Joni Mitchell – Ladies Of The Canyon (1970/2014) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Joni Mitchell – Ladies Of The Canyon (1970/2014)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 44:53 minutes | 1,57 GB | Genre: Pop
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Rhino – Warner Records

Ladies Of The Canyon is Joni Mitchell’s 1970 masterpiece. Possessing one of music’s greatest voices, this wonderfully varied work showcases her artistic growth. Her instrumentation flourishes with vibrant arrangements that incorporate piano, strings, electric keyboards and percussions to greater use. The songs here take on many moods, ranging from the easygoing “Morning Morgantown” to the sentimental classic “The Circle Game.” It also features several of Mitchell’s most noted classics including “Big Yellow Taxi” and “Woodstock.” One of her finest releases, the album blends folk with elements of pop and jazz. Available here as a pristine high resolution download.

This wonderfully varied release shows a number of new tendencies in Joni Mitchell’s work, some of which would come to fuller fruition on subsequent albums. “The Arrangement,” “Rainy Night House,” and “Woodstock” contain lengthy instrumental sections, presaging the extensive non-vocal stretches in later selections such as “Down to You” from Court and Spark. Jazz elements are noticeable in the wind solos of “For Free” and “Conversation,” exhibiting an important influence that would extend as late as Mingus. The unusually poignant desolation of “The Arrangement” would surface more strongly in Blue. A number of the selections here (“Willy” and “Blue Boy”) use piano rather than guitar accompaniment; arrangements here are often more colorful and complex than before, utilizing cello, clarinet, flute, saxophone, and percussion. Mitchell sings more clearly and expressively than on prior albums, most strikingly so on “Woodstock,” her celebration of the pivotal 1960s New York rock festival. This number, given a haunting electric piano accompaniment, is sung in a gutsy, raw, soulful manner; the selection proves amply that pop music anthems don’t all have to be loud production numbers. Songs here take many moods, ranging from the sunny, easygoing “Morning Morgantown” (a charming small-town portrait) to the nervously energetic “Conversation” (about a love triangle in the making) to the cryptically spooky “The Priest” (presenting the speaker’s love for a Spartan man) to the sweetly sentimental classic “The Circle Game” (denoting the passage of time in touching terms) to the bouncy and vibrant single “Big Yellow Taxi” (with humorous lyrics on ecological matters) to the plummy, sumptuous title track (a celebration of creativity in all its manifestations). This album is yet another essential listen in Mitchell’s recorded canon.

Tracklist:
1. Joni Mitchell – Morning Morgantown (03:13)
2. Joni Mitchell – For Free (04:31)
3. Joni Mitchell – Conversation (04:27)
4. Joni Mitchell – Ladies Of The Canyon (03:32)
5. Joni Mitchell – Willy (03:00)
6. Joni Mitchell – The Arrangement (03:34)
7. Joni Mitchell – Rainy Night House (03:24)
8. Joni Mitchell – The Priest (03:41)
9. Joni Mitchell – Blue Boy (02:54)
10. Joni Mitchell – Big Yellow Taxi (02:14)
11. Joni Mitchell – Woodstock (05:29)
12. Joni Mitchell – The Circle Game (04:51)

Personnel:
Teressa Adams – cello
Milt Holland – percussion
Jim Horn – sax
Paul Horn – clarinet, flute, wind
Saskatunes – vocals
Lookout Mountain United Downstairs Choir – vocals

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