November 2, 2004

Posted November 02, 2004

"Elvis Costello Interviews Joni Mitchell" is the headline on the front cover of the November issue of Vanity Fair, and that's essentially what it is. But Elvis' "Joni's Last Waltz?" interview strikes me as being a bit more than that. Elvis segues into a conversation with Joni after weaving a short history of Joni's musical career together with telling us a personal story of how Joni's music has been a part of his experience from her first album, given to him as a gift by his father. The fact that one respected songwriter is talking with another gives the interview an extra dimension, covering a wide range of topics: Among other subjects, Joni discusses her songwriting as well as the songwriting of others, the perils of commercial acceptance, and her post-retirement retrospectives The Beginning of Survival and Dreamland. And as always, there are a few surprising comments. One that I find interesting is Joni's remark that "I can't remember anything I ever wrote." It's quite a shock to hear her say something like that when you consider the fact that so many other people know her songs inside out!