// A concert report, we discuss sidemen and stars,
// and more on our take on the new CD.
// Enjoy! [BP]


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Subject: NN: Fillmore Show
    From: Young, Greg [Greg.Young@ucsfmedctr.org]
    Sent: Monday, February 14, 2005 6:29 PM

Attended the Fillmore show, Saturday 2/12.  After twenty years of
following Nanci and 35 years of going to the Fillmore, I can report I
left happy even if the whole Stepchild of Bill Graham presents style of
audience control (bark directions at 'em, treat 'em like sheep, frisk
'em assume everyone has several caches on illegal substances and a gun
onboard) and then let them stand for the whole show (tables and chairs
take up too much room) is wearying indeed. Can we just get over
Altamount?

Nanci was energetic, in good voice, lovely, loose and the BMO was right
there - in fact, they were as good as I have experienced them in a long
while and that takes new and old members into consideration. Someday,
though, I hope I'll get to see another of Nanci's more intimate shows,
solo guitar or single acoustic accompanist and back-up vocal - but
that's not what's on offer in this tour, so as she said.... "We can only
play the songs we know."

Best as I can recall, the play list was

Listen To The Radio
Late Night Grande Hotel
Speed Of The Sound Of Loneliness
Love @the 5&Dime
Heart Of Indochine
Beautiful
Before
I Love This Town
Last Train Home
Great Divide
These Days In An Open Book
There's A Light Beyond These Woods
 From A Distance
Ford Econoline
Gulf Coast Highway
If I Had A Hammer

Encores were??
(Damn memory slippage)

Yes, the whole tour package is now more or less that kind of experience
- a "package." You don't get the more vulnerable and charmingly
less-rehearsed and polished NG of yesteryear. But my wife, herself a
singer, veteran of road tours in support of record releases and not a
particularly ardent aficionado of Ms. G (more into jazz and variant
forms) came away very pleasantly impressed. In fact, she acknowledged
this was a sufficiently worthy "Valentines" event - meaning mutual
enjoyment was had to such a degree that I could count my blessings for
at least one more year.  Hey, if you can the love the show, and love
Nanci for who she is and what her music's meant to you personally for
twenty years and have your significant other love you too - I'd call
that an extremely successful evening. All made possible by a highly
valued and individual talent.  Love Ya Nanci...happy Valentines!

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Subject: NN: Clive Gregson
    From: GORDON1717@aol.com
    Sent: Monday, February 14, 2005 6:13 PM

((Clive Gregson is the new guitarist. He has played a lot with Richard
Thompson. >>

Richard wrote a song about his time with Clive and as you can see it
apparently left him with a bad taste in his mouth. Hopefully Clive will
not turn on Nanci. Incidentally, I'm listening to Meg Griffin
interviewing Nanci on Sirius radio as I type. Gotta love Sirius, my best
investment in years.

Here is the song as written by Richard
Put It There Pal.

Old friend, it's been so long, and it's been so real
And if I helped you once it was no big deal
Too bad I can't be there when they call your name
They're going to write you down in the hall of fame

You really got what you wanted, I'm thrilled as pie
It really couldn't happen to a nicer guy

Put it there pal, put it there
Now and then just throw me a crumb
Put it there pal, put it there
Thanks for the help when I needed it, chum

You saw me drowning, you said I was a fake and laughed
Then you jumped right in and used me for a raft

You shot me down with friendly fire
You were all dressed up to play Gun For Hire
The rope you threw me was made of barbed wire
But put it there pal, put it there, pal
Put it there

I know you mean well, call me a sentimental fool
I know sometimes you've got to be kind to be cruel
When you pat me on the back, that was quite some slap
That kind of compliment, it could kill a chap

So I'll drink your health, oh this emotion's given me a thirst
But maybe I'll have my food-taster drink it first

Put it there pal, put it there
You deserve everything you got coming
Put it there pal, put it there
Call me up if you want to come slumming

Some say you're a rattlesnake in the grass
But I say the sun shines out of your arse

So it's no hard feelings, live and let live
With a gift like yours, you're born to give
You're so full of love it leaks out like a sieve

So put it there pal, put it there pal

It's a little bitter methinks....
Gordon

ps. Christine Collister, his ex was pretty badly done to by the man as
well.


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Subject: NN: Sebastopol
    From: Susan Krauss [sekrauss@comcast.net]
    Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2005 12:56 AM

We'll be going to the Sebastopol show since we had a previous commitment
for the San Francisco concert.  Anyone else going?  We'll be driving up
from SF after work on Friday and we've decided to stay over rather than
trying to drive home that night.

I love the new record (and I haven't said that in a while).

susan in alameda


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Subject: NN: Hearts In Mind: opining
    From: Renee Field [creneefield@msn.com]
    Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2005 9:03 AM

Just got the record Saturday, here are my impressions after the first
few listens:

Overall I love the album. Nanci is evolving and so is her music. Her
fans have to let her. Lots of Joni Mitchell fans were up in arms when
she released "Both Sides Now" which included not only a new,
orchestrated version of the title song, perfectly suited to her aging
voice, but lots of "standards." She is evolving. We can't expect our
beloved artists to always put out the music that we are used to and love
without it changing with them. I think this is the best album since
"Flyer"

The songs:

"Simple Life:" Simple tune, poignant lyrics, this sounds to me like the
Rounder Nanci. Love it.

"Angels:" not my favorite but I like it--I have always wished Nanci
would sing more positive love songs and here's one now.

"Heart of Indochine" On first listen, the intro sounds identical to
"Clock w/o Hands," but fortunately moves on. Truthfully I am just a
little tired of the Vietnam subject matter, and to have both this and
Old Hanoi on here is almost a bit too much for me. But having said that,
this is a beautiful, evocative, peaceful song, almost hymn-like and I
love it more with each
listen.

"Beautiful" I LOVE IT!!! My favorite Nanci song in a long while. The
music and the lyrics just mesh perfectly, and it is perfect for her
voice. The tune has been stuck in my head since my first listen and that
is OK by me. The clarinet, piano, and organ riffs just reflect the
subject matter of the song so perfectly, and the photo she sings of is
on the back of the album. Maybe I will grow tired of it but I doubt it.

"Back When Ted Loved Sylvia" Dark and haunting, a literate look at 2
literary lives. The melody is beautiful and soaring for so sad an
ending. I like it.

"Mountain of Sorrow" Like it, don't love it yet.

"Old Hanoi" beautiful word pictures that take me effortlessly to a place
I don't particularly want to go. Go figure.

"Before" Again, vintage Nanci.  Love it.

"I Love this Town" I love Buffet, which is what makes this rollicking
silly song fun. I will probably either sing along really loud with the
windows open or skip it. There will be no middle ground.

"Rise to the Occasion" Not sure Mac MacAnally was the best choice for
the duet here. Love his songs, but... Somehow the harmony doesn't quite
work. I can't get a feel for the melody at certain spots in the song
because the harmony is in the way, and I almost never have that problem.
I love the words, though.

"Love Conquers All"--love it. It's feel good and necessary; just wish it
would have included 2 men or 2 women getting married in
Massachusetts--that would have been perfect and true to the spirit of
the song, but even Nanci can't go there if she wants to sell albums. Too
bad.

"Last Train Home" Like it, but I think I like the live version from
Winter Marquee better. Different energy, better.

"Big Blue Ball of War" didn't like on first listen, almost too
pedagogic. It's growing on me. Beautiful tune, starting to like the
lyrics more.

"Our Very Own" Love the song, love the duet. Both Carradine and Nanci's
aging voices are perfect for this song. Awesome!


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Subject: Re: NN: Clive Gregson
    From: ConorMG@aol.com
    Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2005 10:59 AM

GORDON1717@aol.com writes:
((Richard wrote a song about his time with  Clive and as you can see it
apparently left him with a bad taste in his  mouth. Hopefully Clive will
not turn on Nanci. >>>

((It's a little  bitter methinks....>>

Richard wrote some bitter songs about his wife too, and I recently read
about a failed collaboration with Gerry Rafferty. Does he have a history
of public bust-ups?  Do you know what is behind this song?

Does Our Nanci have a history of mixing with dodgy characters?

We need to know whether to throw ourselves on the stage at a moment's
notice in case she biffs him.


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Subject: Re: NN: Hearts In Mind: opining
    From: Ed Maier [evmaier@sbcglobal.net]
    Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2005 12:28 PM

Renee Field wrote:

>  Just got the record Saturday, here are my impressions
>  after the first few listens:
>
>  Overall I love the album. Nanci is evolving and
>  so is her music. Her fans have to let her.

(snip>

Point well taken, Renee. When Emmylou Harris changed direction with
Wrecking Ball, I thought the album was great. Many of her other fans
didn't agree. When Loretta Lynn changed gears with Van Lear Rose, I
thought it was the *best* album she'd ever done, and possibly it will be
at the top of my absolute-best-albums-I-ever-bought-in-my-life list.
Still, Nanci's post-Flyer stuff seems kinda flat to me. Guess it's all a
matter of perspective.

Ed Maier


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Subject: Re: NN: Hearts In Mind: opining
    From: Merle Stringfield [merles@qualcomm.com]
    Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2005 1:25 PM

>>  Overall I love the album. Nanci is evolving and so
>>  is her music. Her fans have to let her.

I agree here too. In '64 when Dylan strapped on an electric guitar, I
was in heaven. Other people hated it. Let them be whoever they want to
be.

Seeing Nanci at 4th and B tomorrow night...cannot wait.

Merlot...in San Diego

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Subject: Re: NN: Clive Gregson
    From: Tina [tshackleford@earthlink.net]
    Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2005 2:01 PM

Gordon wrote:

> Richard wrote a song about his time with Clive and as you can see it
> apparently left him with a bad taste in his mouth.
> Here is the song as written by Richard
> Put It There Pal.

Thompson has never said who this song's about, although there's
speculation about several different people (the "hall of fame"
reference, for instance). It's a leap to say it's only about Gregson.

Or perhaps it's, you know, fiction.

Tina

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Subject: NN: Nanci SetList!
    From: JAMES WARD [jward39212@yahoo.com]
    Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2005 2:07 PM

Could someone who is going to see Nanci's concert in
the next few days, please write down a complete
set list listing the songs in the order in which they
are played.  I would love to know all of the details!

James

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Subject: NN: Gretchen's CD
    From: David T. Steere, Jr. [davidtsteere@yahoo.com]
    Sent: Monday, February 14, 2005 6:01 PM

Trish wrote:
>> Does anyone know if Gretchen Peter's new cd is ever going to be
released in the US?((

Trish:

Order it from the UK.  It's not that expensive and the work is lovely.
It was one of my ten (actually 12) best this year on the Nancinet...
Amazon UK has it.

david

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