Joni Mitchell, Shadows and Light [Hardcover]

Karen O'Brien (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2001

Joni Mitchell is an icon of sixties rock n' roll and has long been regarded as the best female singer/songwriter of her generation. Beginning as a folk singer in her native Canada in the early 1960s, she was discovered by the Byrds David Crosby and threw herself into New Yorks bohemian scene. In the late 1960s and 1970s she enjoyed international hits including Chelsea Morningand Big Yellow Taxi, and has recorded several critically acclaimed albums including the landmark Blue and the jazz-influenced The Hissing of Summer Lawns.

During the 1990s she has continued to create adventurous and highly-regarded music, while also turning her hand to the visual arts. Her idiosyncratic paintings and photography have been well received, and she regularly exhibits in the USA and Canada.

Shadows and Light The Definitive Biography charts the life and loves of this fascinationg and complex woman, whose career has spanned over 30 years and defied fashion and genre. The story is told with an unrivalled degree of access, including first-person interviews with many of those closest to her, including her family, friends and musical collaborators.

 

- The first in-depth biography of Joni Mitchell
- Reveals the remarkable story of the life and loves of this complex and fascinating artist.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'This is a book that seeks to decisively shine light on Mitchell's artistic importance; and thanks to O'Brien's capable writing and seemingly endless research, it impressively succeeds. On occasion in fact the text masters its themes to the point that it teeters on the brink of social history.' O; 'This is an impressively researched, well-written book' Mojo; 'O'Brien's version of Mitchell is inspiring and forbidding, endearing and difficult, flamboyant and secretive: it's a portrait Joni herself might recognise' Record Collector --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Karen O'Brien is a music journalist and a BBC World Service radio news producer. She has written and broadcast widely on the arts. Karen's previous book, Hymn to Her, a collection of writings on women musicians, was published by Virago in 1995. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Virgin Publishing (October 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1852279761
• ISBN-13: 978-1852279769
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,096,483 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Hagiography as Biography, May 22, 2009

By 

haregrog "haregrog" (Wilmington, NC United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Joni Mitchell: Shadows and Light (Paperback)

I understand that Joni Mitchell is widely recognized as amazing; that's why I was interested in what has made her tick throughout her impressive career as an artist. But the more this author tries to convince me of JM's genius, the less convinced I become. Despite the vaunted research and volume of this text, one comes away with almost nothing in terms of being able to understand Mitchell's true influences and personality, any sense of where the words, music and paintings come from.

When every quirk is excused, every decision sanctified and every critic dismissed, it's impossible to get past the endless stream of praise that is already part of the public discourse on Joni. Ironically, it doesn't seem like there's much here, and Karen O'Brien has made Joni Mitchell smaller by coating her whole life with a protective veneer of preordained sainthood.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Since Joni won't write her autobiography.., March 7, 2011

By 

C.A. Wiseguy (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Joni Mitchell: Shadows and Light (Paperback)

This is the next best thing. This book illuminates all the myth of Joni Mitchell. Enigmiatic. Complex. Multi-faceted. And forever evolving. I know that she can't hold the guitar due to her polio, but there are tons of men and women who would kill to learn all the JM tricks! I would! She's the reason why I still play music. I don't listen to her much, because if I hear something, then I want to play it all! Especially the "jazz" stuff, with the modern stuff a very close second. Just read the book!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a big work but with a lack of objectivity, February 8, 2009

By 

Christophe Adotti "music addict" (Paris) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Joni Mitchell: Shadows and Light (Paperback)

I really dig Joni Mitchell stuff and really think she's a complete artist.

I read this book and it is really oriented for fans, It could have been more objective.

all the development of the author around feminism sucks, and sometimes it gets to what I call "cheap psychology" with the will to explain things that can't be explain. The interpretation of the author goes to far. Sure there is a really important research work about JM's life, but it could have focused a little more on music instead of detailing her relationships.

However, it is the best I read on Joni so far.