Customer Reviews

A Tribute To Joni Mitchell

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I came across this CD at a listening station at Virgin Megastore in Chicago. I LOVE this CD. To me the worst crime of a tribute CD is to impersonate the artist being featured. All of the artists on this CD bring their own strange beauty to these songs. My favorites -- Prince's A Case of You (I'm surprised some object his to take on this song. His falsetto combined with his multi-tracked lower notes is lovely). Bjork's Boho Dance (Makes the lyrics totally come alive; the clarity of Bjork's voice matched by the lyrics makes me appreciate Bjork's voice in a whole new way, this is a warmer more accessible Bjork). Emmylou Harris' Magadalene Laundries (Much has been said about this version; and I agree it is sad and heartfelt). Elvis Costello's Kingpin (I really like the smooth sound of Costello with the vibraphone -- very film noir). And all throughout Robert Hurwitz' musical production choices are stunning, surprising and fresh. Musical settings that are both modern and evocative at the same time. Joni should be smiling. This will hopefully bring her music to a younger generation, and lead them back to her originals. Also it's cool to have an instrumental cover in here (piano by Bard Mehldau).

This tribute was announced almost ten years ago, and it seems to have undergone a transformation since then. To be fair, there are some interesting additions such as the Sufjan Stevens and Brad Mehldau tracks. And Emmylou Harris is brilliant. But Sarah McLachlan's "Blue" has been heard before as has Prince's "A Case of You." Earlier reports indicated contributions from heaviweights like Steely Dan and Lindsey Buckingham. I sure would like to have heard what they would have done. Even more disappointing is that Joni's Hejira-Mingus era albums are mostly ignored - and that was her best music, in my opinion. As a final indignity, it sounds to me that too much compression was added in the mastering phase, and hence the overall sound quality of the CD is lacking in dynamics.

When I first saw this on Amazon, I considered not buying it because the reviews were so low. I know better, so I bought it anyway and I am so glad! I have to "interupt the sorrow" for all those of you who didn't get it or didn't like this album. Personally, I find it sounds more like Joni than anything I have heard in years, although she does not sing a song. Joni's brillance shows through, and is augmented by those artists who cover them, and particularly those who choose to make these songs their own. If you have a history with Joni's music and painting, you will be thrilled. A Free Man in Paris, is a post-modern interpretation of her original, and will stick in your head with its off-beat melody. The horn section is amazing, and worth the listen, just by itself. Princes interpretation of A Case of You is even better than the one that K.D. Laing did - and I loved her version. The Brad Mehldau's cover of Don't Interupt the Sorrow is reminiscent of Keith Jarrett's piano style and gives a historical context, that adds yet another layer of depth to the track. Bjork blew me away with her magical version of the Boho Dance. Just her vocalization of the term "boho" gives it form and depth. Her accent lends a sense of the international - and suggests that this is the nature of the boho dance; that it is a universal condition of humanity. This "undercover" marketing of Joni is fabulous critique on the music industry that scorns anyone over thirty, not making white bread music. And, like the complex compilation it is, the song For the Roses gives us the other side of the coin - "Just when you get a taste for worship, they start bringing in the boards and the nails..." says it all. This album's arrangement is a tribute to Joni's unique understanding of jazz. Anyone who embraces Don Juan's Reckless Daughter, will find it hard to stop listening. I guess it is possible to "paint a starry, starry night, again, man."

[...]Putting all that aside, it's important to recall that (as many of my friends told me at the time) many of Mitchell's songs are "downers." Moreover, her output made a remarkable transition from early folky crooners to the jazz-inspired work of her middle albums, and the more straight-forward pop of later discs. She was also one of the first pop stars to make a free-verse lyric actually work in a song. Nowadays, when we take unrhymed, self-referential lyrics for granted, it's easy to forget how genuinely different these songs seemed 30 years ago. The artists included here are apt by virtue of being quirks (and sometimes downers) in their own rights. Sufan Stevens, who owes Mitchell a huge debt, daringly turns one of her most popular songs into his own. Bjork's adorably twisted take on "Bojo Dance" finally made that song tolerable for me (I never liked Mitchell's version). Brad Mehldau often includes Mitchell songs in his sets, and Casandra Wilson's understated cover of "For the Roses" is haunting. Prince turns a folk song into electric gospel, and Annie Lennox finds the psychedelia lurking in "Ladies of the Canyon." Emmylou Harris could have written "The Magdelene Laundries," and Elvis Costello's take on "Edith and the Kingpin" makes it seem like it was written for him. k.d. lang's note-perfect cover of "Help Me" must ride home on some deep, Canadian connection. And somehow Sarah McLachlan and James Taylor almost don't need comment, do they? Taylor sang backups on the original "Blue" album, and McLachlan seems to have absorbed it into her DNA. And who else but Caetano Veloso could pull off the bizarre "Dreamland," from what is arguably Mitchell's most weird-ass album. This is a CD that I am finding it easy to live with, reminding me of how rich and varied Ms. Mitchell's "downers" really are (and always have been).

This disc is not very interesting. The performances are mostly lackluster. The only stand out tracks are Annie Lennox's brilliant reading of Ladies of the Canyon. Lennox has a wonderfully distinctive voice and the synthesizers and Indian instrumentation reminded me plesantly of the Beatles. k. d. lang does a wonderful job on Help Me and James Taylor does a good job on River but I already had that on his holiday release. It was sort of interesting to hear Prince but the rest of the disc is just plain boring.

This is no "Return Of The Grievous Angel". Sadly they use admirers of Joni Mitchell's music instead of artists who would really know how to make some decent renditions. This CD is good for about three listens before it ends up collecting dust in the music rack. James Taylor and Sarah McLachlan fit for Joni's style (Folk, Jazz & World) and that is about it. Who should be here? Pat Metheny, Shawn Colvin, C.S.N.& Y., Jackson Browne, Judy Collins, David Wilcox, Richard Thompson, Arlo Guthrie, O'2L, Steely Dan, John Gorka, Carly Simon, Laura Coyle, Robben Ford and Loreena McKennitt. Maybe even Rickie Lee Jones and Joni could kiss and make peace. Let's try a second tribute and get this right. The booklet by the way is a joke. A 2 Star only for Sarah McLachlan's "Blue". Avoid unless you're one of those collectors from A to Z on Joni Mitchell. She deserved way better than this. Save your $$$$ and read the other honest reviews which I didn't.

(Three and One-half Stars) While I must admit to a bit of what I call The Peggy Lee Syndrome ("Is that all there is?") concerning this collection, the fact is, when it's good it's very good; and when it's bad - well, it's never actually bad. At it's worst, it's merely baffling, and that comes right off the bat with Sufjan Stevens' complete re-write of "Free Man In Paris". Stevens doesn't just play around the melody, as a jazz singer might; he ignores the original melody entirely, substituting one of his own. It's not a bad song - it just isn't Joni's song. Notwithstanding some fussy studio tricks, Bjork's take on "The Boho Dance" is a note-perfect faithful cover; although her odd phrasing (she'll take a breath in the middle of a word) makes me wonder if she actually understood the lyrics. Brazilian singer/songwriter Caetano Veloso turns "Dreamland" into the 'Carnival in Rio' ride at Disney World, which is not a bad thing. Pianist Brad Mahldau's "Don't Interrupt the Sorrow" reveals that without Joni's lyrics, "Sorrow" is not one of her most engaging melodies: Mahldau punches atonal clusters with his right hand, as if to make up for it. Jazz diva Cassandra Wilson sings "For the Roses" as written, in a key so low her voice sounds considerably more masculine than Sufjan Stevens'.

Prince does "A Case of You" as a late-70s slow jam (like some forgotten B-side by the Stylistics), using only verse 2 ("I am a lonely painter") and the chorus, and singing the entire piece in a flute-like falsetto -- take THAT, Robin Thicke! It's easily the high point of this compilation, and should be released as a single - Prince could use a hit. With the fluttery, fragile beauty of the annual choir concert at a high-end girls school, Sarah McLachlan's "Blue" has been around since at least 1995, but is no less pretty for that. Similarly, Annie Lennox's "Ladies of the Canyon" was the "B-side" of the CD single of "No More I Love Yous" back in '96; but it's lovely, and frankly, I can't seem to find fault with Annie, try as I might. But both those cuts pale compared to Emmylou Harris' gorgeous reading of "Magdalene Laundries". One of Joni's better late-career songs, "Laundries" is showing a surprising versatility: Joni has recorded it with the Chieftains, while in Emmylou's capable hands and incomparable voice, one would swear it was written as a country ballad.

Elvis Costello turns "Edith and the Kingpin" into late-night small-band jazz - one can imagine him in a sharkskin suit, microphone and cigarette in the same hand. He seems to be channeling Mark Murphy: his "Edith" is reminiscent of Murphy's version of "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" - which is a good thing. k.d. lang's "Help Me" is pretty (I don't think she's capable of less), but oddly detached: there's no longing here, only beautiful notes. Finally, James Taylor delivers what may be the best cover of "River" (one of Joni's most covered tunes) ever. Instead of "Jingle Bells", he interpolates the melody of "Good King Wenceslas" (like Nina Simone's "Little Girl Blue" - coincidence?); and whatever time may have robbed of JT's voice, has been more than matched by an enveloping warmth. He has sounded younger, but never better.

This tribute disc was originally announced way back in 1996, and several of the tracks were recorded not long thereafter. No doubt there is an interesting story behind both the delays and the absence of some songs that were promised on a track list released circa 2000. Stevie Wonder was said to have recorded or to be recording "Woodstock," PM Dawn "Night And The City," and Janet Jackson "The Beat Of Black Wings" -- none of these made the final cut, if indeed they were ever recorded. I wish I could say that what *was* released was well worth the wait, but in truth, it has a whiff of anticlimax about it, for several reasons.

In the plus column, the song selection is less hackneyed than it could have been. A heavy 1970s bias is unfortunate though perhaps unavoidable (only one song dates from later than 1978), but some "obvious" choices have been thankfully bypassed (no "Big Yellow Taxi"; no "Chelsea Morning"; most shockingly, no "Both Sides Now"). However, this offers weak compensation for a good deal of questionably chosen material and/or bland performances; a haphazard, slapped-together quality; and a deflating familiarity factor -- the project has been gestating for so long that several tracks have surfaced over the years on the artists' individual releases.

Mitchell was an eminently deserving singer/songwriter for such a tribute as this, but the intensely personal nature of her material always has made her a challenging writer to cover. Many of the lyrics of her great songs are wedded with such specificity to her own relationships, opinions, and personal circumstances that they simply won't "travel" well. (To hear "Song For Sharon," "Chinese Café," "The Last Time I Saw Richard" or "Little Green" from anyone else would sound odd if not ludicrous, like copying a page from another person's diary into one's own.) Cassandra Wilson hits that particular snag with "For The Roses," a primo Mitchell composition that should have been left to Mitchell. As interesting a recreative artist as Wilson is, it seems pointless for someone else to be giving voice to Joni's snapshot musings on the music industry and her place in it circa 25 years ago, written while on sabbatical. I wish that Wilson had instead chosen a more objective piece from the same album, "Cold Blue Steel And Sweet Fire," an alternately abstract and graphic song about addiction; she could have owned that.

Annie Lennox's "Ladies Of The Canyon," fine in and of itself, likewise seems an odd match of a mature, polished artist and "diva" personality with a song that, to my ear, represents pre-BLUE Mitchell at her most "precious" (in the bad way). There's a certain logic behind the inclusion of jazz pianist Brad Mehldau on the roster -- this overtly acknowledges the important role jazz has played in Mitchell's career, and reminds us of her collaborations with notables such as Mingus, Pastorius, and Shorter. Unfortunately, his instrumental "Don't Interrupt The Sorrow" still seems to belong on a different record; it is jarringly out of place with everything around it. Faithful covers of "Blue" (Sarah McLachlan) and "Dreamland" (Caetano Veloso) add little to the existing versions other than superficial differences at the level of texture; they err on the side of near-reproduction (something that cannot be said of Bjork's slightly eerie, love-it-or-hate-it take on "The Boho Dance"). James Taylor's smooth, affectionate "River" (an increasingly popular choice on holiday albums in recent years) perhaps gains an additional level of interest if one is familiar with his and Mitchell's long personal history (they have occasionally collaborated and were once lovers; she has admitted he was the "you" of "See You Sometime" and other songs of that period).

k.d. lang sings "Help Me" in the same facile, technically stunning but emotionally generalized way she sings everything else these days; one marvels at the voice but sorely misses the thrilling commitment and greater sense of risk in her SHADOWLAND-period singing (not to mention the romantic rush of Mitchell's own version of this song). Still, lang's devotees can add this to "Jericho" and "A Case Of You" from her all-Canadian album, and her duet with Madeleine Peyroux on "River," for a "k.d. Sings the Joni Songbook" EP. Elvis Costello is one of the few singer/songwriters to equal Mitchell for longevity, depth, and breadth, and "Edith And The Kingpin" was a good choice for him, but the version here is an honorable misfire that makes one (again) miss the qualities of Mitchell's original. The warm, gauzy arrangement on HISSING OF SUMMER LAWNS perfectly evoked in sound the song's world of seductive decadence (of women's tired faces being tilted "gently to the spoon"). Costello (in good voice) and his expert sidemen only conjure up a sort of cool lucidity; the result is wholly without atmosphere, even sterile.

So what does work? Well, with all due respect to Ms. Nash (the writer of the fine editorial review above), my reaction to Prince's "A Case Of You" was so different from hers that I wondered if a different recording had been substituted on pressings at the last minute. I was expecting from her description to hear something strange and off-putting; instead, I got a cover that was at once respectful and highly individual -- a pertinent reminder not only of Prince's oft-stated love for Mitchell's work, and its influence on his own, but of the sheer beauty with which he can sing. What a surprise and a joy to hear such easy, supple high notes and effortlessly soaring phrasing from this most hardworking of singers, 30 years into his career! Perhaps wisely, he omits verses one and three (so, no drawing a map of Canada; no meeting a woman with a familiar mouth), but he rearranges the rest with such skill and savvy that you may not even notice their absence. And I hear nothing at all "doo-wop" about this performance, unless Ms. Nash's reference is to the layering of overdubbed vocals, a key feature of both Mitchell's and Prince's recordings. Sharing pride of place is Emmylou Harris, the only artist to attempt a relatively "recent" (1994) composition, and the only one, in my estimation, to surpass the author. I had always considered "The Magdalene Laundries," a first-person song about life in a cruel and austere home for wayward teen girls, to be one of the weaker tracks on TURBULENT INDIGO. Mitchell's version was a gloomy, didactic affair; its prevailing mood was one of indignation at the hypocrisy of the home's ostensibly religious, "charitable" authority figures. Harris, while not changing a word, actually seems to be inside the place in a way that Mitchell was not. She brings a haunting sorrow and pathos to the tale, and makes such a convincing narrator that one completely forgives or forgets that her voice is obviously that of a middle-aged woman (something this listener could not do when hearing Mitchell's original). She made me hear and appraise this song in a new way, and one can pay a cover version no higher compliment than that.

Would that more here were so revelatory. Fans of Mitchell and/or the artists involved will no doubt want to hear this at least once, and it must be said that there is not a track here that is truly "bad." But with the talent of the musicians involved, the vast catalog of songs available to them, and the decade-plus the label has had to put this together, it would not have been churlish to expect more.

Prince is good on his cover of Case of You (although my 3 yr old made the comment that he sounded more like a Princess, he is singing so high!, still, it was interesting, and the more I listen to his version the more I like it.
Sarah McLaughlin's version of Blue is good, but it's old. I've heard her do it before. Same with James Taylor and River.
Emmy Lou Harris's version of Magdalene Laundry is good.
The rest is unbearable. REALLY. Unbearable.
I am a die hard Joni fan, and I was very disappointed with this purchase.

Only the very best musicians have had tribute albums released by their peers in their lifetime. Frank Sinatra was treated to one exclusively by Tony Bennett; Carole King had an array of artists sing the songs of her most famous work Tapestry; Dolly Parton got the full treatment by country and pop artists alike; while groups such as The Beatles and songwriters such as Harold Arlen and The Gershwins, just to name a few, have had tributes commemorating their collective genius. Add Joni Mitchell to that distinguished crowd, and let it be known that she belongs rightfully alongside them.

A Tribute to Joni Mitchell is stellar. The album kicks off with one of her most commercial radio singles, "Free Man In Paris," performed by folk artist Sufjan Stevens. He combines his soft vocal with whispery jabs. The song opens with an assault of trumpets that are interspersed throughout the track. It's one of the most interesting and alternative interpretations on the disc.

Bjork's vocals are as unique as the fabulous selection "The Boho Dance," from Mitchell's 1975 opus The Hissing of Summer Lawns. She gives the song a quiet, electronic feel that is surprisingly warm and inviting. This song springs right into Brazilian sensation Caetano Veloso's interpretation lifted from Don Juan's Reckless Daughter, and it's the perfect selection for the Bossa Nova shake and the sound of the snare drum that takes us on his journey into Mitchell's "Dreamland."

The only instrumental selection on the CD is pianist Brad Mehldau's rendition of Mitchell's "Don't Interrupt the Sorrow," which is another selection lifted from The Hissing of Summer Lawns. As lovely as this song is, and as skillfully as the piano is played, I missed hearing the original lyrics written by Mitchell. 88 keys still work just fine but it made me long for Joni's vocal accompaniment.

The lovely Cassandra Wilson does magic with the title track to 1972's For The Roses. This is a splendid song selection from Ms. Wilson, and the harmonica and softly strummed guitar were all her smoky vocal needed to do this poem the justice it deserves.

It's no secret that Prince is a huge fan of Ms. Mitchell's. He has stated so on several occasions and was thrilled to offer his unique take on one of his (and my) favorite Mitchell songs, "A Case of You." Prince's falsetto and emotional delivery is flawless.

Sarah McLachlan appears on this album interpreting her previously released "Blue," the title track from one of Mitchell's most cherished albums. McLachlan's take is one of the most gorgeous on this album, due in large part to her interpretive style and her crystalline vocals.

Once you hear Annie Lennox's vocal open up on the extraordinary title track from Mitchell's third album, Ladies of the Canyon, it's clear that she's not only a fan, she's made this composition all her own. Speaking of extraordinary vocals, does it get any better than Emmylou Harris following McLachlan and Lennox? The hat trick pays off as Harris's incredible vocals interpret "The Magdalene Laundries" lifted from Turbulent Indigo. Like Sarah and Annie before her, Emmylou has made the perfect song choice as she makes this stunner all her own. I can only imagine Joni's gratitude to these three astonishing women for treating her "children" as if they were their own.

Elvis Costello chose "Edith and the Kingpin," which is the third selection from The Hissing of Summer Lawns. He treats this composition with kid gloves, and the result is a magnificent, quiet and haunting reading.

Before I even heard k.d. lang's vocals on Mitchell's most successful commercial hit single, "Help Me," lifted from Court and Spark, I could already hear it in my head. Her voice never overpowers the infectious "head-over-heels-in-love-song," but rather she treats it at first with subtle passion and then lets loose as her voice melts over the gorgeous melody and lyrics until the result is utterly breathtaking. This is just another reminder of why Ms. lang is so important to the musical landscape.

The expression is "save the best for last." This could be true with many of Joni Mitchell's songs, but James Taylor wisely chose the most covered Mitchell composition because it never fails to resonate with the listener. This song relates to so many people on so many levels that Taylor and his unmistakable vocal couldn't miss. He's as clear as he was when he was "Sweet Baby James," and his interpretation of this most beloved Mitchell song is the reason why she is as important as she was, is, and always will be.

This tribute is just a taste of the Canadian-kid turned California-girl that writes songs of the human soul and spirit. Joni Mitchell is one of the most prolific singer/songwriters of the late 20th century. Her compositions are hailed by her peers as some of the finest of all time, and if it's twelve reasons you need to hear why, this album is proof enough.