Soundstage aired last night - any reviews?

[David]

Originally Posted by Johnny Stew

I know when they filmed 'The Dance,' I remember reading that they knew they had to shorten some of the lengthier songs, with an eye towards releasing the album as a single disc.

For example, the long guitar outro during "The Chain," just after the "Chain, keep us together/Running in the shadows" part, was dropped.
And they went fairly quickly into the end of "Rhiannon," bi-passing the extra piano & guitar parts that used to be there.
For some reason, they decided to stick with those two arrangements, even beyond 'The Dance' filming.

I think Lindsey brought that arrangement of The Chain over from his solo tour. In the case of Rhiannon, the instrumental vamp used to be three or four minutes of "Stevie" ballet, so there was just no point to it if she wasn't going to undulate. By 1997, she was post-undulative.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by Johnny Stew

And they went fairly quickly into the end of "Rhiannon," bi-passing the extra piano & guitar parts that used to be there.

Yeah, but it was almost as lengthy as it used to be because they added the piano intro to it.

[sodascouts]

Originally Posted by dissention

How absurd.

Do you honestly believe that Lindsey himself changed the arrangement? I think not. It's Stevie's song, she has the final say. I suspect that the reason the arrangement has been changed is because Stevie's voice just can't keep up with the song if it's a straight rocker like it used to be. If they kept the old arrangement, the whole song would be out of sync because she'd be her vocals would be petering out just as the music was escalating to a crescendo.

I'm sure Stevie did tell Lindsey she wanted the song more like her snoozer Enchanted box set version (man, that one is painful to listen to). I still think the guitar could work at the end, though, because she woudln't have to actually sing then. She could finish her vocal and Lindsey could roar away. But either that didn't occur to either of them or it occured to him and she veto-ed it. Regardless it was a bad decision, IMHO.

Side note: I would bet that Lindsey probably has a lot more influence on live arrangements then Stevie does, even on her own songs, simply because of the nature of their skills. That being said, I'm sure he couldn't force her to do anything she doesn't want to do.

[sparky]

Originally Posted by David

In the case of Rhiannon, the instrumental vamp used to be three or four minutes of "Stevie" ballet, so there was just no point to it if she wasn't going to undulate. By 1997, she was post-undulative.

POST-UNDULATIVE ??????



So damned funny. Almost spewed coffee on the laptop.

I say ditch the vamp. The whole point of that vamp was building to a crescendo, and now there is no crescendo. She is capable of holding a fairly high note for longer than 8 beats - she does it in other songs. Just doing that would have all the chiffon heads soiling their drawers. Alas, not happening. She doesn't want to do it, so just end the song with a crash, like that recently surfaced 1974 version. Or, just do the piano version, which is beautiful in it's own right. Or, dump the song altogether.

[Janet]

This is a facinating conversation

I am so tired of Rhiannon. I loved Christine's piano entrance into the song..it gave it class and age and Stevie did a good job, lackluster, but she made it pretty, gothic almost.

Now that Chrissie is gone, we need to drop the song. It's been 80 different songs by now and there is nothing more to do with it.

I loved the version she did in the 70's...but she can't do that anymore. The coked Mirage version is soooo raw, but unintentional so I guess it doesn't count.

I wish they could take more chances, but like 75% of the people there want to see the songs like Rhiannon and that's the way it is.

I think too that Lindsey has a greater say in what happens on the live sets.

I also agree the Enchanted version.....I can't listen to it.

I would love to see Stevie do stuff she can do...those torch songs...those rocky songs...I think she enjoys singing with others because the songs are different...
She is a performer and she loves to perform and she can sing decently so she should make set lists showing that. It will never happen though...

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by sodascouts

I'm sure Stevie did tell Lindsey she wanted the song more like her snoozer Enchanted box set version (man, that one is painful to listen to).

I agree. Why she decided to record it on a piano with a broken pedal is a mystery to me. I did watch the Storytellers performance of it for the first time in a while the other night and found that one likeable though.

[cliffdweller]

Originally Posted by dontlookdown

Joni's one of the few vocalists who I think has actually become a better singer as her range has fallen.

I don't agree with this statement at all. I think Joni sounds like she's smoked 100 packs too many, and it shows in her singing. However, I happen to be an early years Joni Mitchell fan with the cutoff being about Hejira---her last great album, with the exception of Night Ride Home in the early 90's, that too is a great album. Joni had AMAZING range on Blue, and I like to think of that album as the truest testament to her vocal ability. On Blue her voice is absolutely pristene but at the same time she exudes a certain vulnerability in the risky, downright experimental approach to the vocals on many of the songs. She couldn't do that now if she wanted to, and she doesn't want to because she's closed that chapter of her life and moved on in a different musical direction.

Stevie's voice is in no way as shot as Joni's in my opinion. Sure she can't hit the high notes like she used to, but all in all I think her voice has held up rather well considering all the abuse she's inflicted upon it with substances and constant strain throughout her early years with F.M.

[strandinthewind]

I read an interview with her around the time of Stevie's TISL. Ms. Mitchell said she purposefully lowered her singing range because she had been singing out of her true range for too many years.

[cliffdweller]

Originally Posted by Janet

The coked Mirage version is soooo raw, but unintentional so I guess it doesn't count.

Oh it counts, it counts a great deal

[Johnny Stew]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

I agree. Why she decided to record it on a piano with a broken pedal is a mystery to me. I did watch the Storytellers performance of it for the first time in a while the other night and found that one likeable though.

The 'Storytellers' "Rhiannon" blows the 'Enchanted' version out of the water!

I wouldn't say the 'Enchanted' version is God-awful... but it's only "Ok," and I barely ever listen to it... but the 'Storytellers' performance was mesmerizing.

[Tusk57]

I saw the concert on PBS and loved it. "I'm So Afraid" kicked ass with Lindsey doing an extended version of his guitar solo. He was on fire the whole night. Stevie was good too although she is not as animated as Lindsey is. They interacted very well together on the songs, "Say you Will", "Landslide", and "Tusk". They edited out "World Turning" so Mick didn't get to strut his stuff. Darn! John was steady as a rock. The filming was pretty good also in that they didn't jump from camera to camera every other second like they did on the Tango concert video. That one is practically unwatchable. Lindsey is clearly dominating the show now. Bill

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by cliffdweller

I don't agree with this statement at all. I think Joni sounds like she's smoked 100 packs too many, and it shows in her singing. However, I happen to be an early years Joni Mitchell fan with the cutoff being about Hejira---her last great album, with the exception of Night Ride Home in the early 90's, that too is a great album. Joni had AMAZING range on Blue, and I like to think of that album as the truest testament to her vocal ability. On Blue her voice is absolutely pristene but at the same time she exudes a certain vulnerability in the risky, downright experimental approach to the vocals on many of the songs. She couldn't do that now if she wanted to, and she doesn't want to because she's closed that chapter of her life and moved on in a different musical direction.

Stevie's voice is in no way as shot as Joni's in my opinion. Sure she can't hit the high notes like she used to, but all in all I think her voice has held up rather well considering all the abuse she's inflicted upon it with substances and constant strain throughout her early years with F.M.

I agree they are shot equally in different ways. Joni does sound raspy. She has for years. Some of it is style, but I can't argue with the 100 packs of cigs for both.

[EveryHour]

When it comes to Stevie, I don't feel that I "gloss over" imperfections (which I realize can be so easy to do when you care about/adore/admire, etc someone so much), but rather accept them as human. I don't pretend that currently Rhainnon is as exciting as 1976, but I love and accept what it is now as yet another new rendition of what has been a constantly evolving song. I like the low notes...something new in a song that has been performed thousands of times. Bottom line: I think it's great that Stevie is still rockin' in her 50's, whatever that brings. She has the right as an artist and human to be out there and say, "this is who I am now". She can't, afterall, be anyone but herself. Sure, ideally I think it would be great if some of the songs were reworked, but if Stevie chooses not to, the option is not for her to retire for the sake of your comfortability. The option is for those who are no longer moved by her performances to quit going to the shows! You, too, have the option to "bow out gracefully" without complaint, just as you think Stevie "should". I, for one, will continue to support her because she still moves me like no other. And she can rock the Reeboks for eternity for all I care because I'm only 25 and I already don't like uncomfortable shoes!