Bob Dylan may have set the record for issuing “archive” albums of his songs. Dylan’s Bootleg Series is up to 14 volumes so far. Joni Mitchell’s Archives, Volume One:The Early Years (1963-1967) shows an artist trying to find her way in the singing profession. Mitchell starts with many traditional songs as well as some standards.
Things start to change with CD 2 when Joni Mitchell starts writing songs and singing them. “The Circle Game” became a hit for Tom Rush and opened doors for Joni Mitchell. CD 3 opens with one of Joni Mitchell’s biggest hits, a song that’s been covered by other singers for decades: “Both Sides Now.” My favorite song from CD 4 is “Chelsea Morning.” CD 5 offers variant arrangements and remixes.
I’m listening to Joni Mitchell Archives, Volume 2: The Reprise Years (1968-1971), another 5-CD collection. It was just released. I’ll post my reactions to it in a couple of weeks. Are you a Joni Mitchell fan? Do you like and buy Archive CDs? GRADE: A
Track listing:
All tracks are written by Joni Mitchell, except where noted.[3][4]
Pretty close to a Greatest Hits, this. I miss one she composed and recorded as the theme for a Canadian tv series called THE WAY IT IS…I’m not too sure she’s too fond of it, however.
I will always be happy to hear archived and alternate take material…assuming that it’s good, interesting or both. “Chelsea Morning” and “I Don’t Know Where I Stand” both made a strong impression on me first from the Judy Dyble-era Fairp ort Convention recordings, though I had certainly heard a number of Mitchell’s later records by then.
Mitchell has been rather firmly critical of Bob “Dylan”‘s overrated status from time to time. I find this amusing, since it’s also just (he can be good, but rewriting traditional songs slightly and later writing often atrocious songs are not the hallmarks of consistent genius). Her admiration for Mingus is also more than justified. She’s better and more consistent than Dylan, though it’s kind of a heartbreak that she was reportedly moved to begin her career upon losing custody of her child, and retired upon being reunited with her when she was an adult.
Not a big fan. I liked a few of her albums like Court and Spark and Blue but once she got jazzy and went down that dull rabbit hole I lost interest. Also I’m not a big fan of the female folk singer voice . And she is nowhere near the talent of Dylan. Nothing of hers can touch Highway 61, or Blonde On Blonde. Did Dylan write some crappy songs? Yes but so did the Beatles. But none of Dylan’s work was ever as boring as her later output.
I love Joni and, in the 1970s & early 1980s, bought all her albums. However, I no longer have the mental fortitude to listen to eight different versions of “Urge for Going” (one of my favorite Joni songs). I’ll just continue to listen to “Blue,” “For the Roses,” and “Court and Spark.”
Deb, I’m always fascinated by the production process in music and how songs evolve in the recording studio. Like you, I’ll listen to Joni’s greatest hits most often, but once in a while I’ll listen to Joni noodling around with her music.
I still listen to COURT AND SPARK. No, I don’t buy or listen to Archive collections like this as a rule, though never say never. The first album of hers I bought was LADIES OF THE CANYON, which has “The Circle Game,” “Morning Morgantown,” and, of course, “Big Yellow Taxi” and “Woodstock.”
Well the Jefferson Airplane duo with daughter God/China were also riding that wave. At least Moon really is a traditional name, and she goes by that. (Moon Bloodgood being another notable example.)
I, like yourself, George, in certain moods find the likes of ZOMBIE HEAVEN (the first big Zombies comp) a bit thin on giving us a taste of Everything.
My sister had a friend named Carrie Ann. She was named after the Hollies’ song, but—until my sister played it for her—she had never heard the song! How do you name a child after a song and never play them the song? One of our daughters is named Julia, after the Beatles song (written by John Lennon about his mother and, imho, one of the Beatles’ loveliest songs), but she knew that song and listened to it throughout her childhood.
FWIW, I mean these Zombies, recently finally added to the foolishly corrupt Rock HOF: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8oIm3_mJVI
A band called the Zombies can prefigure “We’re coming to get you, Barbara!” in NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD with a song called “I Want You Back Again” more than they ever intended…
Todd, I was a mild fan of The Zombies back in the Sixties especially in 1964 with “She’s Not There”. I also liked two other singles: “Tell Her No” in 1965 and “Time of the Season” in 1968.
The Zombies have several dozen songs better than “Tell Her No” in their brief initial discography (essentially three albums and a slew of singles), and more than a handful better than “Time of the Season”, though the latter is quite a good song. The song I linked to, as a peppy yet moody jazz-rock waltz, is a good example of their other work, and hardly the only one.
Maybe a few of her biggest hits from Court and Spark or Ladies From the Canyon, but otherwise, no. For me she is very much of a time, and then I went on to other music.
I’m sure Joni was singing those songs on disc 1 when she was here in Winnipeg in the very early days. I’m positive it would have been at a folk club called The Fifth Dimension that booked many folk singers. I used to go there often, but don’t remember if I saw Joni. If I did, she had no impact. One show I remember very clearly was Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee as the crowd had a long wait for them to make it across the border. A local muisc critic wrote a few years ago that Joni met Neil Young for the first time here in Winnipeg and I bet it was at that club. For the record, I don’t own a Joni MItchel record.
Kent, I was an early fan of Joni Mitchell. In fact, my first girl friend in High School looked a lot like Joni Mitchell with that long blonde straight hair.
Used to catch her way back when when she appeared with her then-husband Chuck at the old Club 47 in Cambridge. She’d do half a set and Chuck would do the other half; they never sang together.
My nephew was very upset when he realized that his wife had named their three kids from characters in GREY’S ANATOMY.
Pretty close to a Greatest Hits, this. I miss one she composed and recorded as the theme for a Canadian tv series called THE WAY IT IS…I’m not too sure she’s too fond of it, however.
I will always be happy to hear archived and alternate take material…assuming that it’s good, interesting or both. “Chelsea Morning” and “I Don’t Know Where I Stand” both made a strong impression on me first from the Judy Dyble-era Fairp ort Convention recordings, though I had certainly heard a number of Mitchell’s later records by then.
Mitchell has been rather firmly critical of Bob “Dylan”‘s overrated status from time to time. I find this amusing, since it’s also just (he can be good, but rewriting traditional songs slightly and later writing often atrocious songs are not the hallmarks of consistent genius). Her admiration for Mingus is also more than justified. She’s better and more consistent than Dylan, though it’s kind of a heartbreak that she was reportedly moved to begin her career upon losing custody of her child, and retired upon being reunited with her when she was an adult.
Todd, Joni Mitchell lost me when she went jazzy with THE HISSING OF SUMMER LAWNS.
As you can tell, not me.
Todd, a lot of oddities may show on future volumes of JONI MITCHELL ARCHIVES.
Not a big fan. I liked a few of her albums like Court and Spark and Blue but once she got jazzy and went down that dull rabbit hole I lost interest. Also I’m not a big fan of the female folk singer voice . And she is nowhere near the talent of Dylan. Nothing of hers can touch Highway 61, or Blonde On Blonde. Did Dylan write some crappy songs? Yes but so did the Beatles. But none of Dylan’s work was ever as boring as her later output.
Steve, Bob Dylan sold the rights to his songs for $300 million. Like you, I am not a fan of Joni’s jazzy albums.
Dylan had crap decades. As a lifelong jazz fan, I have no problem with her work influenced by jazz.
I love Joni and, in the 1970s & early 1980s, bought all her albums. However, I no longer have the mental fortitude to listen to eight different versions of “Urge for Going” (one of my favorite Joni songs). I’ll just continue to listen to “Blue,” “For the Roses,” and “Court and Spark.”
Deb, I’m always fascinated by the production process in music and how songs evolve in the recording studio. Like you, I’ll listen to Joni’s greatest hits most often, but once in a while I’ll listen to Joni noodling around with her music.
I still listen to COURT AND SPARK. No, I don’t buy or listen to Archive collections like this as a rule, though never say never. The first album of hers I bought was LADIES OF THE CANYON, which has “The Circle Game,” “Morning Morgantown,” and, of course, “Big Yellow Taxi” and “Woodstock.”
Jeff, like you and Steve, I prefer the early Joni Mitchell–pre-jazzy stage–exemplified by albums like LADIES OF THE CANYON.
I love the familiar stuff, amounting to the 3-4 albums nearly everyone knows, but this goes way too far down the rabbit hole for me.
Michael, as you might have suspected, I do go down rabbit holes for certain artists like Dylan and Mitchell.
Of course, the Clintons named Chelsea after “Chelsea Morning.”
Jeff, our friends in Hamburg named their daughter Carly after Carly Simon.
That’s better than Jackie’s sister and her (then) husband naming their daughter Kelly after the character played by Jaclyn Smith in CHARLIE’S ANGELS!
Jeff, Frank Zappa takes the naming kids cake with: Moon Unit (daughter) and Dweezil (son).
Well the Jefferson Airplane duo with daughter God/China were also riding that wave. At least Moon really is a traditional name, and she goes by that. (Moon Bloodgood being another notable example.)
I, like yourself, George, in certain moods find the likes of ZOMBIE HEAVEN (the first big Zombies comp) a bit thin on giving us a taste of Everything.
Todd, I confess I’m zombied out.
My sister had a friend named Carrie Ann. She was named after the Hollies’ song, but—until my sister played it for her—she had never heard the song! How do you name a child after a song and never play them the song? One of our daughters is named Julia, after the Beatles song (written by John Lennon about his mother and, imho, one of the Beatles’ loveliest songs), but she knew that song and listened to it throughout her childhood.
Deb, I love that Carrie Ann story! “Julia” is a lovely song, one of the Beatles best!
FWIW, I mean these Zombies, recently finally added to the foolishly corrupt Rock HOF:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8oIm3_mJVI
A band called the Zombies can prefigure “We’re coming to get you, Barbara!” in NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD with a song called “I Want You Back Again” more than they ever intended…
Todd, I was a mild fan of The Zombies back in the Sixties especially in 1964 with “She’s Not There”. I also liked two other singles: “Tell Her No” in 1965 and “Time of the Season” in 1968.
The Zombies have several dozen songs better than “Tell Her No” in their brief initial discography (essentially three albums and a slew of singles), and more than a handful better than “Time of the Season”, though the latter is quite a good song. The song I linked to, as a peppy yet moody jazz-rock waltz, is a good example of their other work, and hardly the only one.
Maybe a few of her biggest hits from Court and Spark or Ladies From the Canyon, but otherwise, no. For me she is very much of a time, and then I went on to other music.
Rick, I agree. But, sometimes I want to go back to that Joni Mitchell era and spend some time there.
I’m sure Joni was singing those songs on disc 1 when she was here in Winnipeg in the very early days. I’m positive it would have been at a folk club called The Fifth Dimension that booked many folk singers. I used to go there often, but don’t remember if I saw Joni. If I did, she had no impact. One show I remember very clearly was Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee as the crowd had a long wait for them to make it across the border. A local muisc critic wrote a few years ago that Joni met Neil Young for the first time here in Winnipeg and I bet it was at that club. For the record, I don’t own a Joni MItchel record.
Kent, I was an early fan of Joni Mitchell. In fact, my first girl friend in High School looked a lot like Joni Mitchell with that long blonde straight hair.
Used to catch her way back when when she appeared with her then-husband Chuck at the old Club 47 in Cambridge. She’d do half a set and Chuck would do the other half; they never sang together.
My nephew was very upset when he realized that his wife had named their three kids from characters in GREY’S ANATOMY.
Jerry, my daughter loves GRAY’S ANATOMY and it would not surprise me if she tries to pull the same naming thing if she has kids.