We're back! Part 2 of diving into some of the many versions of 'Both Sides Now' by the one and only Joni Mitchell. You can read part 1 here. I'll continue right where I left of.

5. 'Both Sides Now - Live at Universal Amphitheatre Los Angeles'. From the album Miles of Aisles (1974)
Ok, so here we go again with a live version (I think the rule just needs to be there to keep me from including every single live version of the song ever recorded). I had to include this one as it is a bit different from the original, and I also like this album a lot.

First I want to mention the amazing band that features on it. Players like Larry Nash on piano and Robben Ford on guitar. As I wrote about under the 'Clouds' version in the previous post, this song can carry itself with just her voice and the guitar, but the band manages to compliment the song in a very nice way. As a session guitarist making a living mostly from playing guitar on other peoples songs, I know the importance of serving the song. It's always, without exceptions the main focus when writing, playing, and recording a part for a song. Nash and Ford does this masterfully (to no one's surprise) on this live version. The guitar and piano come and go at just the right times, and add to the emotion of the lyrics by outlining melodic themes and acting more like a soundscape, rather than clear and specific parts. The way Joni changes up and plays with the vocal melody at times throughout the song is also very fun to listen to. And the rest of the band is just as good as Nash and Ford. John Guerin on drums, Max Bennett on bass guitar, and Tom Scott on saxophone (he was also in The Blues Brothers!).

6. 'Both Sides Now' from the album with the same name (2000)
Like most people, I've seen Love Actually and heard this song featured. But for longest time I was convinced it was the original 'Clouds' version that played in the movie. After seeing it every Christmas for the past few years I have finally rewired my brain to know that it's the orchestral version that you hear in the film. And it does make a lot of sense considering that Emma Thompson's character is gifted 'Both Sides Now' (the album) for Christmas (personally, I'd rather have the album than the gold necklace).

At first I was kind of disappointed that it wasn't the original that was in the movie, but the orchestral version has really grown on me. Maybe because I discovered that the version of 'A Case of You' from the same album was amazing, or maybe because I was so used to the original. Either way, I think this is a sit-down-and-take-it-all-in kind of version. It can get lost when listening on headphones on the bus, but put it on on a speaker in the living room on a quiet evening, and you've got an out-of-this-world-experience ahead of you. In the 80s and 90s you can start to hear Joni's voice change with age and get a little bit deeper, and even richer (who thought that was possible?). This version showcases peak deep-voice-Joni, and we're beginning to see the outline of one of the biggest points I wanted to make about this song: the fact that its meaning gets more and more substantial as time goes on. It's something I think about often, and there's no other song that makes me feel the way this one does (with 'A Case of You' on a close second). To clarify, I know that her voice isn't that much deeper note for note, like it is now, but there's a weight to her voice that starts creeping in in the 80s, and shows up in full force on the 'Both Sides Now' album. Take a listen when you have a little extra time to just sit and take it in. Thank me later!

7. 'Both Sides Now' Live at Newport Folk Festival (2022)
The day we thought would never come. The thing nobody dared to dream of happening. It can only be described as a historic event. The Joni Jam was on the lineup for Newport Folk Festival in 2022, and even though many people knew that the jam had been happening at Joni's house, and that she sometimes participated, no one was prepared to see her walk out on stage that day. The band, led by Brandi Carlile, consisted of amazing musicians like Marcus Mumford, Taylor Goldsmith, Blake Mills, Lucius, SistaStrings, Celisse and many more. Even if Joni had never shown up, I would still consider the members of The Joni Jam some of the most qualified musicians and artists alive today to represent her legacy.

The show starts of with 'Big Yellow Taxi', then goes into 'A Case of You' (also a highly recommended listen), followed by 'Amelia'. Joni jumps in and out of singing the lead, with the other musicians watching carefully and backing off every time it seems like Joni's about to get back into it. And every time she does, it's pure magic. At this point we're getting used to this kind of trading back and forth, but then comes 'Both Sides Now', and she just goes for it from the first note. The band falls dead silent, and who wouldn't in a moment like that? They probably got the same feeling as I do when listening to it; I want to hear every single note, word, and crack in her voice. The people standing in the audience and on stage that day didn't know if this was the last time they would ever hear the greatest song ever written, sung by the woman who wrote it.

Those five and a half minutes were the definition of a full circle moment. Everything that this song has been since it was written was solidified right there. I wasn't there, but I still feel that way every time I listen to the recording. "I've looked at life from both sides now" is exactly what she's done, and what better way to tell the world, than to have the comeback of the century, and sing it perfectly the way only Joni can. It's one of those songs that never become outdated. The meaning gets deeper and deeper as time goes on.

Now, if you haven't taken any of my recommendations yet, this is the one to take. Go listen, and think about the weight that has built up behind every word over the years. You're about to feel it, trust me.