"2 DVD Set Collector's Edition," Joni Mitchell (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
This special presentation includes two DVDs: "A Life Story/Woman of Heart and Mind," a career retrospective; and "Painting With Words and Music," an intimate small band performance from 1998.
If you're a fanatical Joni fan, or just dig her music and want facts to accompany your knowledge, you'll enjoy this set released Jan. 11.
"The Life Story" presented facts I didn't know or remember: Mitchell's childhood bout with polio, her rural Canadian upbringing and much more. The songs are so otherworldly I had to just sit back, listen and watch.
We found out that the wonderful early ones were all composed before she began recording: "Circle Game," "Chelsea Morning" and "Both Sides Now" were all hits for other singers before Mitchell reclaimed them. Joni reached mass popularity with her most revealing work, "Blue," and cemented it with "Court and Spark."
A disturbing aspect was that each boundary-pushing change in Mitchell's music was accompanied by romantic tribulations, but this is a review column, not a tabloid. The rest of the retrospective gives insight into the phases of a singular musical career and presents vintage performances.
I watched the second disc with my friend Ruth, who's really into Joni's music of all eras. This was fortunate in several ways, since Joni was using an electric guitar and talking a lot during the show.
To me, Mitchell's unique guitar tunings are not quite as effective on electric, and the bass guitar wankery that the late Jaco Pastorius brought to her music during her jazzy era was much in evidence during this show before a small crowd of friends and fans. Rosanna Arquette served as emcee, and many of Joni's paintings were on display. These added visuals were a special treat.
Though I prefer her pre-jazz work, the sympathetic ensemble (Brian Blade/drums, Mark Isham/trumpet, Greg Leisz/pedal steel and guitar, Joni's ex-hubby Larry Klein/bass) helped give life to compositions from "Court and Spark" onward. The pedal steel, in particular, added depth and sorrow to tunes like "Amelia" and "The Magdalen Laundries" without sounding country clichéd.
Mitchell was feeling good, and the small crowd was friendly (including ex-love Graham Nash, who presented Joni's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame trophy he'd picked up when she missed the induction ceremony). In addition to a broad sample of her own work, key cover tunes (Frankie Lymon's "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" and Marvin Gaye's "Trouble Man") show a playful side to an artist often perceived as super-serious.
This is a great opportunity for admirers of Joni Mitchell to get a reasonably priced twofer (list price $24.98) that they'll watch and treasure. Local bookstores and music/video outlets will have or order it, or you can do the honors by visiting www.eaglerockent.com
Ricky Flake is a former punk rocker, working musician (he's drummer and vocalist with the band ConspiraSea) and music fan who lives in Biloxi. Reach him at lobotomy3857@wmconnect.com.
Printed from the official Joni Mitchell website. Permanent link: https://jonimitchell.com/library/view.cfm?id=1230
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