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alloy-digest         Wednesday, June 23 1999         Volume 04 : Number 177



                               Today's Subjects:
                               -----------------
  Alloy: Dolby's collaboration with Joni Mitchell            [RThurF@aol.com]
  Re: Alloy: Dolby's collaboration with Joni Mitchell  [Brian Clayton <stemi]
  Re: Alloy: Dolby's collaboration with Joni Mitchell  [MacSuirtain <wearart]

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Date: Tue, 22 Jun 1999 14:29:41 EDT
From: RThurF@aol.com
Subject: Alloy: Dolby's collaboration with Joni Mitchell

Yet another magazine I've finally got my hands on, the May 1986 International 
Musician (yay!) Thomas talks about his collaboration with Joni Mitchell, 
which I'd heard hadn't gone that smoothly - but I'd never known much more 
than that. Since reading Thomas' comments in this article, I'm wondering if 
Joni's somewhat lackluster response to what Thomas was trying to do for her 
really might have stemmed from a little bit of intimidation on her part. 

Even though she may really have wanted to learn all she could about it, and 
understood what an advantage such skills would be to her work, seeing someone 
as fluent as Dolby might have been intimidating. Thomas expresses regret that 
she wasn't impressed with his work. I think it's possible that very likely 
she was extremely impressed - but saw it as something that had little to do 
with her at her creative essence since it seemed so foreign. When introduced 
to its intricacies, maybe she feared she'd never be able to fully absorb 
everything she'd need to know about the medium in order to express herself 
artistically through it, the way Thomas could.

I also wonder about the differences between working alone to create a truly 
solo work, and working with sessions musicians. Though (as Thomas pointed 
out) she could use the Fairlight as she would her pastels and paints, perhaps 
she draws off her fellow musician's energy and off their admiration of her 
(I'm sure every one of her collaborators is also a fan!) and finds music 
making to be more of a social activity, where painting is more introspective. 
Maybe the idea of strictly solo work made her feel isolated or trapped.

She's an extremely sensitive and honest artist, but this seems to lead to her 
feeling vulnerable. could it have been that working with Thomas at that 
particular time was just hitting her wrong, and she expressed it as 
stubbornness? Has she herself ever talked about it herself in any depth?

Robin T

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Date: Tue, 22 Jun 1999 15:51:11 -0700 (PDT)
From: Brian Clayton <stemish@lns.com>
Subject: Re: Alloy: Dolby's collaboration with Joni Mitchell

On Tue, 22 Jun 1999 RThurF@aol.com wrote:

> She's an extremely sensitive and honest artist, but this seems to lead to her 
> feeling vulnerable. could it have been that working with Thomas at that 
> particular time was just hitting her wrong, and she expressed it as 
> stubbornness? Has she herself ever talked about it herself in any depth?

Robin, check out jmdl.com, the Joni Mitchell Discussion List site.  It has
loads of articles referencing Thomas.  Right off there is a Chicago
Tribune article from December 1, 1985 wherein she talks about having "a
definite clash of temperament" with him (although she states she's is very
fond of him.)  It all worked out in the end, it seems, it's just that
Joni's and Thomas' styles are very different.

BC

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 22 Jun 1999 23:20:41 -0400
From: MacSuirtain <wearart@erols.com>
Subject: Re: Alloy: Dolby's collaboration with Joni Mitchell

RThurF@aol.com wrote:
> 
> Yet another magazine I've finally got my hands on, the May 1986 International
> Musician (yay!) Thomas talks about his collaboration with Joni Mitchell...

I love Thomas' work. I love Joni Mitchell's work. Court and Spark was
played on a very regular basis in my home when I was in grade school
(thank you, sister Betsi). It was the first album where I knew all the
words to all the songs. I remember being very surprised to hear about
Thomas' collaboration with Joni (you, know, I'm not comfortable using
the first names of people I don't know, but saying "Ms. Mitchell" sounds
like I have a stick up my butt). I'm going to try to explain this, but I
don't think I'm going to do a very good job...

To me, Thomas' music, even when there is chaos and high energy, it's a
polished chaos and energy; there is a smoothness to it. A sophistication
of a marvelously produced variety, with the amazing sounds that
technology can produce. For me, it's the musical equivalent of a tour,
both soothing and stimulating, of the coolest house ever seen on the
pages of Architectural Digest. Joni's music, on the other hand, always
had a very rough-hewn quality to it. Raw emotion spewing forth in a
torrent of poetry and meloncholy. It's like a weekend in a remote cabin,
alone with yourself, the memories of a lost love, and the Franklin
stove; when you leave, you carry the smell of the stove on your clothes
as a wistful reminder. 

Oh hell. That sounded so stupid. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I
wasn't sure how, when I heard about Thomas producing some of Joni's
stuff, styles so very unique and artists who express themselves so
differently would work together. Smooth and rough. Doesn't surprise me
that they didn't mesh well together. 

On an utterly different topic...

I'm considering spending a massive amount of money on a Star Wars toy -
a lifesize Anakin Skywalker, decked out in podracing gear. Not a
cardboard cut out, mind you - I'm talking statue here. I may have to
shoot myself or maim my mouse hand to keep me from completing the
purchase. Whoever designed the entire podrace segment of Phantom Menace
knew precisely which buttons to press with me. I'm totally captivated by
the design work. Damn those people at ILM and damn the Lucasfilm
marketing people. I'm an utter puppet.

Off to bed.

Best wishes, all.

- - Melissa

- -- 
Melissa R. Jordan
Owner/Artist, Compass Rose Studios
Unique Wearable Art in Large Sizes & Handstamped Handicrafts
http://www.erols.com/jamesq/crs/welcome.htm

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End of alloy-digest V4 #177
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