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Joni "new" releases

Heard a track off ‘Blue’ yesterday, I believe it is called ‘River’, finally I may have found a path; her voice didn’t sound trilly.

Good place to start?
 
Heard a track off ‘Blue’ yesterday, I believe it is called ‘River’, finally I may have found a path; her voice didn’t sound trilly.

Good place to start?

Blue is a classic, but as a route in I'd try Court & Spark or Ladies Of The Canyon. Blue is deeply personal and sparse, I would never call Joni (who is a world treasure imo) "trilly".
 
Blue is a classic, but as a route in I'd try Court & Spark or Ladies Of The Canyon. Blue is deeply personal and sparse, I would never call Joni (who is a world treasure imo) "trilly".
I struggle with her voice, sorry, will probably skip Ladies of the Canyon, isn’t it the one with ‘Big yellow taxi’?
 
Heard a track off ‘Blue’ yesterday, I believe it is called ‘River’, finally I may have found a path; her voice didn’t sound trilly.

Good place to start?
Best place - as long as you like a heavy dose of confessional, soul searching and introspection, otherwise give it a miss. Blue, Hejira, Hissing of Summer Lawns, For the Roses, Night Ride Home, Court and Spark, Joni Mitchell ( Song to a Seagull) are my recommendations but they cover quite a period and her style changes considerably across them.
 
I can understand that some might not like Joni's voice. We all have those issues with singers. For e.g. I cannot abide the whiney Diana Ross.
But, I absolutely adore Joni.
I do think there may be an element of 'You had to be there' about some of her early stuff such as the albums Song to a Seagull and Clouds. They just fit into a 'vibe' which was prevalent in the UK around 1969-1971...coinciding with CSN, Neil Young et.al..and probably all a year or so behind her impact in the US.

It was electrifying stuff if you were open to it. I certainly latched onto it mostly after hearing Song to a Seagull incessantly in a flat I was 'crashing' in at the time.. in High Wycombe. Obviously Big Yellow Taxi was a chart hit and a good song.. but very 'pop'.

And of course I was getting into all of this stuff at the same time that I was also DJ-ing at various venues delivering what I can only describe as 'proto Northern Soul'. I.E we were playing many of the tunes which would later be hoovered up by the 'Northern Soul' crowd.and many more they would ignore..

Blue was something else. For many years it barely went a week without a play. I have my original vinyl.. a rather disappointing Reprise vinyl re-press.. the Studio Albums CD box set and a couple of other CD versions. Any one can take me back to those days.. yet they remain relevant now. It is a truly stunning album. It's also a damned good album for evaluating your system.. especially your vinyl player. It is amazing how complex the opening track.. 'All I Want' turns out to be as your vinyl replay improves.

I bought Court and Spark..which is also sublime.. and Hejira. I like and enjoy Hejira.. but for me it is no 'Blue', or 'Ladies'.

Somehow.. most probably simple lack of cash.. I missed 'Roses', 'Summer Lawns' and a few others. I picked up 'Chalk Mark in a Rainstorm' and 'Night Ride Home' on vinyl years back. They don't offend.. but neither do they transfix me. I must dig them out..

It's mostly the early stuff for me... but she would have earned my undying love and admiration with a fraction of her ouvre.



I would quite like to go back 50 years. if that could be arranged please...:(
 
I can understand that some might not like Joni's voice. We all have those issues with singers. For e.g. I cannot abide the whiney Diana Ross.
But, I absolutely adore Joni.
I do think there may be an element of 'You had to be there' about some of her early stuff such as the albums Song to a Seagull and Clouds. They just fit into a 'vibe' which was prevalent in the UK around 1969-1971...coinciding with CSN, Neil Young et.al..and probably all a year or so behind her impact in the US.

It was electrifying stuff if you were open to it. I certainly latched onto it mostly after hearing Song to a Seagull incessantly in a flat I was 'crashing' in at the time.. in High Wycombe. Obviously Big Yellow Taxi was a chart hit and a good song.. but very 'pop'.

And of course I was getting into all of this stuff at the same time that I was also DJ-ing at various venues delivering what I can only describe as 'proto Northern Soul'. I.E we were playing many of the tunes which would later be hoovered up by the 'Northern Soul' crowd.and many more they would ignore..

Blue was something else. For many years it barely went a week without a play. I have my original vinyl.. a rather disappointing Reprise vinyl re-press.. the Studio Albums CD box set and a couple of other CD versions. Any one can take me back to those days.. yet they remain relevant now. It is a truly stunning album. It's also a damned good album for evaluating your system.. especially your vinyl player. It is amazing how complex the opening track.. 'All I Want' turns out to be as your vinyl replay improves.

I bought Court and Spark..which is also sublime.. and Hejira. I like and enjoy Hejira.. but for me it is no 'Blue', or 'Ladies'.

Somehow.. most probably simple lack of cash.. I missed 'Roses', 'Summer Lawns' and a few others. I picked up 'Chalk Mark in a Rainstorm' and 'Night Ride Home' on vinyl years back. They don't offend.. but neither do they transfix me. I must dig them out..

It's mostly the early stuff for me... but she would have earned my undying love and admiration with a fraction of her ouvre.



I would quite like to go back 50 years. if that could be arranged please...:(
Lovely post that & yes voices are a very personal thing.
 


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