sales fell 50 %
after Bill's inaugural performance a few years back.
Maybe Bill's was custom made from cherry wood, from that tree that George
Washington cut down and couldn't tell a lie about!
I'm sorry, I had to get that one in!
Roman from Ohio
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: Re: NN: Re: Woolworth's
Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 08:42:05 -0500
From: Laura Breidenbach (pray@remembered.com>
Yes, the turtles were a real attratction. Had to go there every
week to make sure they were all ok. Then the fish, had to report
to clerk if there were any dead ones.
Yes, yes, the photo machine...four for a fifty cents...I am older
than you are. I have them saved also...haven't changed a bit...yeah!
My sister and I could do all of our Christmas shopping at Woolworth's
and have some spending money left over for us to buy something we wanted.
The money came from a Christmas savings club at our local bank. We put
.50 cents a week in the account and at the end of the year we would have
a whopping $24.00 to spend at Christmas time. We were rich! With
6 brothers and sisters, along with friends to buy for the Woolworth's
was the place to spend our money. Mother could safely leave the two of
us free to roam the store for hours as she (mother) would shop the rest
of the town square (where did all those go?). Progress again...grr..
hehee! Now all the kids and some women are mall dwellers, what I call
them...they will never know the warmth and the family that we all had at
our Woolworth's.
The best memory of all though, is the release of NG's song of "Love at
the Five and Dime" as my husband is not a dancer and this song caused
him to waltz me around the living room on many occasions. Now the
tradition is being passed on down to our daughter, age 12.
We pulled her out of school to go to Merlefest and she was a champ waiting
to see NG so late at night. Insisted that we make reservations for next
year!! The entire 14 hour drive home she listened to all NG CD's and sang her
heart out the entire drive.
This is the beauty of NG's music and lyrics, they all bring something
special to all of us to ponder and dream about.
Keep dreaming and remembering so that we can help make this a better
world for our kids!
Laura b.
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN: Re: Woolworth's
Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 06:26:56 -0700
From: MacDuff (macduff@psln.com>
I must say, Woolworth's didn't play a big part of my life, since it was
in the other part Pasadena, Ca that we didn't get to that often. My best
friend worked there for a while before he got drafted, but that's it. We
never had to buy records there since we had some hipster, tripster
record stores that took good care of us, and we knew the guys who
started the radio station KPPC in 1967, and they gave us plenty. I lived
and breathed The Who, Ten Years After, Hendrix, Deep Purple, Humble Pie,
well you know... Who would have ever thought I would love Nanci's type
of music and lurk at a great site such as this, reading (mostly)
excellent posts from great people such as yourselves!
I think I lament the closing of Woolworths as a manifestation of my lost
youth. It was always there, now it's not. Same with 5 cent ice creams at
Thrifty's. BUT, what I really miss is a Big Boy Combo at Bob's Big Boy!
Brandon
If I knew the way, I would take you home.
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN: Beehive hairdos
Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 07:50:10 -0400 (EDT)
From: nmrs@freeway.net
My Woolworths had a great lunch counter! After Junior High let out we went
there for Cokes and greasy, greasy french fries served up by two girls
(probably high school age) who had enormous beehive hairdos. We used to wonder
if they ever took their hair down because it always looked the same day after
day.
As for what the store sold, I'm with Nanci; all I remember is plastic, plastic
and more plastic.
Oh, we got our tickets for Interlochen last week! I can hardly wait.
Anne
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN: Woolworths
Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 23:18:44 -0400
From: Tony Cox (tonycox@pacific.net.au>
Wow, yeah, the memories - unhealthy food, plastic and indifferent service.
It's all so romantic. One day there will be people nostalgic for MacDonalds.
I do love the song, though - and beehives!
Tony
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: Re: NN: Woolworths
Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 09:54:20 EDT
From: VickiStein@aol.com
(tonycox@pacific.net.au> writes:
>>It's all so romantic. One day there will be people nostalgic for MacDonalds.
Hey now, Tony, not too far from the truth...as I recall, in my home town, the
ritual was to hit McDonald's following the high school football and basketball
games, and I shared my first shake (and my first kiss) beneath the golden
arches. Still, in retrospect, there isn't much about the environment that
stands out, just what went on within the walls....
For the record, I liked the old Woolworth's downtown better. More personality.
Vicki
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN: Neil Young
Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 14:44:23 -0700
From: "Grissom, Mark" (mgrissom@bechtel.com>
Much agree that something about Neil's new "Silver And Gold" is reminscent
of "Time Out Of Mind". Not stylistically or anything, more in the lived in
quality of it, that it comes straight from the heart from someone who has
seen a lot. There is something in its simplicity that opens up to much
more... Great to see Neil do two of its best songs on Saturday Night Live
last week, as well.
SpinyMark
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN: Kimmie Rhodes
Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 08:11:06 -0700
From: Tom Gill (tgill@igc.org>
> seems several of Kimmie's close friends (relatives?) died recently and much of
> this new album is her way of dealing with the loss. This made me look at the
> album in a new light but without much more satisfaction. It worked amazingly
> and intelligently when Beth Nielson Chapman exorcised some of her demons over
> her husband's death in her magnificent cd, SAND AND WATER. It just doesn't
> work in RICH FROM THE JOURNEY...at least not to my ears.
Very interesting! I didn't know this till I read it right now, but
after listening to the album, what struck me was "this really reminds me
of SAND AND WATER in some undefinable way!" I agree- the album is such
a total stylistic and sonic change from WEST TEXAS HEAVEN that it really
was a shock, I kept wondering, "is this the same artist?" That being
said, the song that Kimmie actually did co-write with Beth Nielsen
Chapman ("Shine All Your Light") is a gem.
-Tom Gill
tgill@igc.org
Lubbock, West Texas Heaven
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN: Re: (Nanci only mentioned once in here)
Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 10:51:08 -0400
From: "Donate von Bredow-Gardner" (dvbgardner@genelogic.com>
Ok, friends, so this is not necessarily Nanci-related, but certainly within the
genre of gentle, meaningful music and many before me have plugged a CD by other
artists, so here's my try....... I recently discovered an artist by the name
of Fernando Ortega. If Christian/spiritual music is not your thing, please
don't read on. But if you don't mind experimenting, I want to recommend this
album to everyone: "Breaking of the Dawn". My exposure to religious music
over the years has been from singing in or directing church choirs, singing
solos or playing in the classic oratoria, taking my acoustic guitar group to
homeless shelters and drug rehab places to perform spiritual folk music, or
writing songs for weddings, funerals and the likes, etc.. I only started to get
exposed to the more "modern", commercially sounding Christian music this past
year by filling in as a keybord player on some gigs -- and reluctantly so.
Lots of it just isn't my style -- but then I heard this guy, Ortega, and was
absolutely blown away by the depth and sensitivity of this artist. Regardless
of our different religious beliefs, there is a commonality among all of the
faiths -- the source of the human spirit
rooted in some higher power, all spirits combined making up the Whole, the
power of Love, and Good vs. Evil, etc. For me, I know no greater way of
worshipping my God, or celebrating life itself, by planting in my garden,
allowing myself to get lost in the beauty of nature, and - of course - making
music, a joyful noise any way I can. Part of the commonality among the faiths
is also man's spiritual connection to our Earth, and each other as human
beings-- that is what keeps many of us alive and drives us, no matter how we
name our Gods and prophets. Who wasn't touched by Cat Stevens' "Morning Has
Broken" (which is actually an old hymn). I remember
how this song opened so many of my peers back up to the wonder of nature and
the hope that so much beauty could only come from a divine plan, not random.
Fernando Ortega's album contains several non-religious songs, but nonetheless
spiritual -- some resemblance to James Taylor's style comes to mind; some
Celtic influence; and lots of great harmonies. A beautiful love song to his
wife; an ode to his friends; an anxious trip home in the early morning hours to
see his mother; his love for the SouthWest clearly and poetically expressed.
Well worth
checking out.
Forgive me for rambling on like this. I drove to work through a glorious
spring morning here in Maryland, with Ortega's CD playing. I had to
share........
Donate "let your mind be still and listen to your soul" von Bredow-Gardner
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