Visions of Joanna Newsom

by Brad Buchanan (Editor)

The singer-songwriter, harpist, and composer Joanna Newsom can't help being controversial. No other artist in recent years has evoked such a range of responses, both positive and negative. Yet her distinctive, often jarring voice and ambitious musical sensibility have attracted a worldwide following whose devotion is both intense and intellectually engaged. Visions of Joanna Newsom--a selection of personal, scholarly, poetic, and artistic responses to her work--reflects this obsession. It is a tribute to a unique talent, but also a testament to the deep reflections and powerful emotions her followers and critics have experienced while under her spell.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music, Essays

177 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a poem in here, though not sure how I feel about it all this time later. There are some interesting essays and other stuff but I still think it is too early in her career to really write properly about her work.

One of the best contemporary lyricists and songwriters though, in my opinion - uniquely gifted.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited that a book was being written about so new an artist - Joanna Newsom is one of the quirkiest, creative, and highly challenging new artists on the music scene. My son introduced me to her work while I was doing laundry. Her voice, especially on the older CD's, sounds like Lisa Simpson trying to sing. I was so annoyed that I told him to turn it off. Being a typical young person, he played it whenever I was around and also put it in my car. (little imp) I grew to like her. I grew to love her - especially her lyrics. Have One On Me is an ambitious new offering and yes, yes, yes, she has matured (maybe Lisa Simpson grew up?) and I find her voice interestingly unique. I am now a fan. Big fan. Now my son tells me to turn it off because I now find delight in putting it on all the time. He smiles. So, after that longwinded explanation, I was so excited to receive this book of essays and ephemera about Joanna. I was truly disappointed. It is dense, scholarly, more dense and hard to read. I read it, but it was a slog. Did I learn more? Yes, but it was hard going. The pretty cover pretty well describes the torture inside -- slice and dice to academic pieces. If you are a Joanna Newsom fan, well go for it, but know in advance this will be a slow read. I found it indulgent. I like Joanna Newsome because she writes poetry first and could give a flip about being commercial. She reminds me of Joni Mitchell in that way. There are some great insights- Shayne Pepper writes well about her and it is worth reading. Also, explanations about the artwork were helpful and I was enthusiastic about taking out all the CD's and examining them again. In conclusion, am I glad I read this? yes. Did I enjoy it? Meh. I prefer having my own image, my own understanding, and my own clear appreciation for a wordsmith of the highest order. I do like the fact that she came to light through word of mouth - much like Devendra Banhart (another of my likes through my son's influence.) The power of a grassroots growth of an artist is heartening in this world and I like that Joanna Newsom remains true to herself in spite of this microscopic examination of an early metamorphosis of an emerging artist. Thanks to Brad Buchanan for even undertaking this, but lighten up a little or at least make it an engaging read as the twists and turns occur. I just found this a difficult read through a Medieval fairytale forest full of thorns and then . . . a clearing. . . and then more thorns.

[Rosamund · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am sorry to report that this was a bit of a mess. I'm in no way averse to literary criticism - especially when it comes to such an inspiring and complex artist like Joanna Newsom - but a lot of the literary criticism in this was just neither good nor accessible. Overanalysis to kingdom come, often with obscure references to composers from centuries ago and to musical terminology that a layperson is simply not going to be familiar with. And at that, many of the theories were a total reach.

I will concede that reading this on my Kindle probably wasn't the best way, but the physical copy is so hard to obtain. But at least then, I wouldn't have had to trudge through the stuff I didn't like.

If you're a fan who's curious about the content and meaning of her work (as I am) and you do not hold a PhD in music (as I do not), you won't get much from this. If you don't like it when people think Joanna Newsom is a wistful medieval nymph, you may get mad. There are a couple of pieces that dispute that view, but as a whole, they don't negate it.

That being said, I will end with an apt quotation from an essay I did like ('Season' by Pricilla Ann Cox):

'But I do know that the music of Joanna Newsom is, day by day, listen by listen - and we're up to about 81 times by now - making me braver, making me feel that with it I could ride a horse. Into battle. A big horse. Into a big battle.

This music makes my heart feel stout, and enables me, with my eyes, to breathe fire...'

[Gavin · Rating 2 out of 5]

An incredible artist who deserves a book of criticism, but not this one.

[Scarlett Sims · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of poetry, essays, and pictures inspired by Joanna Newsom's work has its high points and low points.

There was some really good writing. I really enjoyed an essay about different cover versions of her songs because I hadn't heard all of them before. There is also an interesting one analyzing the symbols on the album cover of Ys.

There were also a few I didn't like as much. There was one that was your typical "this is what male reviewers say femininity blah blah" that made me throw up a bit in my mouth. There was another one that claimed to be a "speculative exegesis;" I'm not really sure what that means. I get that it was speculative, but I still think he took a lot of liberties with interpreting her lyrics...

It was interesting to see how other listeners interpreted the songs. There were many times when I felt I had gotten something completely different out of it. I normally hate post-structuralism, but I do think that I prefer my interpretations and it doesn't really matter to me if I'm getting the "intended meaning" or not. I certainly don't think all of the writers in this book have interpreted the songs "correctly," whatever that means.

As for the poetry... well I'm just not a big fan of reading poetry and probably don't have enough background to judge it.

[Boredlacanian · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a wild dive into parasocial madness must this have been for Joanna to read. I'm not necessarily complaining.

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

The essays range for poor to great with some really great pieces about her composing ability and some over reaching ideals that should not be applied to any music, let alone Ms. Newsom's.

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Literary criticism at its (almost) worst. Or maybe I'm just too dumb to understand it. Either way it's a shame.