Joni Mitchell: "Ladies of the Canyon" Song by Song Thread

I'm not surprised. Here's a list of unreleased songs of hers mostly from 66 onwards. When she came to record her first albums she had a lot of material to choose from.
Joni Mitchell - Early & Unreleased

Worth reading the comments underneath as Well.

 

Thanks, I hadn't seen that before. Nice that there's a listing of compositions that didn't make it out into the world via recording, but I can't say I'm that surprised. If she first started making money as a musician at 19 and didn't put out Song to a Seagull until 25, that's a lot of time to come up with material. My point was more that maybe LotC has the greatest span between when the album was recorded and some of the songs written. That could be because she had a backlog, but maybe it's also because it was the last album where she could still adapt earlier more folk influenced compositions. Which kind of reinforces the point that the album is a bit of a transition between what came before and what came after. Coincidentally, last night an oldies channel was showing an old Johnny Cash show from 1969 which had this (also a duet on 'Long Black Veil' which is well worth watching):

 

It might be Blue - Little Green was written in'67. After that I think she used just her new songs.

 

Right, good point! I guess the other thing is there could also have been material recorded for each album that didn't make the cut that we just don't know about, like Hunter was dropped from Blue? But it does seem like assembling an album was a bit like putting a puzzle together for her, seeing which pieces fit to make a whole.

 

Must check out Hunter. But it's always her music which grabs me first..Have you checked out the version of Shadows and Light which she played with the Band on the Last Waltz (on the 4cd set) ? Also makes you wonder why she dropped that for the version we got.

I have just read though that by the mid seventies she herself enjoyed less these three early albums as it encompassed her growing stage and too much naivete in some of the lyrics for her to continue to project convincingly. But she saw The Arrangement as a sort of fore-runner with a musical sophistication more than any other track on the LotC album. Sort of thing which possibly could have been on For the Roses, maybe ?

Nevertheless for her fans these three albums are timeless ...

 

Thanks, I'd never see that outtake from The Last Waltz! It's totally 'Coyote' inspired, but probably more owing to when it was performed, don't you think? It was a bit after Hissing and done during the time of Hejira...

Check out Hunter (The Good Samaritan). There're live versions out there as well as the studio version that supposedly was on some early pressings of Blue. It does seem to fit in perfectly, but maybe she didn't want another uptempo song?

 

Oh, and since you mentioned Little Green and we were talking about earlier material showing up on later albums... Maybe this will be a bridge to Blue. Here's Joni in '67 doing Little Green. Note that this is 2 years after she gave birth to her daughter Kelly, who she mentions by name. Also note how she modified the melody that would later turn up on Blue at some point along the way!

 

Maybe the most significant song excluded from the first three albums ... that or Eastern Rain (love the guy on her left with glasses and hat ... looks stunned)

 

Music from another planet being played by the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Who wouldn't be stunned?!!

 

That's another one that according to Wiki was pulled from Blue at the last minute!

 

To wrap up my own re-evaluation of the first three albums after the heavier playing of the last months, each has moved up my personal rankingby a place. This now looks like this:

Hejira
Don Juan
Roses
Hissing
Travelogue
'Shine'
Blue
Mingus
Both sides now
Shadows
Court
Ladies of the Canyon
Song to a Seagull
Night Ride Home
Clouds
Taming the Tiger
Turbulent Indigo
Miles of Aisles
Chalk Mark
Dog Eat Dog
Wild Things

 

Henry, the top of your list looks so similar to mine! Hejira, Don Juan, Roses and Hissing are all in my top five, though I round it off with Blue.

Speaking of Blue, I've taken my break and I'm back ready to continue the series. I'm going to be starting the thread for Blue a little later on this morning. I'll tag everyone who may be interested!

 

Henryfly, think you've been cruel on her nineties albums and Dog Eat Dog. A good album to get if you haven't got it is the boot Live at the Wells Fargo, Theatre 1995. I enjoy it as much as her official live albums.

 

Great to hear! Your Joni threads have been fantastic, Blue is probably my favorite work of hers, and I can't wait to join in.

 

I am arriving late to this thread. I just want to comment on Conversation. While I would hesitate to declare it my favourite track on the album, it was the one that made me sit up and take notice.This was a different Joni, a more jazzy pop Joni as opposed to the sweet little folksinger Joni. In retrospect this song points to the direction she would star to take about three albums down the track. The other bouncy number is of course Big Yellow Taxi, butwhile I cerainly don’t dislike the latter song it always sounded to me like something she tossed off for a bit of fun in between the serious writing. There is a disconnect between the light-heartedness of her delivery and the serious message actually contained in the lyrics.

As for selecting a favourite track, it could be Conversation, but I think my vote goes to Rainy Night House.

 

After some consideration I decided that I prefer the updatdversion on Shine, entitled Big Yellow Taxi (2007). It somehow seems to give the song a bit more of the gravitas that fits with the lyrics.

 

I think I agree with you! It's a wonderful version. The song really suits Joni's jazzy, smoky later voice and I love that (accordion?) instrument throughout.



And no silly laugh at the end.

 

Such wonderful views of Joni's live 1969 concert... just Joni and her guitar. Gives us the chance to really see and hear Joni's genius..even when she when as Joni says at the beginning of the show...her voice "is a bit off tonight", and how she handles it. Genius.

British guitarist reacts to Joni Mitchell's ENGAGING one woman show in 1969!

Big Yellow Taxi, Both Sides Now
Her conversational singing is so engaging. Even those all too human cracks in her strained voice are just wonderful.