Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Joni Mitchell's BLUE is 49 years old

First up, Shannon D. reviewing Joni Mitchell's CLOUDS.



She's apparently planning to review multiple Joni albums -- maybe all -- so keep an eye on her.  She's already reviewed Joni's first album.



If she's going in order, Joni's LADIES OF THE CANYON will be the next to be reviewed.  After that comes BLUE -- which I mention only because this week is the 49th anniversary of its release -- 49 years old.  June 22, 1971, one of the greatest albums of all time was released.

WIKIPEDIA notes:

Blue is the fourth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. Exploring the various facets of relationships from infatuation on "A Case of You" to insecurity on "This Flight Tonight", the songs feature simple accompaniments on piano, guitar and Appalachian dulcimer. The album peaked at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart, number 9 on the Canadian RPM Albums Chart and number 15 on the Blllboard 200.
Today, Blue is generally regarded by music critics as one of the greatest albums of all time; the way Mitchell's songwriting, compositions and voice all work together are frequent areas of praise. In January 2000, The New York Times chose Blue as one of the 25 albums that represented "turning points and pinnacles in 20th-century popular music".[1] In 2012, Blue was rated the 30th best album ever made in Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time", the highest entry by a female artist.[2] It was also voted number 24 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums 3rd Edition (2000). In July 2017, Blue was chosen by NPR as the greatest album of all time made by a woman.[3]


Of BLUE, FAR OUT notes:

There are two prominent motifs that run through Joni Mitchell’s iconic 1971 record Blue, an album that came out on this day some 49 years ago. The two profound themes are a perfect summation of Mitchell as a songwriter, firstly her intent to share herself more than ever before on this album and secondly to do it while using the often forgotten instrument the dulcimer.
Below, we’re revisiting an interview from the 1990s in which Mitchell opens up about these two themes and how they helped to craft one of the most beloved albums of all time.
It’s hard to imagine Joni Mitchell without her acoustic guitar in front of her. The image of Mitchell using the classic instrument to share her soul is so ubiquitous with her iconography that it is difficult to envisage her playing anything else.
However, Blue rests on one unusual instrument, the dulcimer. Mitchell picked up her first dulcimer in 1969 at the Big Sur Festival and instantly began playing it, though she admits speaking with Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers that she never really knew how to play one.
“I had never seen one played,” remembered Mitchell. “Traditionally it’s picked with a quill, and it’s a very delicate thing that sits across your knee. The only instrument I had ever had across my knee was a bongo drum, so when I started to play the dulcimer I beat it. I just slapped it with my hands.
“Anyway I bought it, and I took off to Europe carrying a flute and this dulcimer because it was very light for backpacking around Europe. I wrote most of Blue on it. Some of the album’s best songs were composed on the instrument including ‘A Case of You,’ ‘All I Want’ and ‘California’ and Mitchell’s connection to the instrument runs deeper still.


My favorite track from the album constantly changes.  It's usually either "A Case Of You" or "River" but there are days when "All I Want," "California" or "My Old Man" wins the honor.  I do love all the songs. 

I wrote about Joni last night and so did Ann in her "Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Howie Hawkins."  Joe Tayson (FAR OUT) writes about Joni and Leonard Cohen:

Following the festival appearance when the pair first met, Cohencentric states that Mitchell would spend a month living with Cohen at her Laurel Canyon home. The period coincided with a time when Hollywood producers urged him to score a film based on his song ‘Suzanne’ and, tasked with the project, the Canadian musician attempted to enlist the assistance of Mitchell on the score—an effort which never actually came to fruition.
Mitchell, reflecting on her career years later, told Malka Maron this in the book Joni Mitchell: In Her Own Words about their first meeting: “Leonard did ‘Suzanne’, I’d met him and I went, ‘I love that song. What a great song.’ Really. ‘Suzanne’ was one of the greatest songs I ever heard. So I was proud to meet an artist. He made me feel humble because I looked at that song and I went, ‘Woah. All my songs seem so naive by comparison.’ It raised the standard of what I wanted to write.”
After their relationship as lovers fizzled out, Mitchell penned the wonderful song ‘Rainy Night House’ as a farewell to their short but sweet relationship. Joni confirmed that the track was about her relationship with coming to an end, stating: “Yeah. I went one time to his home and I fell asleep in his old room and he sat up and watched me sleep. He sat up all night and he watched me see who in the world I could be.”




Closing with C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"

 
Wednesday, June 24, 2020.  Mustafa al-Kahimi plans to visit the US in July, Turkey continues bombing Iraq, RISING is trying to do what exactly?, and much more.

The biggest news out of Iraq today?  That the prime minister is coming to the United States.  Lawk Ghafuri (RUDAW) reports:

Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi will visit Washington next month to attend high-level talks between the United States and Iraq, foreign minister Fuad Hussein revealed on Tuesday.
Kadhimi's visit will begin the second round of strategic dialogue talks between the US and Iraq that are the first of their kind in more than a decade. They aim to put all bilateral issues on the table, including the faltering Iraqi economy and the possible withdrawal of US troops.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on April 8 that the US and Iraq plan to hold meetings starting in mid-June to discuss several matters, including “the future presence of the United States forces in [the] country and how best to support an independent and sovereign Iraq,” Pompeo said at a Washington press briefing on April 8.
Hussein revealed the planned visit to Washington while receiving UN envoy Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert in Baghdad on Tuesday to discuss the strategic dialogue, among other topics.
The most obvious issue this raises is: Optics.  Iraq is struggling with the coronavirus.  Every day seems to bring a new high in the numbers of reported cases and reported dead.  

President Donald Trump has unwisely gone around without any form of mask.  Will Mustafa wear a mask?  If he doesn't, he'll be refusing to curry favor with Donald.  He'll also be sending a lousy message to the Iraqi people. So the most interesting thing about the visit may be the photographs which inform us whether or not Mustafa wears a mask.

Should Mustafa not wear a mask, you can expect this statement he Tweeted to be thrown in his face:

Ahmed Radhi passed away wearing the green jersey, which we all loved watching him wear. May he rest in peace. The life of every Iraqi is precious. Let’s adhere to health precautions to protect ourselves and our communities, until we get through this difficult time together.
5:59 AM · Jun 21, 2020

Ahmed Radhi is the football legend who passed away days ago from the coronavirus.  

Second, this is a rather quick meeting.  May 7th, Mustafa became prime minister.  Two months later he'll be in DC with the President of the United States. 

Some administrations (Barack Obama's) would wait a bit to see where the prime minister stands.  But Mustafa is supposed to be a brief prime minister so there's really not any time to wait -- especially if you need to figure out how many US troops you're going to leave in Iraq while claiming another "withdrawal."  The US Defense Dept refused to call the end of 2011 a "withdrawal" because it wasn't a withdrawal.  They called it a draw down.  That had to do with the reality -- which the late Senator Kay Hagan explained in an open hearing and we reported on it in real time.  THE NEW YORK TIMES, among others, were more concerned with whether or not John McCain had hurt Leon Panetta's feelings.  Excuse me, they were more concerned with creating a story that Leon's feelings were hurt by John.  That was not the case and that was clear by the second hour of that hearing but if NYT couldn't lie to the American people, it wouldn't have survived this long.  (That's the really US press story -- from THE HOUSTON POST to MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS, tell the truth and disappear.)  

Barack just ignored the Defense Dept's use of "drawdown."  Donald's much more confrontational.  If he's using "withdrawal" and it's actually a drawdown (meaning troops remain in Iraq and in surrounding areas like Kuwait -- prepared to re-enter), is Donald going to start firing people?

Again, the meeting is happening quickly.  Donald's going to spend some of his political capital on this visit and he's prepared to do so because he wants a drawdown.  (If Donald secures a withdrawal, we will gladly note that and I will gladly credit it but too many politicians have lied about ending the Iraq War and we'll play wait and see.)  But how much is too much to spend?

Because Mustafa's already struggling with being perceived as weak and ineffective.  It took months for Adel Abdul Mahdi to earn that reputation but Mustafa's got it fresh out of the gate.


First clear constitutional violation by Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s new government: the removal of the Kurdish language from official documents and papers in breach of Article 4 which declares Kurdish as an official language of Iraq
Kadhimi removes Kurdish language from its official papers: Kurdish MPs
The Iraqi constitution designates Kurdish an official language alongside Arabic.




#Corruption become more dangerous and deadly, in #Iraq , with Mustafa Al-Kadhimi taking over as prime minister. Weak personalities, easy to manipulate from Iranian militias like Hashd . #coronavirus



Weak personalities?  Mustafa has yet to call out the Turkish government for terrorizing Iraq.  Why is that?


Turkish President congratulates Iraq’s new Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi. Turkey’s National Defence Minister Hulusi Akar also talked with Kadhimi via phone according to official stament of Iraq. *#NOTE: Turkey fully supported his efforts of becoming PM of Iraq.


Long seen by the Iranian government as a tool of the US, Mustafa also has some pretty close ties to Turkey.



 The geopolitics are complex, but they are also crude. Turkey has clout; President Erdoğan has several cards to play.
Card one: refugees. Turkey is host to 3.5 million refugees, many of whom would rather go to Europe. For Erdoğan they are a weapon that can be unleashed at any time on the EU and its neighbours. The countries of Europe have domestic, populist, political imperatives for keeping migrants out that trump humanitarian (and economic) reasons for letting them in.
Card two: Turkey is a powerful member of NATO, with the second-largest army of all members and housing 50 US nuclear bombs. It’s the world’s fifth-largest buyer of arms, 60 per cent coming from the US and plenty from the UK, France, Spain and Russia.
Turkey also invests lavishly in lobbying power, spending $6.6 million on influencing the US government in 2018. It is seen as a tricky but strategic ally in the US’s so-called ‘war on terror’ – even though it is supporting jihadist militants with al-Qaeda connections.
Card three: Turkey has nation-state power. Nation states have a mutual understanding. They can have their own armies, without being called terrorists. They can lock up journalists and political opponents, and still be welcome at the table of world democracies. They can displace thousands of citizens and still be courted as a valuable trading partner.


Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein on Tuesday renewed his country's rejection and condemnation of the Turkish attacks on targets in northern Iraq.
Hussein's comments came during his meeting with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert in his office in the Foreign Ministry at the edge of the Green Zone in central Baghdad, a ministry statement said.
Hussein underlined the need "to stop such violations by the Turkish side, considering the attacks as violating the international covenants and laws," the statement said.
Also on Iraq, MEMO notes:

The Iraqi government is currently preparing for “early legislative elections” to complete the country’s sustainable constitutional establishment, Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, announced yesterday.
Speaking in a meeting with the United Nations Special Representative for Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Al-Kadhimi said that it is “important to have international support and cooperation in the preparation phase.”

That's what Mustafa is supposed to preside over and why he was made prime minister.  These elections will determine not only who serves in Parliament but also who will be prime minister.

In the US?  What is the value of RISING?  Watch the clip below and answer that please.



The rolled eyes and the snarky tones from Krystal?  Does she think she has a high horse to ride?  She doesn't.  Why the hell are they mentioning Philippe Reines?  If there's a reason to mention that vile man, it's to educate your audience.  Reines had harassment complaints against him when he worked under Hillary at the State Dept and Michael Hastings threw that up in his face.  If you're going to talk about the priss-pot, talk about him.  He's a menace and that's the only reason to mention him.

Second, this whole thing about Bernie and his supporters?  What supporters?

He betrayed them and most are gone.  If you're truly a news outlet, Krystal act like you're part of one.  That means making clear that Bernie doesn't 'own' people.  There were people who supported the ideas and the platform he ran on.  Then the coward dropped out.  Then the coward endorsed Joe Biden.  Bernie has nothing to command and it's stupid to think he does.  





We'll close with this news from MS. MAGAZINE:



We are so excited to announce the launch of Ms. magazine's very first podcast, On the Issues with Michele Goodwin! 
You read Ms. online and in print. You follow along on social media. Now, keep up with the feminist movement and even more of Ms.’s substantive, unique reporting with your new favorite podcast. 
Tune in for our premiere episode on Tuesday, June 30 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or MsMagazine.com. 
Get a sneak peek of the feminist analysis, insightful conversations and exciting guests to come: a trailer is available now! We hope you’ll give it a listen, subscribe and rate the podcast. 
On the Issues is a show where we report, rebel, and tell it like it is. Join host Dr. Michele Goodwin as she and special guests tackle the most compelling issues of our times, centering your concerns about rebuilding our nation and advancing the promise of equality. 
Listen to a trailer for On the Issues with Michele Goodwin now — on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
And we’d love if you help spread the word, too! The number one thing you can do to help the Ms. magazine podcast reach new listeners? Subscribe and rate the podcast on Apple. Let’s show the power of independent, feminist media! 
Meet Your On the Issues Host: Dr. Michele Goodwin is a frequent contributor to Ms. magazine and on MsMagazine.com. She is a Chancellor’s Professor at the University of California, Irvine and also serves on the executive committee and national board of the ACLU. Dr. Goodwin is a prolific author and an elected member of the American Law Institute, as well as an elected Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the Hastings Center. Her most recent book, Policing The Womb: Invisible Women and The Criminalization of Motherhood, is described as a "must read."
Tune in Tuesday, June 30 for the first episode of On the Issues with Michele Goodwin: Police Violence — A Tale of Two Genders. Professor Goodwin and her guests will ask critical questions like: where are the women in the field of policing? And why does it matter?
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