"A Free Man in Paris": “The song is about music agent/promoter David Geffen, a close friend of Mitchell in the early 1970s, and describes Geffen during a trip the two made to Paris with Robbie Robertson and Dominique Robertson. While Geffen is never mentioned by name, Mitchell describes how he works hard creating hits and launching careers but can find some peace while vacationing in Paris.” - Wiki
And now, Geffen is a billionaire: "As of October 2023, Geffen has an estimated net worth of $9.1 billion, making him one of the richest people in the entertainment industry."
Joni has been part of my life for 50+ years. She is an icon from the best era in music - she's definitely showing her age, but can and does perform from time to time.
“I’ve seen some hot hot places come down to smoke and Ash“. Male or female, if you’ve ever been deeply in love, and then lost it, you know it’s the perfect explanation.
David Crosby and Graham Nash are singing back-up on "Free Man...", and on "Help Me", Joni sings ALL the backing vocals, where we really get to hear some of her beautiful high register!
There is a yt video of Joni doing a song she wrote, that CSNY made popular, "Woodstock"1970 BBC". It's just her and a piano and it's beautiful. really showing off her voice and her poetry.
As a college freshman I went to a on campus concert by Joni, didn't know a thing about her. Court and Spark just came out , I was blown away a true moment in my life.
You've probably already listened to 'Blue' if/by the time you read this. But if not, come correct. It is so personal, so intimate, so heartbreaking, it will rock your emotions. I suggest you wait for a moment when you are undistracted and come with an open heart. Last, follow along with the text -- true poetry in its own right. 'Court & Spark' is fantastic. 'Blue' is transcendent -- I cry every time I hear the title track.
I really enjoyed your reaction, Lee. Back in the day, (late 70's) we'd sit around and listen to albums, listen, discuss... good times. I get that vibe from your channel. It's like reading a good book. Thank you, sir.
I really like Herjira but my favorite is still The Hissing of Summer Lawns, it's fabulous, musically and lyrically, with so many different influences..
My favourite too but there are so many really good albums. “Black Crow’ is my favourite from Hejira at the moment but it fluctuates as there are so many great tracks on it.
The live version of "Amelia" from Joni's Shadows and Lights tour is spectacular! Pat Metheny does an impossibly beautiful guitar solo at the end. And Jaco Pastorius on bass, of course...
The best version of ‘Free Man’ is a youtube video from the ‘Shadows and Light’ tour. Her band was one of the best 'backup' bands ever; Pat Metheney on guitar, Jaco Pastorius on bass (and music director), Michael Brecker on brass, Lyle Mays on keys and Don Alias on the kit and percussion. Great live music!
Hey Lee, well, you sure are giving yourself quite the musical education. Court and Spark is probably my favorite Joni album and these are both great songs (I just added Help Me to my playlist, lol) My all time favorite Joni song is also on this album: Raised on Robbery, her rockiest song. Another really, really good one is the song "California", it's an older one that I've always loved. Oh and the song "Big Yellow Taxi", that goes back to when I was in high school and another up tempo song. Peace!
These songs (as was the entire album) were the pinnacle of Joni's pop chart success. You can probably imagine spinning these on the same playlist with Steely Dan, right? I highly recommend the recent Joni biography, 'Reckless Daughter' by David Yaffe. The book explores the people and places that Joni was involved with throughout her career that provided the inspiration for her songs. He was able to interview Joni and people like Graham Nash, John Guerin, and Larry Klein. Yaffe is clearly a fan, but the portrait he paints of Joni is that of a genius, but one with a healthy ego who held on to grudges and wasn't afraid to leave bruises on those she found lacking. I'm personally so glad she's come back out a bit into performing live again.
Everyone should become familiar with FOUR Joni Mitchell albums: Blue, Court & Spark, Hissing Of Summer Lawns and the masterpiece Hejira. Joni crystalizes moments in time in music like no one else.
When Elton John and Bernie Taupin received the Gershwin award a few nights ago, Joni stood onstage and sang their song, I’m Still Standing. She did a nice job because she has been recovering from medical issues. They didn’t know if she would be able to sing again. She’s coming back. I’ve admired her since I was 17 and I got my own apartment and played her albums over and over.
I saw her w/the LA Express on this tour, one of four times I got to see her. Each time a special memory. One year the show was the day before her birthday and once a small group in the audience started singing Happy Birthday it was picked up by nearly everyone and we sang our birthday wish to her. She blushed, laughed a little and thanked us - you could tell it was completely unexpected by her. This is considered her Pop LP, some of her most commercial music. Raised on Robbery is a fun time. For the Roses is her best LP in my opinion, although some of her best songs are on others.
Indeed. I saw that tour in '74 at Wembley,then (I think) when she'd released Hejira. I saw Joan Armatrading that same weekend. Another artist well worth reacting to. If you're so inclined, Down To Zero, or Love And Affection are among Joan's best tracks.
Help Me is about Jackson Browne I believe, (or maybe it was Glenn Frey?) written right before they broke up. Free Man is David Geffen of course. She wrote a. lot of songs about David Crosby as he did about her. JB also wrote a song about her: Fountain of Sorrows. Joni thought of Help Me as a throwaway song. Must be nice to write so many great songs to consider something that good a throwaway.
Joni was underrated for a long time. A great singer,composer, player of many alternate tunings on guitar and getting jazzy later. She finally got her due. Two awesome songs, man!
@kaydantonio3719 I think she was not given her due in the early part of her career. Part of the culture changing. No disrespect to her, she's always been an all around fantastic musician and artist.
Two weeks ago, you heard Joni sing Both Sides Now from about 1970. To fully appreciate her in a whole new way, see her live performance of the same song in 2000. It is very different and beautiful. Another famous song of hers is The River from her Blue album, which critics often rate as one of the greatest albums by a female artist of all time.
did you know that the album cover art is Joni's as is much of the artwork on her other albums. She was an art major in college as a painter when a professor told her she should sing professionally. She said that this is why her songs are so visual.
Joni has a range like no other artist and Help Me really showcases it. Lot of suggestions for Woodstock here, definitely worth checking out. The BBC performance that's 6:13 minutes is best cuz she explains the song before she starts to play.
Joni is such an underrated guitar player. She plays in open tunings and has a very percussive style, but of course she can write from piano and dulcimer as well.
I was graduating from high school in 1974 and knew nothing about Joni Mitchell. However I fell in love for the first time when this album came out, and Joni wrote songs about passion, and I was a fan from that point on.
If you like Joni's poetry, you MUST check out *Ladies Of The Canyon* which always stood out to me as some of her most inspired poetry for a song. (It's the title song of her 3rd album) Oh, & it's one of my favorite songs by Joni Mitchell. The whole damned album is a great listen. IMO, it's greater than *Blue* (which I'm sure many Blue fans will be traumatized to hear, lol)
The back story of Joni Mitchell is amazing and you'll sense it on her album "Blue". Her parents were strict Catholic and she became pregnant in college. She adopted out the baby and searched for her for years. Finally, the adoption agency loosened their rules and she found her when she was around 20. Of all the places where her daughter was working was singing in a coffee shop in Toronto! Truth is stranger than fiction.
The 'Shadows and Light' concert album and video which covers music from this period is an outstanding document from her tour and is amazing. Possibly the best version of Free Man In Paris is there.
Joni is always excellent. Her “ Blue” album breaks your heart. My favorite album is “Hejira” with “ Fury Sings the Blues” and “Song For Sharon” as favorite songs.
i was watching an episode of 'American Experience' or something on PBS & they were doing David Geffen. Up until that, I'd never understood what 'Free Man in Paris was supposed to be about. Now, it's my favorite Joni Mitchell song.
Can't go wrong with Joni. My favorite early album of hers is 'For the Roses.' There is a live album, 'Shadows and Light,' with Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Lyle Mays and others, with 'Free Man in Paris' as one of the tracks. There is a video version as well (for your reactions), and it's excellent.
This song is about her process of falling in love with someone, but at the same time talks about how people want to be in love, but at the same time want their freedom to not be tied down.
That beautiful backing was a band called "The LA Express"... before she moved on to the jazz heavyweights. Keep on with your quest - the youth of today would benefit from a dive into artistry of the past forty years.. so much insight and beauty.So much great music is in danger of disappearing down the memory hole, but for smart and inquiring minds of lads like you.
thanks Lee - love your dipping into Joni's amazing discography - also her live albums are outstanding... although her 70s songs are possibly her strongest period, she matured like good wine after that... she is just an exceptional artist and human with every breath she takes... 💖
Joni is a force of creative inspiration with the voice of an angel. She's a phenominal songwriter and artist. She painted most of her album covers. I love her song "For Free" and her album "Blue" is mind blowing. Nice Frank Frazetta pics by the way.
Thank you! A mysterious person sent me it and then disappeared. Still on patreon but hasn't messaged me in months. Kinda strange 🤔 but we'll be doing "Blue" this month! Can't wait!
One of the USA's best ever imports from Canada! Given my brief experience as a free man in Paris at one point, your first offering might be my Mitchell favorite, but, its hard to tell givien all her other ones.
Joni has told the story of the sound she had this album a few times, John Lennnon sent her a letter saying how talented Joni was but the reason other artists kept having hits with her songs while she didn't was that her production wasn't "candy coated" enough. John had used that term in the past about his own work too, he said his album Imagine was like a more candy coated sequel to John Lennon Plastic Ono Band.
I found you recently. You touch my heart. On this Joni album, a better combination is People's Party/ Same Situation. I can't wait to hear how you feel about those. Peace ☮
The untold story about these songs, is that they represent a time when Los Angeles became the recording/production capital of the world. These songs showcase the talents of Tom Scott (also with Steely Dan), Larry Carlton (also with Steely Dan), Jose Feliciano, John Guerin and other notables. David Crosby and Graham Nash provided backing vocals. If you have the time, I recommend Free Man in Paris and Help Me from the Joni Mitchel Live Tribute featuring Elton John and KD Lang respectively.
The song is famously about a trip Joni, Robbie Robertson and his wife, and David Geffen took to Paris. David Geffen is probably the most legendary figure of the music industry who does not actually create music. But Geffen is the free man in Paris. Geffen, what an icon! And to have Joni Mitchell write a song about him and his career as a manager of artists just makes him even more legendary. Fun Fact. In 1990 David Geffen paid more income tax than any other individual in the United States. By the way, David Geffen literally created the Eagles. He picked the individuals, funded them, put them on the road to learn their craft and turned them into superstars. Naturally, there were eventually lawsuits.
![Brits Try American Bacon in a BLT [Can't Believe It's Better Than Ours] *WTH*](/img/n.gif)
Joni really starts to flirt with jazz on this album. A genius record from beginning to end.
"A Free Man in Paris": “The song is about music agent/promoter David Geffen, a close friend of Mitchell in the early 1970s, and describes Geffen during a trip the two made to Paris with Robbie Robertson and Dominique Robertson. While Geffen is never mentioned by name, Mitchell describes how he works hard creating hits and launching careers but can find some peace while vacationing in Paris.” - Wiki
And now, Geffen is a billionaire: "As of October 2023, Geffen has an estimated net worth of $9.1 billion, making him one of the richest people in the entertainment industry."
“You Turn Me on (I’m a Radio)” is a great one that nobody ever reacts to.
One of her BEST pop tunes, IMO! Talk about CLEVER POETRY!
Nor the flip side of the 45 (Urge For Going.) I love Tom Rush's cover of it as well.
SO, SO GOOD!!!
ABSOLUTELY
Joni has been part of my life for 50+ years. She is an icon from the best era in music - she's definitely showing her age, but can and does perform from time to time.
“I’ve seen some hot hot places come down to smoke and Ash“. Male or female, if you’ve ever been deeply in love, and then lost it, you know it’s the perfect explanation.
From liner notes and Joni's own website, the line is:
"'Cause I've seen some hot hot blazes
Come down to smoke and ash"
David Crosby and Graham Nash are singing back-up on "Free Man...", and on "Help Me", Joni sings ALL the backing vocals, where we really get to hear some of her beautiful high register!
You have no idea how much I love this! This whole album is a religious experience.
Joni Mitchell does all her own art work on her album covers. True artist.
Joni is quoting their manager Geffen and David Crosby is the telephone screamer.
The Joni truck has been hitting me for about 30 years now. It never stops, Lee!
There is a yt video of Joni doing a song she wrote, that CSNY made popular, "Woodstock"1970 BBC". It's just her and a piano and it's beautiful. really showing off her voice and her poetry.
Love that performance!
a voice as smooth as silk on glass
As a college freshman I went to a on campus concert by Joni, didn't know a thing about her. Court and Spark just came out , I was blown away a true moment in my life.
She’s like listening to brushstrokes in a painting.
Perfect description.
Ooh...that's good. I'm stealing it!!
You've probably already listened to 'Blue' if/by the time you read this. But if not, come correct. It is so personal, so intimate, so heartbreaking, it will rock your emotions. I suggest you wait for a moment when you are undistracted and come with an open heart. Last, follow along with the text -- true poetry in its own right. 'Court & Spark' is fantastic. 'Blue' is transcendent -- I cry every time I hear the title track.
I really enjoyed your reaction, Lee. Back in the day, (late 70's) we'd sit around and listen to albums, listen, discuss... good times. I get that vibe from your channel. It's like reading a good book. Thank you, sir.
yeah, a lot like reading a good book.
Herjira is my favorite album. Court & Spark is awesome, but Herjira is really Joni at her peak imo. Don't miss it...
I really like Herjira but my favorite is still The Hissing of Summer Lawns, it's fabulous, musically and lyrically, with so many different influences..
Me too. From beginning to end Hejira is just about perfect.
My favourite too but there are so many really good albums. “Black Crow’ is my favourite from Hejira at the moment but it fluctuates as there are so many great tracks on it.
I would put "Hejira" and "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter" together. Both are inceredible.
@@SpaceOdditiesLive Both feature Jaco Pastorius.
The live version of "Amelia" from Joni's Shadows and Lights tour is spectacular! Pat Metheny does an impossibly beautiful guitar solo at the end. And Jaco Pastorius on bass, of course...
Yes, yes, yes!!
Shadows & Light is stunningly good. The sequence from In France they Kiss on Main Street to Hejira is sooo good!
An old video of her in 1966 - 'Urge For Going' - she wows everyone.
A glimpse of great things to come.
The best version of ‘Free Man’ is a youtube video from the ‘Shadows and Light’ tour. Her band was one of the best 'backup' bands ever; Pat Metheney on guitar, Jaco Pastorius on bass (and music director), Michael Brecker on brass, Lyle Mays on keys and Don Alias on the kit and percussion. Great live music!
Both favorites from Joni. Help Me is a perfect song.
Hey Lee, well, you sure are giving yourself quite the musical education. Court and Spark is probably my favorite Joni album and these are both great songs (I just added Help Me to my playlist, lol) My all time favorite Joni song is also on this album: Raised on Robbery, her rockiest song. Another really, really good one is the song "California", it's an older one that I've always loved. Oh and the song "Big Yellow Taxi", that goes back to when I was in high school and another up tempo song. Peace!
"Help Me" hold a special place in my heart
"Free Man In Paris" is a beauty too
My favourite Joni Album ❤️
If you want a jolt of pure early Joni joy, throw on "Chelsea Morning"
Can't criticize Joni, but I prefer Judy Dyble and Fairport Convention's version. I think as a cohesive band they add a lot to the song.
These songs (as was the entire album) were the pinnacle of Joni's pop chart success. You can probably imagine spinning these on the same playlist with Steely Dan, right? I highly recommend the recent Joni biography, 'Reckless Daughter' by David Yaffe. The book explores the people and places that Joni was involved with throughout her career that provided the inspiration for her songs. He was able to interview Joni and people like Graham Nash, John Guerin, and Larry Klein. Yaffe is clearly a fan, but the portrait he paints of Joni is that of a genius, but one with a healthy ego who held on to grudges and wasn't afraid to leave bruises on those she found lacking. I'm personally so glad she's come back out a bit into performing live again.
Joni is unique and amazing like no one else.....love her
Genius songwriter. One of the Great Three...Mitchell, Cohen and Dylan.
I know it wasn't intentional, but did you forget Paul Simon? Has to be up there in the top four at least..
You also forgot Lightfoot.
And Carole King
@@kathybwell definitely, i think there would have to be a top ten, there's more out there, like Paul McCartney?
And the Belfast Cowboy, Van Morrison!
Everyone should become familiar with FOUR Joni Mitchell albums: Blue, Court & Spark, Hissing Of Summer Lawns and the masterpiece Hejira. Joni crystalizes moments in time in music like no one else.
I would add For The Roses onto that list too
When Elton John and Bernie Taupin received the Gershwin award a few nights ago, Joni stood onstage and sang their song, I’m Still Standing.
She did a nice job because she has been recovering from medical issues. They didn’t know if she would be able to sing again. She’s coming back. I’ve admired her since I was 17 and I got my own apartment and played her albums over and over.
That performance brought me to tears - of happiness - to see her perform again.
So glad - Thanks for the Update!
I saw her w/the LA Express on this tour, one of four times I got to see her. Each time a special memory. One year the show was the day before her birthday and once a small group in the audience started singing Happy Birthday it was picked up by nearly everyone and we sang our birthday wish to her. She blushed, laughed a little and thanked us - you could tell it was completely unexpected by her. This is considered her Pop LP, some of her most commercial music. Raised on Robbery is a fun time. For the Roses is her best LP in my opinion, although some of her best songs are on others.
Indeed. I saw that tour in '74 at Wembley,then (I think) when she'd released Hejira. I saw Joan Armatrading that same weekend. Another artist well worth reacting to. If you're so inclined, Down To Zero, or Love And Affection are among Joan's best tracks.
Early summer 1974, high school days....great days.
Joni Mitchell has the most beautiful voice of anyone I’ve ever heard.
Top 3 album by Joni from beginning to end.
Help Me is about Jackson Browne I believe, (or maybe it was Glenn Frey?) written right before they broke up. Free Man is David Geffen of course. She wrote a. lot of songs about David Crosby as he did about her. JB also wrote a song about her: Fountain of Sorrows. Joni thought of Help Me as a throwaway song. Must be nice to write so many great songs to consider something that good a throwaway.
2 unforgettable tunes from one of my favorite albums along with Blue!
'Stokin' the star maker machinery, behind the popular song'.....f###ing genius.
Joni was underrated for a long time. A great singer,composer, player of many alternate tunings on guitar and getting jazzy later. She finally got her due. Two awesome songs, man!
I’ve been a fan of Joni for more than 50 years so I’m just wondering when exactly you think she was “underrated” because that’s never been true.
@kaydantonio3719 I think she was not given her due in the early part of her career. Part of the culture changing. No disrespect to her, she's always been an all around fantastic musician and artist.
Two weeks ago, you heard Joni sing Both Sides Now from about 1970. To fully appreciate her in a whole new way, see her live performance of the same song in 2000. It is very different and beautiful. Another famous song of hers is The River from her Blue album, which critics often rate as one of the greatest albums by a female artist of all time.
did you know that the album cover art is Joni's as is much of the artwork on her other albums. She was an art major in college as a painter when a professor told her she should sing professionally. She said that this is why her songs are so visual.
Help Me is one of my all time favorite songs. I loved those muted horns at the end oh it.
WooHooo! I love "Blue". I love Joni❣️Thanks Gail! THANK YOU LEE! LOVE YOU ALL N HAVE A GREAT DAY
Her performance of Coyote with The Band from the concert/movie is a must watch and listen
"The Last Waltz" - a good movie leading to another rabbit hole.
Joni's best album in my opinion. These two songs are amazing examples.
Joni has a range like no other artist and Help Me really showcases it. Lot of suggestions for Woodstock here, definitely worth checking out. The BBC performance that's 6:13 minutes is best cuz she explains the song before she starts to play.
I saw her live in the 70's, she opened for Earth wind and fire, they played together for encore, it was great
Wow!!!
David Crosby and Graham Nash on backing vocals for “Paris”.
Joni went full Jazz with her 1979 album "Mingus".
Wild Things Run Fast from '82 is a good combination of Jazz Joni and Folk Pop Joni.
Top 20 album for me. Beautifully written, mixed and performed.
Joni is always brilliant.
Poet, yes. Genius, yes.
Joni is such an underrated guitar player. She plays in open tunings and has a very percussive style, but of course she can write from piano and dulcimer as well.
This album is also great and the entire album tell stories of Joni’s life
I was graduating from high school in 1974 and knew nothing about Joni Mitchell. However I fell in love for the first time when this album came out, and Joni wrote songs about passion, and I was a fan from that point on.
I am happy just to sit back and watch your admiration and appreciate for Joni just increase with every listen. She is so worth it.
LOVE JONI!!! This is one of my favorites.
Glad you are doing BLUE.....can't wait for you to hear "The Hissing of Summer Lawns" and "Mingus".
If you like Joni's poetry, you MUST check out *Ladies Of The Canyon* which always stood out to me as some of her most inspired poetry for a song. (It's the title song of her 3rd album) Oh, & it's one of my favorite songs by Joni Mitchell. The whole damned album is a great listen. IMO, it's greater than *Blue* (which I'm sure many Blue fans will be traumatized to hear, lol)
I agree with you. Ladies of The Canyon is my favorite album of hers. It's in the top 10 albums I own from back in the day.
Yes
The back story of Joni Mitchell is amazing and you'll sense it on her album "Blue".
Her parents were strict Catholic and she became pregnant in college. She adopted
out the baby and searched for her for years. Finally, the adoption agency loosened their
rules and she found her when she was around 20. Of all the places where her daughter
was working was singing in a coffee shop in Toronto! Truth is stranger than fiction.
I’ve done the entire blue album! It’s in my Joni playlist. A heavy album to get through for sure
The brilliant Joni! Hejira is a real jazzy album. Also, she has some live footage with Jaco on bass and Pat Matheny which is jazz fire.
The 'Shadows and Light' concert album and video which covers music from this period is an outstanding document from her tour and is amazing. Possibly the best version of Free Man In Paris is there.
Help Me was always my favorite. " are you going to let me go there myself it's such s lonely thing to do" so poignant
Joni had a way with words & music that excels all others.
Oh.. you'll love all of Blue
I love her song: RIVER!! BREAKS me: EVERY TIME!! Joni HAS NO BAD TUNES!!
a great reason for me to go down another Joni rabbithole. I can't go more than a few weeks without my Joni fix!
Loved your reaction to these fantastic songs. It's wonderful, sophisticated music.
Thank you Edgar. She truly is sophisticated! I'm glad my musical horizons are ever changing and growing. I would have never ended up here with her!
Joni is always excellent. Her “ Blue” album breaks your heart. My favorite album is “Hejira” with “ Fury Sings the Blues” and “Song For Sharon” as favorite songs.
i was watching an episode of 'American Experience' or something on PBS & they were doing David Geffen. Up until that, I'd never understood what 'Free Man in Paris was supposed to be about. Now, it's my favorite Joni Mitchell song.
Can't go wrong with Joni. My favorite early album of hers is 'For the Roses.' There is a live album, 'Shadows and Light,' with Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Lyle Mays and others, with 'Free Man in Paris' as one of the tracks. There is a video version as well (for your reactions), and it's excellent.
Genius.....
She's the GOAT.
This song is about her process of falling in love with someone, but at the same time talks about how people want to be in love, but at the same time want their freedom to not be tied down.
Shadows And Light is one my favorite live albums.
A masterpiece of an album. My fav from Joni. Check the contributing artists. The list is impressive.
That beautiful backing was a band called "The LA Express"... before she moved on to the jazz heavyweights. Keep on with your quest - the youth of today would benefit from a dive into artistry of the past forty years.. so much insight and beauty.So much great music is in danger of disappearing down the memory hole, but for smart and inquiring minds of lads like you.
thanks Lee - love your dipping into Joni's amazing discography - also her live albums are outstanding... although her 70s songs are possibly her strongest period, she matured like good wine after that... she is just an exceptional artist and human with every breath she takes... 💖
Joni is the best female songwriter with a great vocal range too,/ case closed! I,ve been a fan since 75, when I was 16😊😊/ Thx Lee
Joni is a force of creative inspiration with the voice of an angel. She's a phenominal songwriter and artist. She painted most of her album covers. I love her song "For Free" and her album "Blue" is mind blowing. Nice Frank Frazetta pics by the way.
Thank you! A mysterious person sent me it and then disappeared. Still on patreon but hasn't messaged me in months. Kinda strange 🤔 but we'll be doing "Blue" this month! Can't wait!
One of the USA's best ever imports from Canada! Given my brief experience as a free man in Paris at one point, your first offering might be my Mitchell favorite, but, its hard to tell givien all her other ones.
Joni is the boss. Thanks sweets!! ❤😊
Joe Sample is an excellent keyboard player (jazz and fusion).
Try his "Hippies On The Corner) ... absolutely sweet groove.
Joni has told the story of the sound she had this album a few times, John Lennnon sent her a letter saying how talented Joni was but the reason other artists kept having hits with her songs while she didn't was that her production wasn't "candy coated" enough. John had used that term in the past about his own work too, he said his album Imagine was like a more candy coated sequel to John Lennon Plastic Ono Band.
I think Court and Spark was her best album ever. Loved it
Larry Carlton on Guitar and John Guerin (a lover of hers) on Drums. What a great album that I have had for almost 50 years now.
Song to a Seagull is incredible.
I found you recently. You touch my heart. On this Joni album, a better combination is People's Party/ Same Situation. I can't wait to hear how you feel about those. Peace ☮
Joni has been a lifelong favourite, saw her several times, including 1971 in amsterdam (blue tour).
The untold story about these songs, is that they represent a time when Los Angeles became the recording/production capital of the world. These songs showcase the talents of Tom Scott (also with Steely Dan), Larry Carlton (also with Steely Dan), Jose Feliciano, John Guerin and other notables. David Crosby and Graham Nash provided backing vocals. If you have the time, I recommend Free Man in Paris and Help Me from the Joni Mitchel Live Tribute featuring Elton John and KD Lang respectively.
I love her artwork too.
An album for your collection for sure!
Take care listening to Blue all the way through - it’s pretty raw. But it is maybe the greatest album of the 70s.
Without looking it up, I believe that Graham Nash and Joni were a thing in the late '60s, and she did write "Woodstock" for them.
what can you say... another level of artfulness. I truly thank life for her being in it.
Do I see Dregs What If on your window sill?
Eric Clapton was wowed when he first saw her playing guitar. Check out the song Amelia. You'll see what impressed Clapton.
Thank you for this! Just two of her terrific songs.😊 You might want to listen to Jose Feliciano. Great classical guitar.
You have marvelous insights into the music and lyrics. Thank you!
Astounding voice.
That sweet guitar work was done by none other than Larry "Mr. 335" Carlton. You also hear him on select Steely Dan tracks as well.
Fun Fact: John Guerin and Max Bennet (drums & bass) were also the rhythm section on Frank Zappa's Hot Rats
The song is famously about a trip Joni, Robbie Robertson and his wife, and David Geffen took to Paris. David Geffen is probably the most legendary figure of the music industry who does not actually create music. But Geffen is the free man in Paris. Geffen, what an icon! And to have Joni Mitchell write a song about him and his career as a manager of artists just makes him even more legendary. Fun Fact. In 1990 David Geffen paid more income tax than any other individual in the United States. By the way, David Geffen literally created the Eagles. He picked the individuals, funded them, put them on the road to learn their craft and turned them into superstars. Naturally, there were eventually lawsuits.