Ladies of the Canyon

Infobox Album | Name = Ladies of the Canyon
Type = Album
Artist = Joni Mitchell


Released = April 1970
Recorded = 1969 - 1970 A&M Studios, Hollywood, California
Genre = Folk-rock
Length = 44:33
Label = Reprise
Producer = Joni Mitchell
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:4aq67ur0h0j3 link]
*"Rolling Stone" (not rated) [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/jonimitchell/albums/album/117326/review/5940401/ladies_of_the_canyon link]
*Robert Christgau (A-) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=joni+mitchell link]
Last album = "Clouds"
(1969)
This album = "Ladies of the Canyon"
(1970)
Next album = "Blue"
(1971)

"Ladies of the Canyon" is Joni Mitchell's third album, released in 1970. It features several of Mitchell's most noted songs, including "Big Yellow Taxi", "Woodstock" and "The Circle Game".

Notable for its expansion of Mitchell's artistic vision and its varied song topics (ranging from the aesthetic weight of celebrity, to clear-eyed observation of the Woodstock generation, to the complexities of love), "Ladies of the Canyon" is often viewed as a transition between Mitchell's folky earlier work and the more sophisticated, poignant albums that were to follow. In particular, "For Free" foreshadows the lyrical leitmotif of the isolation triggered by success that would be elaborated upon in "For the Roses" and "Court and Spark". The sparse, alternate-tuning laden sound of later records comes to the forefront on "Ladies of the Canyon".

Of all of Mitchell's work, this album is arguably the most related to her long-standing friendships and relationships with Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young (whose hard rock arrangement of "Woodstock" was one of their three radio hits in 1970). A number of the album's songs, including the aforementioned "Ladies of the Canyon" and "Woodstock", feature densely stacked, wordless harmony overdubs reminiscent of David Crosby's oeuvre; Crosby himself has covered "For Free" for many years. "Willy" is a girlishly infatuating paean to Graham Nash. "The Circle Game", one of the artist's most recognizable songs, features background vocals from all four. "Big Yellow Taxi" has also managed to become a standard over the years, sampled by Janet Jackson.

"Young and the Restless" star Jess Walton has said that one of the houses featured on the album's cover belonged to her.cite news | title=Raising Cane | date=2007-02-27 | publisher= "Soap Opera Weekly"| page = 20 ]

Track listing

All tracks composed and arranged by Joni Mitchell

# "Morning Morgantown" – 3:12
# "For Free" – 4:31
# "Conversation" – 4:21
# "Ladies of the Canyon" – 3:32
# "Willy" – 3:00
# "The Arrangement" – 3:32
# "Rainy Night House" – 3:22
# "The Priest" – 3:39
# "Blue Boy" – 2:53
# "Big Yellow Taxi" – 2:16
# "Woodstock" – 5:25
# "The Circle Game" – 4:50

Personnel

* Joni Mitchell - guitar, piano, vocals
* Teresa Adams - cello
* Paul Horn - clarinet, flute
* Jim Horn - baritone saxophone
* Milt Holland - percussion
* The Saskatunes - bop vocals
* The Lookout Mountain United Downstairs Choir - chorus on "The Circle Game"
*Don Bagley - cello arrangement

References