"…I Could Drink A Case
Of You And Still Be On My Feet…"
This Box Set Contains The 1970 Album "Ladies Of The Canyon"
There’s a lot to say about
this truly fab little box set – so let’s get to the nuts and bolts quickly -
released October 2012 in the UK (November in the USA) – "The Studio Albums
1968-1979" by JONI MITCHELL is a 10CD Mini Box Set on
Warners/Reprise/Asylum/Rhino 8122797178 (Barcode 081227971786) and breaks down
as follows:
Disc 1 (38:07 minutes)
1. I Had A King
2. Michael from The
Mountains
3. Night In The City
4. Marcie
5. Nathan La Franeer
6. Sisotowbell Lane
7. The Dawntreader
8. The Pirate Of Penance
9. Song To A Seagull
10. Cactus Tree
Tracks 1 to 10 are her debut
LP “Song To A Seagull” [aka “Joni Mitchell”] – released March 1968 in the USA
(June 1968 in the UK) on Reprise RSLP 6293
Disc 2 (37:41 minutes):
1. Tin Angel
2. Chelsea Morning
3. I Don’t Know Where I
Stand
4. That Song About The
Midway
5. Roses Blue
6. The Gallery
7. I Think I Understand
8. Songs To Aging Children
Come
9. The Fiddle And The Drum
10. Both Sides, Now
Tracks 1 to 10 are the LP
“Clouds” – released May 1969 LP in the USA (October 1969 in the UK) on Reprise
RSLP 6341
Disc 3 (44:59 minutes):
1. Morning Morgantown
2. For Free
3. Conversation
4. Ladies Of The canyon
5. Willy
6. The Arrangement
7. Rainy Night House
8. The Priest
9. Blue Boy
10. Big Yellow Taxi
11. Woodstock
12. The Circle Game
Tracks 1 to 12 are the LP
“Ladies Of The Canyon” – released April 1970 in the USA (May 1970 in the UK) on
Reprise RSLP 6376
Disc 4 (36:13 minutes):
1. All I Want
2. My Old Man
3. Little Green
4. Carey
5. Blue
6. California
7. This Flight Tonight
8. River
9. A Case Of You
10. The Last Time I Saw
Richard
Tracks 1 to 10 are the LP
“Blue” – released June 1971 in the USA on Reprise MS 2038 and July 1971 in the
UK on Reprise K 44128
Disc 5. (40:25 minutes):
1. Banquet
2. Cold Blue Steel And Sweet
Fire
3. Barangrill
4. Lesson In Survival
5. Let The Wind Carry Me
6. For The Roses
7. See You Sometime
8. Electricity
9. You Turn Me On I’m A
Radio
10. Blonde In The Bleachers
11. Woman Of Heart And Mind
12. Judgement Of the Moon
And Stars (Ludwig’s Tune)
Tracks 1 to 12 are the LP
“For The Roses” – released November 1972 in the USA on Asylum SD 5057 and
December 1972 in the UK on Asylum SYLA 8753
Disc 6 (36:58 minutes):
1. Court And Spark
2. Help Me
3. Free Man In Paris
4. People’s Parties
5. The Same Situation
6. Car On A Hill
7. Down To You
8. Just Like This Train
9. Raised On Robbery
10. Trouble Child
11. Twisted
Tracks 1 to 11 are the LP
“Court And Spark” – released February 1974 in the USA on Asylum 7E-1001 and
March 1974 in the UK on Asylum SYLA 8756
Disc 7 (42:37 minutes):
1. In France They Kiss On
Main Street
2. The Jungle Line
3. Edith And The Kingpin
4. Don’t Interrupt The
Sorrow
5. Shades Of Scarlett
Conquering
6. The Hissing Of Summer
Lawns
7. The Boho Dance
8. Harry’s House/Centerpiece
9. Sweet Bird
10. Shadows And Light
Tracks 1 to 10 are the LP
“The Hissing of Summer Lawns” – released November 1975 in the USA on Asylum
7E-1051 and Asylum K 53018 in the UK
Disc 8 (51:55 minutes):
1. Coyote
2. Amelia
3. Furry Sings The Blues
4. A Strange Boy
5. Hejira
6. Song For Sharon
7. Black Crow
8. Blue Motel Room
9. Refuge Of The Roads
Tracks 1 to 9 are the LP
“Hejira” – released November 1976 in the USA on Asylum 7£-1087 and Asylum K
53053 in the UK
Disc 9 (59:52 minutes):
1. Overture-Cotton Avenue
2. Talk To Me
3. Jericho
4. Paprika Plains
5. Otis And Marlena
6. The Tenth World
7. Dreamland
8. Don Juan’s Reckless
Daughter
9. Off Night Backstreet
10. The Silky Veils Of Ardor
Tracks 1 to 10 are the 2LP
set “Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter” – released December 1977 in the USA on
Asylum BB-701 and Asylum K 63003 in the UK
Disc 10 (37:23 minutes):
1. Happy Birthday 1975 (Rap)
2. God Must Be A Boogie Man
3. Funeral (Rap)
4. Chair In The Sky
5. The Wolf That Lives In
Lindsey
6. I’s A Muggin’ (Rap)
7. Sweet Sucker Dance
8. Coin In The Pocket (Rap)
9. The Dry Cleaner From Des
Moines
10. Lucky (Rap)
11. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
Tracks 1 to 11 are the LP
“Mingus” – released June 1979 in the USA on Asylum 5E-505 and July 1979 in the
UK on Asylum K 53091
Joni Mitchell’s “The Studio
Albums 1968-1979” is probably the prettiest Mini Box Set in this WEA series so
far. Each of the 5” card repro sleeves inside reflects the original AMERICAN
artwork and so every one of the 10 has a
'gatefold' sleeve (the first two albums were single sleeves only in the
UK). "For The Roses" and "Mingus" even have their extra
inner LP ‘flaps’ reproduced as a separate inlay. The CDs themselves - 1 to 4
have the tan colour Reprise label and thereafter revert to the standard silver
look of 1980’s WEA titles (a bit more attention to detail would have gotten all
the correct labels for each period – something Rhino normally gets right).
Most of the gatefolds open
from the inside in order to get at the CD – so I put all of mine in a Japanese
plastic protective (which you can buy online) to avoid scuffing. The original
album ‘inner sleeves’ on "Hejira" and "Don Juan's Reckless
Daughter" are not here – but it has to be said that the uber clean 5”
gatefold repros are beautifully done and for an old album’s nut like me –
aesthetically pleasing – even if you will need a microscope to actually read
any of the lyrics or recording info. There’s no booklet which is a damn shame
given this woman’s musical stature.
On that subject - I hate the
way the Sony/Legacy/Columbia ‘Complete’ Box Sets look with that generic Red Box
cover they do – but at least they do come with comprehensive booklets that ‘so’
compliment the audio (Byrds, Bill Withers, Etta James, Nilsson – see reviews).
I mention this because arguably WEA has an artist’s roster that is far more
worthy and deserves the presentation-business done by them – songwriters like
Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson
Browne, Emmylou Harris, Gordon Lightfoot, Rickie Lee Jones – and many others. A
nice booklet would have lifted this astonishing box set into the stratosphere.
But these are mere niggles to the main event – the wonderful AUDIO…
The best bit for many will
be the GORGEOUS QUALITY SOUND. From what I can hear every one of these has used
the upgraded HDCD remasters and the audio warmth and presence on say
"Clouds", "Ladies Of The Canyon" and "Blue" is mind-blowingly
good. Which brings us to the music itself…
Even as lifelong fan of Joni
– re-listening to these albums in chronological order is an awesome experience
and on many occasions leaves you picking your jaw up off the floor and reaching
for the Thesaurus to find adjectives big enough to do these songs justice.
Track after track simply floors you – melodious, witty, heartfelt, articulate –
Joni Mitchell has a way with melodies and words that oozes a rare intelligence.
She’s an artist who was (and is) bound to engender true hero worship. By the
time you get to Blue classics like "River” and the sublime "A Case Of
You" – resistance is quite literally futile (lyrics from it title this
review).
The other brill thing about
a box like this is the dipping-in and the rediscovering of song nuggets that
you’d either forgotten or aren’t on those “Best Of” compilations – Night In The
City (from Song Of A Seagull), That Song About The Midway (from Clouds),
Conversation (from Ladies Of The Canyon), California (from Blue), Electricity
(from For The Roses), People’s Parties (from Court And Spark), The Boho Dance
(from The Hissing Of Summer Lawns), Furry Sings The Blues (from Hejira) and Off
Night Backstreet (from Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter). The only real clunker for
me is the patchy jazz album “Mingus” which to this day still feels indulgent.
Other than that this is a peerless and incredible body of work (for not a lot
of wedge).
If ever an artist deserved
lavish – it’s Canada’s finest – Joni Mitchell. Don’t think – don’t dither –
dive in and drool.
God bless you our Lady of
the Canyon and stop smoking you silly twit – you’re far too precious to lose…
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