We’re careening dangerously close to the end of the afternoon and I’ve yet to post today’s track. A bad sign.
There is a certain class of song that manages to mention a given holiday without actually being considered a holiday song. Joni Mitchell’s “River” is a perfect example. Though the track begins with a piano-keyed reference to “Jingle Bells,” the lyrics are less about Christmas cheer and more about getting far, far away from the ill-fitting comforts of hearth and home. A holiday tune for the seasonally affected? Maybe so.
Pretty song, though. Particularly since this was recorded in 1971, back when Joni still had her trademark voice … as opposed to the hard-travelled alto she employs today.
Today’s Track Present: “River” is on the one Joni Mitchell album that everyone ought to own: Blue
Gift Idea: Too often, it has been said that Jimmy Carter was a less than effective President. Rarely, however, is it ever said that Jimmy Carter has been anything but a highly effective former President. While Gerald Ford is busy skiing the slopes of Aspen, his immediate successor to the office has — through The Carter Center here in Atlanta — been curing blindness, stopping disease and fighting hunger. And they could do even more with a little help.
