# Joni Mitchell - honouring her genius



## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

Joni Mitchell has always been one of my goddesses and totally unique as a composer and performer. I mean, there's nothing like her. We might have a separate thread on her to post favourite songs. She made dozens of songs that are among the best ever.

I also regret very much I never saw her live. But maybe you did?

My personal absolute favourite is Amelia (and a lot of other stuff from that period). But I start off with something later in her career.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

And another one from the Talk Show arena that is really incredibly.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

And another incredible song from later on.


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## Belowpar (Jan 14, 2015)

By sheer fluke I was in California in 1979 and attended a concert at the Santa Barbara Bowl which was released as Shadows and Light. I think she was there for a week. It made a strong impression on me and my recollections of that concert are
-	The band were really getting off on each other. It seemed like the music was built around Pastorius and everyone was watching him. BUT it wasn't the best venue for that kind of music. The warm night and the waves of dope under the stars did not focus the audience as they would have been in a small Jazz club. I think this also held her career back Increasingly she was making music which didn't suit the Stadiums that were becoming the standard venues.
-	She has real presence but made little attempt at stage craft or selling herself to the audience. She seemed at ease though and told a few stories and filled in time between songs quite well. My memory may be faulty but I think it in the days before big screens behind the performers. 
-	The lady I was with wasn't all that into it and that always is a buzz killer.

I loved it when she really stretched herself.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

My all-time favourite female singer. Peerless in my opinion. Favourite album? Hejira. Favourite song? Amelia. A true unique talent. I wish her well in her recovery from illness.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Joni Mitchell is one of that handful of artists who occupy a genre, a space, all their own, _sui generis_. Dylan is another, and I've often thought of them as being oddly united by their uniqueness. Next time the Nobel committee decides to pick a songwriter for The Prize, it'll be Joni's turn.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

Belowpar said:


> By sheer fluke I was in California in 1979 and attended a concert at the Santa Barbara Bowl which was released as Shadows and Light. I think she was there for a week. It made a strong impression on me and my recollections of that concert are
> -	The band were really getting off on each other. It seemed like the music was built around Pastorius and everyone was watching him. BUT it wasn't the best venue for that kind of music. The warm night and the waves of dope under the stars did not focus the audience as they would have been in a small Jazz club. I think this also held her career back Increasingly she was making music which didn't suit the Stadiums that were becoming the standard venues.
> -	She has real presence but made little attempt at stage craft or selling herself to the audience. She seemed at ease though and told a few stories and filled in time between songs quite well. My memory may be faulty but I think it in the days before big screens behind the performers.
> -	The lady I was with wasn't all that into it and that always is a buzz killer.
> ...


Love Paprika plains as well. It's a beautiful Symphonic poem. I wish she made more of these.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

Barbebleu said:


> My all-time favourite female singer. Peerless in my opinion. Favourite album? Hejira. Favourite song? Amelia. A true unique talent. I wish her well in her recovery from illness.


We share our favourite Joni song. The beauty of it is out of this world. Speaking of albums Hejira is one of my favourites also but I can't really choose between Court and Spark, Hejira, The Hissing of Summer Lawns, Blue, Don Juan's Wreckless Daughters and Shadows and Lights.


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

My favorite Mitchell song is Shadows and Light. The lyrics are a beautiful description of how everything has its opposite. All negative forces have a positive counterpart, and vice versa. She also explored this theme in a much earlier song, Both Sides Now.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

Very very beautiful, I agree. I'll post it for you


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Has anyone hea d the bootleg album Seeding of Summer Lawns? A pared down version of the album with Joni doing most of the album with piano. Excellent stuff if you can track it down.


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## Belowpar (Jan 14, 2015)

Just to clarify, Shadows and Light was the final track on 1975's Hissing of Summer Lawns AND the title of her second Live Album. I believe it's the only album I own that I feature on. Even if the producer did have me well down in the mix.

This leads me to my second story about her.

One morning I was driving to a distant Golf Course on the south coast of England and stopped to fill up with petrol. As I stood in line to pay I saw that the discount rack had a single CD copy of Shadows and Light winking at me. I listened to it on the rest of the journey.

Naturally I mentioned this to the American friend I was playing with, how I’d been there when it was recorded and hadn’t heard it for several years, as I’d sold all my LP’s. 
He replied with a big smile “I love Joni and you know she’s such a lovely person”
“How do you mean?”

He explained that several years before (I’m guessing around the millennium or earlier) he’d been sent on a 2 day conference somewhere on the western seaboard. The other guy from the firm was a bit boring and they sat for a while after dinner in the hotel lobby having a drink. My friend could hear Joni’s music and asked the Waitress if she could turn it up, just a little. The waitress replied that they weren’t playing music in the lobby, what he could hear was coming from the room over there.

Intrigued he wondered over, carefully opened and peaked in the door. It was a conference room and Joni was on stage with her guitar and there was a guy at the piano. She looked up, saw his smiling face and beckoned them in. He then had a private concert as it appeared she was auditioning/rehearsing with the pianist! After she came over and asked for his comments.

Next morning he meets his colleague for breakfast, they compare notes and he says it’s like a dream come true. They have just checked out and are leaving when Joni appears and calls out to them. She thanks them for their feedback and gives each of them a hug and wishes them on their way.


I’d heard she was ill and hope she’s now over it.


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## Belowpar (Jan 14, 2015)

Barbebleu said:


> Has anyone hea d the bootleg album Seeding of Summer Lawns? A pared down version of the album with Joni doing most of the album with piano. Excellent stuff if you can track it down.


Will look out for this, items liek this occasionally slide by on eBay.

I love alternate versions of favourite albums

Another one to look out for is The Origninal Blood on the Tracks, which is angrier with better playing. Story is his brother persuaded him to re-record several tracks with a local band and they aren't up tot hte standard of his usual musicians.

Also Warner ahve been milking me with delux offical release of alternate version of Astral Weeks and Moondance.

So interesting to hear the tracks develop.


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