[Gary->dee]

Took me long enough but I finally came around to exploring Joni's music. Previously I had only vaguely heard a song or two of hers and I told myself that one day I'll look into her music because it seemed like some good stuff.

Well I have, at least two albums within a week so far: 1971's Blue and 1974's Court and Spark, which I believe features her most signature tune "Help Me".

My opinion: WHAT A BREATH OF FRESH AIR!

Christ now I know what I've been missing by not listening to her music all these years. It's as if one missing musical piece of the puzzle that makes up life has been put in place and indentified. Now I can't stop listening to the two albums I have thus far, but now I'm also curious about her other albums. Mostly Ladies of the Canyon and After The Roses because I'm loving this era of her music.

Anyway does anyone have any recommendations or opinions of Joni Mitchell's music?

Btw funny story; around 10 years ago I was interning for a record label in West Hollywood and I would frequently run errands in my car. One day another intern and I ran some errands and we drove past what I think was a funky furniture store of sorts near the record label. There was a lady with long blond hair wearing a hat laying back in a large comfortable chair and a photographer was taking her photograph. My intern friend, who was driving, playfully waved to her as we slowly drove by. Even though I hadn't hardly heard any of her music I was able to identify the woman as Joni Mitchell. I turned to my buddy and asked, "Do you know who that was?" He said no so I told him.

[PatrickL]

Oooh, I envy you, getting to discover Joni Mitchell's music for the first time.

You started with two albums that are widely considered among her best. What can I suggest next? Sure, "Ladies of the Canyon" and "For The Roses" are both terrific albums, from around the same time - the former has a more spare, folky sound ("The Circle Game," "Big Yellow Taxi") while the latter is musically and chronologically right in between the two albums you already have.

But if I could only pick one more Joni Mitchell album to land on you, I would jump just a few years ahead to "Hejira", which remains one of my all-time favorite albums by anyone. It's not as pop-sounding an album as "Court and Spark" and I'm at something of a loss to describe it, except to say that if you like the track "Down to You" from "...Spark" you probably will take to the songwriting on the "Hejira" album straightaway.

[Gary->dee]

Thanks for the advice, Patrick. Yeah it seems like 'Ladies' and 'Roses' are the next albums I'll explore in order to become more intimate with Mitchell's music. I'm glad I've finally come around to her but then again considering the other albums I've been exploring lately like Van Morrison's Moondance, James Taylor and even The Carpenters- getting into Joni Mitchell was the next logical step.

And with the albums I have so far, 'Blue' and 'Court', it helps a great deal that I'm familiar with some of the locations she sings about. Places like L.A., Malibu, California, Paris, France and so on really open me up since I've been there and in the case of Paris I'll be going back in the Spring. No doubt I'll take Joni with me. I mean it might sound like a shallow comment but it helps a great deal when exploring an artist that you're somewhat familiar with what they're singing about. Except Canada, never been there.

At any rate, I'll do some research on Hejira. I've already read some comments from people that say Joni went into an experimental phase of her musical career in her later years.

[ChristopherDAC]

My God!

Sorry, it's just that Van Morrison and Joni Mitchell have been the background music of my life, as it were. Seriously, that's what's been on the turntable or the cassette deck or the CDP forever in my mind, along with a few other goodies -- Joan Baez; Judy Collins; Dylan; Crosby, Stills, & Nash; Neil Young by himself or with the foregoing; the Band... actually a lot of things, particularly once you count in the blues and rock too, but I'm digressing. This is good stuff. If you can find LP copies of Mitchell's albums and others for which she did the cover art at a local used-record store or somewhere, even if the LPs are unplayable/you don't have a turntable you might want to pick them up for the sake of the paintings, which look so strange in tiny-size. Anyway I might suggest the compilation albums "Hits" and "Misses", to get an overview of her work.

[Phil A]

I'd concur with "Hits" and "Misses" - can't go wrong with those.

[Scott Merryfield]

Quote:

the other albums I've been exploring lately like Van Morrison's Moondance, James Taylor and even The Carpenters- getting into Joni Mitchell was the next logical step.

Along the same vein, you may want to check out Carole King's "Tapestry" album, too. It certainly fits within your current music exploration.

[Gary->dee]

I wouldn't doubt it, Scott. I guess I'm getting into my singer/songwriter phase in which I'm diving into this early 70's music with a passion. Joni Mitchell's music has been like an epiphany. Great music coupled with a master wordsmith. Now when I hear references to Joni Mitchell in movies or other songs I have a better understanding and respect for her.

I forgot to mention that I had also been listening to Cat Stevens' Teaser and the Firecat before I had gotten into Van Morrison or Joni Mitchell. Teaser is another fantastic album. With Cat Stevens, Van Morrison, James Taylor and Joni Mitchell I think you've got some of the best music ever made. I also have some Neil Young and CSN&Y, but I've had those for years now so I'm in the know, although I admit that I eventually have to expand my Neil Young collection.

[Rob Gillespie]

Hejira, if only to haar Jaco Pastorious swoop gloriously up and down that fretless bass.

[Mike Broadman]

As a recovering metal-head and current jazz snob, some people are quite surprised when I tell 'em I love Joni.

By far my favorite female songwriter.

The period you're in, Gary, is widely considered her peak. The only album in this bunch that hasn't been mentiond so far is The Hissing of Summer Lawns, which is gorgeous, so don't skip it.

I personally like to traverse an artist's career chronologically if possible when exploring it.

s/t aka Song To A Seagull
Her first and the one I listen to least. Since it's just her singing and accompanying herself on guitar, she was considered a folk or "folk-rock" singer. The songs are OK but her voice is a little too affected to fully connect with this listener.

Clouds
The songs are stronger, the singing a bit more comfortable (but not completely there yet). Both Sides Now and Chelsea Morning are the "hits" from this record, while Songs to Aging Children Come finds her experimenting with layered harmony vocals. The instumentation is still just her guitar.

Ladies of the Canyon
Her first masterpiece finds her expanding. Piano is featured on some songs and the compositions are sometimes a bit more ambitious. It's also arguable the most varied in terms of mood. "Big Yellow Taxi" and "Woodstock" are the famous numbes, the latter of which was famously covered by CSN.

Blue
Try to find a copy of the DCC gold OOP CD for this. Sounds gorgeous.

For the Roses
Joni is often called a "confessional" singer-songwriter, mostly because of the stunning success of Blue, really the only album of which this common description is fully apt. For the Roses channels the emotional intensity of Blue with the musical development hinted at in Canyon. "You Turn Me On I'm A Radio" is the best known number here and suggests the jazzy-pop sensibilities that come to full flower on...

Court and Spark
DCC Gold for this is even better than the one for Blue

Hissing of Summer Lawns
Probably my favorite of hers (right now, anyway) and where she really starts to get quirky and experimental. Her musical storyteller/talky style is fully developed in songs like Edith & the Kingpin and the gorgeous and jarring collage sounding Harry's House/Centerpiece. The Jungle Line is a weird Moog thing, and Shadows and Light is a real pretty near-acapella number.

Heijira
Like Hissing, this music is tough to penetrate. Jazz composition is now an integral part of the music, which explains the presence of jazz musicians on the album including, for some tracks, the legendary Jaco Pastorious on electric bass. Black Crow, Coyote, and Amelia are the stand-out numbers here.

Don Juan's Reckless Daughter
This double-LP is the first album in her career since her debut where people start to have divergent opinions. To some, her pretentions caught up to her and it's unlistenable; to others, it's the culmination of her work. The side-long soundscapy Paprika Plains may give creedence to the former school of thought, while Dreamland and the title track to the latter.

Mingus
Compositions based on melodies and musical ideas invented byt the legendary jazz musician (and personal fave musician of all time) for whom the album is named after. It's hit 'n' miss.

Wild Things Run Fast, Chalk Mark In a Rain Storm, Dog Eat Dog, Night Ride Home
Her 80s material for Geffen records is often neglected- most people stop listening to Joni by this point. However, there's a lot of good music on these records (and some misses). It's not as elaborate as, say, Heijira, but then she was already done with that.
There is a wonderful box set of these four albums that you can find for relatively cheap.

Turbulent Indigo, Taming the Tiger
Interesting and ultimately rewarding "comeback" albums. Her voice by now is weathered and aged, which gives a new and wonderful character (gone is the little girl of Big Yellow Taxi). Recommended.

[b]Both Sides Now[/i]
An album of mostly old jazz standards and reworkings of two of her old songs arranged as a conceptual song cycle about relationships backed by strings. Not bad, not great.

There's also a pretty entertaining live album called Misles of Aisles that came out right after Court & Spark and an album and recently a DVD from the Heijira/Don Juan period called Shadows & Light, where she's backed my such jazz luminaries as Pat Metheney, Don Alias, and Jaco.

[Rich Malloy]

Let me just amplify Mike's comments: the DCC Gold discs of "Blue" and "Court and Spark" are among the most treasured discs in my collection. The HDCD remasters sound positively tepid in comparison (and I mean all of them, including "Hejira"). If only Steve Hoffman could have mastered the entire Joni discography ("Ladies" was scheduled just before DCC went out of business).

I was able to purchase "Blue" before the last OOP copy left the racks, but I searched for months and months to find an affordable copy of "Court and Spark" on eBay. Paid around $60 for it, and have gotten several thousand dollars worth of enjoyment since, though I s'pose it's hard to quantify these things!

[Jeff Ulmer]

Mike has covered things quite nicely. Another artist in a similar vein is Dar Williams, a little more contemporary, but with a wonderfully quirky lyrical style.

I would also recommend two early Anne Murray albums, What About Me and Both Sides Now (a great cover of Mitchell's song). WAM got a horrid remaster, but BSN is available on a double album CD that sounds wonderful.

Also be sure to discover Gordon Lightfoot if you haven't already. Brilliant.