Wednesday 30 May 2012

Joni Mitchell in the 70s: Court And Spark

As her career progressed through the increasingly jazzy stylings of her mid-to-late 70s albums, the music press found it increasingly difficult to keep pace with Joni Mitchell’s development.  This was reflected in the gradual falling off of her audience in the second half of the decade.

No one in the rock era had done what she was doing, shifting from accompanying herself to fronting a group of jazz fusion players (Tom Scott and the L.A. Express) on tour in 1974. The live album ‘Miles of Aisles’ and the video clips that have surfaced in recent years (see below) show how much she was liberated by having these musicians to work with. 

In 1974, with a new album ‘Court and Spark’, Joni was just entering that period where she had embraced being part of a band. She was able to bring in new ideas for song structure and guitar voicings that would form the basis of her explorations for the rest of the decade.

At this point, she was still accessible to a mass audience, and as the NME’s review of Court and Spark identified, she had progressed smartly, much more so than her contemporaries, Messrs Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young: “While others have resorted to pitying self parody, or just lame songs, Ms Mitchell has gone from strength to strength, always changing her music just enough to maintain interest while retaining her unique identity.”

The NME’s reviewer Steve Clarke recognised Court and Spark as a continuation of Joni’s excellent run of albums. He concludes his review by saying: “The album seems to disappear under the old stylus at amazing speed and leaves the listener wanting more.

"I don’t want to say whether I like this as much as 'Blue' or 'For The Roses' since it would be churlish, as Joni Mitchell is so consistently good. Buy this record, it’s pure enjoyment.”

He's right about the album seeming to be over in a flash. I've always felt that too, but I think it has something to do with the sequencing, the seamless flow of one track to the next. On side one the tracks are literally flowing into each other, from Help Me into Free Man in Paris into People's Parties into The Same Situation. There was clearly a lot of attention paid to making the album a cohesive whole.

The one song that does extend is the piano-led 'Down To You' with its sad yet beautiful reflection on insecurity, which is a bit of a theme running through the album. Overall though, the mood is upbeat, and positively joyous on some tracks. 'Raised On Robbery' is the most obvious example of Joni's attempts to play against type, with the band rocking out and the lyrics, for once, about nothing more than drinking and having a good time.

The signs were there, though, that Joni was looking to move away from the style of her earlier albums. For now, at least, the critics were still unanimously of the view that Joni was the queen of American popular song.

By her next album, 'The Hissing Of Summer Lawns' there were many who felt she had over-reached. Indeed, history shows that Court and Spark was the point at which she peaked commercially. Artistically though, she still had a long way to go, and much of her very best work was still to come.
 'Help Me' recorded at the New Victoria Theatre, London, April 1974

Click this link for a selection from this show in high quality

Monday 28 May 2012

Daryl Hall visits Todd Rundgren's Hawaiian paradise

I had to post this, since they are playing the song that inspired the name of this blog - Hawaiian style.

Daryl Hall took his 'Daryl's House' crew to visit Todd Rundgren at his home in Kauai.  There are plenty of clips on youtube, but this one is a bit special. Nice pad Todd - that's one place I would love to visit.

Altogether now: "I don't wanna work, I wanna bang on me drum all day...."  yes I do!!


See also on this blog: My appreciation of the Todd Rundgren album A Wizard A True Star
https://bangnzdrum.blogspot.com/2019/09/a-wizard-true-star-my-all-time.html

Sunday 27 May 2012

When Engelbert ruled the world

Poor old Engelbert Humperdinck. Handed the poisoned chalice of representing the UK in the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest, he came second to last. 

How different life was for him 50 years ago. 

At the end of 1967, he had the top three selling records of the year. As the chart listing in Disc and Music Echo shows, it was Engelbert's year alright.  The best The Beatles could do was 13th best selling single of the year - All You Need Is Love. 

Psychedelic tracks 

I have to say I don't actually remember some of these songs at all. 'Just Loving You' by Anita Harris and 'There Must Be A Way' by Frankie Vaughn? No idea, sorry.

Sgt. Pepper is The Beatles - who knew?


50 years ago, in June 1967, the Beatles released a concept album, before that term was ever used, of course, but that's what it was. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was their way of distancing themselves from Beatlemania.

As history shows, it was Paul McCartney's idea that the Beatles present themselves as some kind of vaudeville act, as a means of releasing new material that was, clearly, very different from what fans had come to expect.

But was anybody really fooled by this masquerade?  Well, to judge from EMI's advertising, they must have been worried that people were confused about the band's identity. Otherwise they wouldn't have felt the need to remind people who was behind Sgt. Pepper.

"Remember - SPLHCB is The Beatles"

oh thanks, I was wondering who it was...

And consider this: When Sgt Pepper was released on 1st June 1967 (their 8th album) Paul McCartney and George Harrison were still only 24 years old.

Also on this blog:

The Beatles retreat from the madness of the road to create Revolver