"…A Considerable Treat…"
I suspect there were many lifelong Joni-o-Philes that proffered a mild heart palpitation to the heroically proportioned non-binary post-person when this long awaited and long-promised 5CD vaults-trawl arrived on their doorsteps first week of November 2021 (there you go, you old hippie).
The first Volume in the Joni Mitchell Archive Series (JMA) set
the scene from her mid Sixties emergence to the beginning of prep for the debut
album in March 1968 on Reprise Records (Produced by David Crosby). Like that first
oversized Box Set, however, Volume 2 is a mixed bag of the sublime, the
understandably historically important and the downright unlistenable. For me it's a 4-star set when your heart was hustling for 6. So what do you get?
This second box revisits the "Song To A Seagull" debut, then "Clouds" from May 1969, "Ladies Of The Canyon" from April 1970 and the shimmering "Blue" from June 1971. Admittedly, it will probably be something of a fan-sting to find only 17 are actual outtakes from four albums in her early primo period. But the live stuff is (at times) thrilling and tearfully beautiful (Disc Five with James Taylor especially, expertly taped by good folk at the BBC in the UK like Jeff Griffin). So some may be disappointed by that - but for me - to have anything new by this era defining lady of the canyons (and officially sanctioned too) is the business in my books. To the minute details and drinking cases of you...
UK and WORLDWIDE released 5 November 2021 - "Joni Mitchell Archives Volume 2: The Reprise Years 1968 – 1971" by JONI MITCHELL on Joni Mitchell Archives (JMA)/Rhino Records R2 653989 / 603497844524 (Barcode 603497844524) is a 5CD Box Set of Previously Unreleased Material that breaks down as follows:
Disc 1 (60:21 minutes Total Playing Time)
Joni’s Home Demos, Late 1967/Early 1968
1. Midnight Cowboy (Version 1)
2. The Dawntreader (Demo with Vocal Overdubs)
3. Song To A Seagull
4. Midnight Cowboy (Version 2)
Jane Lurie's Apartment, Late 1967/Early 1968
5. The Way It Is
6. Turn Around (Incomplete)
Joni's Home Demos, Late 1967/Early 1968
7. I Had A King (Demo With Piano Overdub)
8. The Fiddle And The Drum (Piano Demo)
9. Rose's Blue (Demo with Peacock Harp Overdub)
Song To A Seagull Session, 24 January 1968
10. Jeremy
11. Conversation
12. Both Sides Now
13. The Gift Of The Magi
Jane Lurie's Apartment, Early 1968
14. It’s Easy
15. Another Melody
Live at Canterbury House, 10 March 1968
16. Introduction
17. Jeremy
18. Songs To Aging Children Come
Disc 2 (79:53 minutes):
Live at Le Hibou Coffee House, 19 March 1968
1. Night In The City
2. Come To The Sunshine
3. Intro to The Pirate of Penance
4. The Pirate Of Penance
5. Intro to Conversation
6. Conversation
7. The Way It Is
8. Intro to The Dawntreader
9. The Dawntreader
10. Marcie
11. Intro to Nathan La Franeer
12. Nathan La Franeer
13. Intro to Dr. Funk
14. Dr. Junk
15. Intro to Michael From Mountains
16. Michael From Mountains
17. Go Tell The Drummer Man
18. Intro to I Don’t Know Where I Stand
19. I Don’t Know Where I Stand
20. Intro to Sisotowbell Lane
21. Sisotowbell Lane
22. Intro to Ladies Of The Canyon
23. Ladies Of The Canyon
Studio Session, 31 May 1968
24. Come To The Sunshine
Jane Lurie's Apartment, Early 1968
25. "My Second Album"
26. "Lambert, Hendricks & Ross"
27. The Pirate Of Penance
Top Gear BBC Radio Broadcast, 23 September 1968
28. Intro to Chelsea Morning
29. Chelsea Morning – with The John Cameron Group
30. Intro to The Gallery
31. The Gallery
32. Intro to Night In The City
33. Night In The City – with The John Cameron Group
Disc 3 (77:02 minutes):
Live at Carnegie Hall, 1 February 1969
1. Chelsea Morning
2. A Valentine For Joni
3. Cactus Tree
4. Night In The City
5. I Had A King
6. Blue Boy
7. My American Skirt
8. The Fiddle And The Drum
9. Spoony’s Wonderful Adventure
10. That Song About The Midway
11. Both Sides Now
12. Marcie
13. Nathan La Franeer
14. Intro to The Gallery
15. The Gallery
16. Hunter
17. Morning Morgantown
18. Intro to Get Together
19. Get Together
20. Intro to The Circle Game/Little Green
21. Medley: The Circle Game/Little Green
22. Michael From Mountains
Disc 4 (77:41 minutes):
Live at Carnegie Hall, 1 February 1969 (continued)
1. Intro to Urge For Going
2. Urge For Going
Clouds Sessions, 20 March 1969
3. Conversation
4. Blue Boy
5. The Priest
Jane Lurie’s Apartment, Mid 1969
6. Jesus
7. Playing Piano and Vocalizing
The Dick Cavatt Show ABC-TV Broadcast, 18 August 1969
8. Chelsea Morning
9. Willy
10. For Free
11. Interview
12. The Fiddle And The Drum
Ladies Of The Canyon Demo Sessions, late 1969
13. Woodstock
Live at Centennial Auditorium, 1 November 1969
14. "As I Lie In My Backyard Thinking On August 2nd..." (a poem)
15. Rose’s Blue
16. Rainy Night House
Ladies Of The Canyon Session, 30 January 1970
17. Ladies Of The Canyon (with Cellos)
Ladies Of The Canyon Session, 2 February 1970
18. Blue Boy (with Recorder Coda)
In Concert BBC TV Broadcast, 3 September 1970
19. All I Want
Blue Demo Sessions, Summer 1970
20. A Case Of You
21. California
Greenpeace Benefit Concert for Amchitka, 16 October 1970
22. Introduction by James Taylor
23. Medley: Big Yellow Taxi/Bony Maronie
Disc 5 (79:19 minutes):
In Concert BBC Radio Broadcast, 29 October 1970
1. Introduction (by British DJ, John Peel)
2. That Song About Midway
3. Intro to The Gallery
4. The Gallery
5. Hunter
6. Intro to River
7. River
8. My Old Man
9. The Priest
10. "This is a mountain dulcimer..."
11. Carey
12. A Case Of You (with James Taylor)
13. Intro to California (with James Taylor)
14. California (with James Taylor)
15. Intro to For Free (with James Taylor)
16. For Free (with James Taylor)
17. Intro to The Circle Game (with James Taylor)
18. The Circle Game
19. Intro to You Can Close Your Eyes (with James Taylor)
20. You Can Close Your Eyes (with James Taylor)
21. Both Sides Now
22. Intro to Big Yellow Taxi
23. Big Yellow Taxi
Blue Sessions, late 1970
24. Hunter
25. River (with French Horns)
26. Urge For Going (with Strings)
This is a classy looking release (as was the first Volume) – a hard-card book flap lid (photo taken by Graham Nash) opens to an inner tray of five card sleeves held in place by a ribbon. Atop that is a 40-page booklet – the centrepiece of which is a new interview with JM conducted by filmmaker and fan CAMERON CROWE (about the time of the 50th Anniversary reissue of "Blue"). As you can see from the photos supplied, the five Mini LP Sized Card Sleeves are superbly rendered black and whites from the period with mastertape details superimposed at the bottom – number five being especially pretty with Joni and James Taylor sharing a stage and clearly enjoying it. The JMA Logo (Joni Mitchell Archives) is printed on everything. The booklet has some truly gorgeous photos of our hero – ticket stubs – gig adverts (Main Point, The Bitter End with Neil Young just out of Buffalo Springfield) – passes for The Dick Cavett Show – lyrics to songs on all sorts of bits of paper including hotel stationery (you can see how she lists words that will rhyme better with what she's got) – diary notes – set list pages – tape box listings where we see that both "Hunter" and "Urge For Going" have been recorded but are clearly marked as not to be released).
And then of course are key players in her early career like Elliot Roberts the Manager of Neil Young and CSNY who believed in her and steered her to Reprise Records (the Box is dedicated to him), Record Exec Mo Ostin (a photo of Joni signing to Reprise as Mo and Elliot watch) and one of two intimate snaps of ex Hollies man and lover Graham Nash (the best baby I ever had). There is even a photo of Graham sat on a sofa with Joni at the piano while her bemused and confused and ever so slightly uncomfortable parents Bill and Myrtle Anderson watch (it was taken just before she went on stage in May 1969 as an industry showcase concert in front of every Folk peer in the game including Dylan). But the most astonishing thing is on Page 14 where the March 19, 1968 diary page of Jimi Hendrix is repro'd (courtesy of his estate) – his handwritten praise of Joni whom he describes as "...fantastic girl with Heaven words..." Even then – genius could recognize other genius. March 19th was the day he professionally taped Joni at Le Hibou Coffee House (Disc 2) and the results are amazingly clear – audio-wise.
Speaking of Audio – MICHAEL GRAVES did the Audio Restoration and the world-famous BERNIE GRUNDMAN did the Mastering – and when it goes into Take 1 of the unreleased "Jeremy" – the audio is lovely – and as its only her and an acoustic – thrilling intimate. Any version of the majestic "Both Sides Now" has got to be on top of most bucket-lists – so to hear this dizzy-dancing song in this lovely session form (January 1968) – is more than a treat.
The debut album "Song To A Seagull" aka "Joni Mitchell" was released March 1968 in the USA (June 1968 in the UK) on Reprise RSLP 6293 and featured Stephen Stills on Bass with David Crosby Producing – Mitchell playing all other instruments. Every one of its ten tracks is represented here in one form or another and alongside newbees – two versions of "Midnight Cowboy" (not a cover of the Fred Neil song that was done by Nilsson for the John Schlesinger film of the same name) and the outtakes "Jeremy" and "The Gift Of The Magi".
The second album "Clouds" was released May 1969 LP in the USA (October 1969 in the UK) on Reprise RSLP 6341. Apart from "Tin Angel" (Produced by Paul A. Rothchild) – she self-produced the rest with old pal Stephen Stills adding some guitar parts (most were done by herself). All 10 of its tracks are here in varying forms except for the Side One opener - "Tin Angel". New songs include live versions of "The Pirate Of Penance" and "Dr. Junk" beside an outtake called "Come To The Sunshine".
Album number three is "Ladies Of The Canyon" – released April 1970 in the USA (May 1970 in the UK) on Reprise RSLP 6376. Again all but one song "The Arrangement" that ended Side One – are here in live or demo form. The Cellos version (from Sessions) of the "Ladies Of The Canyon" song is particularly lovely – and beautifully recorded/remastered. But for me the very best song here is "Hunter" – given to us in two variants – live at the industry introducing concert at Carnegie Hall (1 February 1969 with Bob Dylan in attendance) and a stunning studio outtake done for the "Blue" sessions in late 1970. Recorded by the fondly remembered Bernie Andrews at the BBC for John Peel, surprisingly nice too is the John Cameron Group doing a flute version of "Chelsea Morning" with John Cameron on Keyboards, Harold McNair on Flute, and Dave Cousins (of The Strawbs) on Guitar. She also doubles her vocals to great effect on an accomplished version of "The Gallery" (the ones of ladies). Cameron does nice piano playing on "Night In The City".
"Blue" – released June 1971 in the USA on Reprise MS 2038 and July 1971 in the UK on Reprise K 44128 – was celebrating a 50th Anniversary Album reintroduction as Filmmaker and Music Lover Cameron Crowe conducted his interview. It saw Joni get her first number one LP! All but two of the 10-tracks from the "Blue" album are represented here (mostly in live versions) – the two missing songs being "This Flight Tonight" and "The Last Time I Saw Richard". It is fascinating to hear her debut "All I Want" as a work-in-progress in front of an audience in September 1970 in the UK (an excellent BBC recording) – the Side 1 opener from one of her most beloved albums. The two "Blue" demos are her unaccompanied but are a tad disappointing – audio quality wise. A hoot though to hear Joni segue the Larry Williams classic "Boney Maronie" into her own "Big Yellow Taxi" and delighting the audience. But the Big Daddy find for me is a stunning "Hunter" over on CD5, a full studio song outtake where she doubles up acoustics and Russ Kunkle provides Drums and Percussion. It was recorded for "Blue" but stayed off the record at her insistence and is properly brill. "River" is a being-lonely-at-Christmas song that is so drummed into our consciousness that to hear it suddenly sprout French Horns towards the end is actually jarring (I can hear why she left them out, too cheesy, seasonal sentimentality). "Urge For Going" would have to wait until October 1972 before it appeared as a Non-LP B-side to the 45-single for "You Turn Me On, I'm A Radio" (Asylum AS-11011 in the USA, November 1972 UK on Asylum AYM 511).
Big disappointment has to be the Apartment recordings – even if they are new stuff – most are barely above bootleg standard and I would have left them off. For me you have to wait until Track 10 on Disc One ("Song To A Seagull" sessions recorded 24 January 1968) where she does Take 1 of a lovely song called "Jeremy". Early versions of "Conversation" and "Both Sides Now" (from the same sessions) are fabulous peeps into her evolving songwriting prowess growing as you listen (the dizzy dancing way you feel). A gem on Disc Two is "Come To The Sunshine" showing up as a touching beautifully sung live version (recorded unbelievably by Jimi Hendrix in Canada on his portable tape recorder and in shockingly good audio), but even better is the Studio Session version of "Come To The Sunshine" done in May 1968 (touches of 'Hejira' to come) – tip-top audio and a genuinely great find.
The dentist song "Dr. Junk" is a bit of eccentric fun, but better live cuts follow like "Go Tell The Drummer Boy" and a lovely looking for laughter "I Don't Where I Stand" – a song that should be just as famous as "Both Sides Now" with its nerve-raw insight into young love. "Michael From Mountains" has unfortunate tape distortion and a misstep in her vocals. But stunning is the only way to describe Disc Five – Jeff Griffin the Producer for the BBC with John Etchells recording. Her In Concert Broadcast is in gorgeous audio and captures Joni in toppermost form. When James Taylor joins her (they were dating at the time) – its magic - a double lightning in a bottle moment – the acoustic JT proficient too.
In a lyrical warning to her more naïve self, Joni sang "...don't give yourself away..." – but then in the same song she goes on to all guns blazing when she sings "...to say I love you right out loud..." The song was/is of course the gorgeous loss & gain "Both Sides Now". And isn't that duality surely what so many loved about her – beauty and naked honesty in the same place with an Acoustic Guitar or Dulcimer in Hand.
I know there are those who will have wanted so much more – but as I play the outtakes "Come To The Sunshine", "Urge For Going" and "Hunter" – I am in tears. Joni Mitchell has always been special and proof positive lies within...
