I was going to post the link, but i know of at least three people on the
list that do not have internet access, so i'll just copy and paste this
(it's actually an advertisment, but interesting to see what they had to say
all the same).
The 10 Essential Joni Mitchell Albums
By Rob O'Connor
CDNOW Contributing Writer
Joni Mitchell is that rare musical artist who, during the early 1970s at
least, ably matched her creative drive with the whims of the marketplace,
recording songs that have stood the test of time and albums that are clear
signposts of the age while remaining consistently innovative.
Few musicians can match Mitchell's emotional intensity or her visionary
flair for the unusual. Hearing to her albums in chronological order allows
the listener to follow Mitchell's musical meanderings, from folk to rock to
pop to jazz. from earnest Canadian teenager to California folkie to worldly
traveler and political commentator.
A singer with a unique internal rhythm, a wry sense of humor and an
expressive voice ready to take flight, Mitchell is one of the few musicians
for whom it is difficult to pick out the influences.
Her influence, however, is immediately recognizable in the works of male and
female artists alike, from Rickie Lee Jones to Prince to Rufus Wainwright
and Fiona Apple.
1. Blue
The early 1970s was the perfect time to be a sensitive singer-songwriter.
Quiet songs of great reflection were in perfect tune with the needs of
then-progressive late-night FM radio. Blue, with its dark piano tones and
airy acoustic guitars, is simply perfect. While the immediately recognizable
"River" gets carted out every Christmas for its seasonal references, there
is no shortage of great songs here. From the freewheeling rhythm of the
opening track, "All I Want," to the somber finale, "Last Time I Saw
Richard," Mitchell careens through with the poise of a heart-wrenching pro.
2. For the Roses
"You Turn Me on I'm a Radio" was the playful, obvious hit. But the true
treasures of this set, the follow-up to Blue, are the subtle ones: the way,
for example, "Lesson in Survival" segues into "Let the Wind Carry Me." These
are not your standard verse-chorus-verse-chorus songs, but lyrical
compositions that unwind slowly with unconventional twists of melody
creating fresh new ground.
3. Hejira
Her wandering spirit has been no secret, so it's only natural that Mitchell
conceive an entire album centered on traveling and her fascination with the
road. The production is chilly, sprung from the eel-like bass slithering of
Jaco Pastorius and Max Bennett, and Mitchell's own sparse, cold electric
guitars. Warmth is found in Mitchell's deepening voice (a lifetime of
cigarettes catching up with her) and the beautiful, elliptical compositions
("Refuge of the Roads," "Song for Sharon").
4. Court & Spark
Her greatest commercial success --"Help Me," "Free Man in Paris" and
"Raised on Robbery" -- all of which earned heavy radio play -- combines an
unlikely accessibility with Mitchell's usual fiery artistic strokes. Her
personal obsessions, however, are turning more to the vicissitudes of fame,
whether it's her label boss David Geffen's ("Free Man") or her own
("People's Parties"). Her opinion of human nature is turning cynical as well
("Down to You"), but Mitchell was soon to forge a new path.
5. Ladies of the Canyon
Mitchell's third album features several of her most well-known songs.
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young would hit with an amplified version of
"Woodstock," but here it's a gentle call to the wild. "Big Yellow Taxi" is a
standard, and "The Circle Game" has a childlike simplicity that makes it a
natural sing-along. Complimenting these obvious gems are the allegedly
Leonard Cohen-inspired "Rainy Night House" and "The Priest," songs of
powerful spiritual longing.
6. Clouds
Mitchell pulled all the pieces of her artistic puzzle together effectively
for the first time with her second album, Clouds. Her playful language is
matched perfectly to melodies that immediately grab the listener. "Both
Sides Now" was also a hit for Judy Collins; "Tin Angel" had been brilliantly
covered by Tom Rush, and "Chelsea Morning" is glorious.
.7 The Hissing of the Summer Lawns
As Mitchell writes in the album's liner notes, "This record is a total work
conceived graphically, musically, lyrically, and accidentally -- as a
whole." Such artists as Prince and Annie Lennox would both praise the album
for its creative symmetry, though many critics of the time were confused by
its unorthodox approaches. (Its use of the warrior drums of Burundi for "The
Jungle Line," for example, is a masterstroke.) Mitchell's multitracked
vocals and synthesizer experiment with "Shadows and Light" express further
freedom from conventional expectations.
8. Night Ride Home
Mitchell spent most of the 1980s writing songs of sharp socio-political
commentary backed with music often colder than the world it criticized.
1991's Night Ride Home brought back the missing warmth with a song cycle
that further expressed Mitchell's earthly concerns, balanced here with a
rich, mature melodicism. Like Van Morrison, Mitchell's range continued to
deepen and shrink with age, but her ability to phrase and emote had
expanded.
9. Turbulent Indigo
By 1994, Joni Mitchell was both a respected music industry veteran and
someone immune to the whims of fashion. Her albums were recorded with
musicians she respected -- Larry Klein, Wayne Shorter, Jim Keltner -- and
her songs reflected both her acceptance of her own moody world (the title
track) and her amused disgust with the outside one ("Sex Kills"). Like
letters from an old friend, Mitchell's work is infused with both a familiar
voice and new concerns.
10. Hits
For the unsure, the uninitiated, or those who like it short and sweet, Hits
collects the obvious, well, hits, as well as an early demo of "Urge for
Going" that is essential to Mitchell completists. But for everyone else,
it's a super-quick spin through the songs that made Mitchell famous. No real
surprises, but a solid collection from start to finish.
