tori/joni

[Dick Locke <wiltel!dlocke@uunet.UU.NET>]

Actually, one perceptive commentator did compare Tori to Joni (me) some
time ago.  I don't know if I posted to gaffa or just the tori mailing
list (subscribe by sending mail to rdt-request).

I think my remarks were -- well, shoot, I looked it up and here's what
I wrote (in the context of describing a record shopping trip):

>The Billie Holliday, Joni Mitchell, and Phoebe Snow are very well recorded and
>highly regarded by audiophiles.  I don't see too much discussion of these
>artists here, but many of you would probably like them.  I would
>definitely recommend starting with the listed Phoebe Snow and Billie Holliday
>albums.

>If you don't have any Joni Mitchell, you should buy some immediately.
>Get both "Court and Spark" and "Blue".  You won't be disappointed.  The
>songs are all fabulous, PLUS, the recordings (sound) are excellent.
>Both these are listed as classic, must haves in the Rolling Stone
>Rock Record guide.  Listen to the title cut on "Blue", and compare Joni's
>perfectly recorded voice with any recording of KaTe's voice and see
>how KaTe's recordings are lacking.  Compare also to Little Earthquakes,
>same result.

>Interestingly, Lady in Satin is listed in "Stereophile's Records To Die For"
>list, as are Joni's "Hissing of Summer Lawns" and "Hejira", though "Blue"
>and "Court and Spark" don't make the list.  The list is very interesting;
>at a later time I'll try to post all the things on the list that would
>be of likely interest to gaffa.  Nothing by KaTe makes the list :-(

Also, the Stereophile review of Tori's LE:

>And look, let's stuff all the Kate Bush comparisons.  I like Bush's songs a
>lot, but Amos is like her the way Rickie Lee Jones is "like" Joni
>Mitchell.  Kate Bush goes over the top about half the time, preferring
>pretension to art; Amos isn't perfect on this score herself, but the few
>times she slips appear accidental rather than intended.  CDs are
>a lot longer than LPs, and even Springsteen seems unable to fill one with
>100% great material.

>There's great sound here too: I gave the ADD/DDD SPARS code as a guess.
>The voice sounds digital at times -- a little too edgy and metallic --
>but this is one of the few pop records that uses the whole soundstage, with
>actual layering in depth and space around instruments.  There is real
>bass, and percussion has the right timbre (listen for the zills on "Silent
>All These Years," another winner of a tune).

Personally, I think the reviewer is being a bit kind to LE's sound, but
then again in comparing Joni's "Blue" to LE I'm comparing the sound of
a mint record on an excellent turntable/cartridge with the sound of my
6 year old crappy CD player...  Having said that, compared with the
completely shitty sound of most commercial music these days, Tori is
clearly way better than most.

Anyway, to get back to Marc's point, I agree that the Tori-Joni
connection seems songer than the Tori-Kate.  Musically, though, Joni
is more in the jazz/folk category while Kate and Tori seem to be
more in the pop/rock category.  Tori seems to be saying she just
wants to to a voice and piano record next, though (well, no guitars
anyway) -- I personally hope she does!  I'm sure her record company
will resist, and they will probably win...

(Marc, I hope you're going to see Tori on Sept 26 at the Tower Theater!)

Later!

-Dick