// sorry for the lack of editing...I'm on my way out the door...[BP]

Subject: NN: First Impressions of CWH
   Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2001 16:34:17 -0400
   From: "Baird, Tim" (tim.baird@troutmansanders.com>

I have been a Nanci fan since I was a law student in Austin about 10 years
ago, and my wife and I have every major release by her (I don't count
"Country Gold").  I also have a huge crush on her, and have ever since I
first saw and heard her sing for the first time.

Having said that (and hoping that this preface is flame-retardant), my first
impression of "Clock Without Hands" is this:

* I don't like the sound on the album.  It seems very "glossy" and
overproduced.  

* I don't think NG's voice sounds particularly good on most of the tracks.

* None, and I mean none, of the songs hooked me on the first listen.  Some
of them are pleasant enough to listen to, but they didn't grab me.  Even
Blue Roses for the Moon had some songs that grabbed me on the first listen
(e.g. Two for the Road, Not My Way Home).  Also, I listened to GW's Time
(The Revelator) last night for the first time, immediately after listening
to Nanci's album.  Several songs on GW's album grabbed me immediately, and I
found myself humming them all day today (esp., I Want to Sing That Rock 'N
Roll and Elvis Presley Blues).  So, CWH also suffered by comparison (and,
yes, I realize that, stylistically, they are completely different albums,
but that's not the point here).

* I read the lyrics while I listened and, by and large, I thought the lyrics
on this album are pretty mediocre.  Again, and in contrast, I think some of
the lyrics on GW's new album are really quite clever and inventive.  I don't
find that to be the case with Nanci's songs on CWH.

In the end, the point, I guess, is that CWH just doesn't speak to me, at
least not on the first listen.  And I don't know if it will even after
several listens.

In the end, Time (The Revelator) will tell.  

Tim Baird (who once drove 9 hours, round trip, to see Nanci in Wilmington,
DE).

Subject: Re: NN: Re: CWH, war, etc...
   Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 11:18:51 -0400
   From: DvBGardner@genelogic.com

Bruce Miller wrote:   (((( ...So we may at times get something of a
non-American perspective from her.  ..... That, of course, is not the same
as "un-American." I've never been able to explain to my Austrian wife that
"un-American" is considered a cuss word here. :) >>>>>>>

Now this would be a wonderful topic to discuss, Bruce -- what is
non-American?   I mean not just from a political, cultural, societal,
ethnical, anthropological, mentality perspective..........  perhaps on
another list we could start that discussion.....:)
But just to throw out a little anecdote:      I once met a woman and her
young daughter and, during the course of our pleasant conversation, she
revealed that they were Polish.   Now, being a linguist by my original
education, I usually can detect and assign foreign accents pretty quickly.
But her English was so impeccable that I hadn't guessed her origins yet.
I responded to her revelation by saying "well, I figured that you must be
from Europe or something, because neither of you two look American".
[Stupid, thoughtless comment, I know...... even too much wine wasn't an
excuse.]    The woman responded, "Oh, really?   What do Americans look like
typically?"     And I had to think..... well, yes, what is a typical
American?
I'm embarrassed to say that, when I grew up in Germany, my brothers and I
always envisioned the typical American to look like John Wayne, and either
wearing a cowboy outfit or a boldly printed Hawaiian shirt, with a camera
around their necks, chewing gum, speaking with a big drawl, abbreviating
every possible word,  and gazing in awe at the foreign creatures and
buildings in Germany, like we were some delightful, collective zoo.........
They all would drive big gas-guzzling cars and be generous and friendly but oh,
so ...... shallow and gullible.        As I said, that was a long time ago
before I actually immigrated into this country and found that there is, really,
a certain percentage of people that don't even come close to this image.
:):):):):)    Thank God!
The beauty of America (as it once were) is that it held its arms open to
people from (almost) every part of the world -- so, the simple act of
immigration and setting up house over here, qualified them to call
themselves American.   But they also did so by displacing those who had
been on this continent long before America was "discovered".    So.....,
who is a true "American"?   The melted product of different immigrants?
The descendants of slaves who were forced into this country?  Or the ones
who were true natives on this continent?

I had to become a U.S. citizen for my husband's job's sake.   I did not
mind at all swearing loyalty to this country, but since I wasn't allowed to
maintain dual citizenship, I truly resented having to surrender any
loyalties to my home country.  With my father and 8 siblings and various
other material stakes still over there, this was the most paradox thing
I've ever had to do.    I am grateful for all I have in my life here in
the U.S., and I am doing my best to be a good citizen in my community, etc.
But much of my thinking is along the lines of European logic (which has
nothing to do with, or should not to be confused with, "anti-American"),
the way Europeans know how to embrace the true essence of life, the sense
of communal ties, the way friendships take a bit longer to build but last
forever, etc.     Mainly, however, the "everyone for himself" mentality
that prevails in this part of the country (Washington D.C. area) is just
not anything I'll ever get used to. I guess this mentality dates back to
the days of first-come first-serve when the first settlers were claiming
their stakes in property here, etc.,
Okay, so I ramble.   This is my second long-winded message this week, so
I'll slide back into lurkdom.   The standard disclaimer applies:   I did
not mean to offend or arouse anyone with these comments. I love y'all, my
American friends!    Just wanted to throw some food for thought out there,
since we're such an international community on the nancinet.
As for Nanci content:    Uhhhhhhh, that was a good observation, Bruce,
about Nanci being able to view America from both perspectives...... :)

Donate "in my heart, I'll always remain the Bavarian tree nymph" von
Bredow-Gardner

 Subject: NN: Clock Without Hands
   Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 17:03:44 -0400
   From: DvBGardner@genelogic.com

Okay, obviously I have way too much time on my hands today.......   this,
too, shall change much too soon. :)
Just got my CWH in the mail and immediately stuck it in my PC.
Hmmmmmmm,I really have to be careful with what I'm saying here, because
the wrong words might disqualify me from participating in this mailing list
which I have grown quite fond of over the last couple of years...........
Bill Page, promise to give me a fair warning, okay?

I have only run through the CD once and there is a slight chance a couple
of these songs will grow on me as some of you have suggested, but bottom
line for now:    Not impressed at first glance.        Some songs made me
perk up in anticipation and then lost me half way through, be it by NG's
quirky pronounciation (crinch!) or straining of her voice,  by a sense of
"nothing new here", or by the feeling I got that the song was written not
from the heart but with a voyeuristic audience in mind.

The lyrics to most songs are great - her poetry is always intriguing. But
the basic first impression I walk away with today is that most songs either
have true potential that hasn't been seen through to the end, and/or --- here
it comes, please forgive me -- songs that would not be too bad if they were
arranged differently or sung by someone else.............      there,
I said it. :(

I shall not don the flame-retardent suit, I will take your criticism like a
grown-up.   Absent any good scotch here at the office, the only thing that has
rescued my late afternoon is opening up the other CD I received today: Patty
Griffin's Living With Ghosts.   Not even Bonnie Raitt was ever able to do "Let
Him Fly" any better than this....... sigh.      I also received Gillian Welch's
Time but haven't listened to it yet.

Donate "off to rehearsals of a complete different kind now" von
Bredow-Gardner


    Subject:    Re: NN: Clock Without Hands
      Date:    Thu, 09 Aug 2001 17:28:11 -0500
      From:    Bill Page (bpage3@earthlink.net>

DvBGardner@genelogic.com wrote:
> Hmmmmmmm, I really have to be careful with what I'm saying here, because
> the wrong words might disqualify me from participating in this mailing list
> which I have grown quite fond of over the last couple of years...........
> Bill Page, promise to give me a fair warning, okay?

Contrary to popular belief, I have NEVER blocked the participation of any NN
list member, nor have I asked anyone to leave.  Indeed, I removed the filtering
of several members soon as I took over the list.

The unmoderated list remains just that: unmoderated.
The ONLY way a post might not make it through is if it contains objectionable
or SPAM-driven or administrivia...and then I almost always pass it right
through (I have, upon occasion, looked at a bounced post and said, should this
really be to the list or to an individual; very occasionally, if the thought
was "individual," the post might not be forwarded).

So discuss away. 
Keep it civil and we'll all be happy!

Bill

 Subject: NN: first impressions
   Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 17:34:18 EDT
   From: Poetmuse@aol.com

This is probably going to be taken the wrong way, but would some of you give
the new cd a chance? I'm finding that the cd has many layers and is actually
quite good and I find it sad that some of us can't get past first impressions
or even first listens.
How sad to shelve something that is truly wonderful. I think if Nanci read 
some of these reviews she'd be sort of hurt. How judgemental have we become? 
What happened to learning to discover things about a new cd rather than 
listen once, pronouce it "lousy" and then go on and on about another artist? 
Are we Nanci fans or what? I understand not everyone will like every note she 
does and I understand that none of us will even agree to disagree but it just 
seems a shame to me that so many netters are giving up on a cd that has 
opened itself like a flower in a garden- some songs bloom right away, some 
are like a fresh bud and others need a little coaxing, but they're all 
wonderful and individual and all part of why *I'm* a Nanci fan. I guess I 
just hate to think that some people are closing their minds to the 
experience. But I guess that's their right.

this will be the last you'll hear from me for awhile, so take care nanci net
and give the lady a chance, the album really does surprise you.

-Christina "blue moon" Myers

Subject: Re: NN: first impressions
   Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 15:00:16 -0700 (PDT)
   From: Martin Jack (gatesuk@yahoo.com>

I agree with Christina.  I'm getting a bit weary of
all the small-minded negative comments floating around
the list; really personal quips about Nanci's lack of
pronunciation I find most unwelcome.  Hell if we were
to moan about that on every Dylan album, lol.  I guess
I tend to let an album sink into me after a few plays,
and warm to the songs.   How how unfortunate it is for
the more judgemental of you than you have to 'attack'.
 And I've seen that a lot, just not because of CWH,
but because of lots of little whines about different
things: the 'why doesnt she play the same old songs',
the 'the new stuff isnt as good as the old stuff.' 
Seconding Christina's question, are we Nanci fans or
what?  Or are some of us just hanging onto a past,
without embracing Nanci's present and future?  For
chrissakes, show a little more support people.  

Anyway, thats my five cents (or 2p as we say in
England).

Martin

   Subject:    NN: Re: first impressions
      Date:    Thu, 9 Aug 2001 18:02:06 -0400
      From:    "charlie" (charliep@dnet.net>

Christina  -   thanks for saying what I have been thinking.   I like the cd
quite well and have been listening to it for several days, on and off.
With the songs developing as I would expect any new music to do.

The folks on this list cannot be made happy - if Nanci stays in the old
mode, they complain that there is nothing new, if she stretches her wings
and goes in a new direction, then they accuse her of abandoning her old
fans.   What can an artist do but what is in her heart?
How can we be critical just because it does not match what our expectations
are?

I don't expect everyone to love every piece, or to understand every piece on
the first listen.    Why not discuss what seems to be the appeal of a
specific piece here rather than dismiss the whole cd because your own
personal expectations not being met.

What about the artist making art for her own soul!!!   Is that not what art
is?   It is not the responsibility of the artist to make something that
EVERYONE will appreciate or understand.   It is only an artists
responsibility to say what is in their hearts.  PERIOD!

I will go back to lurking mode  and may just have to go and enjoy Nanci on
my own.   This list has mostly been an enjoyable experience for me.  but at
this point, I am not sure if it is a positive experience or just an
experience I can better do without ......

Charlie "traveling" Patricolo
in the mountains of western North Carolina

 Subject: Re: NN: first impressions
   Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 18:26:39 EDT
   From: Stenbock@aol.com

Well, I just got the CWH today, and I've only listened to it once (while at 
work), so let me give my first impressions...(and that's all they are....and 
they're often deceiving).

The title track didn't grab me right away, but after a few moments I found 
myself enjoying the rhythm and the force of the lyric.

"Traveling Through This Part of You" is going to require a relisten.  I liked 
the lyrics but the tune hasn't stuck in my mind.

"Where Would I Be" almost brought me to tears, because it made me think of 
some very close friends who have stuck by me in some tough times.  Same goes 
for "Last Song for Mother", a truly emotional piece.

"Roses on the 4th of July" was a nice little NG slice o'life, nicely written 
and sung.

I don't want to go track-by-track.  I have to say that it didn't grab me as 
much as OTOR or OFSE at a first listen, but many's the time that a CD hasn't 
grabbed me on the first listen, and only after a few listenings have I found 
new favorites that get under my skin.  Nanci gets under my skin very well, so 
we'll see what happens after a few more listenings.  I expect good things.


 Subject: Re: NN: first impressions
   Date: Thu, 09 Aug 2001 19:45:22 EDT
   From: B0DIE62460@aol.com

Hi ya'll,

I tend to agree with Christina, and that's usually why I hesitate to even give
'first impressions' of new music because I find myself NOT liking something the
first time I hear it, and the next day I get out of bed humming the very same
song that I couldn't stand yesterday! 
When I gave my 'pre'view, as I had a copy before the release date, I basically
stated that I had some songs listed that I really loved 'on the first time the
cd played'.  The others I stated, were 'taking me longer to like'.  And that's
still true about it - but CWH is no different in that respect than BRFTM, etc,
there's always going to be 'something' on it that YOU may not connect with as
some other people would.  I tend to be less philosophical than some, and take a
more 'serious' approach at life, which of course lead me to the question why
would a person think to write an entire song about shaking off snow......
another person may take it in an entirely different way, and see something that
I do not. !!!
It's not that I dislike the song - I do think it's got strengths - I like her
very small 'recitation' of one line in there, but it was something I did not
care for 'on first listen'.  Usually when I get a new cd, I put it in, and
unless I truly cannot stand it - I keep it in the player for several hours,
making it repeat the tracks over again and again.  That way, I get the music in
my head on first listen, then put it away and maybe wait a few days and put it
in again for several more listens.  So - 'give it time' is what I'm trying to
say.  This cd is NOT 'just tickin and that's all'.......

See ya
Beth

Subject: Re: NN: first impressions
   Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 18:42:56 -0700 (PDT)
   From: Georgie Girl (georgie_girl61@yahoo.com>

christina and charlie...thank you so much for echoing
the words that have been reverberating in my heard
since the reviews began.  no, we're not all gonna like
everything nanci does, i understand that, but i agree
that she'd probably be a little hurt if she started
reading our posts.  i was lying in bed last night
listening to cwh and thinking about why she recorded
certain covers and such, and a thought reoccured to
me:  every song she records means something very deep
to her.  if she were just turning out cd's to appease
her fans, we'd have a fresh cd of all new stuff every
year or so...instead, we hear from her every few years
with cd full of songs that come directly from her
heart to our ears.  no, i don't LOVE every song she's
done, but i can count on one hand the number of her
songs that i don't care for...i can usually get past
any unhappiness with her songs when i remember that
they mean something to her, and i try to find that
meaning.  there is only one song i skip every time,
and that's 'i fought the law'...the fact that she's
singing it makes it bearable, but i've never liked it.
 i've been accused on this list of 'worshipping'
nanci...i don't.  it's just that her music has been an
important part of my life for the past ten years, so
she's become important to me as a person, too.  i
heard her first when i was 12, back when i was apt to
get infatuated with celebrities.  her voice spoke to
me then, and while i still get teary when i hear her
voice again after not listening to her for a while,
now her songs speak to me, too.  she took my breath
away when i saw her live last year for the first time.
 i'm really enjoying cwh, but i wish that i could hold
onto this new cd feeling.  you know, where every song
is a wonder and there's always a chance to hear
something new.  after a while, though, i learn them by
heart from listening so much, and some of the meaning
begins to slip away.  pretty soon i won't have to
pause whatever i'm doing to listen to 'snow', i'll
just sing along and lose the effect of the incredibly
emotional vocals there.  

on another note, why did they cut nanci off mid-song
on cnn?  they say more about her on the website than
they did on the actual show.  it was great to see her
on tv, but i wish i could have heard her do the whole
song, you know?  

thanks,
lacey "no, that is not a graven image of nanci there"
veazey


Subject: Re: NN: first impressions
   Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 09:26:03 -0400
   From: Steve Robertson (stever@mindspring.com>

on 8/9/01 5:34 PM, Poetmuse@aol.com at Poetmuse@aol.com wrote:

> How sad to shelve something that is truly wonderful. I think if Nanci read
> some of these reviews she'd be sort of hurt. How judgemental have we become?

Starting about 1985- and continuing for the better part of ten years, Nanci
was the most important musician in my experience. Not only did she produce a
lot of well crafted songs, but she went to Nashville and stood her ground
against the music establishment. Nanci led me to many songwriters who honed
their craft in Austin and Houston. As a result, I think it's safe to say
that most long-time fans of Nanci are really fans of well written songs.

Over the last five years or so, I've watched the participation in the
NanciNet slowly dwindle away to almost nothing. It would be interesting to
compare a graph of the message traffic over that period to a chronology of
successful songs written by Nanci. I have continued to subscribe (and buy
her albums) because I have faith that Nanci is still capable of great
songwriting, but I think it is important to let any artist know when they
are not living up to their potential.

On the new album, "Midnight in Missoula" is my kind of Nanci Griffith song.
"Pearl's Eye View" is well crafted, and Dickey Chappelle seems like someone
worthy of some publicity, but I doubt if it will become a long-time
favorite, because the listener will soon memorize the story and tire of
hearing it. But I will reiterate that "Truly Something Fine" should not have
been on this album.

"Love is something truly fine
Love is love and truly blind
Love is only human kind
Love is something truly fine"

Come on, now! That could have been written by a ten year old girl
daydreaming in class about the boy across the room with whom she thinks
she's in love. And every verse but the last is just as bad- full of bitter
persimmons and thorny roses and every other cliche known to man.

Nanci might be able to re-invigorate her songwriting if she would send the
Blue Moon Orchestra into retirement and return to playing smaller venues
where she is not so isolated from her audience. To do that, she would
probably have to give up her Elektra contract and start her own record
label- which also might be a good thing.
-- 
>From the Georgia Pines,
Steve Robertson

====================================
_________Fiddlin' Around____________
The Journal of American Roots Music  on the web at
      http://www.starchart.com/
====================================


 Subject: Re: NN: first impressions
   Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 09:18:35 -0700 (PDT)
   From: Bill Page (bpage3@yahoo.com>

--- Steve Robertson (stever@mindspring.com> wrote:
> Over the last five years or so, I've watched the participation in the
> NanciNet slowly dwindle away to almost nothing. It would be interesting to
> compare a graph of the message traffic over that period to a chronology of
> successful songs written by Nanci. I have continued to subscribe (and buy
> her albums) because I have faith that Nanci is still capable of great
> songwriting, but I think it is important to let any artist know when they
> are not living up to their potential.

Message traffic ebbs and flows based on the release of new albums and Nanci's
tour schedule, not on the relative merits of a particular CD or song. When
there's a new release and lots of concerts, we get a lot of messages and a
lot of new members (or a lot of folks switching from the digest back to the
regular list).  When we have a "long time between trains" the traffic flows
and folks leave for awhile. 

We still have close to the same total number of list members now that we had
in 1998, although that number is down from the highest levels (around 96).

I have to confess to having no opinion of the new CD -- I haven't bought it
yet. 

But I know that I didn't like "Flyer" at all when I first heard it, but grew
to like it quite a bit. On the other hand, I was very enthusiastic about
BRFTM when it came out, but I couldn't tell you when the last time I listened
to it was. So I'm hesitant to make any comments about CWH until I've given it
some time to grow (or fester).

But that doesn't mean the rest uv y'all can't jump right in with your
thoughts, negative, positive, or whatever.

Just keep it civil.

Bill Page


Subject: Re: NN: first impressions
   Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 13:24:31 -0700 (PDT)
   From: Bill Page (bpage3@yahoo.com>

--- Bill Page (bpage3@yahoo.com> wrote:

> We still have close to the same total number of list members now that we
> had in 1998, although that number is down from the highest levels 
> (around 96).

--- Bill Page (bpage3@yahoo.com> should have written:

...although that number is down from the highest levels (back around
1995-1996)...

Well, I knew what I meant, but several of you have asked if we really only
have 96 members on the list...

As of 8/7/2001, the digest had 781 members; the regular list had 242.
I found a members list from 1999 -- digest 760, regular 252.

I don't know what the highest numbers were, back in Ferg's day...about 1200,
total, I believe.

Of course, many of us are signed up to both lists, and a goodly number of us
are signed up with more than one address. 

BP


Subject: NN: Nice article and video clip on the CNN page
   Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 17:03:57 -0400
   From: "Zeoli, Stephen" (ZEOLI@CHAMPLAIN.EDU>

Hi, all.

The CNN Web page has an article about Nanci and a video clip of her singing
Traveling Through This Part of You. Here's the link:

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/showbiz.today/sessions/archive/0108/09.html

Steve Zeoli
Publications Director 
Champlain College
zeoli@champlain.edu
802-865-6434


Subject: NN: Re: first impressions
   Date: Thu, 09 Aug 2001 15:43:51 -0700
   From: Susan Peete (suepeete@cruzio.com>

LOL Should we all pack our bags and leave? Come on now. My husband doesn't
like everything I cook but that doesn't mean he hates me or the rest of the
cool things I do.

Cheerio

Sue

Subject: Re: NN: Re: first impressions
   Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 16:04:58 -0700 (PDT)
   From: Martin Jack (gatesuk@yahoo.com>

Charlie wrote:

What about the artist making art for her own soul!!!  
Is that not what art is?   It is not the
responsibility of the artist to make something that
EVERYONE will appreciate or understand.   It is only
an artists responsibility to say what is in their
hearts.  PERIOD!

I totally agree with you, Charlie.

-Martin

Subject: NN: Re: first impressions
   Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 08:16:41 -0700
   From: Susan Peete (suepeete@cruzio.com>

At 09:26 AM 8/10/01 -0400, Steve Robertson wrote:
>I think it's safe to say
>that most long-time fans of Nanci are really fans of well written songs.

and:

>But I will reiterate that "Truly Something Fine" should not have
>been on this album.
>
>"Love is something truly fine
>Love is love and truly blind
>Love is only human kind
>Love is something truly fine"
>
>Come on, now! That could have been written by a ten year old girl
>daydreaming in class about the boy across the room with whom she thinks
>she's in love. And every verse but the last is just as bad- full of bitter
>persimmons and thorny roses and every other cliche known to man.

I'm sorry to say but I have to agree with Steve here. I chuckled when I
first heard the chorus of this song. It just seemed so elementary to me.
When I learned that James Hooker co-wrote the song with her, my first
thought was "It took TWO OF THEM". And I still don't care for "Shaking Out
The Snow" BUT... I like the rest of the album. 

I am puzzled though why Nanci would leave off the first verse of "In The Wee
Small Hours", because I think it goes well with the song and the album. 

"When the sun is high in the afternoon sky
You can always find something to do
But from dusk till dawn as the clock ticks on
Something happens to you"

Cheers,

Sue
The UnOfficial Nanci Griffith Web Site:
http://nanci-griffith.com

The Official Denice Franke Web Site:
http://denicefranke.com

Subject: Re: NN: Re: first impressions
   Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 09:40:28 -0700 (PDT)
   From: Bill Page (bpage3@yahoo.com>

Sue Peete wrote:
> 
> I am puzzled though why Nanci would leave off the first verse of "In The
> Wee Small Hours", because I think it goes well with the song and the album.

> 
> "When the sun is high in the afternoon sky
> You can always find something to do
> But from dusk till dawn as the clock ticks on
> Something happens to you"

The song is from the 32-bar "standard" category (A-A-B-A) in which the verse
is the lead-in for the (standard) chorus. On almost all recordings of these
songs (from "Stardust" to "Someone to Watch over Me" to "Wee Small Hours")
the part of the song you recognize is the chorus. The occasional inclusion of
the verse (by Ella or Carly or Dianne Schuur) is a nice bonus.

I don't have all of the 80+ versions of the song that CDNow lists (although
I'd hate to admit how many I DO have), but (without having heard Nanci's
version) I have to tell you that my very favorite version of "Wee Small
Hours" is from an old Kai Winding/JJ Johnson trombone duets release from
(many) years ago (1947?). (I had it on an old 10" red Columbia vinyl
pressing.) 

A couple of years ago, when I heard Nanci do a seemingly freeform
improvisation at the end of "The Wing and the Wheel," I commented (on a
different list) that it would be interesting for her to do a release of jazz
standards, as Willie Nelson, Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt, and others have
done. I got hammered by a few folks who doubted that Nanci's voice quality
was fitted to such songs. It will be nice to see if they were right.

Bill "I was born and raised in a standards house" Page


Subject: Re: NN: Re: first impressions
   Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 12:17:51 -0500
   From:     Sarah Wrightson (sarahwrightson@vincebell.com>

Bill Page wrote:
> 
> I don't have all of the 80+ versions of the song that CDNow lists (although
> I'd hate to admit how many I DO have), but (without having heard Nanci's
> version) I have to tell you that my very favorite version of "Wee Small
> Hours" is from an old Kai Winding/JJ Johnson trombone duets release from
> (many) years ago (1947?). (I had it on an old 10" red Columbia vinyl
> pressing.)

OT...but this is why I love this list, among other reasons!  Now I'm on a
mission for Kai Winding!

Sarah


Subject: Re: NN: Re: first impressions
   Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 10:25:28 -0700 (PDT)
   From: Reid Mitchell (reidmitchell@yahoo.com>

Bill and Susan,

I'm pretty sure that Nanci is working off of Frank
Sinatra's version with its Nelson Riddle arrangement.

It's on Sinatra's "Wee Small Hours" albums, which is
his post-divorce from Ava Gardner album.  Thinks of it
as a jazzy pop version of Dylan's BLOOD ON THE TRACKS,
Mitchell's BLUE, Bland's TWO STEPS FROM THE BLUES, and
Price's NIGHT LIFE--a definitive 3 o'clock in the
morning and my baby's done left me album.

Reid Mitchell


Subject: NN: RE: Re: first impressions
   Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 17:49:47 -0500
   From: "Kaczmarczyk, Peter A" (pkaczmar@indiana.edu>

I have really enjoyed CWH, yet I don't see why people take umbrage
with those who dare to say that they are not, or not yet, fond of it. It
seems to me that the critiques so far have been fair and honest, without
personal attacks or disparaging remarks (mostly, anyway). I want honest
appraisals, not, dare I say, the completely unobjective ramblings of fans
who would buy Nanci singing her shopping list Rita was out of TP, Hazel 
nuts and Shiner Bock Beer. She thought Stop & Shop divine.

Charlie said
"How can we be critical just because it does not match what our expectations
are?"I don't mean to pick on Charlie (though I guess I am) but this line
really bothered me. We are critical because it is our nature, we have likes
and dislikes and differences of opinion. I suspect that part of why some
fans are critical is because they care. If they didn't then they wouldn't
feel any real need to express their opinions, good or bad. It is because the
have an emotional investment in Nanci's music that they feel compelled to
state their feelings. These are not people who just hopped on the list to
trash Nanci and then disappear into the woodwork, they are fans with thought
to share. I am glad to here them, positive or not.
Eddie'd eaten all the chips,Pizza minis and pig lips.He was a real junk food
fiend.

"What about the artist making art for her own soul!!!   Is that not what art
is?   It is not the responsibility of the artist to make something that
EVERYONE will appreciate or understand.   It is only an artists
responsibility to say what is in their hearts.  PERIOD!"
With this I agree, but that doesn't mean we should blindly accept it
as god or bad or whatever. For several years I felt that the Indigo Girls
were letting a tremendous amount of talent go to waste by putting out album
after album that didn't show any growth of the artists. It all started to
sound the same to me, but I figured it was their choice. About 3 years ago
they did an album that to me sounded very different (I forget the title). I
applauded them for finally branching out, but I hated the songs. My point,
you can have expectations and still accept that the artist can do as they
please, you can applaud an artist for their 'artistic integrity' and still
dislike the art. To me the folks who so far have been critical of CWH are
for the most part expressing their opinion about the new album, not
questioning Nanci talent, skill or integrity. The accept Nanci's right to do
as they please  but also reserve the right not to like it.And they'd sing"Shop
a little more for me,Buy some eggs and waffles, honey.Shop a little more for me
tonight.Shop a little more for me,'Cause it closing time tonight at the Stop &
Shop."

Peter Kaczmarczyk
Serials Cataloger
Indiana University

The Hunger Site - R.I.P

"I have never been a fool but I have gambled
foolishly"                                            Nanci Griffith

Subject:    NN: Re: RE: Re: first impressions
   Date:    Thu, 9 Aug 2001 16:27:31 -0700
   From:    "Maudeen" (maudeen@cablespeed.com>


I haven't yet bought CWH, but am on a bit of a budget right at the moment.
That doesn't make me any more or less a Nanci fan, just that right now
buying CDs aren't a priority.

Now, if I were going to buy a CD by an artist I wasn't all that familiar
with, I would tend to take the opinion of a fan who, seemed to me, was being
objective about the CD.  Telling me what he/she liked or didn't like and
why.   Something in what that person said, even if they didn't care for a
particular cut, might just be what might make me want to buy it.   So I
really appreciate listening to both those who adore this CD, and those who
are not warming up to it right away.  It doesn't make any one less a Nanci
fan and less appreciative of Nanci's talents just because they are not
loving the CD.

Nanci's fans have to be commended for sticking up for her in a world where
it is difficult to be successful if you aren't commercial.  And in doing so,
I think Nanci's fans and fans of other similar performers, feel it's their
duty to like everything the performer sings.
I've been a fan of Emmylou Harris ever since her first CD back in 1975.
Until WRECKING BALL there wasn't an album she made that I didn't adore.
But it took me a very long time to warm up to WRECKING BALL.  I appreciated
it's role, but I wanted the old Emmylou back.  That said, I think that one
CD was responsible for bringing in more fans to Emmylou's music than any of
the CDs in the last 10-15 years.

So perhaps it's the same way with CWH.   This CD may not be universally
adored by all Nanci's fans, but perhaps, because it is different, it will
bring her even more fans.

I like hearing both from those who love the CD and those who don't.  As long
as the opinions are expressed in an intelligent manner, I don't see why both
can't be told on this list.

Maudeen


Subject: NN: Re: Re: RE: Re: first impressions
   Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 21:19:24 -0400
   From: "Kenneth Johns" (KJohns2001@msn.com>

I think Maudeen hit the best reason for offering opinions on any artists
music.  She deserves applause all around.  I look to posts to see if a CD is
worth buying, and when I buy one, I try to tell what it is like for me so
others can have some basis on which to decide if they want to buy it or not for
themselves.  There are many of us who do not have much disposable income and
who have to budget their purchases to the top of the recommended list.
Of course, there are those Nanci addicts who buy all her stuff even if they
know it is not going to be something they will love right off the bat, just
because she is their favorite artist.  ;-)   Luckily for me, I have always
found that the more I play a Nanci album, the more I like it...even the songs I
winced at when played the first time.   Never give up on a Nanci album!!!
Best to all,
DJ

Subject: NN: Nanci Interview
   Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 18:33:21 -0700
   From: "Susan Krauss" (susankrauss@earthlink.net>

I don't think I've seen this on the list (though I was away on 7/27 so I
apologize for any duplication).  And for first impressions, I've listened to
CWH 3-4 times now and I like it more with each listen.  Did it grab me at
first?  Not totally.  But listening in the car and in my portable cd player
on the way to work I'm enjoying it more and more.

susan in oakland


FLORIDIAN
Going the distance
DAVE SCHEIBER
07/27/2001
St. Petersburg Times SOUTH PINELLAS  1D
Copyright 2001 St. Petersburg Times.

She was once called the Queen of Folkabilly and has made a mark singing
music from the heart for more than 20 years. Nanci Griffith is back with her
first album of original material since 1997, a work she named Clock Without
Hands after Carson McCullers' last novel.

Griffith, who is active in the effort to ban land mines, just returned from
a three-week trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. She talked by phone from her
Nashville home about that project and her music.

Question: How does it feel to have recorded your first album with original
material in four years?

Answer: I'm thrilled about it. The single Where Would I Be came out while I
was in Vietnam and Cambodia, and everyone kept telling me, "It's on the
radio!" It was a great feeling - I got to come home to a song on the radio
for a change.

Question: What makes that song special to you?

Answer: I knew it from the moment my drummer (Pat McInerney) brought that
song to me in the middle of the night and said, "This is your life, and you
really have to hear it." I had the same flutter within me that I had when
Julie Gold sent me From a Distance in 1986. It's written by Paul Carrack,
who is such a good songwriter.

Question: Speaking of From a Distance, many artists have covered it, but
your version was the first. What kind of connection do you feel with that
song?

Answer: I'm still inspired by playing that song on a nightly basis and
singing it in many different languages. It is the one song that
internationally everyone knows. It's become a world anthem.

Question: One of the themes on the new album seems to be of a reawakening.
How is that feeling reflected in your own life?

Answer: It's a reawakening in a lot of ways. For one thing, I'm a cancer
survivor. And for another, I've gotten so involved with the Mines Advisory
Group - the group people saw Princess Diana working with out in the
minefields - and with the Vietnam Veterans of American Foundation on the
Campaign for a Landmine Free World.

So the album is kind of my way of reawakening. Hence the title Clock Without
Hands, which was Carson McCullers' way of telling people, "If you're hiding
in a corner, and you're not taking risks and you're not contributing to
humanity, then you're wasting space." This record is all about what I'm
doing, which is not wasting space.

Question: Can you talk about your cancer experience?

Answer: I'm very fortunate. I was diagnosed with breast cancer very early,
almost six years ago, and went through treatment for that, and surgery, and
I still wasn't feeling well a couple of years later. And they discovered
that I had thyroid cancer, which was totally unrelated. But I'm fine now,
and it's good to be a two-time winner.

Question: Was cancer the main reason you took a break from making an album
of originals?

Answer: Well, there were so many projects that I had wanted to do. When you
survive cancer, you do realize that every day is a precious day. Making the
album with (Buddy Holly's) Crickets in 1997 - the Blue Roses From the Moon
album -was very important to me. And doing the second volume of Other
Voices, Other Rooms in 1998 (cutting tunes by her favorite songwriters), and
also also doing my live album with the London Symphony (in 1999) were things
I really wanted to do.

Question: What led to your involvement with the land mine issue and the
Vietnam vets?

Answer: The initial interest came with watching Princess Diana and realizing
that this is not a natural disaster, this is a man-made problem. And it's
going to be years before we get them out of the ground, and a lot of them,
we'll never get them out of the ground. But it is something we can change.
We can ban the manufacture and distribution of them. And we can also help
the victims. Because 90 percent of the injuries to victims come from
post-conflict.

Question: Did you pick up the phone and say, "I want to be involved?"

Answer: Well, we tour a lot in the U.K., and the Mines Advisory Group is
based there, so it was very easy to get connected with them and to be able
to have that voice onstage each night.

And then Emmylou Harris called me one day to come to a reception at her home
for Bobby Moeller, who is the founder of the Vietnam Veterans of America
Foundation, and he is just an extraordinary person, who won the Nobel Peace
Prize in 1997 for the VVAF's work with land mines (and victims) . . . not
just Vietnam and Cambodia.

Question: What was your recent three-week trip to Cambodia and Vietnam like?


Answer: This is my second time through. And we spent a lot more time in the
jungles this trip, and going to Da Nang and into the Mekong Delta, where my
photographer Jim McGuire served in Vietnam from 1963-65. It was just a
tremendous trip. I got the opportunity to see the Buddhist mecca of Angkor
Wat on my birthday, which was just a great experience. I have the same
birthday as the Dalai Lama, so it felt very special.

Question: Who accompanied you?

Answer: The first trip I went on, Sheryl Crow went with me. This trip there
was Chris Noth, who plays Mr. Big on Sex in the City, and my friend
(musician) Dave Alvin. Dave and I actually played a concert in Phnom Penh,
which was extraordinary. And I had the opportunity to play with the
Vietnamese National Chamber Orchestra in Hanoi, for our outgoing ambassador,
Pete Peterson.

Question: Have you taken on an official leadership role?

Answer: I just do whatever I can. I'm a bigmouth. I've been in really good
company, as far as the artists with Campaign for a Landmine Free World. Paul
McCartney just joined up. And we've got Mary Chapin Carpenter and Emmylou
Harris, Kris Kristofferson, John Prine and such a long list of artists
speaking out on this subject.

Question: Back to your album, is there a song that's most special to you?

Answer: It changes every day. But just returning from Vietnam and doing the
surprise concert for Ambassador Peterson and playing the song Traveling
Through This Part of You, which was inspired by my ex-husband, Eric Taylor.
He's a Vietnam veteran and an incredible songwriter, who writes songs for me
and Lyle Lovett.

Question: You close the album with a tune you wrote called Last Song for
Mother and a cover of Frank Sinatra's In the Wee Small Hours, a song you've
said your mom loved. Does this deepen your feeling about the CD?

Answer: My mother is terminally ill, with intercranial cancer. But when I
wrote Last Song for Mother, I didn't know if she'd live long enough to hear
it. But she has.

Question: What's some of the music you listen to?

Answer: I'm a huge Dar Williams fan, a big Eric Taylor fan. Tom Russell has
a new record, Borderlands, that's incredible. Iris DeMent hits my CD player
about once a day. And my theme song for life is David Bowie's Changes. That
gets played every morning. It's on a timer on my CD player.


Subject: NN: Re: A nice evening
   Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 22:57:21 -0400
   From: "The Kimbros" (kimbroj@charter.net>

Ah ha!  Bill Page snuck this one in:

> So although it was hot, it was nice to hear performers whose NanciNumber 
> is "1".


Well, I gotta say more about this for the new folks on the list just in case
they don't feel like combing through megs of archives.  This is a game we
played, what, three or four years ago?  Here's how it works -- your
NanciNumber is computed based on the degrees of separation you have from
Nanci in a public performance.  Someone who has shared the stage with Nanci
gets a "1."  If you've performed with someone who has performed with Nanci,
you get a "2," and so on down the line.  The interpretation of the word
"performance" is up to the individual.  It can include anything from a stage
act to singing Happy Birthday, as long as it happened in person.

One more thing.  Every time a new album comes out there are folks who love
it and folks who don't.  My opinion -- it's art, it doesn't really make a
damn who likes it.  But please, shouldn't we be tolerant of everyone's
opinion?  If someone get's personally insulting of Nanci, fry 'em to a
crisp, but if it's an honest dissenting opinion about her art, that's kinda
kewl and makes for good discourse, at least in my book!

All my best,
-Shawn

  _________________Nanci Is My Aeroplane___________________
 |                    __       ___        Shawn Kimbro     |
 | "And they danced  | \____o__/_/___| kimbroj@charter.net |
 |  all night to the \(>-----_/_/____]>     Morristown     |
 |  fiddle and banjo"         `o     |      Tennessee      |
 |______________ http://mountainsoul.cjb.net ______________|


Subject: NN: Nanci on CNN
   Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 23:19:54 EDT
   From: Tricia9999@aol.com

Saw the little interview and performance. Nanci sounded like she's got a bit 
of laryngitis, sore throat or something. She also seemed reserved and 
tentative like she knew she was being interviewed by someone not familiar 
with her music - just an interviewing assignment. But it was nice to see.

Tricia


Subject: NN: Nanci and Maura Kennedy
   Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 23:34:43 -0400
   From: "Ken Stiffler" (ksmsc@kmsx.net>

After several listens to Clock Without Hands, most of my thoughts/opinions
are still in the formative stage. But one thing I'm already sure of: Nanci
and Maura Kennedy should write more songs together. Yes, indeed!

Ken


Subject: NN: Chat Site, After All
   Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 13:03:27 +0800
   From: "Bob McConnochie" (rsm@ppp.com.hk>

Hey, of all the things we should be taking seriously in life, the =
comments of other like-minded music fans on a chat site are NOT one of =
them. I hang around here because I enjoy the comments of others, all the =
more interesting when they diverge from mine. (As a group we do seem to =
be getting more grumpy of late, the result of individual contributions =
and certainly not intervention by the moderator, although, Bill, I =
thought the Kyoto Treaty well-worthy of comment....!)

Like the rest of you - I presume - I have been itching to share my views =
on the new album. That seems to me a very basic human impulse. (Back to =
sea-shells again.....). However the low-key impact of CWH has made me =
hesitate. I'm pleased to find a more even production but perplexed by =
the lyrically-gruesome Roses On The 4th of July and the desperate vocal =
of Shaking Out The Snow, which I liked at first but have tired of. But I =
still feel Pearl's Eye View rocks along very smoothly. Cotton was the =
first track to catch my ear.

The rest sounds pretty tame. Literally - pretty and tame. Nanci has a =
few more plays to get under my skin or it's back to "Essence". But once =
again I'm grateful to her for being around.

How different is that from your opinion? - that's what this is all =
about. We're all here for the same reason.

"Democracy is the worst form of politics......apart from all the others" =
- W. Churchill (well-worth a second soundbite imho).

Now playing: "Clock Without Hands" by Nanci Griffith.......


// I have read the "democracy" many times, attributed to many people,
// but I can't find a definitive source...anybody got any ideas? [BP]


Subject: NN: RE: Re: A nice evening
   Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 10:21:02 +0100
   From: Bob Ellis (bellis@sthelens.ac.uk>

About a dozen years ago I was watching Nanci at the Cambridge Folk Festival
- spelbound. When she came to the line "Where are all the dreamers that I
used to know" I inadvertently blurted out  "HERE I AM NANCI". She looked
down and smiled before going into the next line. The stage mic picked it up
and the crowd laughed (helped by Nanci's smile).  This was broadcast on BBC
radio " and was on BBC TV and I know some people taped it off the TV and
radio. So does that count as "peforming" with Nanci?
Cheers
Bob Ellis


Subject: Re: NN: RE: Re: A nice evening
   Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 10:12:51 -0700 (PDT)
   From: Reid Mitchell (reidmitchell@yahoo.com>

Dear Bob: An emergency meeting of the Nanci board has
assigned you the temporary Nanci number of 1.5 until
your status can be finally determined.

Baron Kimbro von Paige
Secretary
THe International Nanci Board


Subject:     Re: NN: RE: Re: A nice evening
   Date:     Fri, 10 Aug 2001 16:51:14 -0400
   From:     "The Kimbros" (kimbroj@charter.net>

Hmmm, don't know how the rest o' the committee will vote, but I think I have
to cast in favor of a "1" in this case.  I mean, if it came through the mic
and the crowd laughed, it was part of the performance!!!  Way to go, Bob!

yuk, yuk
-S


Subject: NN: A review
   Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 08:53:19 -0500
   From: "Kaczmarczyk, Peter A" (pkaczmar@indiana.edu>

I realized after posting about Nanci's grocery list that I should
have also included a few words about CWH itself. I don't have the album in
front of me so unfortunatly I may be a little vague but I can say that on
the whole I really like it. Missoula grabs me every time, and on the whold I
echo the sentiments of a previous poster that the first 5-6 tracks are all
excellent. Something Fine I am undecided on, in some ways I find it sweet
and pleasant in a harmless kind of way, and in some ways I find it
incredibly cheesy and not worthy of Nanci's talents. Shaking Out the Snow
qualifies as one of those songs that I respect and admire but don't really
enjoy listening to. It rings true to me, and there is a sincerity to it that
is reinforced by the vocal style that she chooses, but I find it almost
painful to listen to. Of course, Nanci is not the first artist whom I really
respect who has sung a song that strikes me this way. Lou Reed has a few
cuts that qualify (from Magic and Loss inparticular), as does Tori Amos, and
I still have a very limited tolerence for Dylans voice though I admire him
as much as any artist.On the whole I like the mix of styles on this album, and
while I
will always I think be a fan of the pre MCA records the most I find CWH a
solid contribution to the Nanci Griffith catalogue. Over time my opinions
will fluctuate (I used to think that Stormms was her best album. What was I
thinking!), but I will always find tracks on it that are right for the
times, whatever times I may find myself in.

Peter Kaczmarczyk


Subject: NN: Ticket wanted for Denver
   Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 10:46:05 -0400
   From: "Michael Harrison" (miketeked@hotmail.com>

When we left for our family vacation 2 weeks ago, I kiddingly mentioned to 
my wife that we should stay an extra week in Colorado and see Nanci in 
Denver.
Well, our car broke down when we got here and the mechanic thinks it won't 
be fixed until Wednesday. The family has rented a car and headed home, 
leaving me here in Glenwood Springs to wait for the car. I won't make it 
home before next weekend anyway. If anyone has an extra ticket for the 
concert in Denver on Wednesday, please let me know.

Stuck in Colorado,
Michael


Subject: NN: Re: CWH, etc.
   Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 11:55:14 EDT
   From: BMiller224@aol.com

I have some random thoughts on NN topics from the last few days.

New songs in concerts:  Most popular-music performers will do mainly published
songs from their records, often with emphasis on a recent release.  But some of
the concerts I remember most fondly were ones that included a lot of new
songs.  One was Emmylou Harris' appearance years ago at the Orpheum in San
Francisco where she recorded the live album, *Last Date* and about half the
concert was new material.  Earlier this year, I saw Kasey Chambers for the
first time never having heard more than an excerpt from her recorded songs, so
the whole concert was new stuff for me.  I thoroughly enjoyed the concert - and
have been listening to her songs ever since.

On "Truly Something Fine":  I'm not as down on the song as Steve R.  But I
think he and Peter K have defined what makes it seem out of place on this CD: 
it's like something you would expect from an 18-year-old.  Now, there's nothing
wrong with a song being simple, or with being 18.  The way trends in popular
music are going, pretty soon 20 will be considered over the hill.  "Tis a Gift
to Be Simple", the Shaker hymn made world famous by Aaron Copland's
arrangement, is a simple melody, appropriate to its name.  But it's a great
piece of music. For someone with Nanci's experience at songwriting, "Truly
Something Fine" just seems simplistic.  

There's a very good article in the current *Oxford-American* music issue about
Emmylou in which she talks about songwriting and the songwriter's age.  Well
worth reading, and not just for that.

Susan, thanks for posting that Nanci interview.  I was impressed with how she
came across in that piece.  She talked about her health issues of the last few
years and about how her landmine cause fits in with her experience of recovery
from cancer and her current outlook on life and how it affects her music.  Very
well done - as was her appearance earlier this year on the PBS special on
Stephen Foster's music.

It was also an interesting comment that she seems to be absorbed with Iris
Dement's music right now.  And we got a glimpse there of Nanci's "non-American"
perspective when she says she her attention first became focused on the
landmine issue through a group in the UK.  The landmine treaty got a mention in
the Doonesbury comic strip today, where our legitimate President is spoofed for
his lack of enthusiasm for it.  I guess Nanci's offer to move to West Texas if
he signed the treaty hasn't convinced him yet. :) Maybe she should have him
told him that landmines are interfering with oil exploration!

Bruce Miller
Oakland CA


 Subject: NN: Dissenting Views on CWH
   Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 14:46:22 -0400 (EDT)
   From: DvBGardner@genelogic.com

Daaaaaaahlinks!!!!!   C'mon --- aren't we all taking ourselves just a bit
too seriously here?    When I bravely announced not to put on the
flame-retardant suit (it's in the cleaners anyway), I must have had bricks
in my head.   I've been getting quite a few comments on- and off-list about
my first impression account.    Amazing how that incensed some of our
fellow netters.   Now, if I were to take this chat list business any more
seriously, then I would feel compelled to apologize.   I'm usually a
peacemaker and willing to take blame for whatever, just so people won't get
upset.    But apologize for what?    For sharing my honest first
impression?   Did I "attack" Nanci?   Did I attack anyone on the list?
Sheeesh, I need to clean up my bedside manner a bit if this is how I came
across.
 I agree that I need to do my homework and listen to this CD a few more
times (which I usually do with any new release I buy, honestly, Christina!)
--- but that's exactly why I emphasized that my post was about my FIRST
IMPRESSION.   First impressions may stick or they may change over time.
Honestly sharing a first impression should not entitle anyone to be called
"small-minded" and/or "judgmental".    I am not hurt by this but I believe
that this type of mud-slinging  is what has caused so many senseless
battles among some of you this past year.   Totally unnecessary, kids!

Considering especially the comments of some netters that haven't made up
their mind whether to buy CWH (which is clearly the wise approach with any
new release, I have learned here) ....... doesn't it count for something
with all of the die-hard fans that I bought this CD sight unseen BECAUSE
I am a Nanci fan?  Will I get Brownie points for that at least?    Will I
get Brownie points for listening to it and caring enough to share my first
impression?    Now, if after many more listens (and I promise to give it
many shots), I end up still feeling the same way about the selection or
performance of the songs, should I share that or just go into hiding for a
while?   Sue - thanks for your quip about your cooking.   This is what it's
about, my friends.    Life is short - pick your battles!     I enjoy this
and other chat lists for the stimuli I get from certain people's
intelligent posts -- whether they are supportive or dissenting of my own
opinions.    But there have been far too many well-meaning posters on this
list who take dissenting views way too personally.    Please don't!!!
Consider it a priviledge to be amongst independent thinkers who care enough
about your aNGel to share their views.

As a musician and songwriter myself, I find the dialogue about pros and
cons of any piece of music a most essential part of music appreciation.
If it turns out that the charter of this list was for some sort of blind
worshipping cult, then maybe some of us need to reconsider our
participation.   There are a few things in life that I'm dead serious about
and willing to go to bat for -- a chat list isn't one of them.   If I don't
take myself too seriously, y'all shouldn't either (take me too seriously,
that is!)   :):):)

Bill Page -- I hope you know that I was being tongue-in-cheek about being
kicked off the list!!!    I know you are a most fair and efficient
moderator here......   Then again, if you look at some of the responses to
my post, you do see that there must be some on the list who think I'd be
better off somewhere else, eh?
Peter -- thanks for your supportive post.   BTW, the Indigo Girls CD you
were referring to must have been "Shaming of the Sun".   I agree with some
of your appraisal there.

This weekend will be the premiere performance of a choral piece I've
written.   While I'm hoping to touch some people and perhaps get some
praise for this piece, I do hope to have HONEST critics present.    I wrote
this from the heart, I expressed exactly what inspired me, but I also want
people to enjoy and be moved.   So, any hints on how to improve to make
that happen, are welcomed.    Isn't that how we grow?

Donate "not out to hurt anyone's feelings -- just chill, everyone!" von
Bredow-Gardner




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