“She’d left older man Leonard behind in New York and partnered with a series of increasingly boyish catches: hairy David Crosby was soon dumped for wispy Gram Nash, who lost out to lanky James Taylor, now by the world as Sweet Baby James. He was later replaced (though only for an unhappy moment) by wide-eyed Jackson Browne.” (p. 45)
Ann Powers, veteran music critic for National Public Radio and other media outlets, takes a chronological approach to Joni Mitchell’s career. Joni and Chuck Mitchell get married, have a daughter, Kelly Dale, and then split: “one month into the marriage, he checked out, I chickened out.” (p. 86). I was surprised to learn Judy Collins and Mama Cass had the same dilemma Joni Mitchell had with Kelly Dale. It was a rough time for single mothers who wanted to be singers.
The dilemma of being a mother weighed on Joni Mitchell. “She might have still gone back to art school. She could have stayed in one place and raised her child. Joni Mitchell, having burned those roads behind her, knew something most people her age didn’t know about commitment: its allure, but also its costs.” (p. 88)
The big career break came in 1968 when Judy Collins heard “Both Sides Now” and knew it was the perfect song for her. “She recored it, and recored it again. She knew her version could be a hit, with its distinctive woodwind-driven arrangement by Joshua Rifkin, but at first the mix was wrong.” “…So David Anderle–one of Collins’s main producers… remixed it and remixed it, and remixed it and remixed it. And finally he got a mix that worked and suddenly got really big.” (97-98)
Ann Powers also points out influences on Joni Mitchell’s work. In 1959, Miles Davis brought out Kind of Blue which became an instant classic. Joni Mitchell loved Kind of Blue and that influence shows up on her Blue album in 1971. Powers’s analysis of Blue (p. 178-191) is one of the high points of Traveling.
I also enjoyed the chapter on how Court and Spark came together. But as the 1970s tail off, so does Joni Mitchell’s career. New musical styles dominate the airwaves and Mitchell’s style of music is relegated to Easy Listen stations.
The 1980s and 1990s featured another marriage (which ended in 1994) and more jazzy recordings that received mixed reviews and weak sales. In 2015, Joni Mitchell suffered a brain aneurysm. She was unable to speak clearly at first and could no longer walk. Today, Joni Mitchell is celebrated as a brilliant songwriter and performer. If you’re a Joni Mitchell fan, you’ll learn a lot that you didn’t know about this iconic figure in Ann Powers’s Traveling. GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
A Note On Naming IX
Introduction: Drawing the Maps 1
1 Childish Things 35
2 The Humming of the Wheels 60
3 The Boys 113
4 The Sorrow 161
5 Freedom through Fusion 193
6 Hejira Means Pilgrimage 235
7 For Art’s Sake 265
8 The Marriage 289
9 Weaving Garlands 337
10 Emissaries 367
ViVa: A Moving Conclusion 399
Acknowledgments 406
Notes 409
Index 424
Terrific music, 5 CDs worth! Joni Mitchell was at the top of her game during this period of time! GRADE: A
TRACK LIST:
Disc one:
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire” | 3:58 |
| 2. | “For the Roses” | 4:03 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 3. | “Banquet” | 3:13 |
| 4. | “Lesson in Survival” | 3:15 |
| 5. | “Like Veils Said Lorraine” | 2:15 |
| 6. | “See You Sometime” | 3:04 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 7. | “This Flight Tonight“ | 3:30 |
| 8. | “Electricity” | 3:26 |
| 9. | “Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire” | 5:22 |
| 10. | “Big Yellow Taxi“ | 3:16 |
| 11. | “Blue“ | 2:38 |
| 12. | “For Free” | 4:37 |
| 13. | “Banquet” | 3:20 |
| 14. | “All I Want” | 3:38 |
| 15. | “A Case of You” (intro) | 0:39 |
| 16. | “A Case of You” | 4:41 |
| 17. | “Carey” (intro) | 1:29 |
| 18. | “Carey” | 3:19 |
| 19. | “Lesson in Survival” | 3:18 |
| 20. | “Woodstock“ | 4:06 |
| 21. | “You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio” (intro) | 0:29 |
| 22. | “You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio” | 2:54 |
| 23. | “For the Roses” (intro) | 0:37 |
| 24. | “For the Roses” | 3:52 |
Disc two:
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Both Sides Now“ | 5:42 |
| 2. | “My Old Man” | 3:54 |
| 3. | “The Circle Game” (intro) | 1:50 |
| 4. | “The Circle Game” | 5:57 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 5. | “Medley: Bony Moronie / Summertime Blues / You Never Can Tell” (with James Taylor) | 3:59 |
| 6. | “Electricity” (with James Taylor) | 3:32 |
| 7. | “You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio” (with Neil Young and the Stray Gators) | 3:26 |
| 8. | “See You Sometime” (early version with bass & drums) | 3:11 |
| 9. | “You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio” (early version with bass & drums) | 2:58 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 10. | “Judgement of the Moon and Stars (Ludwig’s Tune)” (intro) | 0:45 |
| 11. | “Judgement of the Moon and Stars (Ludwig’s Tune)” | 5:49 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | “Blonde in the Bleachers” (alternate guitar mix) | 2:43 |
| 13. | “Let the Wind Carry Me” (piano/vocal mix) | 4:00 |
| 14. | “Barangrill” (guitar/vocal mix) | 2:52 |
| 15. | “Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire” (sax guide vocal) | 4:17 |
| 16. | “Sunrise Raga” | 3:42 |
| 17. | “Twisted” (early alternate version) | 2:01 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 18. | “Big Yellow Taxi” (intro) | 0:59 |
| 19. | “Big Yellow Taxi” | 2:40 |
Disc three:
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Piano Suite: Down to You / Court and Spark / Car on a Hill / Down to You” | 12:33 |
| 2. | “People’s Parties” | 3:02 |
| 3. | “Help Me“ | 3:31 |
| 4. | “Just Like This Train” | 3:48 |
| 5. | “Raised on Robbery“ | 2:55 |
| 6. | “Trouble Child” | 3:54 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 7. | “Raised on Robbery” (early working version) | 3:10 |
| 8. | “Raised on Robbery” (with Neil Young and the Santa Monica Flyers) | 3:36 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 9. | “People’s Parties” (early alternate take) | 2:50 |
| 10. | “Trouble Child” (early alternate take) | 3:40 |
| 11. | “Car on a Hill” (early alternate take) | 2:37 |
| 12. | “Down to You” (alternate take) | 5:37 |
| 13. | “The Same Situation” (alt piano/vocal mix) | 3:09 |
| 14. | “Bonderia” | 3:21 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 15. | “Introduction” | 0:38 |
| 16. | “This Flight Tonight” (with Tom Scott & the L.A. Express) | 3:38 |
| 17. | “You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio” (with Tom Scott & the L.A. Express) | 4:23 |
| 18. | “Free Man in Paris” (with Tom Scott & the L.A. Express) | 3:14 |
| 19. | “The Same Situation” (with Tom Scott & the L.A. Express) | 3:35 |
| 20. | “Just Like This Train” (with Tom Scott & the L.A. Express) | 4:18 |
Disc four:
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Rainy Night House” (with Tom Scott & the L.A. Express) | 4:16 |
| 2. | “Woodstock” (with Tom Scott & the L.A. Express) | 5:04 |
| 3. | “Cactus Tree” | 5:29 |
| 4. | “Big Yellow Taxi” | 3:16 |
| 5. | “People’s Parties” (intro) | 6:06 |
| 6. | “People’s Parties” | 3:02 |
| 7. | “All I Want” | 3:49 |
| 8. | “A Case of You” | 5:04 |
| 9. | “For the Roses” (intro) | 7:52 |
| 10. | “For the Roses” | 4:14 |
| 11. | “Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire” (with Tom Scott) | 5:30 |
| 12. | “Blue” | 2:48 |
| 13. | “For Free” (with Tom Scott) | 4:40 |
| 14. | “Trouble Child” (with Tom Scott & the L.A. Express) | 4:11 |
| 15. | “Help Me” (with Tom Scott & the L.A. Express) | 3:58 |
| 16. | “Car on a Hill” (with Tom Scott & the L.A. Express) | 2:53 |
Disc five:
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Jericho” (intro) | 0:29 |
| 2. | “Jericho” | 3:17 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 3. | “Woman of Heart and Mind” | 3:35 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 4. | “In France They Kiss on Main Street“ | 3:06 |
| 5. | “Edith and the Kingpin” | 3:33 |
| 6. | “Don’t Interrupt the Sorrow” | 2:28 |
| 7. | “Shades of Scarlett Conquering” | 4:52 |
| 8. | “The Boho Dance” | 3:54 |
| 9. | “Harry’s House” | 4:02 |
| 10. | “Dreamland” | 4:08 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | “In France They Kiss on Main Street” (guitar/alternate vocal) | 3:25 |
| 12. | “The Jungle Line” (alternate version) | 4:36 |
| 13. | “Edith and the Kingpin” (alternate version) | 3:36 |
| 14. | “Don’t Interrupt the Sorrow” (alternate version) | 4:14 |
| 15. | “Shades of Scarlett Conquering” (alternate version) | 5:41 |
| 16. | “The Boho Dance” (alternate version) | 3:55 |
| 17. | “Dreamland” (early alternate band version) | 4:43 |
Her music evoked a sense of “looking back” in me, even as a young man. A few years later, I was struck by how remarkably mature it seemed, coming from a person as young as she. Now it brings on a comforting nostalgia, even as I note how many of my old friends are Acting Strange.
Which reminds me, George: How ya doin’?
Dan, I’m about 80%. My energy is slowly recovering. Covid-19 drained me for three weeks. I still have a slight residual cough, but that’s getting better. All in all, Covid-19 really sucks!
I’m a huge Joni Mitchell fan girl, so I’ll be adding these to my wish lists. I think Sheila Welles did a great job of presenting Joni’s life and music in GIRLS LIKE US, but I’d be interested in what Ann Powers adds to the conversation.
Sheila Weller wrote GIRLS LIKE US.
/stupid autocorrect
Deb, Ann Powers conducted dozens of interviews with the friends and people around Joni Mitchell. Powers only spoke to Joni Mitchell in 2004. It did not go well. You’ll learn a lot about Joni and her Life in TRAVELING.
Although she had split from her husband, the two continued to appear on the same bill as Joni and Chuck Mitchell, with each having separate sets. I always thought it strange that they never sang together when I used to catch them at Club 47 in Harvard Square.
Jerry, it becomes clear that Chuck Mitchell and Joni Weren’t Right For Each Other early on.
Love Joni, and Court and Spark remains my favorite, the one I go back and listen to regularly. Great stuff.
Jeff, you would enjoy the JONI MITCHELL ARCHIVES–VOLUME 3 with all the various versions of songs on COURT AND SPARK. I wish Tom Scott and Joni had produced a couple more albums like COURT AND SPARK.
I can’t help but think of Musician magazine’s infamouus Henry Gates-sized chart of everyone Mirchell slept with (it was a two-page spread). As everyone pointed out at the time it was mean, misogynistic and hilarious. The bits about Mitchell and other single mom artists struggling sounds sobering and just being a woman in the business at that time must have been brutal although I can’t imagine it has gotten much if any easier.
The story of Collins’ producer remixing one song multiple times until he found the right sound is fascinating. This was right at the time that record production became an art in itself and has dominated the recording process for better and worse ever since. Somebody should write a book on the history of record producing.
Glad to read you are (slowly) getting better.
Byron, another list I am not on.
Jerry, although Joni Mitchell had an active sex life, she didn’t seem to be very happy about it. In the words of Ann Powers, she just kept traveling…
Byron, I think it was cruel of MUSICIAN magazine to chart Joni Mitchell’s lovers. “John Phillips fucked very single girl who came to the Canyon,” Michelle Phillips said of her long-deceased ex, who, like David Crosby, was a notorious sybarite. “But, you know young girls are attracted to music and musicians. You couldn’t look out the window without seeing them walking up and down.” (p. 132)
Nothing much has changed. I’m not a Taylor Swift fan, but see how she gets roasted for every new boyfriend.
Deb, and the Republicans and Conservatives attack Taylor Swift because she’s 34, unmarried with no kids. They have a warped measure for Success!
Not buying into Bob Dylan’s mystique just made me like Mitchell more.
Todd, I like both Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan.
It’s not so much Dylan’s work I have a problem with, as I do with the worship of Dylan. Some of his work is excellent. A lot isn’t. She apparently was one of the few who would also not let anyone forget how derivative some of his work is, and what a jerk he could be.
He hasn’t been, AFAIK, nearly as debased a person as, say, Miles Davis was, but, again, worship is misplaced. Including artistically, in both cases. As both were John Hammond “discoveries”, I wonder to what extent that got them a jump on mythologization.