Joni Mitchell - The Studio Albums

There were a number of things I didn't get around to getting in the early part of the last decade and one was gathering a collection of the talented Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell's groundbreaking early albums which together with the Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Neil Young elevated Canadian rock challenging that of Great Britain and the United States.

The Studio Albums 1968-1979, released October 29, 2012 surveys Mitchell's discography from the folk-rock poetry of 1968's Song to a Seagull through to her more exploratory jazz collaboration with Charlies Mingus, 1979's Mingus. 

As a set of albums each is richly rewarding to explore to the keen musicologist interested in seeing an artist and sounds develop rather than just wanting just another set of songs written and performed in the same style.

That was never my thing really.

Each disc is reproduced in gatefold card format replicating the jackets of the original Reprise and Asylum lps of the era and held in cardboard clam type box.

At the rear there is a listing of each album and the tracklisting that aids the process of select a disc or two to play.

Recently I got a near mint used edition because such sets are often more rewarding for artists such as Greatest Hits sets that may include well known songs like Woodstock or Big Yellow Taxi.

This set doesn't include her live albums of the period but you can get them separately if you wish.

Birthday edition

This week we are looking a bit a birthday presents in a semi synchro post with the other blog but reworked.

Things are obviously a little different this year with everything around Mom's death and upcoming funeral very much overshadowing all else most visibly in lack of space in window for cards with cards for her.

Disabled birthday cards are hard to find even in an age of inclusion in most other respects.

To an extent then really little has been planned with time taken up with everything around that but I did this, the recent Gorillaz album on compact disc, one of those card cover ones so I may need to put the disc in a inner sleeve to prevent it getting marked.

This does to me sound more like a club centric Damon Albarn solo project than classic albums like Plastic Beach

The project that NOW started way back in 2021,the Now Yearbook series, a series of cds comprising of a main set covering the hits of one specific year in a book and a three cd extra set of often minor but more musically interesting ones continues with this, the volume for 1986.

This was on I got as one of the two main compilation series of the time, the HITS ones only saw the last one issued in 1986 issued on compact disc and then only as a single cd rather than the double which the record and tape versions were.

I have pre-ordered the Extra set to go with it.

I did get some new soft underwear, don't do really fancy colourful designs this year and some money from my brothers, other relatives and The Grump that I can buy some books or music with at some future point.

We didn't go out for a meal as there was little real mood for celebration and that obviously brings back memories from past years.

The Windsor Framework: Peace with the EU at last?

This week we are returning to the longest running story on this blog and one of the main reasons it didn't get paused at one time

Brexit. There, you read that word so you owe me a fiver for the swear box!

 

You can't square a circle without cutting off part of the sides but in trying to keep some sort of trade on the Island of Ireland between the Republic and Northern Ireland when leaving the EU puts up a customs border between the North which together with Great Britain forms the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic which is a part of the EU Bloc.

Toss in the Northern Ireland Peace Agreement with everything about no borders on the Island of Ireland and the head spins.

It seems fair to say that when on the mainland we talked about leaving the EU, collectively we seemed to forget all about Northern Ireland and the economic and political complexities as if we read Great Britain for any reference to the UK.

The attempt to deal with that mess, not being able to have a customs land border on the Island of Ireland but any restrictions on trade from Great Britain was then read from an Unionist point of view as a "sell out", a loss of place within the Union.

It has lead to a good deal of animosity between the UK Government and the EU.

At the more economic level, the agreement we did get made getting everyday stuff into Northern Ireland like foodstuffs and medicines difficult because of extensive checking and paperwork (something the EU seemed to gold plate) while sending anything back required VAT paperwork.

The Windsor Framework does simplifying things by recognizing there are two types of trade, Great Britain destined for Northern Ireland alone and that destined to the Republic, the former having minimal checks even if Northern Ireland has to accept a tiny amount of EU rules and the other the full checks but with increasing use of shared information to help speed things up.

It's not take back all (land) control as simply on the Island of Ireland so long as the Republic remains in the EU, it's simply not possible because of the interconnectedness of the economies and peoples lives.

It is a pragmatic attempt to make it the best we can, which was something I felt was needed at the start but got lost in the Brexiters vs Remainers battle in Parliament and then the purists Brexiters vs pragmatists battle within the Conservative party.

Don't expect the Democratic Unionists to start being reasonable and take their place in the N.I Assembly as they'll find something to be offended with until the cows come home and really that issue of refusing to take part in the power sharing executive needs to be discussed with the Republic, then the Northern Ireland political parties to the point of a constitutional meeting where an amendment to cover what to do in such cases can be discussed and a motion tabled.

Just stalling governance over everything by such stunts is irresponsible when there is much that needs action only the N.I. Assembly can deal with.

Working through the muddled week

It's been a rather muddled up week in a number of ways starting from being relatively warm for time of year at the start to being more damp-cold, the sort you feel more in your bones which with mine with various fractures and what have you has been making itself known to me.

While walking out this morning the daffodils are only just starting to shoot up with only the odd one having a premature flower starting to form so we may be waiting at least another week or so before they're out.

When it comes to cds and that, the Now series I have spoken about here we've had a kind of reissue of the Original Now Dance 12" singles on lps of 1985, 6 and 9 last week in the form of Now Dance whose cover is certainly inspired by the 1986 lp set and Now Yearbook 1986 which on four cds or a selection over three lps looks at chart music from that year.

As I've my HITS 4 and 5 and Now lps bought that year this isn't one I'd be bothering with on record  as to me apart from the music itself, the  bigger thing in this is really more where that music takes me back to - the memories - and I find handling and playing the original records places my head back in that era more plus over time you start to have a memory of song sequences from albums you played heaps of times.

If you hadn't those albums and wanted on vinyl a selection of hits I can see the appeal  although the eight sides of the original HITS and NOW's allows for a more comprehensive selection before taking into account on vinyl this series doesn't as a matter of course issue the EXTRA three cd set in some sort of lp configuration.

After the NOW 80-84 EXTRAS five lp set, one per year we didn't get anything for the Now Yearbook 1985 extra set at all when really I think each needs a double lp set to do it justice.

I'd be all over a 1978 volume on vinyl.

Finally arrangements towards the funeral are slowly progressing with meeting date for all immediate family to make the final "instructions" for the undertaker to work on when it comes to all the options and that you can make when it comes to things like the procession,  dress codes if any, flowers vs donations and so on.

Much to work through, what?

 

Changed circumstances overview

It's weird really as this week goes through at what most probably a period of relationship  reset following recent events from the mundane like talking through things like menus for evening meals with all the planning that takes like what comes out of the freezer to what we're planning to watch on tv as for so long Mom had the last say over much of that.

When it came to the tv often she'd be sat in front room picking off all the major soaps  she followed so in practice you tended to watch your stuff elsewhere but during this period of ill health that often worked that you needed to be where she was to look after her having to see and hear them just to do what rightly you'd say was your duty.

That also meant the stereo unit - separates didn't get used much simply cos that would be where was and most times she didn't want "your" music on anyway so you'd go upstairs to play a cd or record.

Anyway we're starting to get things connected with the formal bits around a death resolved with information transferred and appointments scheduled between the many cards and visits in person.

Weekly round up

 

It's a different day here in the dorm, things moving a lightening speed at one minute and yet at another really rather sluggish so the old comic and guiding annuals are out at hand so I can read them if there's nothing much I can help with.

I was expecting a super audio cd to move from my preorders at one store I buy a lot of music from to the available to be checked out list so I can pay for it - the don't use deposits - and get it within a few days but that hasn't happened.

Some of these speciality cds and lps are like that, always subject to variations in their release dates.

Take Five

 

Bit of a random post on here today as it has been a while since I did one of these short posts.

Most influential novel:

I think for me overall it was Cat's Eye by Margaret Attwood, the Canadian authoress exploring the links of a childhood to the subjects present while casting an eye of the emotional games children play on each other.

Most influential Tv show:

There are many that loom but for me it was Blue Peter, a window on the world that inspired you to be more, take risks and be active.

Most influential album:

So many I could mention but Bridge Over Troubled Waters is the album much played that got me to really pay attention to lyrics and to the role of arrangements in the overall feel of a song that led me to explore different artists and styles of music.

Favourite all time movie: 

Aristocats from 1970 for the jazz score, the storyline and use of animation that sold going to the movies to see a film as an event to me.

Favourite radio series:

The Henry Wood promenade concerts on BBC tv and Radio Three for showcase old favourites I loved when I was younger and premiering new works today