Introduction
This is the second article on this blog about a Joni Mitchell album. The first article was dedicated to the beautiful Blue. That article also dives into Joni Mitchell’s career in general. Should you want to read about that, please read Joni Mitchell impresses deeply with Blue.
After Blue
In 1972 Joni Mitchell released the album For The Roses. In 1973, for the first time in her career, no new album was released. Barring a few performances, some with Neil Young, she was virtually invisible throughout the year.
That didn’t mean that Mitchell did nothing. She spent the most of year working on her upcoming album. Mitchell wanted something different, her interest in different, new sounds and influences was aroused. Her main focus was on jazz.
She asked her regular drummer Russ Kunkel for demos for her new songs, but he struggled with the more complex songs and arrangements and suggested a change: “I think you should get yourself a jazz drummer.” Enter the group LA Express, of which she already knew Tom Scott; he was one of the musicians on her previous album For The Roses. Initially the group would play on a couple of songs, but it quickly evolved into an entire album. In the beginning Mitchell’s music was so unique that both the group and singer had trouble adjusting to each other. Luckily, the breakthrough arrived, but both parties still don’t know how and when, but suddenly it clicked. In addition to LA Express, an impressive group of 1970s musicians would contribute as well, like David Crosby, Graham Nash, Robbie Robertson, Larry Carlton and Joe Sample.
The end result was that Mitchell felt confident and secure enough to follow her own feel and instincts. Her next album would turn into a unique work of art which sounded like nothing else at the time.
Court And Spark
On January 17, 1974, Joni Mitchell released her album Court And Spark. The album had been preceded by the single Raised On Robbery on December 1, 1973, which was a minor hit. In March 1974 the single Help Me was released, resulting in Mitchell’s first (and only) top 10 hit.
The album was well received by the press and audiences alike. It’s Mitchell’s most successful release of her entire career. It reached number 2 in the US album charts and the number 1 position in Canada.
The press highlighted Mitchell’s musical development; Court And Spark noticeably deviated from her previous albums. In February 1974 Mitchell said:
I think of myself as an artist, I guess because ever since a child I have wanted to be a painter. So I believe that I approach both poetry and music with the attitude of a painter, with images, which that just seems to be my medium of expression, and I really feel it. Painting and creating music are very related, for instance like a painter since he was into a new period and it was completed, and he had enough material together, he would try and display it in some way. And he wouldn’t be expected to paint so much from his old periods. You know, you wouldn’t ask Picasso to go back and paint from his Blue Period.
Joni Mitchell, 1974
Lyrics
The general subjects on Court And Spark didn’t differ that much from those on her preceding masterpiece Blue, love versus freedom. This is perfectly portrayed in the moving and stunningly beautiful Help Me, where Mitchell knows she will inevitably fall in love, even when the person in question isn’t right for her. On behalf of both parties she states “We love our lovin’ / But not like we love our freedom”.
Free Man In Paris is somewhat of an odd-ball, a song about friend David Geffen, record company business man, with whom she went on holiday in Paris, where they “wander down the Champs-Élysées’. But then, they have to go home again, back to the real world, “stoking the star maker machinery behind the popular song”. Mitchell makes fun of Geffen, but obviously cares deeply for him.
The songs People’s Parties and The Same Situation address “giving to get something” in relationships, both business-like and personal. The phrases “And me in my frightened silence, thinking I don’t understand // I feel like I’m sleeping, can you wake me?” (People’s Parties) and “I said, ‘Send me somebody / Who’s strong and somewhat sincere'” (The Same Situation) move deeply.
Car On A Hill addresses the end of Mitchell’s relationship with Jackson Browne. Once again, the opening lines are beautiful: I’ve been sitting up waiting for my sugar to show / I’ve been listening to the sirens and the radio / He said he’d be over three hours ago”. An entire world painted in just three sentences.
And these examples can be found all over the album. beautiful lyric after beautiful lyric. Intimacy, abandonment, hopeful beginning, fun, pleasure and problems. It all comes together in Down To You: “Pleasure moves on too early and trouble leaves too slow”.
The closing two songs are about therapy and psycho-analysis. Judging by the lyrics, Mitchell doesn’t portray a positive experience, “Dazzling you, keeping you from your own”, but she would later state: “I think analysis did me a lot of good.”
Music
The music is beautiful, Mitchell’s image of her love for unique chords is partially based on the music on Court And Spark. Her (vocal)melodies are surprisingly complex. Yet, the emotion radiates from the speakers each and every time. Mitchell has a gift to unite honesty and vulnerability with pride, personal certainties and unique insights. The only song falling out of line in that regard is Raised On Robbery, the first single, which doesn’t reflect the rest of the album.
Review
Simply a beautiful album, another favorite. Joni Mitchell’s music came relatively late to me, but nowadays she is one of my favorite artists ever. Next to Blue, Court And Spark is part of my favorite Mitchell albums. I can hardly wait to dive into the albums that will be part of future articles, for that means getting reacquainted with those albums, on which experimentation would gain even more influence. But, that’s in the future, for now: listen to and enjoy Court And Spark!
Singles
The album produced 3 singles.
- Raised On Robbery
(released on December 1, 1973) - Help Me
(released in March 1974) - Free Man In Paris
(released in July 1974)
Songs
All songs written by Joni Mitchell, except where stated otherwise.
- Court And Spark
- Help Me
- Free Man In Paris
- People’s Parties
- The Same Situation
- Car On A Hill
- Down To You
- Just Like This Train
- Raised On Robbery
- Trouble Child
- Twisted (Annie Ross, Wardell Gray)
Musicians
- Joni Mitchell – vocals, guitar, piano, clavinet on Down To You
- Tom Scott – woodwinds and reeds
- Joe Sample – piano, clavinet on Raised On Robbery
- Larry Carlton – guitar (except on Car On A Hill, Raised On Robbery, Trouble Child)
- Max Bennett – bass (except on Free Man In Paris, People’s Parties, Trouble Child)
- John Guerin – drums, percussion
Guests
- Chuck Findley – trumpet on Trouble Child, Twisted
- José Feliciano – guitar on Free Man In Paris
- Wayne Perkins – guitar on Car On A Hill
- Robbie Robertson – guitar on Raised On Robbery
- Dennis Budimir – guitar on Trouble Child
- Wilton Felder – bass on Free Man In Paris, People’s Parties
- Jim Hughart – bass on Trouble Child
- Milt Holland – chimes on Court And Spark
- David Crosby – background vocals on Free Man In Paris, Down To You
- Graham Nash – background vocals on Free Man In Paris
- Susan Webb – background vocals on Down To You
- Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong – background vocals on Twisted
After Court And Spark
Following the release of Court And Spark Joni Mitchell went out on tour with LA Express, enabling Mitchell to create different atmospheres with every song. It was her first tour with a backing band, her previous concerts essentially being solo events.
During the European tour Mitchell shared the stage with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Some (US) tour dated were recorded for an intended live album.
Miles Of Aisles
In November 1974 the double live album Miles Of Aisles was released. It was largely recorded at the Los Angeles concerts, that took place from August 14 to 17, 1974. Cactus Tree stems from March 4 and Real Good For Free from March 2, 1974.
With Jericho and Love Or Money the album contains two new songs. This album was successful as well and produced 2 singles, but Big Yellow Taxi was the only one that turned into a (modest) hit.
Court And Spark Demos
On November 24, 2023, as part of Record Store Day, the vinyl-only edition of Court And Spark Demos was released. It contains never before heard and/or released demos for the Court And Spark album. The songs:
- Piano Suite: Down To You / Court And Spark / Car On A Hill / Down To You
- People’s Parties
- Help Me
- Just Like This Train
- Raised On Robbery
- Trouble Child
After Miles Of Aisles
In January 1975 Court And Spark was nominated for a Grammy Award in four categories. Mitchell ended up winning one, for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals. In 1975 Mitchell worked on her next album, which would be released as The Hissing Of Summer Lawns in November 1975.
In closing
What’s your take on Court And Spark? Let me know!
Early 2022, Joni Mitchell, like Neil Young, decided that her music had to be removed from Spotify. Not all of her music has gone, the version of Help Me in the A Pop Life playlist is a 1983 live recording.
Video/Spotify
This story contains an accompanying video. Click on the following link to see it: Video: Joni Mitchell incorporates jazz into her music for the first time, Court And Spark. The A Pop Life playlist on Spotify has been updated as well.