Search - Various Artists :: A Tribute To Joni Mitchell

Really Disappointing

Frank C. Branchini | Edgewater, MD USA | 04/30/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This disc is not very interesting. The performances are mostly lackluster. The only stand out tracks are Annie Lennox's brilliant reading of Ladies of the Canyon. Lennox has a wonderfully distinctive voice and the synthesizers and Indian instrumentation reminded me plesantly of the Beatles. k. d. lang does a wonderful job on Help Me and James Taylor does a good job on River but I already had that on his holiday release. It was sort of interesting to hear Prince but the rest of the disc is just plain boring."

Disapointed. Where are the other cuts?

It's Me, | Houston | 04/26/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This tribute was announced almost ten years ago, and it seems to have undergone a transformation since then. To be fair, there are some interesting additions such as the Sufjan Stevens and Brad Mehldau tracks. And Emmylou Harris is brilliant. But Sarah McLachlan's "Blue" has been heard before as has Prince's "A Case of You." Earlier reports indicated contributions from heaviweights like Steely Dan and Lindsey Buckingham. I sure would like to have heard what they would have done. Even more disappointing is that Joni's Hejira-Mingus era albums are mostly ignored - and that was her best music, in my opinion. As a final indignity, it sounds to me that too much compression was added in the mastering phase, and hence the overall sound quality of the CD is lacking in dynamics.

"

The Peggy Lee Syndrome

Larry D | Los Angeles, CA United States | 05/01/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"(Three and One-half Stars) While I must admit to a bit of what I call The Peggy Lee Syndrome ("Is that all there is?") concerning this collection, the fact is, when it's good it's very good; and when it's bad - well, it's never actually bad. At it's worst, it's merely baffling, and that comes right off the bat with Sufjan Stevens' complete re-write of "Free Man In Paris". Stevens doesn't just play around the melody, as a jazz singer might; he ignores the original melody entirely, substituting one of his own. It's not a bad song - it just isn't Joni's song. Notwithstanding some fussy studio tricks, Bjork's take on "The Boho Dance" is a note-perfect faithful cover; although her odd phrasing (she'll take a breath in the middle of a word) makes me wonder if she actually understood the lyrics. Brazilian singer/songwriter Caetano Veloso turns "Dreamland" into the 'Carnival in Rio' ride at Disney World, which is not a bad thing. Pianist Brad Mahldau's "Don't Interrupt the Sorrow" reveals that without Joni's lyrics, "Sorrow" is not one of her most engaging melodies: Mahldau punches atonal clusters with his right hand, as if to make up for it. Jazz diva Cassandra Wilson sings "For the Roses" as written, in a key so low her voice sounds considerably more masculine than Sufjan Stevens'.



Prince does "A Case of You" as a late-70s slow jam (like some forgotten B-side by the Stylistics), using only verse 2 ("I am a lonely painter") and the chorus, and singing the entire piece in a flute-like falsetto -- take THAT, Robin Thicke! It's easily the high point of this compilation, and should be released as a single - Prince could use a hit. With the fluttery, fragile beauty of the annual choir concert at a high-end girls school, Sarah McLachlan's "Blue" has been around since at least 1995, but is no less pretty for that. Similarly, Annie Lennox's "Ladies of the Canyon" was the "B-side" of the CD single of "No More I Love Yous" back in '96; but it's lovely, and frankly, I can't seem to find fault with Annie, try as I might. But both those cuts pale compared to Emmylou Harris' gorgeous reading of "Magdalene Laundries". One of Joni's better late-career songs, "Laundries" is showing a surprising versatility: Joni has recorded it with the Chieftains, while in Emmylou's capable hands and incomparable voice, one would swear it was written as a country ballad.



Elvis Costello turns "Edith and the Kingpin" into late-night small-band jazz - one can imagine him in a sharkskin suit, microphone and cigarette in the same hand. He seems to be channeling Mark Murphy: his "Edith" is reminiscent of Murphy's version of "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" - which is a good thing. k.d. lang's "Help Me" is pretty (I don't think she's capable of less), but oddly detached: there's no longing here, only beautiful notes. Finally, James Taylor delivers what may be the best cover of "River" (one of Joni's most covered tunes) ever. Instead of "Jingle Bells", he interpolates the melody of "Good King Wenceslas" (like Nina Simone's "Little Girl Blue" - coincidence?); and whatever time may have robbed of JT's voice, has been more than matched by an enveloping warmth. He has sounded younger, but never better."