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Joni MitchellAlbums ReviewedSong To A Seagull (1968)Blue (1971) For The Roses (1972) Court and Spark (1974) Miles of Aisles (1974) The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975) Hejira (1976) Mingus (1979) Wild Things Run Fast (1982) Hits (1996) Misses (1996) Song To A Seagull(1968)Joni Mitchell may be one of the most influential female musicians of the rock era, blazing a path for women in the singer songwriter, jazz, pop, and world music idioms, but judging from her debut she wanted to be the next Joan Baez or Judy Collins, rather than the female equivalent of Bob Dylan or fellow Canadian Neil Young. While Mitchell wrote all of the songs on this record, it's definitely in the style of early sixties revivalist folk; her melodies are often fey, her lyrics sophomoric and her voice high and clear like Baez, generally lacking the experimental spirit and angst of her later work. Mitchell's virtually solo on acoustic guitar here, with no piano pieces (later albums such as Blue would be divided equally between piano and guitar based songs) and support only coming from Stephen Stills on bass on the irritating 'Night In The City'. It's a warning sign when Mitchell dedicates the album to Mr Kratzman "who taught me to love words"; these songs are too full of words for their own good. While there are signs of the rich imagery and emotional economy to come, there's also sophomoric poetry like "I looked thru window-glass at streets and Nathan grumbled at the grey." Culled from her early live sets - Mitchell has dozens of songs from her early career that were never recorded - the songs are largely chosen to fit a theme. Songs that were already hits for other artists, such as 'Both Sides Now', are overlooked in favour of a ten song cycle, the first half of which is titled "I came to the city" and the second half "Out of the city and down to the seaside", presumably inspiring a similarly titled PJ Harvey record almost quarter of a century later. At this point Mitchell was writing clever and complex songs, but they're often difficult to connect to, flowery and meandering rather than emotional and direct. Outside the autobiographical symmetry of the opener 'I Had A King', about the breakup of her marriage with singer-songwriter Chuck Mitchell, and the closing 'Cactus Tree', with references to her then boyfriend and producer David Crosby ("he takes her to a schooner and he treats her like a Queen") it's hard to get past the monotony factor of this record and I seldom feel like listening to it. It is a fascinating record in Mitchell's development though; the romantic narration here is a long way from the cutting emotion of Blue, just three years and three albums later. 
Clouds(1969)Ladies of the Canyon(1970)Haven't heard either of these, although a lot of the material from Ladies of the Canyon turns up on Miles of Aisles and the compilations at the bottom of the page. Blue(1971)In 1971, the singer-songwriter movement was in full swing, and Joni Mitchell only needed to slightly darken her earlier folk style to join the solemn party. She was already part of the movement's inner circle, having previously been involved with David Crosby and Graham Nash and now with James Taylor, and cemented her authenticity with the low key and almost solo Blue. Song for song, Blue might just be the best album ever made. Even when Mitchell's in the often written about areas of relationships. she still manages to write creative and intriguing lyrics. A perfect example is the lead-off track 'All I Want', where she invents a series of faux-cliches ("I want to shampoo you/I want to renew you again and again"). While the first two songs are upbeat about promising relationships Blue become more painful with 'Little Green', about the child Joni had to give up for adoption. The rest of Blue is just as engagingly bleak and personal; 'This Flight Tonight' details fear of flying, while 'River' details a bitter relationship breakup: "I'm so hard to handle/I'm selfish and I'm sad/Now I've gone and lost the best baby I ever had." By the last two songs, Mitchell has completely lost faith in relationships; 'A Case of You' declares that "You are in my blood like holy wine/You taste so bitter and so sweet/I could drink a case of you darling and I would still be on my feet," while 'The Last Time I Saw Richard' tells the story of a friend who loses his charm when he is seduced by a life of bland normality. The imagery on this song is superb, particularly in the third verse where the clumsiness of the lyrics "Richard got married to a figure skater/and he bought her a dishwasher and a coffee perculator," perfectly captures the replacement of art and beauty by materialism and blandness. While Blue is superb, I do think that her later trio of jazz inflected albums, Court and Spark, The Hissing of Summer Lawns and Hejira, have more relistening value; Blue doesn't stand up to repeated listenings as well, as it relies on emotional impact rather than musical complexity and texture. Hence, the best treatment for Blue is to pull it out occasionally and be surprised by the effective simplicity and honesty, rather than overplaying it.
For The Roses(1972)The transitional album that's often overlooked between the twin peaks of Blue and Court And Spark, For The Roses is slightly underwhelming as it's merely a very good album. The arrangements are fuller than ever before, although far less slick and jazzy than Court And Spark, with lots of Joni's fluid piano parts. Mitchell was still only a minor force commercially, as shown in the closing song 'Judgement Of The Moon and Stars (Ludwig's Theme)' where she's only able to afford to pay one violinist where the arrangement calls for a dramatic string section. There are two main reasons this album feels underwhelming; the lyrics are mostly in the second or third person or feature Joni discussing obscure life experiences, while there are no immediately catchy songs on the album. It's all well crafted, but it doesn't hit with emotional directness like Blue or with hooks like Court And Spark. The exception to the former rule is 'Woman of Heart and Mind', a straightforward declaration of female independence where Mitchell outguns everything Alanis, Jewel et al have tried to achieve, as well as unexpectedly uttering a profanity. In a further act of female independence, Joni displays herself in full rear view in the artwork; it's relatively small and tasteful in the CD booklet, but I imagine that the full size LP version is pushing towards soft porn. For all its lack of immediacy, there are plenty of amazing songs here. 'Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire' is an evocative tale of heroin addiction (""Come with me/I know the way" she says/"It's down. down, down the dark ladder""), with James Burton adding some bite with his electric guitar part. The title track is a delicate attack on the commercial focus of the music scene in general ("I guess I seem ungrateful/With my teeth sunk in the hand/That brings me things/I can't give up just yet") and James Taylor in particular ("Remember the days you used to....pour your simple sorrow/To the soundhole and your knee/And now you're seen/on giant screens/And at parties for the press"). In fact, about half of the songs on the album that can easily be construed as tactful antagonism against Taylor; Mitchell obviously disregarded his irritating 1970 album track 'Baby, Don't You Loose Your Lip on Me'. It's the closing three songs that provide the greatest impact; 'Blonde In the Bleachers' is perhaps the most musically immediate song, with a momentuous climax courtesy of Stephen Stills. 'Woman of Heart and Mind' has a driving power despite its gentle guitar accompaniment, while 'Judgement of the Moon and Stars' is arguably Mitchell's best ever song. Although it's slightly hamstrung by the lack of a proper string section, it's still an excellent compostion with typically excellent lyrics ("Strike every chord that you feel/That broken trees/And elephant ivories/Conceal"). There are a few lesser songs on For The Roses as well, as I've never really understood the appeal of 'Barangrill' or 'See You Sometime', but there's nothing that impedes the flow of the album and plenty of great examples of Mitchell's songwriting craft. You should pick up the surrounding albums first since this one's a little more obtuse and difficult to grasp, but if you're a Mitchell fan you're definitely going to want to hear this one at some point.
Court and Spark(1974)In 1974 Mitchell began playing with jazz band The LA Express. As she'd grown up influenced by jazz as a child, Court and Spark and the two subsequent studio albums probably reflect most accurately what Joni was trying to achieve throughout her career. Court and Spark was both Joni's commercial high point and arguably her best album; tracing the trajectory of a dysfunctional relationship, from an exciting start to betrayal ('Car on the Hill') and mental anguish ('Trouble Child', 'Twisted'). My favourite song on Court and Spark is the opening title track, a low key piano ballad, but it is difficult to fault anything. The single 'Help Me' sounds more like a hit than anything else Joni has recorded; 'Big Yellow Taxi' would qualify except for the tasteless vocal shenanigans at the end. The music is extremely sleek and stylish, yet the lyrics are confessional and heartfelt enough to stop Court and Spark from wandering into the adult contemporary minefield.
Miles of Aisles(1974)Recorded during Mitchell's commercial apex, on the Court And Spark tour with the LA Express, Miles of Aisles could be viewed as a cash-in. It's much more interesting, however, than the alternative of a greatest hits compilation, with Mitchell taking the smooth jazz approach of Court And Spark to some of her back catalogue's highlights and performing gorgeous solo versions of others. At this stage Mitchell already had an excellent selection of tunes at her disposal, and she's able to skip over her nascent first two albums almost entirely, leave out other key tracks like 'River' and 'California', take only one track from Court and Spark (the low key 'People's Parties'), and still put together a stellar tracklist. There are more than enough reinventions to make this album worthwhile even for those already familiar with the rest of her catalogue, while if you're limiting yourself to one Joni Mitchell album for some bizarre reason, Miles of Aisles isn't a bad option. A lot of the earlier songs are toughened up too; the understated jazz feel on 'Big Yellow Taxi' and 'You Turn Me On, I'm A Radio' is much more appealing than their somewhat cheesy studio versions. If the pop jazz crossover is a little corny and overbearing on 'Carey' (which is pretty enjoyable nonetheless), it's invigorating on 'Woodstock', which blows away the obtuse studio version. The two new songs, 'Jericho' and 'Love or Money' are both excellent; the former eventually turned up on 1977's Don Juan's Reckless Daughter, while I inexplicably love the line "long lonely legs/bruised from banging into things" from the latter. Mitchell's stage presence is intriguing; she doesn't seem entirely natural as a live performer - edgy and awkward at times ("We've got to get ourselves back to some semblance of a garden" she ad-libs in 'Woodstock') - but earnest and sometimes funny (the impersonation of the crusty waitress in 'The Last Time I Saw Richard'). I'd stop a little short of citing Miles of Aisles as completely essential, but if you enjoy Mitchell's studio albums from the same era it's enjoyable nonetheless and well worth picking up.
The Hissing of Summer Lawns(1975)The Hissing of Summer Lawns is a daring followup to Court and Spark; Mitchell changes from the demure woman in search of love to a radical social commentator, and this album was savaged by Rolling Stone upon release. Sonically The Hissing of Summer Lawns augments the bright jazz of Court and Spark with new textures, such as the pedal steel and dobro in 'Don't Interrupt the Sorrow'. It would be an extremely pleasant album if Joni had not over extended herself in 'The Jungle Line' and 'Shadows and Light'. Neither is without merit: 'The Jungle Line' was the first piece of popular music to use sampled African rhythms as Joni sings and plays keyboards and guitar over her Warrior Drummers of Burundi LP, while 'Shadows and Light' shows masterful use of kitsch Moog synthesizers. These two jarring tracks spoil the continuity of an otherwise outstanding album. 'Don't Interrupt the Sorrow' and 'Harry's House' in particular are two of Joni's most creative pieces of work; the former burbles along in a nice country groove while the latter features some of Joni's best directed lyrics. Other highlights include the soothing 'Shades of Scarlett Conquering' and 'The Boho Dance'. I wouldn't recommend starting with The Hissing of Summer Lawns as its experimental approach can be difficult, but it features some of her most intriguing work.
Hejira(1976)Hejira is the Arabic word for departure, which is derived from Hegira: the story of the flight of Mohammed from Mecca in 622 AD. In Hejira Mitchell tells of her own journey of an escape from a failed relationship, in the form of a road journey across America and Canada. Along the way she records the people that she meets ('Coyote', 'Strange Boy') and reminisces about previous failed relationships ('Song for Sharon'). As pure poetry the lyrics of Hejira possibly stand up better under scrutiny than any other popular music recording ,with elegant imagery such as "Sharon you've got a husband/And a family and a farm/I've got the apple of temptation/And a diamond snake around my arm." Musically, Hejira initially seems monotonous, with restrained guitar picking, while the melody lines are obscure compared to Court and Spark. Upon closer listening the songs are beautifully crafted, and the textures make Hejira soothing. An indication of how difficult Hejira can be is that the most accessible song is also the longest: 'Song For Sharon'. Once appreciated, the languid Hejira is a perfect album for a relaxed car trip on a hot summer's day, as you seek the 'Refuge of the Roads' with Joni.
Don Juan's Reckless Daughter(1977)I haven't heard a note from this record, and I should really try and track it down sometime. A double album, it's sometimes labelled as indulgent, which in itself would be an interesting anamoly for Mitchell. Mingus(1979)While Mitchell's attempts to blur the boundaries between jazz and pop in the mid-seventies were largely successful, resulting in arguably the strongest phase of her career, Mingus finds her drifting too far away from personal songwriting and into more pure jazz forms. The album had its origins when legendary jazz bassist Charles Mingus nominated Mitchell to complete the songs that he was working on before his death, an honour for Mitchell and a somewhat controversial decision for Mingus to appoint a white woman. Mingus was a highly enigmatic figure and according to the liner notes, the day he died aged 56, 56 sperm whales beached themselves on the Mexican coastline. Mitchell wrote lyrics and fleshed out Mingus' arrangements, enlisting jazz musicians including Jaco Pastorious, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. For this particular album I'm quite comfortable with the suggestion that it's beyond me; it feels like it's pitched more towards a sophisticated jazz audience than anything that Mitchell performed previously, but at the same time, apart from her distinctive voice, it's difficult to gauge exactly what Mitchell bought to this project that a lesser, or a more conventionally jazz, performer couldn't have. With only six songs, padded out by snippets of dialogue from Charles Mingus that give the album some much needed character, most of the songs are too drawn out and slow moving to be effective. At six and a half minutes long, 'The Wolf That Lives in Lindsey' is one of the offenders, but it's atmospheric and interesting with sudden acoustic guitar punctuations and wouldn't be out of place on Hejira. 'Goodbye Pork Pie Hat', a Mingus standard with lyrics from Mitchell, works fine, simply because it's a good song. And this album's one unqualified winner is the fast and funky 'The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines', which has more energy than the rest of the album put together and great basslines from Pastorious; if there were more songs like this and less jazz meanderings like 'A Chair in the Sky' and 'Sweet Sucker Dance', Mingus would be a whole lot more entertaining. I'm sure there are a significant number of Mitchell fans out there who really love this album, and if you're of a jazz inclination by all means check it out. Mitchell's notable for continually pushing her boundaries (although contrarily, Blue and Court And Spark are two of her safest records), but her decision to revert to straightforward rock with her next album, Wild Things Run Fast, could perhaps be interpreted as an acknowledgement that she went too far off the deep end with this particular one.
Wild Things Run Fast(1982)While Joni Mitchell's pretentions and tendency to explore unbecoming textures have often overwhelmed her music since Hejira, Wild Things Run Fast is a notable exception; her most accessible album since Court and Spark. While descriptions such as "Joni Mitchell's rock album" and "duet with Lionel Richie" may raise alarm bells, Wild Things Run Fast is more along the lines of smooth jazzy pop, with only a couple of tracks that really up the ante. While the music's generally solid enough, supported by an able cast of jazz musicians including Wayne Shorter, John Guerin and Larry Klein, the lyrics are tangibly facile by Mitchell's standards. They share the same romantic preoccupations as Court and Spark, but aren't as personalised or as stylish; it's symptomatic that the cover of rock and roll standard 'You're So Square (Baby I Don't Care)' doesn't feel out of place. Meanwhile, "gayboys with their pants so tight" is one image that Mitchell could have kept to herself. But, if the simplified lyrics help Mitchell to make the songs more accessible, their lack of ambition is perfectly acceptable. Wild Things Run Fast starts strongly with 'Chinese Cafe', supposedly a dialogue with Carole King about the rigours of aging, that drops hints of 'Unchained Melody' before seguing cleverly into it. In a surprising move for Mitchell, given that she'd often criticised Christianity in past albums, the lyrics for 'Love' are a verbatim reading of St. Paul's epistle to the Corinthians ("love does not boast....."). Between these two serious bookends , easily the two best and most significant songs on the album, the rest of the fare is more light hearted; for example, it's quite disorienting to hear Mitchell make a straightforward declaration of love in 'Underneath The Streetlight'. The two rock songs, the title track and the Lionel Richie duet 'You Dream Flat Tires', are both surprisingly effective; Mitchell certainly doesn't sacrifice any of her dignity in the process. The rest of the album is enjoyable enough; although it's not particularly substantial, it's a much easier listen than anything else she's produced for a long time. There are nice songs like 'Moon At The Window', and boring songs like 'Be Cool', but it's all pretty much cut from the same soft-jazz cloth. Apart from standout tracks 'Love' and 'Chinese Cafe', Wild Things Run Fast isn't particularly essential, and even though it's pleasant enough throughout I wouldn't bother tracking this one down until after you've digested her seventies output.
Hits(1996)While many reviewers shun compilations, I'm more than happy to review them. I'm not particularly interested in buying complete discographies of artists I don't have a particular fondness for, and a compilation is a good way to acquire key tracks. However, Hits is a compilation that just doesn't work. Joni Mitchell has made some great albums (refer to Blue through to Hejira), but she only produced a relatively small number of catchy, concise singles. It is not surprising, nor unfair, that Mitchell has only scored three Top 40 singles. As a result, Hits doesn't work particularly well. There is a series of four songs towards the end of Hits ('Help Me', 'Free Man in Paris', 'River' and 'Chinese Cafe/Unchained Melody') with radio potential, but there's disappointly little else. Joni's catchiest songs such as 'Chelsea Morning', 'The Circle Game' and 'You Turn Me On I'm A Radio' are her most irritating, while 'Big Yellow Taxi' commits commercial suicide with its vocal shenanigans at the close. Hits includes the weakest material from Blue ('Carey') and Court and Spark ('Raised On Robbery') while The Hissing of Summer Lawns and Hejira are ignored. Of interest to fans, 'Urge For Going' is a nice early song that never appeared on an official album. This isn't necessarily a bad sampler of Mitchell's most accessible moments, but as my first Mitchell purchase it didn't really pique my interest, and I wasn't hooked on Joni until I picked up a cheap copy of Court and Spark on impulse. Skip this and go directly to Blue (folk) or Court And Spark (pop jazz) instead.
Misses(1996)It is simply unbelievable that Misses is a mediocre album, despite containing such amazing songs as 'Harry's House', 'A Case of You' and 'Hejira'. Mitchell authorised Hits on the condition that she could compile Misses, a collection of her lesser known songs. Unfortunately much of her lesser known work originates from the 1980s, a decade where her taste lapsed more badly than anyone's. While the jazzy 'Impossible Dreamer', featuring Weather Report alumni Wayne Shorter, deserves its place, it is foolish to resist skipping through 'Dog Eat Dog' and 'The Reoccurring Dream'. One would expect that Joni would prefer to let her sleeping embarrassments lie, rather than dredge them up for public ridicule a second time. Her 1990s material marks an improvement in taste, but is often overlong, uninteresting and unmemorable. The obvious moral from Misses is for Joni to concentrate on the 1970s, the period she was indisputably at her peak. The selections from that era are highly satisfying, especially the anti-materialist etherealness of 'The Arrangement', the lyrical brilliance of 'A Case of You' and the anti-materialist jazziness of 'Harry's House'. A compilation based chiefly on the 1970s would have been wonderful, even though her albums from that era are strong enough to render it superfluous. As it stands Misses is woefully uneven.
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Written 2001-2009, Graham Fyfe
