Joni Mitchell

Ross · Jun 14, 2013

JM will be the guest of honour at the Luminato Festival in Toronto this summer. Leading up to this, there are two online in-depth interviews available.

With CBC'c Jian Ghomeshi at:
http://www.cbc.ca/q/blog/2013/06/11/joni-mitchell-portrait-of-an-artist/

and a print interview:
http://www.thestar.com/entertainmen...hell_in_oneonone_interview_with_the_star.html

davismanLV · Jun 14, 2013

I watched that WHOLE INTERVIEW, being a huge fan and all.... it's long and drawn out but a decent interview and he keeps her pretty focused. As far as guitar players and songwriters, to me, she's the king and the queen all rolled into one. Too bad her voice is gone. She'll say (to the end I'm sure) that it's something else but the constant smoking can't have been too good for her voice or her health. Still, she's a legend.....

adorshki · Jun 14, 2013

davismanLV said:
I watched that WHOLE INTERVIEW, being a huge fan and all.... it's long and drawn out but a decent interview and he keeps her pretty focused. As far as guitar players and songwriters, to me, she's the king and the queen all rolled into one. Too bad her voice is gone. She'll say (to the end I'm sure) that it's something else but the constant smoking can't have been too good for her voice or her health. Still, she's a legend.....

The original Lady of the Canyon.
Thanks for the heads up Ross.

southernGuild · Jun 14, 2013

Yes, Thanks Ross. I'll look at those tonight when the day settles. Joni has always been one on my favorites too............And Time only strengthens that connection.
Singer-Songwriter, Talented artist......Wonderful lady.

gjmalcyon · Jun 14, 2013

Court and Spark is one of my "desert island" CD's - what you'd bring if stranded on one. Every time I listen I hear something new.

Her "official" website is one of the better artist websites I've seen. Want to learn her tunings (and mess with your head a little)? See: http://jonimitchell.com/music/guitar.cfm

idealassets · Jun 14, 2013

Wow!
Gents thanks for the info. I have been searching for this type of info for some time. I have noticed that very few folks play anything by Joni Mitchell these days (except Big Yellow Taxi perhaps). Thus I am beginning to work out some songs with these great tunings. It is good rudimentary practice.

Craig

davismanLV · Jun 15, 2013

Unfortunately, Joni was a sensation with Ladies of the Canyon and Blue but.... the mass listening public pretty much lost track of her after that. And if you try to play her stuff in standard tuning it's not going to sound right and then almost every song on an album is in a different tuning. I've been through of all of them. Most of her later music books (for sure Night Ride Home and Turbulent Indigo) have her tunings and the chord shapes and that makes it easier in a way. You gotta WANT to be able to play them though, and be willing to retune and retune. It's a fun journey and I .... I love Joni. I just do.....

eaceful:

killdeer43 · Jun 15, 2013

Blue is the one for me. :cool-new:

Joe

davismanLV · Jun 15, 2013

Joe, Blue is one. Of many. Why is Blue THE one? What about Hissing of Summer Lawns? What about Turbulent Indigo? Are those not phenomenal or .... did you just stop listening after Blue?

killdeer43 · Jun 15, 2013

davismanLV said:
Joe, Blue is one. Of many. Why is Blue THE one? What about Hissing of Summer Lawns? What about Turbulent Indigo? Are those not phenomenal or .... did you just stop listening after Blue?

They're all phenomenal but something clicked for me the first time I heard Blue, and still clicks for that matter....every cut.
Her voice/vocal range, lyrics, accompaniment, etc.
"The bed's too big, the frying pan's too wide." Love it. :love-struck:

Joe

davismanLV · Jun 15, 2013

Fair enough, Joe.... I was just wondering. They all kinda "clicked" for me but in different ways. Different years, different moods and different experiences. Except for Mingus. That album was a flop for me. Too bizarre and too much unconstructed jazz. I'm sure she just had to go there, I just couldn't follow.....

killdeer43 · Jun 15, 2013

davismanLV said:
Fair enough, Joe.... I was just wondering. They all kinda "clicked" for me but in different ways. Different years, different moods and different experiences.

That's the way life is, I suppose. I guess that keeps things interesting.
Loved Joni but not the cigs. :anonymous:

Joe

idealassets · Jun 15, 2013

davismanLV said:
Joe, Blue is one. Of many. Why is Blue THE one? What about Hissing of Summer Lawns? What about Turbulent Indigo? Are those not phenomenal or .... did you just stop listening after Blue?

And then again there was Court and Spark, that had a few songs off of it that were played on top 40 FM radio.

adorshki · Jun 17, 2013

davismanLV said:
What about Hissing of Summer Lawns?

Yep. Up there with Ladies of the Canyon in my humble you-know-what.
"Edith and the Kingpin"
is my favorite cut but man it's a hard pick from all the masterpieces on that album.

Ross · Jun 19, 2013

There was a tribute concert to JM last night (18th) at the venerable Massey Hall in Toronto. Surprisingly, Joni herself sang a few songs to close the show. She hadn't sung in public in many years.
Newspaper article:
http://www.thestar.com/entertainmen...ishment_celebration_and_discovery_review.html

Wilfred · Jun 19, 2013

One of her more controversial albums, but I REALLY love Don Juan's Reckless Daughter, it has even been my only Joni album for a very long time. I just recently ordered the 10CD box with her complete 60-70s studio output. So lots more to discover! But really, Don Juan's is a magical musical mystery of an album.

gjmalcyon · Jun 19, 2013

And then there was her relationship with Graham Nash, which yielded "Our House", "Willie", "I Used to be a King".

idealassets · Jun 19, 2013

davismanLV said:
Fair enough, Joe.... I was just wondering. They all kinda "clicked" for me but in different ways. Different years, different moods and different experiences. Except for Mingus. That album was a flop for me. Too bizarre and too much unconstructed jazz. I'm sure she just had to go there, I just couldn't follow.....

I recall the Hissing of Summer Lawns album, her first venture into a departure from normal Joni Mitchell. Court and Spark was an electrified version of traditional Joni music themes, so far so good. I spent no more money on her albums with the advent of "Summer Lawns". That's when she unfortunately totally lost me as a listener.

Can anyone explain to me what that Coyote song thing was supposed to be about?

As for Joni songs that I would play on guitar, it would be all the traditional material up to and perhaps including Court and Spark. That is in consideration that with the backup band of LA Express (also on Court & Spark), Joni reworked some of her prior material on the live double album "Miles of Aisles", to a good effect in my opinion.

And yah, Joni loose the cigarettes girl...

Craig

tjmangum · Jun 19, 2013

An incredible talent! I saw her once in about 1974 with Tom Scott and the back up group she had then. Just amazing. How did we all get so old? Just watched the first couple of the CBC interviews. Very good.
T

southernGuild · Jun 20, 2013

I am just in Awe of that woman, Her talent, her skills, her artistry.............A rare, and exceptional person, who has taken so many of us on her musical journey.
What a gift she has, and has given.

Joni Mitchell

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