Quite what the answer that you give is supposed to say about you or your state of mind, I've no idea, but I'm not a psychiatrist... Well, I believe I'm not a psychiatrist.
Apparently this image is either two people looking at each other, or it's a vase... or two people looking at a vase, I suppose.
So what has brought this on?
I listen to quite a lot of music and although I've nattered on about Prog Rock in several posts, I'm also very keen on female vocal artists. With iTunes set to 'Shuffle', the pomp complexities of Pink Floyd, Spock's Beard, Porcupine Tree and all the other unusual suspects are offset by the simpler clarity of Sandy Denny, Kirsty MacColl, Kate Rusby and Judie Tzuke.
...and then there's Joni Mitchell.
I think the first time I became aware of her was in 1969, when a bunch of us went to the local cinema to see "Alice's Restuarant". As this was the first "18" rated film that I'd managed to get to see, it was always going to have a disproportionate impact on me, but although all the subversive-hippie-free-love-commune-anarchy action was heady stuff indeed for this seventeen year-old, it was "Songs to ageing children", sung by Joni Mitchell that really moved me.
Since then, I've bought most of her albums and was even lucky enough to see her play live at Wembley Stadium in the 1970s, so I guess that makes me a fan.
She can paint a bit as well.
Many Joni Mitchell albums have cover artwork that are reproductions of her paintings, including "Both Sides Now", which was released in 2000.
This is an unusual album, comprising mostly cover versions of jazz standards and a couple from her own back catalogue, with full orchestral arrangements. The individual songs are strung together to tell the story of a love affair, from the enfatuation of "You're my thrill", through the doubts of "You've changed" and the despair of "Stormy weather", to the hopefulness of "I wish I were in love again" and the resigned philosophy of "Both sides now".
Even though it's a fairly melancholy selection, I was pleased to hear a track come on today as I was idling at the PC. I glanced at the image of the album cover on the iTunes display and suddenly noticed something I had never seen before.
I cannot believe that I'm the first person to see that she is wearing her heart on her sleeve.
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This is the only Joni Mitchell CD I have - and I'd never noticed either. A quick Google turns up an art review from 2000 that mentions this (www.frieze.com/issue/review/amy_adler_curates_joni_mitchell), so I'm afraid you were beaten to it.
ReplyDeleteStill, well done for mentioning Spock's Beard and Judie Tzuke in the same post - keep up the good work!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaXpREI_CqU
ReplyDeleteMy favourite album for years - I think I played it until I warped it - now this will cost me, I'm going to Amazon later and I'll down load this to the mp3 - loved the photo and I never noticed she was wearing her heart on her sleeve until you pointed it out, but why would I? I've never managed to find Wally either!!!
Thanks for the link to the Benjamin Weissman review, Jon.
ReplyDeleteI think his criticism, while valid, seems sniffy and harsh. As for his comment, "It would be fair to say that Van Gogh must be one of Joni's favourite painters." Well, no shit Sherlock; her album "Turbulent Indigo" might have been a bit of a clue.
(Ooops! Now who's being harsh?)
Thanks also, Frugal Queen, for the YouTube link. After I'd watched that, I had to listen to the rest of "the hissing of summer lawns". The track "Harry's House/Centerpiece" includes one of my favourite lines.
ReplyDelete"A helicopter lands on the Pan-Am roof, like dragon-fly on a tomb."
It could have been written by Raymond Chandler.