Customer Reviews

Complete Geffen Recordings

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Joni Mitchell is, in my opinion, the finest songwriter of the last 40 years. No one except Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and perhaps, occasionally. Kurt Cobain, can touch her as a poet--and no one at all has left a richer legacy of gorgeous melodies and totally original instrumental settings. Unfortunately, most of her best work has been done since her early commercial (and critical) peak in the first half of the 1970s, and hasn't reached the audience it deserves.

The Complete Geffen Recordings collects four records dating from 1982 to 1991 which, between them, contain at least 8 or 9 of the best songs you'll ever hear in your life. I was never crazy about the first of these records, "Wild Things Run Fast"--the playing is a bit too slick, and the songwriting standard is low for a Mitchell record--but "Chinese Cafe" and "Moon at the Window" are absolute classics. "Dog Eat Dog" has a very 80s synths & drum machines vibe, but Mitchell twists the New Wave tendencies into a unique sonic landscape that suits her brittle songs bemoaning a decade of greed & intolerance (a decade which, from the perspective of 2003, seems positively benign). "Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm" is almost as sonically adventurous, and contains the brilliant songs "My Secret Place" and "The Beat of Black Wings." Finally, "Night Ride Home" was billed as a return to form--by people who never bothered listening to her 80s records. It does return to a more acoustic vibe, showcasing Mitchell's unique guitar style. The title song and "Come in From the Cold," among others, are thrilling.

The box set includes 3 unreleased tracks. Joni's glorious cover of Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" is worth the $50 all by itself. The wordless demo version of "Two Grey Rooms" is beautiful, but interesting primarily as a window into Mitchell's writing process, and a voice-&-piano demo of "Good Friends" from "Dog Eat Dog"--one of the most elaborately-produced tracks on an elaborately-produced record--is a refreshing alternative version.

The 4-cd Geffen set presents, repackaged and remastered, Joni Mitchell's post-jazz, return-to-pop period, from 1982 to 1991. True, Mitchell's 80s period is jazzier and more daring than conventional pop music, but these CDs nonetheless mark a major shift from the wordy and impressionistic jazz-rock fusion of her late 70s work to a simpler and perhaps more accessible pop-rock. By nearly anyone's measure these albums do not stand up to her finest work, the masterpieces Blue, Court and Spark, and Hejira. But their extraordinary production value (very appreciated by this fan if not by all), accompanied by some remarkable songs (Moon at the Window, Impossible Dreamer, My Secret Place and Cherokee Louise are the respective highlights, among others) make for intriguing, challenging and beautiful listening. Another highlight: the bonus demo of Two Grey Rooms, a track demonstrating better than any other found here (or perhaps before or since) what for me is the essence of Joni Mitchell's work: sensuality, desire, sophistication, love. I can't respond to another reviewer's claim that this set isn't adequately remastered. I detect a richer, fuller sound than the original CDs, and I'll have to leave it at that. The booklet contains extensive comments by the artist, some insightful, some spiteful, some amusing, all Joni.

The Geffen era is the least liked period of Joni's music. Her early 70s folk fans and late 70s jazz fans (to put it bluntly) found these albums too commercial and overproduced. I'm not one of them! Being a teenager in the 80s, I totally soaked up this kind of sound. Conversely, I struggle with some of her early albums...

"Wild Things" and "Dog Eat Dog" are two of my favourite (Joni) albums. "Chalk Mark" has a few great gems but it is a bit uneven. "Night Ride Home" has more spacious, organic sound and it won back most of the fans. Overall, this is a batch of four very good albums. Still, I only give it three stars out of five.

Here is why. Most of Joni's albums have been re-released recently in glorious remastered HDCD sound and with fully restored artwork. Unfortunately, that proven recipe has not been used when reissuing these four albums. Instead, we get the Geffen box set.

The other re-releases didn't have bonus tracks, these have (except "Chalk Mark"). But that is hardly worth the hefty price of the box though, not even for a Joni fan. Where is the "Shiny Toys" remix, for example? The CD's come in very basic card wallets, neat but a bit cheap. There is a thick 86-page book(let), but is also a bit of a let-down. There is a spread of the unused art for "Dog Eat Dog", very nice. Joni has provided quaint comments for most of the tracks, but it almost seems she had better things to do, the further she got in the process. Only half of "Night Ride Home" apparently is worthy of commentary. Nothing to say about "Slouching Towards Bethlehem"? Astonishing.

My biggest complaint is sound quality. These CD's are NOT remastered (like it says on the top of this page). Nowhere on the box it actually claims this. 'Mastered from the original master tapes' simply means re-using the LP masters. Actual remastering would involve going back to the original multi-tracks and making a brand new mix, with digital playback in mind. That might sound like nitpicking, but the fact is that apart from raised sound level, there is practically no difference in sound - compared to the original CD's. They sound a bit tinny and thin and so do these. There is possibly a bit more bass on the first albums but no difference at all on the last two. I actually fooled myself a couple of times, thinking I was hearing an improvement in sound, when I was actually listening to the original 80s CD...

The Geffen box is one way to get these four albums - in case you're in the market to get them all on CD. But if you already have one of them, I would recommend getting the rest as the original CD's. You won't lose in sound quality and will get the albums the way they were meant to be released in, probably cheaper. If you own the original LP's: hold on to them! With no remastered CD's around - this box probably kills any chance of that happening - the best sound is still in the vinyls.

Hoping to clear up any confusion (I certainly was), this box set has certainly been remastered, and pretty well too. Even the most recent of the four albums, Night Ride Home, sounds significantly better than it's 1991 release. Our reviewer from Finland needs to spend more money on his hi-fi. Sadly we all do, thanks to the arrival of the digital age. The production credits for the box set are there in the liner notes, for the reading. Nothing here is "remixed" however.

Altogether this is a tidy and expensive package of the wonderful Joni MItchell's releases for Geffen, however I have to admit that I still don't hear much that I enjoy on Dog Eat Dog or Chalk Mark In A Rainstorm. The first and last albums make it up for me, packed with a fair selection of memorable tracks, along with a fabulous cover of "It's All Over Now Baby Blue". On that evidence, I would love to hear Joni doing a covers album with the same level of effort. The other two "demos" are intriguing enough but ultimately did not make it onto my home mix. What did blend well was three tracks from her new album "Shine".

I would suggest this box set is for those who know what they're buying, and if it's a better reproduction then buy with confidence. Those exploring Joni Mitchell would hit the motherlode quicker if (imho) they invest in Hejira or Court And Spark, among others. For dipping your toe in the water, I suggest "Hits" from 1996 - a good overview of her more accessible and timeless material.

I put these cd's in the car and was listening to so many of my favorite songs when I ran across the demo version of Two Grey Rooms, released on the Night Ride Home album but recorded during the Wild Things Run Fast sessions. Always one of my favorite Joni songs, in this version she sings ad lib vocalizations- no lyrics. It's absolutely stunning. The sweeping lush orchestration, the (real) piano and the recording are superb. Joni's rich voice sounds as if recorded in a cavernous hall rich with depth. This song one of my most prized Joni Mitchell songs ever. Thank you for releasing this beautiful jem.

Joni Mitchell is probably the most talented songwriter of the last 35-40 years. Musically, she is so beyond Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Randy Newman, Bowie, the Beatles, Sting, and others in contemporary music because of her constant new discoveries of sounds and her evolution as a composer. She created over 50 unique guitar tunings. She created her own orchestrations, with the exception of the two most recent CDs, Travelogue and Both Sides Now, where she hired Vince Mendoza to help her out. Not only is she a really gorgeous composer and brilliant lyricist, but she is a sonic innovator. Her melodies continue to thrill me after 40-50 listens of the same CD, like For the Roses. The frustrating thing is that in the 80's her work was dismissed, but her musical innovation continued so boldly. Listen to Ladies of the Canyon, then go to Chalkmark and Night Ride Home. Wow. The growth of her musical skills is incredible. If you prefer her upper-register sound, the Geffen package may not thrill you, but it's a ride with an incredible musical genius. What's so interesting about this music is that it takes 6-7 listens to get the depth of her lyrics, as well as pick up all the layers of her sound. There are so may layers of guitars on Chalkmark to appreciate! I do miss Joni's voice floating on the top of the stratosphere, but I bought this one to experience her artistic growth, and it's worth it. I must admit, 1/2 of Dog Eat Dog, I still don't appreciate, but I am trying. Photographs and Joni's liner notes are great! It's wonderful that singers like Diana Krall, Casandra Wilson, and Janet Jackson have recently covered Joni, she is SIQUOMB!!! Plus she's a hero to Elvis Costello, Prince, Shawn Colvin, Jimmy Page, and opera singer Renee Fleming, among others.

Length:: 1:39 Mins

These are the Mitchell albums that I listened to as a kid. I have been frustrated that they were largely panned by the press and longtime fans alike - they were just too much, I guess. These four albums, although different from each other, represent such a great period in Joni History! Much talk has been dedicated on the JM fan lists in recent years about potential box set releases - I doubt anyone thought that these oft-maligned albums would be the recepients of such a great re-release. This box set is great - fantastic liner notes, slim issue album covers and individual commentary on most of the tracks are included on all four albums. This choice of special edition re-issues is no surprise. JM wants us to re-evaluate and rediscover them for their own merits. These "...four parolees" from the "...dungeons of Geffen Recoreds" deserve a second listen. Yay! Joni, for having the cahoneys to release them a second time. I hope that they are received better this time around. Bonus tracks include the original instumental with vocal of what became "Two Grey Rooms" on "Night Ride Home" and a demo version of "Good Friends" from "Dog Eat Dog".

i just recently got back into a Joni Mitchell mood & replayed this box set. the sound is gorgeous & on the back page of the booklet, it saids mastered, 24 bit. the remasters are not available individually.

the albums themselves are some of Joni's overlooked, but i like Wild Things, Chalk Mark & Night Ride even more now that i'm older. they still sound fresh even today in 2009.

I found the notes in the booklet a bonus.
I was also pleased with the demo of Two Grey Rooms.
Will give it another listen after Obama wins on Tuesday :O)


Randall Jarmon