Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells A Story
Rod the Mod finds his solo footing, headed for stardom, with the Faces in his wake.
6:00 AM GMT 22/06/2011
Features Disc of the day
Joni Mitchell
Blue
(Reprise, 1971)
Timeless, gorgeous, funny and sad. And how.
In 1970, disenchanted by performing and the end of her liaison with CSN&Y's Graham Nash, Joni Mitchell set off on a holiday through Europe. The songs she wrote on this soul-searching journey would become the bulk of Blue, her 1971 hit album and a landmark of introspective songwriting, featuring the graceful guitars of Stephen Stills and then-flame James Taylor. For a younger me, doing some soul-searching of her own, each word rang true: beyond the trappings of travelogue - from that park in Paris, France to a Grecian isle - these are meditations on their author's weaknesses ("I miss my clean white linen and my fancy French cologne") delivered with humour ("I want to talk to you / I want to shampoo you") as much as reflections on heartache and homesickness. She gets to the heart of the matter, crystallizes her journey and captures life defenselessly ("I felt like a cellophane wrapper on a pack of cigarettes," she would say of that time. "I had absolutely no secrets from the world"). Upon discovering Blue a handful of summers ago, I would roll out of bed and stick it on the turntable, the lovelorn All I Want awakening me from slumber, the starkly vulnerable My Old Man, with its poignant manifesto of freewheeling hippie romance ("We don't need no piece of paper from the city hall") coaxing me through to breakfast. The exquisite Little Green, happy-go-lucky Carey and intoxicating A Case Of You, would all rate as peerless standouts on any other record, but ultimately what keeps me coming back to Blue is River. A Christmas anti-carol, subverting the melody of Jingle Bells with lingering piano, it is the best expression of chagrin on record and may remain the most vivid map of Mitchell's world. And what a world...
Michelle Berry
Posted by Ross_Bennett at 6:00 AM GMT 16/05/2011
Further Listening
Joni Mitchell – Joni Mitchell/Song To A Seagull (Reprise, 1968)
Carole King – Tapestry (Ode, 1971)
James Taylor – Sweet Baby James (Warner Bros, 1970)
Previous Disc of the day
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Earl Brutus - Larky
Last salvo of Ginsters Pasty-Warholism from Britpop ramraiders.
12:04 PM GMT 08/06/2011
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Loudon Wainwright - T-Shirt
An overlooked small wonder from an unpredictable career.
6:00 AM GMT 03/06/2011
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Landscape - From The Tea-rooms Of Mars… To The Hell-holes Of Uranus
Dry computer club Futurists, upon hitting implausible chart paydirt.
6:00 AM GMT 17/05/2011
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Causa Sui - Summer Sessions Vol 1-3
Epic Danish jams, for when the neighbours get you down.
6:00 AM GMT 12/05/2011
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Comments
Comment on this post
Over rated chain smoking singer who liked herself more than Madonna or as David Crosby said 'Was as about as humble as Mussolini'
Posted by Ross Halfin at 5:21 PM GMT 16/05/2011 Report Abuse
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RE: Ross Halfin
Why you such foul pig rossy?
Posted by Houdini's Key Ring at 6:27 PM GMT 24/05/2011 Report Abuse
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Crosby also regularly calls her the greatest songwriter ever period.
Posted by Anonymous at 5:33 PM GMT 09/06/2011 Report Abuse
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Excellent album by a songwriter admired by many, not least R.Plant and J.Page who were inspired to the point that they wrote a song about her.
Posted by Knebworth1979 at 2:00 PM GMT 23/06/2011 Report Abuse
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Excellent album by a songwriter admired by many, not least R.Plant and J.Page who were inspired to the point that they wrote a song about her.
Posted by Knebworth1979 at 2:09 PM GMT 23/06/2011 Report Abuse
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RE: Anonymous
I don't think Joni Mitchell has ever denied that she has a huge ego. Most artists of her stature do, and for good reason---they are generally more talented, creative and driven than the rest of us. They can't not be creative--it's key to their ability to cope and survive. Mitchell has influenced so many artists of disparate genres and generations. Thank God for her and the amazing music she has given us. And I would love to have one of her paintings. I have spent hours and hours over the years listening to her sing and marvelling at her unique take on the world. A true original and dare I say, genius. She has bared her soul and heart for us over the years. So many women my age wanted to be her and guys wanted to be with her ( and some maybe wanted to be her, too! Ha). She has always been able to zero in on the emotions that we all share and that's because she has never held back. It's why we love her--she has let us know her.
Posted by Margaret at 3:51 AM GMT 08/07/2011 Report Abuse
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RE: Anonymous
I don't think Joni Mitchell has ever denied that she has a huge ego. Most artists of her stature do, and for good reason---they are generally more talented, creative and driven than the rest of us. They can't not be creative--it's key to their ability to cope and survive. Mitchell has influenced so many artists of disparate genres and generations. Thank God for her and the amazing music she has given us. And I would love to have one of her paintings. I have spent hours and hours over the years listening to her sing and marvelling at her unique take on the world. A true original and dare I say, genius. She has bared her soul and heart for us over the years. So many women my age wanted to be her and guys wanted to be with her ( and some maybe wanted to be her, too! Ha). She has always been able to zero in on the emotions that we all share and that's because she has never held back. It's why we love her--she has let us know her.
Posted by Margaret at 3:52 AM GMT 08/07/2011 Report Abuse
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