Prepare for battle because this week CFX is waging another album war episode. And, this time, the stakes are high because we are covering one of the great geniuses of popular music, Joni Mitchell. Joni was already one of the most talented and innovative musicians ever, with her multilayered chords, unprecedented use of alternate tunings, her insane vocal range and brilliant lyricism when, in 1971, she cranked things up a notch and released Blue, which blew (get it!?) everyone away. This album was not only the most personal and raw confessional singer songwriter albums of the time, but it still holds that position today. And, she continued to innovate to the point where in 1974, she released another watershed album, Court and Spark. This album featured a full band, jazz virtuosos, the LA Express, and more elaborate orchestral accompaniment and even more sophisticated arrangements. Lyrically, it was still confessional but expanded on this and continued Joni’s story. Jeff thinks that Blue will never be surpassed and he argues that in this episode, starting with the tumultuous relationships and Joni’s many travels that led to its striking (and now legendary) songs. Slip prefers Court and Spark and he argues that it surpasses Blue in some ways and showcases more of Joni’s talents for composition and arrangement. Slip also tries to fit an extra tribute to The Hissing of Summer Lawns (his favorite Joni album). You can decide who wins after the smoke clears (and because it’s Joni Mitchell, a new inductee into the CFX Super Smoker Hall of Fame, there’s a LOT of smoke!) Of course, we also can’t help but get a bit gossipy since all of these songs are about the various famous relationships that inspired these songs. We go into the history and try to piece together the stories of the songs and, as usual, along the way, we learn…
- Why Joni should have titled her third album Dudes of the Canyon
- What’s Slip’s beef with Jackson Browne (calm down, man… )
- What John Lennon thought of Court and Spark
- What future famous artist and Joni fan was branded a stalker by Joni’s management
- What is the massive flaw of Court and Spark
- How Jeff managed to get a Steely Dan Easter egg into this episode
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