After reading a whole bunch of the reviews and editing comments I ask: Why do people
always take everything in the micro. If you look at these albums isolated from
anything and everything else they look one way and let the nitpicking begin. However,
taken along with the rest of Joni Mitchels life or career and they look very
different.
DJRD was a continuation of her Hejira. Not the album but her continuous journey. Joni
hasnt coasted ever in her career. She has forcibly pushed her envelope ongoing. Why
would the helium voiced folkie chick suddenly veer into blind alleys and box canyons
with Jaco Pastorius and Charles Mingus when she could simply do what everyone expects
her to do. Simple. She's Amelia. If what she did wasnt as good as something else prior
"So what". Anyway is the fact that it "isnt as good" her problem or the listeners
limited taste. So can anyone say DJRD is a bad album. Nope. Like all the others there
is a quality there and some gem songs. Anyone ever always produce masterpiece albums.
Nope. Not even the Beatles.
I think this is what one needs to appreciate about Joni Mitchell, her utter bravery.
She pulls off every album she has ever made and then some. Cotton Avenue especially
the intro is so unique, different, and a stretching out of her abilities as both a
writer and a player that the first time I heard it I said, "This must be someone else
I wonder who she got to play this" and began looking at the liner notes.
As for Paprica Planes. I wonder about some people and what they know about music. Ive
written lots of songs but for the life of me I cant imagine where she got those melody
lines and if in fact she wrote the arrangements they are absolute genius. Long ? yes
but then there was alot of statement that she wanted to make and the orchestral
wanderings are reminiscent of Dvorak at some of his better points. Huzzah to that.I
think Paprica is a gauntlet to other artists. Try THAT the woman says to her rivals.
Think about it. How many musicians could have done that. Bruce Springsteen, Hootie and
the Blowfish, The FuFighters, Courtney Love, tell me who? Who or how many have even
tried. I dont dote on the song but every time I listen to it I ask myself "How did
she write that one". How did the mind that wrote Morning Morgantown come up with music
from Mars. That is what I find most interesting about that album and her.
As for Late Night Backstreet. Joni is once again revealing that her ex boyfriend
treats her like a tramp (AND she lets him and the line about finding the hair in the
bathtub drain always makes me howl. The melody line at that point. Again how did the
singer who invented "Clouds" and Circle Game come up with that eerie Twilight Zone
finish. Silky Veils is Joni going back to the womb. Thats the place from whence she
came, pure folk. Did she place it on this album as a reminder to someone or as proof
she can still bring feeling to a traditional folk song. Just brilliant. You dont like
it. Hah !
As for Both sides Now. Im not jumping up and down about it but then again i dont see
this project as anything other than Joni having a ball. How many of you fearless
critics have ever been on a stage with a full fledged orchestra including a string
section. Personally I havent either but Im not going to have the audacity to suggest
that she shouldnt have at it or doesnt deserve the indulgence. And what better songs
to try with that immense musical vehicle than the kinds of classics that such an
ensemble used to accompany it. When i heard from the listers review that she was doing
Case of You and Judgement I whooped with joy because she was simply dressing up her
own classics in 1940s clothes. Its her right to do that. AND it worked.
Joni is clearly winding down her career and her life sort of like Imogen did, more
control, more refined, but never stopping the experimentation. She resolutely refuses
to allow anyone or anything to control the path she blazes and frankly I cant wait to
see where she goes next. I may not like it when she gets there but I will always love
the fact that she tries. When there is a Giant among you, you just observe. Like they
used to say about Michael Jordan, you cant stop her you can only hope to contain her.
We are all entitled to our opinions. On the other hand there are trees and then there
is the forrest.
Marcel Deste
