whats her best album to start with?
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jamiezubairi — 20 years ago(August 10, 2005 05:54 PM)
Well, it depends there are 4 periods of Joni Mitchell and I shall try to get the 'best of' in each period even though this is entirely subjective and it changes:
Early Years- I would say 'Ladies of the Canyon'(1970). If you're gonna get Blue anyway, get 'Ladies' first. After that if you liked 'Blue'(1971), get 'For The Roses'(1972).
Middle Period: Now this is the start of her jazz period, she starts using a proper band and it's often seen as her peak, musically. For starters get 'Court and Spark'(1974) - you might like it straight off. I didn't but now I see it as one of her classic works. 'Hejira' (1976) is from left field if you haven't gotten used to Joni's changes. Her greatest works (musically, according to www.jmdl.com - the jonimitchell discussion list) and stratospherically so different to 'Clouds' and if you think Joni is a simple folkie. If you're into modern jazz (I don't mean that disjointed car-horn stuff) then try Hejira and it's companion 'Don Juan's Reckless Daughter' (1977).
The Angry Years: I would say 'Chalkmark In A Rainstorm' (1988) as a good sample of the best of this period. She got political in 'Dog Eat Dog' (1985) so it's one for die-hards. And if you like synthesisers. There's a bootleg of Joni doing Dog Eat Dog live and acoustic somewhere and it's so different. The sound is so Joni you wonder why she was tricked into using Thomas Dolby as a producer
The Later Works: Go for 'Night Ride Home' (1991) as its a return to form. She won 2 Grammies for 'Turbulent Indigo' (1994) and it contains some of the best songwriting EVER by a modern pop artist.
If you want a good sample of everything try your local Starbucks (in the USA) as they sell a collection called 'her music chosen by her friends'. Also available online. She has just released 'Songs of A Prairie Girl' which is another compilation and is really wide in theme (like Canada, what all the songs are about).
I hope this has proven useful
Jamie Z -
courtandsalt — 20 years ago(August 18, 2005 09:00 AM)
Well Blue was my first and that made me want to buy more. All her albums 1968-1978 are the real deal, just don't buy b68anything after that as a first attempt I love Dog Eat Dog but it doesn't showcase the variety of talent she has.
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seteebos — 19 years ago(April 26, 2006 09:32 AM)
Jamie Z, I like your overview. She has done so much and evolved over the years, I would start with one of the early albums, I think each album has a personality of it's own and should be enjoyed as a whole at first so I would get a best of collection as second choice. I don't hear "Court and Spark" as one of the jazzie group but do agree it marked a change and is one of my favorites. I tend to like the jazzie albums the least but it's all great.
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wildcatso — 20 years ago(August 25, 2005 01:21 AM)
The first album I got was Night Ride Home it doesn't have one song that I don't like. It's her masterpiece!
I'd say that Chalk mark in a rainstorm is excellent, almost as good as Night ride home.
I listen to Ladies of the canyon now and then, not only for her standards but also because it's really, really good.
I often discover a "new" song of JM I hadn't noticed before. Both sides now is one of them. It's on Clouds. -
paintyourapt — 19 years ago(February 02, 2007 05:59 PM)
Start at the beginning with her first album and go from there. That way you'll be able to chart her growth and maturation as an artist in a linear way, in the way it really went. Anyone telling you to start with this album or that album is putting too much of their own subjective opinion into your question. The first album has lovely songs like Cactus Tree, Sistotowbell Lane, I Had a King, and more.
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beresfordjd — 19 years ago(April 09, 2007 12:34 PM)
Every album is great, but some take many listens before you "get" it. My favourites incl. For The Roses, Hissing of Summer Lawns, Dog Eat Dog, Blue, Don Juans Reckless Daughter and Ladies of the Canyon also the live albums are superb.