Joni Mitchell: Classic or Dud

This is an interesting topic that really deserves its own thread. FWIW when Richard Wright of Pink Floyd (stratospheric, I know) died his estate was worth £24 million.

All Who tours undertaken between 1989 and 2002 were done to keep John Entwistle out of debt. Ironically, much of his debt was incurred because he went out-of-pocket keeping his solo band on club tours that never broke even (though his spending on guitars, basses, cars, taxidermied fish, and a collection of medieval armor probably didn't help). When he died, all his possessions had to be auctioned off to pay outstanding debts and settle his estate's tax.

Worth keeping in mind that Richard Wright had many Floyd writing credits on albums that sell bazillions. Entwistle ... less so.

I would read an entire book on this stuff. It's fascinating to me how a single savvy decision like making sure to get co-writing credit or just how good/bad the terms of a certain deal are can become such a make or break for an artist for years to come.

sideline, but there was already a Joni box set, guys

http://www.amazon.com/Studio-Albums-1968-Joni-Mitchell/dp/B0097AQEOK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413561012&sr=8-1&keywords=joni+mitchell+box

and its incredibly inexpensive and wonderful

wow, that's a great deal

Indeed. Would also like to hear her choice & sequence of tracks, her implicit narrative.

I would read an entire book on this stuff. It's fascinating to me how a single savvy decision like making sure to get co-writing credit or just how good/bad the terms of a certain deal are can become such a make or break for an artist for years to come.

― my jaw left (Hurting 2), Friday, October 17, 2014 11:47 AM (19 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

This one is pretty great:
http://www.amazon.com/You-Never-Give-Your-Money/dp/0061774189

Indeed. Would also like to hear her choice & sequence of tracks, her implicit narrative.

― dow, Friday, October 17, 2014 10:55 AM (17 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

it's called iTunes, and it's free!

sort of

Is Joni still represented by Elliott Roberts? If he's been able to keep Neil Young solvent, she should be a cakewalk.

no Who album has ever sold as much as Pink Floyd album. It's like comparing, I dunno, Tom Petty sales to Zep's.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure Dark Side has sold more than the Who's whole catalog combined.

money, it's a gas

finally sprung for the joni studio albums 1968-1979 collection, i have a few already (mostly on vinyl) but at $40 for 10 albums it is a great deal. $4 an album is lovely.

yeah, I picked it up last year. was waiting for some sooper deluxe editions to drop but she seems uninterested in that and the price was right.

Gosh Miles of Aisles is great -- love hearing the band from that era jam out

― my jaw left (Hurting 2), Sunday, September 14, 2014 9:28 PM (1 month ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

otm, this is SO good

really been enjoying don juan's reckless daughter lately! doesn't seem to have been received as well but I find it pretty close to Hejira in terms of quality even though it's much looser in its experimentation

we are in synch! I drove around town listening to this yesterday and it's such a great record- "Paprika Plains"! amazing!

(not to dwell in the past but this was a big bjork fave that she was listening to a lot while finalizing "vespertine" and it shows, I think)

Could totally see that re: bjork

yeah i've always been surprised at how overlooked Reckless Daughter is to this day, even amongst Hejira stans

I love Jaco's bass. Anyone who says otherwise should not be trusted on anything.

― Tim F, Wednesday, December 26, 2012 8:22 PM (1 year ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yes!

Jaco's alright if you like bass farts

I fucking hate Jaco, will never mature out of that opinion. He's where I draw the line.

my wife told me she couldn't handle hissing of the summer lawns this weekend and i was like :^0

hurting i guess you do not like hejira or don juan's reckless daughter then

and i think you makes just a lil fucked up tbqf

I love "Dreamland" so goddamn much that I almost never play anything else off that record

and i think *that you makes *you just a lil fucked up tbqf

sorry about typos i need to make this message clear

Hurting otm

I'm not a Jaco fan either, but I love Hejira.

Couldn't make it through Mingus, though.

mingus is not as good on first listen but i could see myself developing some kind of affection for it

and yes dreamland is WONDERFUL xp

Hejira is pretty much the only place I can tolerate Jaco, and barely. Actually there are one or two Weather Report tunes I like him on, but overall nope. BYOW BYOW BYOOOOWWWW

hey, do that again. i liked that.

yea!

Posted this on the Ron Sexsmith thread -- interesting to see later Joni covered.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUDUCcOPFE0

yeah a little jaco goes a long way but joni deploys him beautifully. i'd also recommend his work on the pat metheny-led album "bright size life." aside from those, yes, i can see how his technique can grate.

I just generally hate the sound of fretless bass. the tone of it. there are a few dudes who get a pass on it because they employ it so strangely (Colin Moulding etc.) but it's a small bunch

amateurist otm re: bright size life. Such a good album!

it was recommended to me on ILM, maybe even on this very thread.

Some fairly wide-ranging Mitchell show tapes incl. Larry Klein having no prob w Jaco-associated songs, while not trying to imitate him (also no difficulty with songs from other eras).
Metheny Group could be good, though I like him better with Haden etc. on 80/81 and Rejoicing, also w Ornette on Song X (also good w Gary Burton)

I really liked Jaco's s/t solo debut. Really haven't latched on to anything else by him though, including the Mitchell work.

Yeah, that solo album is pretty funky. Sam + Dave and Herbie Hancock cameos help.

Bright Size Life is great and captures a lot of the same vibe as Hejira

Joni on Car(e)y:
http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-muse-behind-joni-mitchells-carey-1415721658

wonderful image too

http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/AR-AH807_JONI_12S_20141111102702.jpg

and an interview with Cary himself!
http://online.wsj.com/articles/when-joni-mitchell-met-cary-raditz-her-mean-old-daddy-1415721367?tesla=y

great article! xxp

yea both of those were really great