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Both Sides Now
Joni Mitchell
Both Sides Now
Genres: Folk, Pop, Rock
 
  •  Track Listings (12) - Disc #1

Joni Mitchell has long dabbled in the jazz world, forging alliances with the likes of Charles Mingus, Jaco Pastorius, and Wayne Shorter while incorporating elements of fusion into her more intrepid recordings. Both Sides N...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Joni Mitchell
Title: Both Sides Now
Members Wishing: 3
Total Copies: 0
Label: Warner Bros / Wea
Original Release Date: 2/8/2000
Release Date: 2/8/2000
Album Type: Box set, Limited Edition
Genres: Folk, Pop, Rock
Styles: Singer-Songwriters, Vocal Pop, Folk Rock
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 093624764021

Synopsis

Amazon.com
Joni Mitchell has long dabbled in the jazz world, forging alliances with the likes of Charles Mingus, Jaco Pastorius, and Wayne Shorter while incorporating elements of fusion into her more intrepid recordings. Both Sides Now, however, comes at jazz from a different angle than the experimental likes of Mingus and The Hissing of Summer Lawns. Here is Joni the chanteuse, tackling smoky standards such as "At Last," "Sometimes I'm Happy," and "Stormy Weather" in the embrace of lush pop arrangements that owe a debt to Nelson Riddle and Gordon Jenkins, though some stray over the line from stately into staid. The focus here is on Mitchell the vocalist, and she displays a real commitment to the music. She has the chops and the smarts to tackle these staples, but at times she seems intimidated by their illustrious pedigrees. Two of Mitchell's own songs are revived here--"A Case of You" and the title track. The results are mixed: the former takes on a new weight while the latter seems adolescent in such mature company. Ultimately, Both Sides Now is more a valentine to classic pop by a woman who can--and should--be off making more touchstones of her own. This numbered, limited-edition version of the album comes in a Mitchell-designed box that contains three of her lithographs. --Steven Stolder

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CD Reviews

Joni has never sounded better
Bruce Kendall | 03/28/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've read reviews that claim Joni's voice has become damaged by years of heavy smoking. Don't believe it. Joni is in top form on this CD. Every song is a winner.But do yourself a favor and don't fall for the "limited edition" packaging. It's very awkward, and is certainly not worth the extra money."
Exhilarating
jean-pierre leduc | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | 03/04/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)

"The packaging is nuts, I agree, but the music is exquisite. I was especially moved by "Answer me, My Love," "A Case Of You," and "Both Sides Now." The arangements by Vince Mendoza are first rate, and the orchestra seems really committed - no hack job, this! I haven't enjoyed a record this much for ages, and I can't remember the last record that brought tears to my eyes. Really wonderful and subtle. Her voice has aged magnificently. Bravo Joni!"
Different
Bruce Kendall | Southern Pines, NC | 04/09/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've never thought of Joni as a torch song singer, but here she does just that. I'm not sure how I feel about her doing a Billy Holliday impression, but I think I like and dislsike it. I loved her Mingus influenced cuts previously and her other heavy jazz couture, but this one hits and misses for me.



"You're My Thrill," for instance, sounds too overly orchestrated and stylized, for my taste. I love the bare bones Joni on "Blue," or "Dreamland," for instance. This is too studied, too contrived for my taste.



I'm sure Joni fans will reign in positively for this CD, but it's her most "commercial" to date, if there can be such an anomaly.



As with any Mitchell album, there are are high points, however.

You can bet that her version of the Lady Day standard, "Stormy Weather" lives up to expectations. It's just that the cut isn't really exceptional, which I have come to expect from Joni. It's not like she she was lazy here, but she certainly wasn't progressing, as she usually does.



BEK

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