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Now, with Joni recovering from a serious brain injury, these discs become even more essential. In high school, I borrowed Court and Spark from a friend and never returned it (she didn't mind). After I wore the grooves off that record, I went to Joni's back catalog which I thought was going to be kind of folkie because, beside C&S, I had only heard "Big Yellow Taxi" (from Ladies of the Canyon) and "Carey" and maybe one or two other songs form Blue. What I discovered was that her early albums had more to do with European Art Song than with any specific American traditions. I fell hard. I listened to many female "folk" artists at the time--Sandy Denny, The McGarrigles, Janis Ian--a very talented lot. But they only seemed to throw in to high-relief the enormity of Joni's talent and skill as a writer, singer, arranger, and, let's not forget, guitarist and pianist. Sandy came close but died much too young.
Beginning with the first Lp, Song to A Seagull ( the only disc in this set on which she worked with a producer--David Crosby, who didn't do too much), and through For the Roses, not only did her music become more complex and sophisticated but her poetry got better and better. By the time she released Court and Spark she could flaunt her talent like the genius she is. Simply put, it's a brilliant record, from the moody orchestral and jazz-pop arrangements to the lyrics which were among her best at the time--and her first cover, "Twisted" originally by jazz great Annie Ross. "Help Me" has to be one of the strangest top ten hits ever--a song about falling in love and foreseeing that that love will only end in disaster like all the rest. And as much as I loved that album, nowadays I listen to it the least of her records.
The two albums of this set that really took the most heat critically (beside Mingus) were For the Roses and The Hissing of Summer Lawns--in my book two of her stand-out works. Critics and fans complained that they were too experimental, lyrically complex, melodically complicated. To that I would remind people that few people really got Picasso or Warhol early on. Great artists don't cater to public trends, they search, and they "experiment." And Joni is a great artist on par with the two listed above.
If you enjoy Joni's music you probably have most of these on Lp or CD, but this boxed set is a good way to have all this terrific music and give up very little shelf space. Sure, Mingus is a bit of a challenge and maybe Don Juan's Reckless Daughter could have been trimmed but there are brilliant songs other writers would have killed for on both records--try the title cut and "Talk to Me" from Dun Juan's. The first five records are truly essential and were unequaled by her peers. No singer-songwriter will ever match the brilliance of Hejira, the best lost-love and road record ever made--not a critical fave on it's release either but pure genius and a major fan favorite. And then there is Blue and Clouds two albums showcasing her five-star song-writing chops.
Buy this box. You'll be happy you did. And at under $40 for ten albums of truly remarkable music, it's a bargain indeed.
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I'm in awe.
Like Jimi Hendrix taunting, "businessman - you can't dress like me", Joni sings, "you could have been more..." It takes courage to think you can earn a living as a musician / songwriter, when your parents and well-wishers all advise against it. Joni Mitchell is the poster girl for a woman who took this challenge seriously. She practiced singing, songwriting, guitar and piano playing assiduously, not to mention drawing and painting, to phenomenal effect. This set is amazing.
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2015
- Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2025
- Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2015
Top reviews from other countries
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Antonio Carlos S CoelhoReviewed in Brazil on August 21, 2020
Maravilhoso
Os dez primeiros discos da artista, desde os primórdios folk até o jazz.Antonio Carlos S CoelhoMaravilhoso
Reviewed in Brazil on August 21, 2020
Simplesmente maravilhoso.
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- QuestJonMarkReviewed in Canada on June 17, 2019
IT'S ABOUT TIME...I STARTED LISTENING TO JONI!
A wonderful collection and what a find. Each cd is in its own cardboard sleeve, with liner notes, musician credits and lyrics to every song, which are in quite small print, but still fully legible. I paid just under CDN$53.07 with Prime.QuestJonMarkIT'S ABOUT TIME...I STARTED LISTENING TO JONI!
Reviewed in Canada on June 17, 2019
I have plenty of lifelong friends who are longtime devotees of Joni's and I don't know why I resisted in acquiring any of her albums before. Maybe I thought I was just not ready in my teens or twenties and allowed that misconception to continue for subsequent decades, but the wrong has finally been righted. These will become heirloom material for my daughter, eh.
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- SUNIL OBEROIReviewed in India on October 30, 2018
Gems rendered by Joni Mitchells.
