Joni Mitchell Dreamland

With the release of Dreamland, a Joni Mitchell collection of some of her most cohesive tunes over the years, we now have a handpicked set that is not only expressive and philosophically rich but also representative of her thoughts and life’s travels.  It isn’t as if some Mitchell tunes are throwaways.  That might be an impossibility.  But in Dreamland, there is a carefully chosen theme that runs through the disc.

Fans of Mitchell’s evaluations of lost youth, displacement, the question of the existence of real love, and hope, adore her poetic weaving of words that may surpass all other written words of wisdom found in poetry and music.  There’s good reason.  Joni Mitchell’s writing mirrors her own life and disappointments and just happens to touch a nerve in many who intently listen to what she says.  In short, Joni Mitchell sings what the rest of us feel.

Dreamland assembles 17 songs; all so well known that this could serve as a ‘best of’ in a sense.  But its existence creates an air that transcends the usual collection found in a Greatest Hits package.  This is a personal Mitchell set that speaks to old fans and newfound friends who find Joni’s lyrical art to be a conduit of understanding.  Sometimes a song can be sad and sometimes introspective but always telling and in many instances cathartic.

This Rhino/Nonesuch/Asylum/Reprise album contains songs that spill over many years.  You’ll find “ California ” from her 1971 classic, Blue, a song that tells of yearning for home after having been in the cold lands of culture.  “Big Yellow Taxi”, a song about change, often for the worse, that comes from her 1970 issue, Ladies of the Canyon.  “Help Me”, a Top 10 hit from her 1974 Court and Spark album.  As her career moved forward and her experiences accumulated, her expressions became more insightful but carrying a stronger sense of despair with an undercurrent of anger.

“Nothing Can Be Done” from her 1991 Geffen album, Night Ride Home, is a beautiful jazz/folk blend that cries with the revelation of uncertainty that is caught between youth and advancing years.  “Dancin’ Clown” is her only inclusion from her brilliant 1998’s Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm.  There is no inclusion from Dog Eat Dog nor from her Grammy-winning Turbulent Indigo.  The reworked and orchestral “Both Sides Now” found on her gorgeous and infectious 2000 album, Both Sides Now, is installed here instead of the original and rightfully so as it adds a level of feeling that is missing from the original (and nothing much is missing from the original.  It is great in its own right.)  Her ageless vocals take on a deeper sense of sad acceptance, a resignation that intensifies the meaning of the lyrics of “Both Sides Now.”  There are several more orchestral versions of songs extracted from Travelogue.

This compilation not only brings together a collection of meaningful songs but also showcases some of Mitchell’s art.  In the generous 36-page booklet that includes a Cameron Crowe essay, lyrics to all the songs, and extensive song detail, there is a sprinkling of 10 art pieces painted by Joni Mitchell.  The photos of these pieces contribute a deeper sense of personalization to the overall set.

No matter where you stand in regard to Joni Mitchell, this Mitchell produced compilation is a look into the life of the singer, which, consequently, reveals ourselves.  Her compelling art, whether lyrical or painting, is a soul inspection.  There are few that demands such interaction.  Joni is one that can.