Here’s an entire BBC concert by Joni Mitchell, filmed in September, 1970. I’ve always thought that BBC concerts were the best, as they will always live and without accompaniment. This one is 48 minutes long, and she had long career after this with some great albums (“Blue,” “For the Roses” and “Court and Spark”).
I have nothing to add to this music save to say that I think she’s the greatest combination of singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist of our time, and like most boys my age (I was 21), I was hopelessly in love with her. James Taylor, who also had a BBC concert that same year, rivals her on the male side for the trio of talents, but Joni has the overall edge.
Oh, and some of my favorite songs here are “Chelsea Morning” (at the start), “My Old Man” (16:47), “Woodstock” (25:10), “All I Want” (31:00, on the dulcimer), “All I Want” (31:45), “California” (36:45), and of course “Both Sides Now” (44:25)
Can you imagine being in the audience and hearing these songs for the first time?
The first comment is ineffably poignant:
I am at the end of my life, 68 years old and in hospice…dying with leukemia. I remember owning my first JONI MITCHELL album with clouds and Michael from mountains, Nathan la frenier, etc…. it changed my life and initiated my music career. I have lived lifetimes since then and changed careers several times. Now, resting on my couch, I listen to this old concert and remember how I felt when I was 13 years old and just hearing these songs for the very first time. at the time she was the older wiser woman whom I wanted to emulate…. now, watching this, she is dewy youth and I the rusk, ready to blow away on the wind with a song in my heart
Yesterday I watched part of an interview Howard Stern did with Cher. Fascinating. When Cher was very young she was living at David Geffen’s house and Joni was living there as well as David’s partner. The interview had lots of interesting tidbits.
I saw the interview. Well done 👏
She just received her lifetime achievement award from the Juno awards 👏. Joni Mitchell is one of Canada’s national treasures!
I had a girlfriend in those years who played Joni Mitchell incessantly. The music still brings back traumatic associations.. As for James Taylor, he wrote one song, x40.
Well, please don’t listen to the music, then. But I think you’re dead wrong about James Taylor. His greatest hits are below, and the only way you can say that they’re all the same song is to say that they are mostly ballads, feature the voice and guitar of Taylor, and are not hard rockers. That last remark is, in my view, uninformed:
Something In The Way She Moves
Carolina In My Mind
Fire and Rain
Sweet Baby James
Country Road
You’ve Got a Friend
Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight
Walkin’ Man
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
Mexico
Shower The People
Steamroller
I have several friends of Jerry’s generation who likewise rhapsodize about Joni—gay, straight, doesn’t matter! And they also hold James Taylor in esteem. I gather there was something in the air that never reached me when I was toddling about. I accept that it’s me, not them. I’ve tried! Truly. But I just can’t adjust to either of their voices.
But I love Dylan. Go figure.