Joni Mitchell

[bob_32_116]

The only threads I see about her seem to be ones discussing her health. I think it's time for a proper joni Mitchell thread.

So... who else is a fan?

I was aware of her through the late 60s of course, but I really only got into buying her stuff at around the time of For the Roses and Court and Spark. Since then I have explored a fair bit of both her earlier and later stuff. I find it interesting that she has managed to continue putting out albums that surprise people, and even shock people; she has shifted direction several times.

Folky albums like Blue and Ladies of the Canyon I can listen to all day on rotation. I have to say though that I most appreciate her jazz-tinged period, which seems to have started to surface on For the Roses and continued through Court and Spark, Hissing of Summer Lawns, Hejira and Don Juan's Reckless Daughter, a very strange album indeed which it took me a while to get to like. The interesting thing is that I am not really a fan of jazz itself at all, but I like rock music that has a jazz influence.

Hissing of Summer Lawns is probably my favourite.

There is a lot more to say about Joni...

[Mister Triscuits]

Hissing of Summer Lawns is probably my favourite.

Mine too, no doubt about it. I especially love her whole jazzy phase. Of the earlier albums, my favorite is Clouds. For some reason, apart from the radio hits "California" and "Carey," I've never really been all that into Blue.

[bob_32_116]

Mine too, no doubt about it. I especially love her whole jazzy phase. Of the earlier albums, my favorite is Clouds. For some reason, apart from the radio hits "California" and "Carey," I've never really been all that into Blue.

Of what I regard as her early period, I have Blue and Ladies of the Canyon. I love them both, and I know comparisons are odious, but if asked to choose between them I would take Ladies of the Canyon, only because it seems a little more varied. In particular it has Conversation, which as far as I know is the first of her up-tempo "jazzy" songs, of which she would do many more later on.

[No Pride]

Hissing of Summer Lawns is probably my favourite.

Mine too, no doubt about it.

That makes three of us. I think it's her masterpiece. That's not to say that she hasn't made several other great albums, only that I think it's her best. I'd heard and liked her radio hits from her folky albums, but "Court and Spark" is when I really got on board. Joni is a brilliant composer and one of my all time favorite lyricists. Her art is completely pure; she didn't do it for fame and fortune; in fact she didn't enjoy becoming famous outside of the fact that her art was being appreciated on a grand scale. She continued to experiment and evolve throughout her career and all of it is interesting at the very least. I even like her less successful albums like "Dog Eat Dog" (despite it's '80s production sensibilities). My ex-wife (who despite our differences had great taste in music) called her "a goddess" and I concur.

[mogrooves]

Blue is a desert island disc for me.

[bobert]

I think she is fantastic , as I have said before in other Joni related threads it was my wife who really opened my eyes about how great Joni Mitchell really was , and she and I do not have much in common in our musical tastes, but she absolutely loves Joni's music and after hearing it play around the house and in the car I became a convert, although I will say that back in the 70's whenever I would hear her on the radio I always liked it, but never heard an album by her until I met my wife.

It is hard for me to pick a favorite, there are so many quality albums from her that I can not pick a favorite , but the ones I go to the most are Ladies Of The Canyon ,The Hissing Of Summer Lawns , Court & Spark and Hejira . I really don't dislike any of them though.

[progeezer]

She imo has transcended the labels of "singer, songwriter, poet et al".

To me, she is a sage.

Count me as number 4 for "Hissing" as my favorite album, and her "Mingus" experiment I will never tire of.

I still get goose bumps whenever I hear both "Urge For Going" and "River".

[rcarlberg]

I find it interesting that she has managed to continue putting out albums that surprise people, and even shock people;

Yes, Joni is not one to rest on her laurels or put out the same album over and over. I find much of her later output spotty at best but I appreciate she keeps reaching beyond her grasp.

[the winter tree]

I LOVE her debut album, especially side 2. "Dawntreader" is mesmerizing and beautiful.

[bob_32_116]

On another thread someone posted a radio interview with Joni. At one point she said something that struck me as odd - she said that it's not much good if the listener just hears her (Joni) in her songs, the listener should hear themselves and relate to what is being sung. Maybe that's the way Joni herself listens to other people's music, but I wonder how true it is of the majority of Joni's listeners?

In my case it's not true at all. Firstly there is the obvious fact that I'm a bloke, and many of her songs are deeply personal accounts of things that a woman experiences. Second, even if I try and mentally reverse the gender roles, there isn't much that tallies with my own experience. I have to disagree with her on this point; I think it's possible to appreciate someone else's songs on an emotional level without necessarily identifying with what's in the song.

[rcarlberg]

Kinda and/or maybe. She writes about a lot of universal themes -- love and loss, misunderstandings and misapprehensions -- and a lot of her lyrics are open to interpretation. I think that "open to interpretation" thing is where the listener inserts him/herself.

Songs that are very topical tend to age really quickly. By making them more ambiguous, more universal they gain a much longer and wider relevance.

[bob_32_116]

Songs that are very topical tend to age really quickly. By making them more ambiguous, more universal they gain a much longer and wider relevance.

"Big Yellow Taxi", unfortunately, has not aged. If anything, it's more topical now than when she wrote and recorded it.

[progeezer]

"Big Yellow Taxi", unfortunately, has not aged. If anything, it's more topical now than when she wrote and recorded it.

Ya see! Sages are often prophetic.

[WytchCrypt]

Love Court and Spark and most of the live album with Jaco and Pat Methany (and I'm really not a jazzer) "Shadows and Light"...though I'll admit I cannot stand the 2 songs with the doo-wop-ish vocal band the Persuasions.

[Bungalow Bill]

She has Morgellons. Very sad...

[rcarlberg]

She has Morgellons. Very sad...

Opinions vary. The medical world dismisses it as delusional.

[Bungalow Bill]

Opinions vary. The medical world dismisses it as delusional.

Yeah but she doesn't.

What medical opinion are you talking about, by the way? The medical world that is wholly bought out by the business world? You should have a look at why the CDC pulled it down from their Website. Many doctors recognize Morgellons. But either they don't know what to make or it...or they're pressured to remain silent.

Do some research. Morgellons is quite real. The cause of it is under debate. What it actually is, is under debate. But the symptoms and physical presents are not.

Check out the symptoms. Not the ones that are flu-like. Check out what erupts from the skin.

There's also a very famous MLB player from the Oakland As who has it.

Personally, it looks to me like it's very much related to chemtrail spraying. There are heavy metals in the aerosols...and that might not be all. Have you ever seen chemtrails? Do you want some photos?

Investigate. You might be surprised to find that the mainstream isn't giving out the truth. Well, no surprise...

I have no reason to suspect Joni Mitchell is delusional or a liar...sorry...

[progeezer]

Yeah but she doesn't.

What medical opinion are you talking about, by the way? The medical world that is wholly bought out by the business world? You should have a look at why the CDC pulled it down from their Website. Many doctors recognize Morgellons. But either they don't know what to make or it...or they're pressured to remain silent.

Do some research. Morgellons is quite real. The cause of it is under debate. What it actually is, is under debate. But the symptoms and physical presents are not.

Check out the symptoms. Not the ones that are flu-like. Check out what erupts from the skin.

There's also a very famous MLB player from the Oakland As who has it.

Personally, it looks to me like it's very much related to chemtrail spraying. There are heavy metals in the aerosols...and that might not be all. Have you ever seen chemtrails? Do you want some photos?

Investigate. You might be surprised to find that the mainstream isn't giving out the truth. Well, no surprise...

I have no reason to suspect Joni Mitchell is delusional or a liar...sorry...

This.

[Duncan Glenday]

Yeah but she doesn't.

What medical opinion are you talking about, by the way? The medical world that is wholly bought out by the business world? You should have a look at why the CDC pulled it down from their Website. Many doctors recognize Morgellons. But either they don't know what to make or it...or they're pressured to remain silent.

Do some research. Morgellons is quite real. The cause of it is under debate. What it actually is, is under debate. But the symptoms and physical presents are not.

Check out the symptoms. Not the ones that are flu-like. Check out what erupts from the skin.

There's also a very famous MLB player from the Oakland As who has it.

Personally, it looks to me like it's very much related to chemtrail spraying. There are heavy metals in the aerosols...and that might not be all. Have you ever seen chemtrails? Do you want some photos?

Investigate. You might be surprised to find that the mainstream isn't giving out the truth. Well, no surprise...

I have no reason to suspect Joni Mitchell is delusional or a liar...sorry...

Way OT. (Let's not hijack the thread) The question is - waddaya think about her music.

[Sean]

"Way OT. (Let's not hijack the thread)"

No doubt. The OP starts a thread to deliberately talk about her MUSIC because there is another thread about her health already and damned if a few of you totally ignore that and carry on about all that here too. Are you all selfish or just not very aware?

[JKL2000]

Many doctors recognize Morgellons.

Except they call it something like a manifestation of delusional parasitosis.

[PeterG]

She has Morgellons. Very sad...

It's sad that she thinks she has something that doesn't exist.

[JKL2000]

That makes three of us. I think it's her masterpiece. That's not to say that she hasn't made several other great albums, only that I think it's her best. I'd heard and liked her radio hits from her folky albums, but "Court and Spark" is when I really got on board. Joni is a brilliant composer and one of my all time favorite lyricists. Her art is completely pure; she didn't do it for fame and fortune; in fact she didn't enjoy becoming famous outside of the fact that her art was being appreciated on a grand scale. She continued to experiment and evolve throughout her career and all of it is interesting at the very least. I even like her less successful albums like "Dog Eat Dog" (despite it's '80s production sensibilities). My ex-wife (who despite our differences had great taste in music) called her "a goddess" and I concur.

I'd like to be able to spend some alone time with a few of her albums, some of Colorado's state flower, and a bottle of wine. Alas, I never get a chance...

[hippypants]

Followed her for a long time. I prefer her earlier to mid period. Took me a while to get into her S/T album with Song For A Seagull on it, but it's a great album. I love Blue, Ladies of the Canyon, Court & Spark, For the Roses, Summer Lawns, etc. I always looked forward to hearing a new release by her. (I think Van Morrison is another musician in that timeframe that I feel the same way about.) Night Ride Home is a good album from her more recent period. Probably should listen to Shine again and Taming the Tiger. Hejira is another really well composed/written album.

[Paulrus]

HUGE fan, and she's one of the very few 60s/70s folkies that I've been able to get into. There's something transcendent about her songs, voice and instrumental work that I just don't hear in many of her peers. I started from the beginning with her first two albums that I inherited from my older brother and have added everything she's done up til the late 70s releases. She's traveled an amazing arc from pure folkie to pop star to jazz ingenue, all with a lot of class and total artistic integrity.