Oh I Wish I Had a POLL, I Could Skate Away On: The Joni Mitchell Tracks/Albums Results Thread (ILM ARTIST POLL #26)

"You Turn Me On" is arguably a better let-me-try-and-write-a-hit than "Help Me."

08. California (Blue): 333 points, 12 votes, 3 1st place votes

So I bought me a ticket
I caught a plane to Spain
Went to a party down a red dirt road
There were lots of pretty people there
Reading Rolling Stone reading Vogue

They said "How long can you hang around?"
I said a week maybe two
Just until my skin turns brown
Then I'm going home to California

'california' is pretty much a perfect song to me

A propros of nothing but I really don't get 'For The Roses'...it sounds like a step backwards from 'Blue' and sounds really vanilla...none of the unresolved tension of her best work...

My husband guessed that's what I'd chose as my #1 since I walk around singing it all the time. Perfect pop song indeed.

"California"'s lyrics just roll right off her tongue, they're great. I hate that "*sigh* that was just a dream some of us had" line though, enough of a preachy Joni moment that it stayed off my ballot

California was my no.1 and tbh I'm amazed it hasn't won this poll. I kept trying to put other things at no.1 instead, but every time it left me thinking 'no, it's Caifornia'.

"Night ride home" on the stereo and Joni just sang:

I feel your leg under the table
Leaning into mine
I feel renewed
I feel disabled
By these bonfires in my spine

07. The Last Time I Saw Richard (Blue): 388 points, 15 votes, 1 1st place vote

He put a quarter in the Wurlitzer and he pushed
Three buttons and the thing began to whirr
And a bar maid came by in fishnet stockings and a bow tie
And she said "Drink up now it's getting' on time to close"

^^^ a masterpiece of tone and emphasis

Joni as piano bar chanteuse...drink up now, it's getting time to close

Anyone know how that guitar sound on California and All I Want sounds like it does? Cheap guitar? Recording technique? Happy accident? Whatever, it's strange but wonderful.

Dulcimer, no?

Oh, also, "Richard" was my #1 and my favourite album closer ever

Here, she explains it for you

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQpZXUGRy1U

Jeff: it's a dulcimer

So I hear. Thanks, both.

I dint think Richard would place, so no idea what the last six are going to be

06. Free Man in Paris (Court and Spark): 391 points, 16 votes

I do my best
And I do good business
There's a lot of people asking for my time
They're trying to get ahead
They're trying to be a good friend of mine

LTISR is Joni at her most Didionesque, except for maybe People's Parties

"Free Man..." is the only song from C&S I really rate as high as the ones on the albums either side and Blue.

If we're doing muso questions today, I have one: is Joni playing in irregular tempo at the start of 'Blue', or is she playing regular but doing something clever that makes it seem so?

05. Coyote (Hejira): 412 points, 16 votes, 2 1st place votes

I looked a coyote right in the face
On the road to Baljennie near my old home town
He went running thru the whisker wheat
Chasing some prize down
And a hawk was playing with him
Coyote was jumping straight up and making passes
He had those same eyes just like yours
Under your dark glasses

What was the contemporary reaction to Hejira? A lot of people must have been thrown off when they heard this track.

There's only one song now that I'm certain will be top four. It's weird to feel so in the dark at this stage.

Yay suspense!

Coyote and Blue Motel Room are about Sam Shepard, right?

@ Ismael, you mean the intro arpeggiation? It's rrrrubato

04. Both Sides Now (Clouds): 416 points, 16 votes, 3 1st place votes

Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As ev'ry fairy tale comes real
I've looked at love that way

But now it's just another show
You leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know
Don't give yourself away

Sometimes I forget there's a beautiful, wide world out there filled with people who like this song

It's really simple but so memorable. My #1.

"The dizzy dancing way you feel" is one of my favourite lines ever...Missed the earlier songs today. "You Turn Me On" is one song I've never connected with for some reason.

If we can speed up a wee bit, Mordy, I'd appreciate it - it's gone 8pm Friday night here. No time to be @ werk.

@ Ismael, you mean the intro arpeggiation? It's rrrrubato

Got you, thanks. It always sounded strange to me, maybe because I can't imagine a band playing like that or it being scored that way. And I always thought Blue had strings - I've only now realised it's a solo piece, with a lot of reverb on the piano.

Sure thing, Jeff!

03. Carey (Blue): 452 points, 16 votes, 2 1st place votes

The wind is in from Africa
Last night I couldn't sleep
Oh you know it sure is hard to leave here
But it's really not my home

Maybe it's been too long a time
Since I was scramblin' down in the street
Now they got me used to that clean white linen
And that fancy French cologne

Oh Carey get out your cane
I'll put on my finest silver
We'll go to the Mermaid Café
Have fun tonight
I said, Oh, you're a mean old Daddy but I like you
But you're out of sight

Maybe you are thinking of the Sarah McLachlan version xp

i'll do the next two in 15 and 30 minutes, okay?

another amazingly sensitive example of tone and emphasis in her vocals... it all sounds so effortless.

another great part from Carey:

Let's have a round for these freaks and these soldiers
A round for these friends of mine
Let's have another round for the bright red devil
Who keeps me in this tourist town

Also my #3.

Is Harry's House-Centerpiece really going to be in the top two??

And mine. This is the one I was certain would place, so I'm in unknown waters now.

Just did some cheating and probably not...

I have two strong guesses, there are still C&S and Blue tracks left.

02. Help Me (Court and Spark): 459 points, 18 votes, 1 1st place vote

Help me
I think I'm falling
In love too fast
It's got me hoping for the future
And worrying about the past
'Cause I've seen some hot hot blazes
Come down to smoke and ash
We love our lovin'
But not like we love our freedom

This was #11 on my list but after having listened to the rest of the top 50 it feels like a weird combination of flat (in the vocals) and overproduced, as well as a bit dated. But still an amazing track and one of the few on C&S that really works by itself.

Can guess the #1 now (and have no problem with it being #1) so will bow out for tonight. Thanks, Mordy! Was fun.

"Help Me" is so goddamn effortless

reading the Christgau reviews now...he calls her a "very if briefly great singer-songwriter" - ouch