Blew my mind to learn that Joni wrote that beautiful lyric >10 years before Car Sagan's Cosmos ("The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.")
@@googlerudick Oh wow, really? Interesting! Though (looking it up a little, right now), it seems the idea is quite a bit older... for example, a quote from a presentation at the Royal Society in 1918: "our bodies are made of star-stuff"... so, I guess Joni was doing her homework some way! Dunno how much it was in the Zeitgeist before Sagan further popularized it... would be interesting to know.
@@DavidLindes It was definitely a thing in the (really) early counter culture of the 1920s, even the 1890s or earlier (if you look at the "occult" trend in the 19th century and the so called "Lebensreform Bewegung" in germany for example). It is even documented in some old greek schools of thought from classical antiquity. In the 1920s there was another resurgence of these ideas linked to (at that time) new scientific developments. If you look into 1960s and early 70s "hippie" counter culture(which is what we're talking about here) you'll realize that there was a resurgence of certain aspects of that earlier time happening aswell (neo-art-nouveau, certain aspects of fashion and art in posters, a new aprecitation for the expressionists, the pre-raphaelites, 1920s fantasy literature like Tolkien or Lovecraft but also older stuff like Oscar Wilde or Novalis, also an impact of "the occult" like wicca or "the order of the golden dawn"). So Ideas in which a interlinked connection of the cosmos in some way was posited are much older and were combined in the 60s and 70s youth movement. Interestingly enough you can find these same ideas getting a new run in current subcultures in the 2020s.
"We are golden | Caught in the devil's bargain | And we've got to get ourselves back to the Garden... I woke up today (Good Friday) with this song in my head!
Amy: "That could almost be a clarinet or a flute." I've been listening to Joni for decades and JUST. NEVER. NOTICED. Hearing music through your ears and your brain always adds something to my experience of the art, sometimes so much so that it's like I've never really heard the song or artist before. I so appreciate the time and effort the two of you put into this channel. It's a real gem. 💎
I had an epiphany when I was 18 years old in 1997 and a girl I fancied played her mums copy of Court and Spark on vinyl at a her house party when we were unbelievably stoned. It's honestly a moment I will never forget. From the first notes to the very last, I was absolutely floored.
Interesting that you noticed how she made her voice sound similar to various wind instruments.🥰 One song that she wrote, had a part that she'd composed for trumpet, in the hopes that she could get her father to start playing his trumpet again, and join her on the song. (he'd played in marching bands and taught a bit during her childhood) She never managed to get him to play trumpet again, so she ended up SINGING the parts she'd written for trumpet, as well as what she'd planned for vocals. She loved so many sounds and styles of music, and utilized those interests/appreciation in her compositions! 🥰
A big thank you from someone who, like Joni and millions of my generation, was not at Woodstock but wish we were. We grew up with 1960's television that, though it was flickering and transient, occasionally welded us together in indelible moments that we still share in memory. Such as the murder of JFK or the Beatles invading America on the Ed Sullivan Show. Joni, with her leaping song lyrics that flitter unbound to her octaves just like the butterflies that she mentions, connects us to the spirit that still binds us to a chaotic grubby muddy unmanageable rock festival that no one would have expected to be still cherished. For bringing Woodstock back like it was yesterday, please accept thanks from this ageing hippie - I am just talking about my generation.
I've always been captivated by Joni's version. It has a celebratory yet cautious quality to it, and it's done with such graceful introspection. That line "I don't know who l am but, you know, life is for learning" is one of the most beautiful descriptions of the resilient yearning heart.
I watch a lot of these " first time reaction videos" and I must say yours is by far the best as you have the lyrics written down in advance and you are also able to analyze the music with some authority. Although Woodstock is very simple musically having just the normal chords associated with the key of E minor. Joni however is very sophisticated playing 3 instruments very well and she pushed the boundaries of her use of the guitar by having recorded songs with over 50 different guitar tunings!! Do you ever put the harp in a different tuning? It is Joni's lyrics writing however that draws us into metaphysical realms were the trials and heartache of love are laid bare in delicate watercolour imagery. Listen at length to her Blue album it has won so many awards and rightly stands as one of music's greatest achievements.
And Mitchell is clearly one of the greats. I wouldn't quite call her a rock musician although some of her songs are rock-ish, or have been adapted (i.e. covered) by rock bands. But she's more in the jazz, blues and folk tradition, with some rock elements. A lot like Dylan that way, and they are obviously the "king" and "queen" of modern popular music composers and musicians. No one begins to come close, as individuals. You have to look to groups like the Beatles and Pink Floyd to find ones on their level. They're all clearly geniuses. In this rendition I could hear elements of the sort of jazzy piano blues and R&B made famous by the likes of Ray Charles and later carried on by musicians like Laura Nyro, Elton John and Billy Joel. But she's so far beyond the simplistic kind of pop music we're used to hearing. A world unto herself.
Amy, what Joni sings about is what us hippies were thinking and feeling. I wasn’t there either, I was only 15 and would/should have run away to go. I love the words to this song. Joni is an amazing musician and person.
Jann Wenner stated he didn't believe that Joni Mitchell was considered rock. Joni isn't rock but enough rock people know her and have deep appreciation for her music, lyrics and creative talents. Enough folk artists crossed over to the rock genre and because international artists and she deserves all the credit to the collective counter-culture. Thanks for the analysis and thoughts Amy.
Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, CSN&Y, the Grateful Dead, etc., belong to a subgroup of rock called "folk rock". So, basically folks but rockers want them more!
Joni is a musical genius. If you do another of her songs, I hope you will concentrate even more on her pure musicality, her use of suss chords, etc. And her vocals are magical because of how unusual her style is. It is musical in a way that few other singers can even begin to imitate.
Awesome! So happy that you finally got to hear the legendary Joni Mitchell, one of the great musicians and songwriters of our time. You were able to connect this song with your recent Hendrix Woodstock experience. Glad you were pulled into the story, and that you were able to pick up on the essence of the hippie movement represented in this song. I've always loved the "bombers turning into butterflies" line, reflecting the peace movement of that time. "Life is for learning" is another great line. Your saying it had an ethereal quality was a good way of characterizing it. Great observations at the end reflecting back on the song. I would love for you to do a harp rendition. I would also enjoy hearing your own piano rendition. I think because most people heard the CSNY version first, some had a harder time with Joni's beautiful original since it is so different, and is not rock. The lyrics are much more front and center in the Joni version. Whereas the CSNY version is much more about the rock vibe of the music. Yasgur's farm in the lyrics is the farm land on which the Woodstock Festival was held. I loved how you spoke on how Joni overcame the difficulties in life, from her early polio to her later brain aneurism. Which as you noted this spoke of Joni's deep seated conviction that life is for living, and we have reason to hope.
Hello Lee, and well met! I'm afraid I'm one of those types that you listed above. I heard CSNY's version first, and that my favorite, still. I've had a number of girlfriends who would kill/die for Joni, but, as wonderful as she is, she's not really my type. However, I consider Joni one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, nevertheless!
@@splitimage137. Hey Split! Yeah, I was the same when these came out, the CSNY version was the only one I really listened to at the time, and I listened to the entire Deja Vu album a lot. I talk about this in one of my comments on the CSNY version. In short here, I started listening to the CSNY version when I was ten in 1970 and my brother-in-law had given me his old 4-track stereo and tapes when he upgraded to 8-track. But over the years I grew to really love the Joni version, which I thought really emphasized the lyrics more. Now it is hard for me to even pick a favorite of the two. I like them both for different reasons.
So glad you got to her. I knew you would like her. She has an immense range, both vocally and sytlistically. This is still relatively young Joni. Her career arc through musically and lyrically sophisticated takes on folk, rock, jazz and pop is fascinating to trace. BTW one of her other early setbacks, which wasn't widely known at the time, was that she had a child whom she had to give up for adoption. She wrote a beautiful, tender song (on her Blue album) called Little Green, which some years afterwards she revealed was about her hopes and dreams for the little girl she had lost. They did find each other later in life, which is when Joni explained the song.
I'm glad Joni came to you channel, finally! She is my favorite female vocal artist and 'Blue' is one of my favorite albuns. Such an inspiring woman! I think you will have the opportunity to listen to it all, as you're doing your study very well. And hope Crosby, Still, Nash & Young too :)
Such a pleasure seeing your introduction to this beautiful woman’s enchanting talents and voice! I fell head over heels in love with Joni through the ’Blue’ album, but eventually acquired and absorbed her full catalogue of material. Like many, I’m more a fan of that early work, which was so pure, acoustic, and full of emotion. She wore her heart on her sleeve. Please do more - a lot more of her. And I highly recommend you watch - just in your free time, not necessarily on the channel - the 2003 film documentary “A Woman of Heart and Mind”, which is a rich trove of footage, music, and interviews her and various people who knew her during those days. It’s powerfully engaging.
The accumulated review of Joni's life, Woodstock, and your sensitive comments brought back my experience of those times and led to a good cry. Thank you!
I've always thought that if Joni had gone to Woodstock she probably wouldn't have written this song. You should continue your exploration of her music to see how her evolution from her origins as a folk singer through to jazz musician was profound and significant. She is undoubtedly one of the most important and original musical geniuses of our time.
I was going to recommend that you listen to the album Blue from start to finish. Then I thought, hey, you've gotta experience the entirety of Ladies of the Canyon first! Then Court and Spark raised its playful hand and said, what about me? The Hissing of Summer Lawns, Herija, Don Juan's Reckless Daughter, Mingus... All vied for recognition... So I stopped myself in my tracks. Just listen to Joni in your lifetime. You won't regret it for one moment.
I TELL EVERYYYYYONE ALLLL THE TIME THAT SHE WAS THE BEST, HER AND ( KAREN CARPENTER ) R.I.P ☹ TO THAT ANGEL TRUE CONTRALTOS👍😊I'VE LISTENED TO JONI FOR OVER 50 YEARS NOW SO, SHE GIVES ME GOOSEBUMPS THRU MY BODY WITH HER GORGEOUS VOICE AND SHE WROTE,COMPOSED, PLAYED,SANG, AND EVEN PAINTED AS AN ARTIST! I'M SUPER GLAD THAT YOU GOT TO ENJOY HER FINALLYYYY, YEAH!!! 😊
Joni is a luminary. I often note that people will casually leave her name off lists of greats that include Dylan, Young, etc. Maybe part of this is that she is a woman, but I think it is due to the fact that she is such a singular talent. She seems willing to give more of herself and be more ruthlessly introspective. She also has her own melodic and harmonic vocabulary. She recorded a live album, Miles of Ailes, early in her career-touring with L.A. Express-and self deprecatingly refers to herself as "the chirp". I wonder what that younger Joni would have thought of her future self collaborating with Mingus or recording Paprika Plains. She's a fearless hero to me. So glad she is recovered and getting so much love late in her life. She's given us all so much.
Joni uses Woodstock as a metaphor fot a spiritual quest, and follows Laura Nyro's Stoned Soul Picnic (1968). Joni uses Nyro's themes of nature music, trust, friendship and God, and repeats Nyro's lyric refenced to gold and dust. Stoned Soul Picnic was a Billboard No.3 for the 5th Dimension, who had most of their hits with Nyro covers. Nyro "probably influenced more successful songwriters than anyone " Elton John, 2007. Joni and Nyro were pals, and Nyro was Joni's only stated influence.
Jimmy Webb may well have taken Nyro's first 4 chords for Wichita Lineman which are the same and unusual for pop at that time. Every writer was listening to Nyro. Joni's Blue has Nyro's influence all over it, as noted by the contemporary review of Blue by the New Musical Express, the UK's premier rock magazine.
You did a wonderful job of dissecting and discussing this MAGICAL song of Joni's and I felt I wanted to hear more magical notes from your harp. Thank you.😮😊❤
The feelings of peace, love and understanding, embodied in this, and a few other songs of the period, held out a hope of a simpler life - a hope that was, sadly, shortlived...
I haven't given up hope. The 60s were a turbulent time just as today is. The pendulum swings back and forth, and many of us still want the dream. A new cultural revolution may come about.
Hello awesome analysis, watching this brought a tear to my eyes because it was so beautiful, Joni Mitchell was young here but you just knew she was absolutely full of musical energy...energy that was waiting to explode, and it did.
When you have time, some time, take a listen to "Shadows and Light" which is a live album. Her band was made up of absolutely top tier jazz musicians (Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Michael Brecker, etc.)
What a wonderful introduction to an incredible artist. Joni is the real deal. Sometime you should treat yourself to her Blue LP. It's remarkable. Actually though, my personal favorite of all of Joni's LP's is Court & Spark. Thank you for sharing this one, Amy. 🙂
The song and lyrics really coin the whole hippie intent, and how the woodstock music festival consolidated the whole thing (we are half a million strong). War planes turning into butterflies depicts how psychadelics expanded inner conciousness away from war and towards peace for the whole generation. Stardust and million year old carbon means we are all conected and entangled.....cosmic conciousness. This might be her strongest statement. I loved the way you felt the song and saw the poetry.
You nailed it! I [b. '51] have always felt this song, particularly Joni's version, portrayed the soul of the Woodstock era better than any other single song.
You should also listen to the recorded version. There’s a lot of background vocals that she does that changes the feel of it slightly but it’s still lovely and wonderful. I’m happy you got to hear the song.
One of the things that I find amazing is how quickly singer-songwriters can create a song after seeing something on the news or a magazine then capture the essence of the story so eloquently. Joni saw the TV news about the festival and the people going to the festival, writes the song, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young learn the song then perform it on stage on the third day of the festival (Monday). Neil Young wrote his song "Ohio" after seeing the photos of the Kent State shooting of War Protesters published in a Life magazine that David Crosby had brought with him. Neil went off, wrote the song, came back and worked with Crosby to arrange studio time to record the, get Stills and Nash to join them. It was recorded, mastered then rush released by Atlantic records and getting played on Radio. Joni dated both David Crosby and Graham Nast. Graham Nash wrote his song "Our House" after buying flowers for Joni while they were out for a walk. While Joni was putting the flowers in a vase, Graham sat down at the piano and started to create the song. Crosby, Stills and Nash appear in the Woodstock movie. While Young was there and played with them refused to appear in the film, as he wasn't officially a member of the band and didn't want to distract attention from the trio.
AND HER SONGWRITING AND STORYTELLING SKILLS WERE PHENOMENAL!!! 💯😊WE DON'T REALLYYYY HAVE TO TALK ABOUT HOW SHE CAN RIP AND DIP WITH THOSE VOCAL CHORDS!😮ONE OF HER FAVORITE LINES " I'M JUST A PAINTER, I LIVE IN A BOX OF PAINTS ' 👍FROM HER GREAT SONG : A CASE OF YOU, SHE WAS BEAKING UP WITH ( GRAHAM NASH ) DURING HER EPIC RELATIONSHIP ( 71 ) ALBUM BLUE☹ANYWAY JUST SO GOOD!
Glad you have encountered Joni. She is essential for your journey, must be in the top 10 best songwriters of the late 20th century. Try 'Clouds' or 'Both Sides Now' when you can, then progress to something more jazzy than folky, say from the 'Hissing of Summer Lawns' album?
Amy @ 13:09 "Well of course, there's... I'm a bit too young to have been part of the hippie movement back then, but... this gives me the feeling of... all the hope and ideals that I understand were part of that movement..." RIGHT ON! AMY!!! As one who IS of that bygone era, I'm glad you really picked up the the HOPE that we YOUNG Americans (and others around the world) had that if just people could be EDUCATED, you know, then many of the ills of society would wither on the vine... but, no... As John Lennon said, right before he was assassinated, "We all wanted happy skies and chocolate... and we didn't get it... so we went back into our rooms and cried to ourselves 'the world is a horrible place, and I'm not gonna play anymore...," and so singing and crying about happiness didn't bring it about... so grow up!" or, something to that effect. (If you're interested, I think he said this in the 3 hour RKO interview he gave shortly before his death .)
Most interesting for you would be comparing her versions of "Both Sides Now" from about 1970 and 2000 (with an orchestra). The difference is mesmerizing.
Hi, i am glad that you mentioned Hendrix Woodstock performance and confirm that was a quite experience for you. Now i desperately want to see your reaction to that, although not first listening!😁☮️❤
Love this one, seeing you discuss one of my favorite songwriters. Even the best female artists could be overshadowed in their time. But Joni is now getting more acclaim, as many before categorized her as a 'hippy' era artist. Thank you.
** Every time I hear Joni Mitchell sing certain clear, high notes, I get chills and feel like I am going to cry. She has such a beautiful voice. Those flips and unexpected notes! I love her classics. My favorite song is "A Case of You". "Big Yellow Taxi" is fun, yet sobering environmental message. I also love comparing her young/older versions of "Both Sides Now" (looking forward vs looking back). I think Amy would find the comparison interesting, and she would make insightful observations about the differences.
So glad to see you get a first taste of Joni. I feel you will love her work. 'Case of you' from the great album Blue will be a great piece to experience. Hope you do it someday. Cheers
Good job Vlad in also working in the studio version as Amy was sharing her thoughts at the end. I'm glad you did the live version for the reaction itself. Amy got to both see Joni and hear her story about the song.
yay Joni!...for me the best songwriter of that whole era! I got to say, I play guitar, but while its easy to strum along to a lot of bob dylan and pick up a lot of fingerstyle guitar songs- joni, for me is so difficult! She doesn't pick the regular tunings many others do,and other than "the urge for going" (which is a great tune), but played standard tuning (eadbge) I haven't tried much of hers, as I'm worried my guitar might snap or I will get slapped in the eye with a string! I can't wait to see more joni analysis.. I feel like you have reacted to one of the very good ones..but far from the best,you still have so much more to enjoy! BUT the lyrics are almost always so thoughtful and interesting.
Another folk singer from that era who was at Woodstock was Melanie Safka. Her song Lay Down (Candles in the Rain), featuring the gospel group Edwin Hawkins Singers, was written about her experience at Woodstock.
I love Joni 's voice and her music. This song 's melody reminds me of Bad Company 's title song Bad Company.❤ Just an observation! Love all of your reactions ❤❤❤
One of the interesting things she did, was when she wrote she did a lot in her British Columbia home. She called it raga tuning. She listened to the sounds outside, the birds, the tones of nature around her, and tuned her guitar to it. She did a lot with alternative tunings, maybe it had to do with her restrictions because of the polio.
Check out the old episode of the Dick Cavett show from the day after woodstock where Joni explains the whole story of her missing woodstock. Also on the show is jefferson airplane and Crosby and Stills and others.
In the Great Covers series, Amy always listens to the original before listening to the cover. Her CSN cover has been listed as pending for over a day now.
Very Earth day feel to this beautifully sung song. If you wanna watch a movie with an Earth day feel Amy, watch "Silent Running". Great performance by its star Bruce Dern, and a song by Joan Baez, who actually performed at Woodstock. Another nice analysis Amy! 👏
I can't listen to the Angle sing without being overcome... And I played Blue so much I had to buy several copies. She must know the Polish Proverb, Be Humble for You are made of Earth, be Noble for you are made of Stars.
When she was younger, Joni’s voice was indeed “shimmery”……light, highly nimble, with a huge range. Her first album…Song to a Seagull, is still my favorite because her voice was so clear and crystalline…Being a heavy smoker…..as she got older, her voice became lower, more husky…with a “smoky” timbre …..perfect for the more jazzy direction she took.
Perhaps it was her lifetime of heavy smoking that contributed to her brain aneurism in 2015. I don't know that this is the case, just guessing. I know you would see her chain smoking in her rare interviews prior to her aneurism, but I have never seen her smoking since then. If you haven't seen it, be sure to check out the fairly recent interview that Elton John did with her back in November 2022.
Always loved the line, "We are stardust, we are golden | We are billion-year-old carbon"
Blew my mind to learn that Joni wrote that beautiful lyric >10 years before Car Sagan's Cosmos ("The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.")
@@googlerudick Oh wow, really? Interesting! Though (looking it up a little, right now), it seems the idea is quite a bit older... for example, a quote from a presentation at the Royal Society in 1918: "our bodies are made of star-stuff"... so, I guess Joni was doing her homework some way! Dunno how much it was in the Zeitgeist before Sagan further popularized it... would be interesting to know.
@@DavidLindes It was definitely a thing in the (really) early counter culture of the 1920s, even the 1890s or earlier (if you look at the "occult" trend in the 19th century and the so called "Lebensreform Bewegung" in germany for example). It is even documented in some old greek schools of thought from classical antiquity. In the 1920s there was another resurgence of these ideas linked to (at that time) new scientific developments. If you look into 1960s and early 70s "hippie" counter culture(which is what we're talking about here) you'll realize that there was a resurgence of certain aspects of that earlier time happening aswell (neo-art-nouveau, certain aspects of fashion and art in posters, a new aprecitation for the expressionists, the pre-raphaelites, 1920s fantasy literature like Tolkien or Lovecraft but also older stuff like Oscar Wilde or Novalis, also an impact of "the occult" like wicca or "the order of the golden dawn"). So Ideas in which a interlinked connection of the cosmos in some way was posited are much older and were combined in the 60s and 70s youth movement. Interestingly enough you can find these same ideas getting a new run in current subcultures in the 2020s.
"We are golden | Caught in the devil's bargain | And we've got to get ourselves back to the Garden...
I woke up today (Good Friday) with this song in my head!
@@simonl.6338 Science led Cosmology was a part of the Hippie culture, there was some interesting ideas that came from it.
Amy: "That could almost be a clarinet or a flute." I've been listening to Joni for decades and JUST. NEVER. NOTICED. Hearing music through your ears and your brain always adds something to my experience of the art, sometimes so much so that it's like I've never really heard the song or artist before. I so appreciate the time and effort the two of you put into this channel. It's a real gem. 💎
Joni is an absolute treasure.
That is the truth 💓
Blue, For the Roses, Court and Spark, The Hissing of the Summer Lawns, Hejira, all fantastic albums everybody should have in their collections.
I had an epiphany when I was 18 years old in 1997 and a girl I fancied played her mums copy of Court and Spark on vinyl at a her house party when we were unbelievably stoned. It's honestly a moment I will never forget. From the first notes to the very last, I was absolutely floored.
Interesting that you noticed how she made her voice sound similar to various wind instruments.🥰 One song that she wrote, had a part that she'd composed for trumpet, in the hopes that she could get her father to start playing his trumpet again, and join her on the song. (he'd played in marching bands and taught a bit during her childhood) She never managed to get him to play trumpet again, so she ended up SINGING the parts she'd written for trumpet, as well as what she'd planned for vocals. She loved so many sounds and styles of music, and utilized those interests/appreciation in her compositions! 🥰
A big thank you from someone who, like Joni and millions of my generation, was not at Woodstock but wish we were. We grew up with 1960's television that, though it was flickering and transient, occasionally welded us together in indelible moments that we still share in memory. Such as the murder of JFK or the Beatles invading America on the Ed Sullivan Show. Joni, with her leaping song lyrics that flitter unbound to her octaves just like the butterflies that she mentions, connects us to the spirit that still binds us to a chaotic grubby muddy unmanageable rock festival that no one would have expected to be still cherished. For bringing Woodstock back like it was yesterday, please accept thanks from this ageing hippie - I am just talking about my generation.
She makes me well up every time. Bless you Joni
I've always been captivated by Joni's version. It has a celebratory yet cautious quality to it, and it's done with such graceful introspection. That line "I don't know who l am but, you know, life is for learning" is one of the most beautiful descriptions of the resilient yearning heart.
I watch a lot of these " first time reaction videos" and I must say yours is by far the best as you have the lyrics written down in advance and you are also able to analyze the music with some authority. Although Woodstock is very simple musically having just the normal chords associated with the key of E minor. Joni however is very sophisticated playing 3 instruments very well and she pushed the boundaries of her use of the guitar by having recorded songs with over 50 different guitar tunings!! Do you ever put the harp in a different tuning? It is Joni's lyrics writing however that draws us into metaphysical realms were the trials and heartache of love are laid bare in delicate watercolour imagery. Listen at length to her Blue album it has won so many awards and rightly stands as one of music's greatest achievements.
Didn’t Joni write this song? That would make CSNY’s version the cover?
Yup
Yes, Amy listens to the original first which is why CSNY is the next video to premiere.
Yes, of course
Yes!
She wrote it specifically for CSNY, but decided she was allowed to perform it as well.
Joni Mitchell has the unique ability to tell stories through pictures that she paints with her words.
And Mitchell is clearly one of the greats. I wouldn't quite call her a rock musician although some of her songs are rock-ish, or have been adapted (i.e. covered) by rock bands. But she's more in the jazz, blues and folk tradition, with some rock elements. A lot like Dylan that way, and they are obviously the "king" and "queen" of modern popular music composers and musicians. No one begins to come close, as individuals.
You have to look to groups like the Beatles and Pink Floyd to find ones on their level. They're all clearly geniuses. In this rendition I could hear elements of the sort of jazzy piano blues and R&B made famous by the likes of Ray Charles and later carried on by musicians like Laura Nyro, Elton John and Billy Joel. But she's so far beyond the simplistic kind of pop music we're used to hearing. A world unto herself.
Amy, what Joni sings about is what us hippies were thinking and feeling. I wasn’t there either, I was only 15 and would/should have run away to go. I love the words to this song. Joni is an amazing musician and person.
I agree
Jann Wenner stated he didn't believe that Joni Mitchell was considered rock. Joni isn't rock but enough rock people know her and have deep appreciation for her music, lyrics and creative talents. Enough folk artists crossed over to the rock genre and because international artists and she deserves all the credit to the collective counter-culture. Thanks for the analysis and thoughts Amy.
Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, CSN&Y, the Grateful Dead, etc., belong to a subgroup of rock called "folk rock". So, basically folks but rockers want them more!
Joni is a musical genius. If you do another of her songs, I hope you will concentrate even more on her pure musicality, her use of suss chords, etc. And her vocals are magical because of how unusual her style is. It is musical in a way that few other singers can even begin to imitate.
She says, “Billion year old carbon,” while looking like a beam of sunlight under those lights!
“She has a beautiful voice.” Yes. That’s what some of the fuss is about. ✅
understatement of the century
The live performance of Woodstock on Shadows & Light was an epiphany for me, in more ways than one. What a great band Mitchell had at that time.
The lyric "I have come here to lose the smog/And I feel to be a cog in something turning" is so good.
Awesome! So happy that you finally got to hear the legendary Joni Mitchell, one of the great musicians and songwriters of our time. You were able to connect this song with your recent Hendrix Woodstock experience. Glad you were pulled into the story, and that you were able to pick up on the essence of the hippie movement represented in this song. I've always loved the "bombers turning into butterflies" line, reflecting the peace movement of that time. "Life is for learning" is another great line. Your saying it had an ethereal quality was a good way of characterizing it. Great observations at the end reflecting back on the song. I would love for you to do a harp rendition. I would also enjoy hearing your own piano rendition.
I think because most people heard the CSNY version first, some had a harder time with Joni's beautiful original since it is so different, and is not rock. The lyrics are much more front and center in the Joni version. Whereas the CSNY version is much more about the rock vibe of the music. Yasgur's farm in the lyrics is the farm land on which the Woodstock Festival was held. I loved how you spoke on how Joni overcame the difficulties in life, from her early polio to her later brain aneurism. Which as you noted this spoke of Joni's deep seated conviction that life is for living, and we have reason to hope.
Well said…as usual, Lee.👋
@@w.geoffreyspaulding6588 Thanks Helene.
Hello Lee, and well met! I'm afraid I'm one of those types that you listed above. I heard CSNY's version first, and that my favorite, still. I've had a number of girlfriends who would kill/die for Joni, but, as wonderful as she is, she's not really my type. However, I consider Joni one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, nevertheless!
@@splitimage137. Hey Split! Yeah, I was the same when these came out, the CSNY version was the only one I really listened to at the time, and I listened to the entire Deja Vu album a lot. I talk about this in one of my comments on the CSNY version. In short here, I started listening to the CSNY version when I was ten in 1970 and my brother-in-law had given me his old 4-track stereo and tapes when he upgraded to 8-track. But over the years I grew to really love the Joni version, which I thought really emphasized the lyrics more. Now it is hard for me to even pick a favorite of the two. I like them both for different reasons.
@@LeeKennison No one (in their right mind) can argue with that!
I love this song. I love Joni and I love Virgin Rock so it’s a good Saturday.
I never heard this before. I'm just amazed by the power of her voice and the presence of this voice, really incarnated. This moves me.
Listen to “The circle game” by her
*Recommendation:* listen to her album named 'Blue'; in particular 'A Case of You', 'River', and 'Carey'.
So glad you got to her. I knew you would like her. She has an immense range, both vocally and sytlistically. This is still relatively young Joni. Her career arc through musically and lyrically sophisticated takes on folk, rock, jazz and pop is fascinating to trace.
BTW one of her other early setbacks, which wasn't widely known at the time, was that she had a child whom she had to give up for adoption. She wrote a beautiful, tender song (on her Blue album) called Little Green, which some years afterwards she revealed was about her hopes and dreams for the little girl she had lost. They did find each other later in life, which is when Joni explained the song.
I'm glad Joni came to you channel, finally! She is my favorite female vocal artist and 'Blue' is one of my favorite albuns. Such an inspiring woman! I think you will have the opportunity to listen to it all, as you're doing your study very well. And hope Crosby, Still, Nash & Young too :)
Blue may be the best LP ever.
@@johnpress
Agree -
Such a pleasure seeing your introduction to this beautiful woman’s enchanting talents and voice! I fell head over heels in love with Joni through the ’Blue’ album, but eventually acquired and absorbed her full catalogue of material. Like many, I’m more a fan of that early work, which was so pure, acoustic, and full of emotion. She wore her heart on her sleeve. Please do more - a lot more of her. And I highly recommend you watch - just in your free time, not necessarily on the channel - the 2003 film documentary “A Woman of Heart and Mind”, which is a rich trove of footage, music, and interviews her and various people who knew her during those days. It’s powerfully engaging.
More Joni Mitchell please!!!!!
The accumulated review of Joni's life, Woodstock, and your sensitive comments brought back my experience of those times and led to a good cry. Thank you!
Joni is an angel on earth. I think her Court and Spark album is her best.
I've always thought that if Joni had gone to Woodstock she probably wouldn't have written this song. You should continue your exploration of her music to see how her evolution from her origins as a folk singer through to jazz musician was profound and significant. She is undoubtedly one of the most important and original musical geniuses of our time.
If she didn't write that song then Bad Company would never have written their namesake.
I was going to recommend that you listen to the album Blue from start to finish. Then I thought, hey, you've gotta experience the entirety of Ladies of the Canyon first! Then Court and Spark raised its playful hand and said, what about me? The Hissing of Summer Lawns, Herija, Don Juan's Reckless Daughter, Mingus... All vied for recognition... So I stopped myself in my tracks. Just listen to Joni in your lifetime. You won't regret it for one moment.
"HELP" is a wonderful song. The Bridge in the middle of the song is a TOP TEN BRIDGES of ALL TIME!!! She was a WONDERFUL TALENT!!!! FOR THE AGES!!!
Very well placed and beautiful comments on a magnificent and beautiful artist.
Thank you Amy.
I TELL EVERYYYYYONE ALLLL THE TIME THAT SHE WAS THE BEST, HER AND ( KAREN CARPENTER ) R.I.P ☹ TO THAT ANGEL TRUE CONTRALTOS👍😊I'VE LISTENED TO JONI FOR OVER 50 YEARS NOW SO, SHE GIVES ME GOOSEBUMPS THRU MY BODY WITH HER GORGEOUS VOICE AND SHE WROTE,COMPOSED, PLAYED,SANG, AND EVEN PAINTED AS AN ARTIST! I'M SUPER GLAD THAT YOU GOT TO ENJOY HER FINALLYYYY, YEAH!!! 😊
Joni is a luminary. I often note that people will casually leave her name off lists of greats that include Dylan, Young, etc. Maybe part of this is that she is a woman, but I think it is due to the fact that she is such a singular talent. She seems willing to give more of herself and be more ruthlessly introspective. She also has her own melodic and harmonic vocabulary. She recorded a live album, Miles of Ailes, early in her career-touring with L.A. Express-and self deprecatingly refers to herself as "the chirp". I wonder what that younger Joni would have thought of her future self collaborating with Mingus or recording Paprika Plains. She's a fearless hero to me. So glad she is recovered and getting so much love late in her life. She's given us all so much.
This song gives me chills every time I hear it.
I love both versions, but I think this one is better.
Virgin Rock, thank you thank you thank you
Joni uses Woodstock as a metaphor fot a spiritual quest, and follows Laura Nyro's Stoned Soul Picnic (1968). Joni uses Nyro's themes of nature music, trust, friendship and God, and repeats Nyro's lyric refenced to gold and dust. Stoned Soul Picnic was a Billboard No.3 for the 5th Dimension, who had most of their hits with Nyro covers. Nyro "probably influenced more successful songwriters than anyone " Elton John, 2007. Joni and Nyro were pals, and Nyro was Joni's only stated influence.
Jimmy Webb may well have taken Nyro's first 4 chords for Wichita Lineman which are the same and unusual for pop at that time. Every writer was listening to Nyro. Joni's Blue has Nyro's influence all over it, as noted by the contemporary review of Blue by the New Musical Express, the UK's premier rock magazine.
Still cry, when I listen to this. Great art...? Well, yeah.
You did a wonderful job of dissecting and discussing this MAGICAL song of Joni's and I felt I wanted to hear more magical notes from your harp. Thank you.😮😊❤
I really like the Matthews Southern Comfort cover of this one.
Good Idea! Oh Lord!
Me too. Got to No1 in the UK - I saw them aged about 13, Oxford Town Hall.
That was the first version I heard. I was quite surprised to learn it was by Joni Mitchell. I didn't hear the CSNY version until quite recently.
The feelings of peace, love and understanding, embodied in this, and a few other songs of the period, held out a hope of a simpler life - a hope that was, sadly, shortlived...
I haven't given up hope. The 60s were a turbulent time just as today is. The pendulum swings back and forth, and many of us still want the dream. A new cultural revolution may come about.
Simple yet powerful. She wrote , played, and sang with no autotune live.
Hello awesome analysis, watching this brought a tear to my eyes because it was so beautiful, Joni Mitchell was young here but you just knew she was absolutely full of musical energy...energy that was waiting to explode, and it did.
When you have time, some time, take a listen to "Shadows and Light" which is a live album. Her band was made up of absolutely top tier jazz musicians (Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Michael Brecker, etc.)
Don't forget the phenomenal Lyle Mays. RIP
@@63MGB1 Indeed
What a wonderful introduction to an incredible artist. Joni is the real deal. Sometime you should treat yourself to her Blue LP. It's remarkable. Actually though, my personal favorite of all of Joni's LP's is Court & Spark. Thank you for sharing this one, Amy. 🙂
MAGICAL !!! 😮😊❤
Another good pairing: Joni's "Circle Game," her response to friend Neil Young's "Sugar Mountain."
Joni Mitchell is simply a completely underestimated musician. If you look at her guitar tunings, it is such an interesting approach to the guitar.
Joni Mitchell a wonderful song writer and performer.
The song and lyrics really coin the whole hippie intent, and how the woodstock music festival consolidated the whole thing (we are half a million strong). War planes turning into butterflies depicts how psychadelics expanded inner conciousness away from war and towards peace for the whole generation. Stardust and million year old carbon means we are all conected and entangled.....cosmic conciousness. This might be her strongest statement. I loved the way you felt the song and saw the poetry.
You nailed it! I [b. '51] have always felt this song, particularly Joni's version, portrayed the soul of the Woodstock era better than any other single song.
Great reaction...!!! You picked up well on Joni Mitchell... What a piece of music... what a performance...!!!
You should also listen to the recorded version. There’s a lot of background vocals that she does that changes the feel of it slightly but it’s still lovely and wonderful. I’m happy you got to hear the song.
my fav of Joni's is "Morning Morgentown"
One of the things that I find amazing is how quickly singer-songwriters can create a song after seeing something on the news or a magazine then capture the essence of the story so eloquently. Joni saw the TV news about the festival and the people going to the festival, writes the song, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young learn the song then perform it on stage on the third day of the festival (Monday). Neil Young wrote his song "Ohio" after seeing the photos of the Kent State shooting of War Protesters published in a Life magazine that David Crosby had brought with him. Neil went off, wrote the song, came back and worked with Crosby to arrange studio time to record the, get Stills and Nash to join them. It was recorded, mastered then rush released by Atlantic records and getting played on Radio. Joni dated both David Crosby and Graham Nast. Graham Nash wrote his song "Our House" after buying flowers for Joni while they were out for a walk. While Joni was putting the flowers in a vase, Graham sat down at the piano and started to create the song.
Crosby, Stills and Nash appear in the Woodstock movie. While Young was there and played with them refused to appear in the film, as he wasn't officially a member of the band and didn't want to distract attention from the trio.
Joni is a treasure. I’m glad you are getting to discover her.
AND HER SONGWRITING AND STORYTELLING SKILLS WERE PHENOMENAL!!! 💯😊WE DON'T REALLYYYY HAVE TO TALK ABOUT HOW SHE CAN RIP AND DIP WITH THOSE VOCAL CHORDS!😮ONE OF HER FAVORITE LINES " I'M JUST A PAINTER, I LIVE IN A BOX OF PAINTS ' 👍FROM HER GREAT SONG : A CASE OF YOU, SHE WAS BEAKING UP WITH ( GRAHAM NASH ) DURING HER EPIC RELATIONSHIP ( 71 ) ALBUM BLUE☹ANYWAY JUST SO GOOD!
Glad you have encountered Joni. She is essential for your journey, must be in the top 10 best songwriters of the late 20th century. Try 'Clouds' or 'Both Sides Now' when you can, then progress to something more jazzy than folky, say from the 'Hissing of Summer Lawns' album?
Amy: “Well, she’s had quite a life, hasn’t she?”
Heck, Joni had quite a life by 27 when she recorded Blue.
Amy @ 13:09 "Well of course, there's... I'm a bit too young to have been part of the hippie movement back then, but... this gives me the feeling of... all the hope and ideals that I understand were part of that movement..." RIGHT ON! AMY!!! As one who IS of that bygone era, I'm glad you really picked up the the HOPE that we YOUNG Americans (and others around the world) had that if just people could be EDUCATED, you know, then many of the ills of society would wither on the vine... but, no...
As John Lennon said, right before he was assassinated, "We all wanted happy skies and chocolate... and we didn't get it... so we went back into our rooms and cried to ourselves 'the world is a horrible place, and I'm not gonna play anymore...," and so singing and crying about happiness didn't bring it about... so grow up!" or, something to that effect. (If you're interested, I think he said this in the 3 hour RKO interview he gave shortly before his death .)
Love Joni Love you
I only caught the end of this, but will go back and watch everything. Joni is one of my favourite musicians and Emily Dickinson a favourite poet.
Joni is a force of nature.
I didn't realize that Joni Mitchell had written this. Are you going to play the Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young cover that made this a hit, now?
Yes - This isn't a cover, but who cares. 😀❤
Most interesting for you would be comparing her versions of "Both Sides Now" from about 1970 and 2000 (with an orchestra). The difference is mesmerizing.
Yes and I love the lyrics
Joni is Goddess
♥ ♥
Than you for this, Amy!!
Hi, i am glad that you mentioned Hendrix Woodstock performance and confirm that was a quite experience for you. Now i desperately want to see your reaction to that, although not first listening!😁☮️❤
Love this one, seeing you discuss one of my favorite songwriters. Even the best female artists could be overshadowed in their time. But Joni is now getting more acclaim, as many before categorized her as a 'hippy' era artist. Thank you.
Freaking out a little bit before this starts so excited
** Every time I hear Joni Mitchell sing certain clear, high notes, I get chills and feel like I am going to cry. She has such a beautiful voice. Those flips and unexpected notes!
I love her classics. My favorite song is "A Case of You". "Big Yellow Taxi" is fun, yet sobering environmental message.
I also love comparing her young/older versions of "Both Sides Now" (looking forward vs looking back). I think Amy would find the comparison interesting, and she would make insightful observations about the differences.
Joni is firmly ensconced in my musical Mount Rushmore
yay joni...for me the best songwriter of them all!
More Joni please!
She is the best singer songwriter that ever lived!😊
So glad to see you get a first taste of Joni. I feel you will love her work. 'Case of you' from the great album Blue will be a great piece to experience. Hope you do it someday. Cheers
Joni Mitchell is so creative. I listen willl not be enogh for you to appreciaye her tallent.
Standing on the Moon... Molly Tuttle is my fave cover of all time
Our Canadian❤️ Queen
But here she's Goddess
Good job Vlad in also working in the studio version as Amy was sharing her thoughts at the end. I'm glad you did the live version for the reaction itself. Amy got to both see Joni and hear her story about the song.
yay Joni!...for me the best songwriter of that whole era! I got to say, I play guitar, but while its easy to strum along to a lot of bob dylan and pick up a lot of fingerstyle guitar songs- joni, for me is so difficult! She doesn't pick the regular tunings many others do,and other than "the urge for going" (which is a great tune), but played standard tuning (eadbge) I haven't tried much of hers, as I'm worried my guitar might snap or I will get slapped in the eye with a string! I can't wait to see more joni analysis.. I feel like you have reacted to one of the very good ones..but far from the best,you still have so much more to enjoy! BUT the lyrics are almost always so thoughtful and interesting.
Another folk singer from that era who was at Woodstock was Melanie Safka. Her song Lay Down (Candles in the Rain), featuring the gospel group Edwin Hawkins Singers, was written about her experience at Woodstock.
Oh I love this woman.
I love Joni 's voice and her music. This song 's melody reminds me of Bad Company 's title song Bad Company.❤ Just an observation! Love all of your reactions ❤❤❤
One of my favourite live performances.
Consider reacting to Joni's "Chelsea Morning." Pure delight!
One of the interesting things she did, was when she wrote she did a lot in her British Columbia home. She called it raga tuning. She listened to the sounds outside, the birds, the tones of nature around her, and tuned her guitar to it. She did a lot with alternative tunings, maybe it had to do with her restrictions because of the polio.
Check out the old episode of the Dick Cavett show from the day after woodstock where Joni explains the whole story of her missing woodstock. Also on the show is jefferson airplane and Crosby and Stills and others.
What a voice, It must be nice when nobody else sounds like you, her yodelling is top notch too!
Although this live version is good, the studio version is truly special. I hope you will treat yourself to it.😊
This belongs in the Great Non-Covers series.
In the Great Covers series, Amy always listens to the original before listening to the cover. Her CSN cover has been listed as pending for over a day now.
One interesting cover is Joni Mitchell's cover of her own song "Both Sides Now". She did a performance of the song with an orchestra when she was 57.
She also just performed it at 80 years old during the 2024 Grammy Awards.
She is in a league of her own. That is for sure.
CAPTIVATINGGGG'S A GR8888 WORD😊 AND JUST ( 27 ) AT THE TIME, AMAZINGGG! 💯👍
Very Earth day feel to this beautifully sung song. If you wanna watch a movie with an Earth day feel Amy, watch "Silent Running". Great performance by its star Bruce Dern, and a song by Joan Baez, who actually performed at Woodstock. Another nice analysis Amy! 👏
And I feel to be a cog in something turning...
Can't wait for you to her her on dulcimer... she's a master of that as well. Our goddess of art and beauty...
I can't listen to the Angle sing without being overcome... And I played Blue so much I had to buy several copies. She must know the Polish Proverb, Be Humble for You are made of Earth, be Noble for you are made of Stars.
You got it..❤
Proud to be a Canadian.... You should make some popcorn, and watch the whole Woodstock movie to absorb even half the feeling.
When she was younger, Joni’s voice was indeed “shimmery”……light, highly nimble, with a huge range. Her first album…Song to a Seagull, is still my favorite because her voice was so clear and crystalline…Being a heavy smoker…..as she got older, her voice became lower, more husky…with a “smoky” timbre …..perfect for the more jazzy direction she took.
Perhaps it was her lifetime of heavy smoking that contributed to her brain aneurism in 2015. I don't know that this is the case, just guessing. I know you would see her chain smoking in her rare interviews prior to her aneurism, but I have never seen her smoking since then. If you haven't seen it, be sure to check out the fairly recent interview that Elton John did with her back in November 2022.