Joni Mitchell post Mingus

A thread about Joni Mitchell's Dog Eat Dog got me thinking about her post Mingus work. My favorite period of Joni's work is 1972 (For The Roses) through 1977 (Don Juan's Reckless Daughter). Post Mingus I thought her work really dropped off.

That said, I came up with the following playlist of my picks for her work from 1982's Wild Things Run Fast to 2007's Shine. (I don't really like Travelogue or Both Sides Now, so no songs from them made my cut).


What would you add or subtract?


Chinese Cafe/Unchained Melody Wild Things Run Fast
Ladies' Man Wild Things Run Fast
Be Cool Wild Things Run Fast
Man to Man Wild Things Run Fast
Good Friends Dog Eat Dog
Impossible Dreamer Dog Eat Dog
My Secret Place Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm
Cool Water Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm
A Bird That Whistles Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm
Night Ride Home Night Ride Home
Passion Play (When All the Slaves Are Free) Night Ride Home
Come In from the Cold Night Ride Home
Nothing Can Be Done Night Ride Home
Two Grey Rooms Night Ride Home
Sunny Sunday Turbulent Indigo
How Do You Stop Turbulent Indigo
Yvette In English Turbulent Indigo
Man from Mars Taming the Tiger
If I Had a Heart Shine

 

I agree that the post 77 stuff gets pretty bad in places (in my personal opinion) and overall it just seems like she lost the plotline. Night Ride Home is one of the more acceptable ones. I think that song "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" is interesting and isn't on your list.

 

I'll add to the above:

Moon At The Window (Wild Things Run Fast)
Love (Wild Things Run Fast)
Good Friends (check out demo)
The Three Great Stimulants (live versions)
Ethiopia (Dog Eat Dog)
Number One (Chalk Mark..)
Lakota (Chalk Mark..)
The Tea Leaf Prophecy (Chalk Mark..)
Windfall (Night Ride Home)
Sex Kills (Turbulent Indigo)
Last Chance Lost (Turbulent Indigo)
Borderline (Turbulent Indigo)
Man From Mars (demo from Grace My Heart)
Bad Dreams (Shine)
Strong And Wrong (Shine)
If (Shine)

I'm also a fan of some of the reworked songs but I'll skip those.

 

I think "Night Ride Home" is a very strong album throughout and has stood the test of time. Been listening to it again fairly frequently. The other Geffen-era albums have their strong points too but the production can be too much of its time at some points.

I like the lists assembled above.

 

"The Beat of Black Wings" (Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm)
"The Sire of Sorrow (Job's Sad Song)" (Turbulent Indigo)
"The Magdalene Laundries" (Turbulent Indigo)
"Harlem in Havana" (Taming the Tiger)

I would add these songs. They're all fantastic.