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Musings regarding Joni Mitchell


steve-bbb
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on the heels of my Zappa thread, I thought how about a thread for any paraphenalia on the lady who is undoubtedly one of our era's most important and influential female artists

not to mention the Jaco connection of course with[b][i] that [/i][/b]live band

take it away!

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Joni Mitchell ? Quite simply , sublime.

What is often overlooked about her is that she is an incredible singer from a technical standpoint - she seems incapable of singing off-key - and capable of effortlessly switching her vocal skills from one style of music to the next. Add to that natural, God-given ability her amazing craft as a songwriter and bandleader and you begin to see the monumental size of her talent .

Edited by Dingus
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[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1396808828' post='2417584']
Joni Mitchell ? Quite simply , sublime.

What is often overlooked about her is that she is an incredible singer from a technical standpoint - she seems incapable of singing off-key - and capable of effortlessly switching her vocal skills from one style of music to the next. Add to that natural, God-given ability her amazing craft as a songwriter and bandleader and you begin to see the monumental size of her talent .
[/quote]

yes yes yes all of that :)

and where to start on the lyrics !

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'Wild things run fast' is one of the albums in my collection that I never tire of. The opening track 'Chinese cafe/unchained melody' is amazing and the Carole that she names in the first verse is, in fact, her friend Carole Bayer Sager.

Just listen to Larry Klein's bass playing:

http://youtu.be/7G333adJxbM

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Is there a better (word painting) lyric than 'The sun poured in like butterscotch and stuck to all my senses'?
http://youtu.be/F_y7O06z77Q
Her ability to sing/write a lyric and ignite such vivid ideas in your imagination is second-to-none for me.
Genius.

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[font=trebuchet ms,helvetica,sans-serif]He bought her a diamond for her throat
He put her in a ranch house on a hill
She could see the valley barbecues
From her window sill
See the blue pools in the squinting sun
Hear the hissing of summer lawns[/font] Edited by steve-bbb
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[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1396809449' post='2417592']
Is there a better (word painting) lyric than 'The sun poured in like butterscotch and stuck to all my senses'?...[/quote]

This was my introduction, through the 'Fairport Convention' version. I still play it, often, myself (although I can't sing...). The best.

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[quote name='GILLY' timestamp='1396809254' post='2417591']
'Wild things run fast' is one of the albums in my collection that I never tire of. The opening track 'Chinese cafe/unchained melody' is amazing and the Carole that she names in the first verse is, in fact, her friend Carole Bayer Sager.

Just listen to Larry Klein's bass playing:

http://youtu.be/7G333adJxbM
[/quote]

Superb isnt it?

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Musings regarding Joni Mitchell ....

At the beginning of this live recording she explains that after reading " Beethoven : His Spiritual Development " by J.W.N.Sullivan she was inspired to write this song from the angle of being Ludwig's personal muse and encouraging him to not give up .
( Ironically the volume fluctuates in this recording :lol: )
[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JDSQf-YMMw"]https://www.youtube....h?v=-JDSQf-YMMw[/url]


My favourite Joni line is ;

He sees the cars as sets of waves
Sequences of mass and space

from A Strange Boy off the Hejira album

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[quote name='lonestar' timestamp='1396814227' post='2417659']
I really like dog eat dog too even with 80's production,curtesy Thomas Dolby, and more Larry Klein good works
[/quote]

I really like dog eat dog too even with 80's production,curtesy Thomas Dolby, and more Larry Klein good works? In fact Check out the lineup on that album http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_Eat_Dog_(Joni_Mitchell_album)
What a band!

Edited by lonestar
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How prophetic is "Big Yellow taxi"?? I live in the green belt and the countryside is disappearing on a daily basis - along with the "parking lot" we're seeing out of town Shopping Malls which are stealing trade from our local town centres forcing small businesses out of business.

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It's the poetry of her lyrics which appeal to me the most, Amelia is my favourite, melancholy can be achingly beautiful [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bFgxKov8Ts[/media] I like the tone of her voice more as she's got older too

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[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1396814955' post='2417670']
How prophetic is "Big Yellow taxi"?? I live in the green belt and the countryside is disappearing on a daily basis - along with the "parking lot" we're seeing out of town Shopping Malls which are stealing trade from our local town centres forcing small businesses out of business.
[/quote]

Sorry, but it's not "shopping malls that steal trade from local town centres forcing small businesses out of business" it's the people who stop using local town centres in favour of the shopping malls. So the real question is why do people prefer to shop elsewhere when given a choice?

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I'm porous with travel fever
But I'm so glad to be on my own
Still, somehow the slightest touch of a stranger
Sets up trembling in my bones
I know no one's going to show me everything
We come and go unknown
Each of us so deep and so superficial
Between the forceps and the stone

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[quote name='GILLY' timestamp='1396809254' post='2417591']
'Wild things run fast' is one of the albums in my collection that I never tire of. The opening track 'Chinese cafe/unchained melody' is amazing and the Carole that she names in the first verse is, in fact, her friend Carole Bayer Sager.
[/quote]

I didn't know that - "Christmas was sparkling out on Carole's lawn"...

Joni is without doubt my favourite artist of all time.

She has complete mastery of music and words in a way that just clicks with me. And her desire and ability to redefine herself often bravely throughout her career really places her head and shoulders above the pack.

Unfortunately, I have never seen her live and I'm kind of resigned to the fact that it's unlikely I will now- some you win, some you loose!

Looks like tomorrow's going to be a Joni day now...

Cheers

Ed

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I think I'm gonna have to be checking out more of her stuff :) .

One of my first bass tutors gave me a copy of Hejira ages which I've still got and think is amazing. We watched a live film last year in a lecture, but apart from the 'Both sides now' album, that's my only exposure to her.

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[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1396827658' post='2417813']
I think I'm gonna have to be checking out more of her stuff :) .

One of my first bass tutors gave me a copy of Hejira ages which I've still got and think is amazing. We watched a live film last year in a lecture, but apart from the 'Both sides now' album, that's my only exposure to her.
[/quote]

you much variety and quality to catch up on then!

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