Court And Spark

What a beautiful album. Again, this is another album I haven't heard before, but I am so glad that I've been able to experience it now. Joni Mitchell's voice is superb, right off the bat I was blown away by her performance and lyricism. The soft piano ballads and jazzy pop tunes are perfectly crafted and emotionally moving. I listened to this album twice, which is something I hadn't done with the previous albums. The song structures remind me of Joanna Newsome, but I think Mitchell does it much better. I felt connected to each story told in the songs, and the way they flowed together made the whole experience engrossing. Favorite track: all of them Least favorite track: none

Well, it's better than her later albums, I guess. But she's a much better poet than she is a singer. And a better singer than she is a melody-writer. I don't know why she seems to hate writing choruses so much. Most of the songs are just unstructured messes that never go anywhere. There's a story that Mitchell herself tells about Bob Dylan falling asleep when she played the album for him. It's funny but it's also understandable. It's a boring slog of an album. I would much rather have read these songs as poems than be forced to listen to Mitchell's wandering warble for an hour.

Before listening: I always imagined Joni Mitchell's audience as the Emma Thompson's character from Love Actually. Tragic, hopeless, alone.../ I started it for the second time and starting to like it at "Help me"/ The more folkish a song is the less I like it./ "Help me" and "Raised on Robbery" keeps pulling me back (even tough the second one is pretty folkish, but has good vibes, so I don't care)/ This is definitely not the Joni Mitchel I was expecting, and when reading a bit about her it seems that I could like her later stuff, when she ventured to jazzier stuff, seems like this was kind of a starting point.

I do not understand the praise Joni Mitchell gets.

My mom's favorite Joni album. Mine as well. Straight down the middle folk rock Joni. The trademark floating and swirling Joni melodies but this time with more energy Joni. More direct, incisive lyrics from Joni. More compelling jazz Joni. Incredible Joni production in surprising places (end of People's Parties, middle of Car on a Hill). I'd give it an easy 5 but the cringey final scat scat, so instead it's a labored 5. A+

Finally! A female artist, and it's the legend herself. I really love Joni Mitchell, I find myself torn between thinking she or Bob Dylan is the better songwriter. Hard to argue it's Bob in the face of "Both Sides Now." I haven't listened to this album before, but it's great. It only has one song that I already knew ("Help Me"), but there's plenty of heat here. I really like the exploration of different genres--Joni dips into jazz on some tracks, then more rock/pop on others. It doesn't always suit her, but her voice cuts through anything. It's a great experience overall and held my attention throughout. I'm looking forward to getting more Joni Mitchell albums, especially Blue. Also, if this list listened to my plea for female artists, maybe it will hear me ask to honor Black History Month...maybe some Jimi Hendrix? Aretha Franklin? We'll see what's in store. Favorite tracks: Help Me, People's Parties, Down to You, Twisted. Album art: Simple and sweet. I like the textured look. Nothing too special, but it looks like Joni herself may have painted that picture. That's extremely cool. 4.5/5

Interesting grunge dive. Can’t help but feel they aped nirvana a bit.

Sorry lady, not interested in the slides from your trip to Paris.

Such overrated artist... maybe she should have been just a poet?

Rating: 10/10 A classic album. Joni Mitchell sounds fantastic, beautiful vocals and great lyrics. This album is absolutely gorgeous. Lush, detailed instrumentation and pristine production. Loved everything about this album, honestly wish some of the songs were longer but that speaks to how amazing this album is. Favorite tracks: Pretty much the whole album but highlights were Court and Speak, Help Me, Car on a Hill, Raised on Robbery, Troubled Child. Least Favorite song: Down to You, a bit too long but still great though.

Joni Mitchell's voice is such an elixir for the ears. Very expressive and dynamic, with the perfect mix of vulnerability and cool aloofness. I could listen to her sing a shopping list. But the songs here are mostly elaborate monologues of experience and emotion. It's pretty hard to make those kinds of song work, but her voice brings them alive. The music is good, with interesting jazzy additions to the folk palette - but really it's all a backdrop for the voice. The final track is impeccable vocal jazz performance, and I would love to hear a whole album of that. Overall, this album doesn't quite reach the soaring heights of Blue, and I don't really like how it takes a sharp turn in sound for the last three tracks (though they are still good tracks!) so I have to give it a 4*.

This album was so BORING. It wasn't actively *bad*, but I just didn't care about it.

Legendary singer/songwriter, beautiful music, absolute masterpiece.

How can you not love Joni

I love Joni’s voice in the same vein of Chris’s love for Adele. She has such total command over her voice as an instrument, not just in maintaining pitch, but in volume, delivery, especially cadence. I could listen to her sing the verses of Help Me a million times and never get tired of it. On top of her second-to-none vocal talent, the music is interesting enough. This album, IIRC, is about when she begins a pretty full dive into more jazz. Extra star for real guitar, drums, and tasteful horns, but it won’t let me add a 6th star.

I was gonna give this only 4 stars but I don't think my mom would ever forgive me if she found out, so I'm rounding up.

This is the second Joni Mitchell album in about a week. They're also not on Spotify cause she "stuck it to the man". So I'm honouring her wishes and not listening - the only time I'll do so in this project (because fuck mean spirited "hippie" boomer cunts like her and Neil Young). Thankfully I know how much her music sucks anyway. So here's a 1/5 and I hope this sets a lovely precedent where I never have to hear her awful wailing again.

at its best its female madman-era elton john written by a 14 yo girl who just went through her first breakup standing in for taupin. at its worst it sounds like joni mitchell. boring, repetitive instrumentation. trite, on-the-nose lyrics. i actively hate it. closing track was particularly insulting

I could listen to this every day.

Incredible melodies and lyrics. Not typical pop music at all. Interesting jazz influences and flourishes. Joni Mitchell is a genius. Every song is an interesting adventure.

It’s a testament to how great Joni Mitchell that this can be a perfect album and still not my favorite by her

Folk, guitar moving into some jazzy flourishes. She knocks it out the park again. Best Tracks: Court and Spark, Raised on Robbery, Twisted

Another high note in a very specific genre (that basically has a one woman sub genre in this particular performer). About perfect, if you like this kind of thing (which I do)

It's like a well-executed, yet unflavored custard. Pleasant enough but there's no point in eating it.

not available on Spotify?

I didn't realize I hated Joni Mitchell so much. It's one of those names I've heard a bunch but never listened to.

Easily the most accessible Joni album I've heard. I prefer her jazzier albums with Jaco but that takes nothing away from this one. Really enjoyable listening.

I’m sorry…why haven’t I been listening to Joni Mitchell? Her albums on this list, so far, have been *excellent*. On Court and Spark, her voice, as always, is beautiful and unique, the instrumentation is varied, lively and engaging. Her blend of folk and jazz manages to be both soothing and invigorating, with flourishes of ambitious sonic textures and experimentation. What an excellent album.

Easy 5 even with the awful last track (that I since discovered is not by Joni at all!). Her voice sounds "softest" here compared to the other '70s classics although the songs are far from "pop". Great album

Gorgeous, Side B is a bit weak though.

Another neglected purchase on my hard drive, I may have skimmed off the opening, Broadway-esque piano chords, not in the mood. Silly me, this is very good, and I'm finding it hard to sum up why. Am tired and a blizzard arrives tomorrow, and I imagine this record would be good, conversational company for it. The instrumentation is superficially super normal and actually deeply weird. Free Man in Paris's Paris is a little Emily in Paris; it is still a good song.

I’d say it’s up there with her best pieces of work (I prefer The Hissing of Summer Lawns more though)

My favorite of her albums and that's saying something. Brilliant songwriter and wonderful singer.

Longtemps restée dans l'ombre de son petit-fils Eddy, Joni Mitchell n'en a pour autant pas moins de talent. C'était d'ailleurs prévisible. Je m'explique. Une fois que l'on a compris que Joni était une femme et non un énième gonze, on se doute que l'album sera bon puisque à l'exception de Patti Smith et sa crête iroquoise, aucune représentante de la gente féminine n'a obtenu moins de quatre étoiles de ma part. Et cet album les vaut bien.

great full band and piano, riffs can be pretty fun to listen to

a very intresting mix, nice deep lyrics, love the mesh of the different elements... i expect this to age well, specially the uniqueness of the jazz pop sound which im excited to try in diff contexts. a very strong 3.

I enjoyed it, she has a really nice voice, and very poetic lyrics. To me, the lyrics actually gave off strong Taylor Swift vibes, it’s the stories she tells and vulnerability in the way in which she talks about her emotions. Her and Swift may be decades apart in their age and musical careers, but they have the same inner emotional landscape driving their song-writing. Well that’s my take anyway.

I sense the talent but it's just on the verge of tipping me over into really liking it

This was better Joni Mitchell than The Hissing of Summer Lawns. Still not my style, but much better.

Folk Music. :/

This wasn’t terrible but it’s not for me. Something about her style or voice just makes every song sound the same. Needs to throw a chorus in every once in a while. 2.5

Can be tough-going Joni. When she's great she's super-brilliant, eg River, Both Sides Now, but the jazz-folk fusion can be a bit grating. This album, for me, was more of the latter.

Joni Mitchell is a polarizing figure for me. I enjoy her folky stuff more than her easy listening jazzy style stuff.

Couldn’t find it on Spotify and in the end not overly mad about it. Deedle deedle deedle

I really liked her voice, but the songs are a bit too generic and flat. I'm sure the lyrics are meaningful but I couldn't be bothered to pay them any mind because of this.

meh, just not really my style

A bit meandering and winding in places; middle of the road. Good album for dinner parties.

2 Joni Mitchell albums in 3 days, am I in purgatory?

Hated this. Unfathomably dull.

Realised after one hour that the album was over and that I wasn't listening to anything. Completely forgettable (for me) and even more astonishing if you see the (good) ratings it got on release.

Girls just wanna have fun but this album does not let that. It's so boring except the Twisted song.

I feel like this is what divorced cigarette moms listen to.

Joni Mitchell? More like moany shitshow.

I liked the atmosphere it created

Great album

A classic.

Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark is a stunning fusion of jazz, folk, and pop, tied together by her evocative voice and poetic lyrics. The album feels deeply personal, like a collection of snapshots from Joni’s life. Tracks like "Free Man in Paris" and "People’s Parties" showcase her ability to capture fleeting, intimate moments and turn them into universal stories. Her songwriting feels both observational and deeply emotional, drawing the listener into her world. The orchestration is a standout feature, with lush arrangements and thoughtful touches, like the gospel-like choir in Down to You. Each song feels carefully constructed, yet the album retains an unstructured, flowing quality, especially in tracks like Troubled Child, where the jazzy undertones reflect wandering thoughts and introspection. Raised on Robbery adds energy and relatability, while Twisted ends the album with a playful, witty flourish. With its blend of sophisticated lyrics, vivid storytelling, and rich instrumentation, Court and Spark is timeless and captivating. It’s a collection of songs that lingers in your mind long after the music ends. Final Rating: 5/5

booooh court and spark mit so schönem bass und slide giti larry carlton aaaaahh. help me het de LA sound mit tom scott horns und sie singt haaammer. free man in paris suuper geili chords gitarre mached so viel bgvs huuere geil im refrain. boooh joni. peoples parties meega schöni 12 saiter und soo kreativi harmonie immer wie? the same situation super schöne isatz vo strings und steel gitarre. es schwebt immer alles irgendwie. car on a hill seehr geils intri tom am sopransax. ich lieb alles bis etz. noooh riichtig geeeil es isch bitz aja time. hihat huere luut haha. down to you kenni. wuuunderschön. LOVE IS GOOOONE fuuuuck huuuui. just like this train kenni au han ich mol die zweit siite vo dem glost? suuuper schön! raised on a robbery mega upbeat für joni aber seehr geil. wafür e sooolo tom. troubled child ultra geil gitarreline. meh en ruhige track macht nöd so viel aber seehr geil. twisted straight up jazz. aaah joni komplizierti jazzmelodie time. aso jo da album isch e heeeerts füfi. easy

Increíble, es muy buen álbum ahora no lo puedo describir mucho pero tiene melodías hermosas (casi prog), ella una voz increíble, buenas letras, muy bien producido.

All albums will be 1, 3 or 5 stars, with no further commentary or explanation given. Played via Spotify, re-listen. (Forgot to say for last two, both played via Spotify. Ágætis Byrjun was a first time listen, Ten was a re-listen)

this was more like a 4.5, I really enjoyed it + I'd listen to it unprompted, if the mood was right. I felt at times like I was listening to a Lorde album though I couldnt really express why. Her voice also grew on me a lot

Amazing, a true classic. There's no one like Joni.

Just some wonderful 70s pop from a very beautiful voice, which I dig very much. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

I… might be at a 10. I’m serious. I’ve never actually heard Joni Mitchell until today – her name was familiar, and I think I have a decent sense of her place in the 60s/70s folk canon, but she’s always been more of a trivia factoid to me than anything else. I’ve just never really had an excuse to interact with her music. I did think this would be good, but my expectations were a little more folk-y & a bit subdued. Holy fucking shit, I was not expecting this though. I harped a lot on storytelling when it came to the Marty Robbins album we got the other day, and this is storytelling in spades. A little more complex, sure, but the imagery she provides throughout is vivid and full of life in a way that’s more relatable to modern times than gunfighter ballads – there are some lines that hit me like a fucking truck throughout this album, and that’s the mark of a fantastic *writer.* There are great songwriters, but she’s really flexing pure writing here. It also helps that she’s really fucking good at making these work as songs; there are catchy choruses and vocal patterns all over this album, but they’re still very easy to follow along to story-wise, save for maybe “Just Like This Train”, but even then, it’s still gettable. That writing ability is just as matched by her vocals (seriously, what a voice – it got me plenty of times throughout the album), and the extremely jazzy/Americana-influenced band behind her. The instrumentals here are fantastic, and give each song room to breathe, their own distinct identity, and just perfectly compliment each other. When this album wants to go full rock, it can do it without blinking an eye – same thing applies to piano ballads, guitar ballads, nightclub tunes, et cetera. I don’t have a single complaint about the production here; everything feels perfectly mixed, and the transitions are seamless when they happen. It all feels totally coherent, and that’s a testament to the quality of every track here. Everything about this album is right down my alley, and I’m really, truly stunned that none of this has ever entered my stratosphere until now. It’s a remarkably tight 37 minutes that kept me captivated on every single word, while still managing to leave room for attention on her vocals and the band behind her. I may simply be blindsided by lower expectations followed by such a strong album, but damn, this really got me good. It’s a hell of an introduction to Joni Mitchell, at the very very least. For my tastes… yeah, I’m at a 10. It was *that* good.

My second Joni! The way she layers her voice on this album is so angelic. My favorite song is Help Me. I love the way she slides her voice on the words "help me", and the chord changes between 30 and 40 seconds really tickle my brain. I can't wait to listen to this again and really soak it all in.

Very nice instrumentation. Some jazz elements.

Not my favorite Joni Mitchell album, but I do love it. Not as good as Blue, but then not many albums are.

Lotta big swings here! And I have to say I'm super impressed. I think after the intimacy and vulnerability of Clouds and Blue, I like that Joni then reaches out to more instrumental richness, filling her songs with bouquets of sonic joy. The harmonies are on point here, the compositions are just delightful - great album! Best Track: Help Me Worst Track: Trouble Child

Best Song: Help Me Worst Song: Twisted

god every time i hear a new (to me) JM album im blown away and this was no different..

I think this is my favorite Joni album I've had so far (this will be the 4th I've reviewed). There's not a dud on this record. Usually I have a hard time getting into a Joni Mitchell album, but this one was great right from the start. She's a poet. This album falls at a time where she was starting to inject more folk and jazz into her music, so I think that helps too. Raised on Robbery is such a high energy song for Joni. It is fantastic!! Favourite songs: Raised on Robbery, Car on a Hill, Help Me, Twisted, Free Man in Paris, Just Like This Train, Trouble Child Least favourite songs: I really can't pick one. This album is super solid. 5/5

Such a cool shift in base sound from Blue, Joni keeps her storytelling forefront with jazzier accompaniments.

Iconic

One of my favorites. They lyrics, the mood. Joni's voice.

Lovely

Probably my favorite Joni album, up there with Blue. It’s arrangements, lyrics, and vocal performances by Joni are outstanding.

Just perfect. High level songwriting with some of the best jazz and rock musicians on the recording.

Great? Great.

Magic. Joni Mitchell is one of the finest singer songwriters and this is a fabulous example.

An excellent blend of Joni Mitchell's odd yet satisfying vocal delivery with the genre that matches it, Court and Spark's combination of this soft but complex pop with the always moving nature of jazz leads to tracks with many all-time climaxes. Everything in nearly every track builds up to something greater, and it almost always pays off, with a good touch of 70s mainstream folk to keep the album grounded and lyrically thought provoking. Nearly every track was destiny for Mitchell to perform, and she knocks it out of the park, exceeding anything up to this point, and still standing above anything after it, at least from what I've heard. It's that slight variation between tracks that really flexes Mitchell's musical muscle, and the bluegrass-y Raised on Robbery surprisingly sealed the deal for me; this is a amazing record.

This was excellent, as I knew it would be. Help Me was a bright spot, but I knew it already, so I might be biased. So incredibly melodic and harmonically surprising. Five stars.

mögulega sú besta

Not as good as Blue, but still worthy of 5 stars

Was pretty surprised to get another Joni Mitchell album so soon after my first. I liked this one even more. A bit less jazzy, and I like that. Just beautiful sound, voice, and lyrics. I feel like this is one to age on.

Great voice backed by a terrific band. Complex lyrics add to a great listen. Wish it were longer!

Had a lovely time what a nice lady. Raised on robbery was a real unexpected bop at the end

Difficult to believe this is 50 years old. Definitely one to go back to 5/5

Fantastic!!

Joni Mitchell is remarkable

What pipes! Great lyrics and depth, but the last song’s jazzy slide blew me away.

I'm really not sure why I haven't listened to more Joni Mitchell. She lives up to the hype.

Perfection.

I always think I hate the artsy vibe and the whole musical poet thing that always feels kinda empty to me. But somehow Joni Mitchell does not feel empty, but more or less the opposite, like she's not saying all she could and I love that.

Very good, nice to learn about her

An album I had to listen twice. 5. People's Parties transitions to The Same Situation gracefully. I love Raised on Robbery. Trouble Child and Twisted speak to me. While every song is sweet on the ears.

I am finding words to describe how wonderful this album is. Personal enjoyment: 5/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5

I am familiar with Joni Mitchell as an influential folk singer-songwriter and have heard a few songs from her in the past. However, I had not heard anything before from this album. Court and Spark takes the folk-rock music she had been known for before and infuses it with elements of jazz. The result makes for an overall exquisite listen. Joni got creative with the song structures, where the tracks don't always fall into the standard verse-chorus-verse structure and instead play around with bridges and refrains to give more depth and expression. This more obtuse approach to songwriting is complemented by song transitions throughout the album such as towards the end from "Trouble Child" into "Twisted" with the trumpet soloing. These kinds of structure tweaks made for an engaging listen. Lyrically, this album touches upon the pursuit of love and a simpler life, while also giving some fun caricature moments such as the prostitute's plight on the rocker "Raised on Robbery" or the experiences of Joni's music agent friend David Geffen on "Free Man in Paris". The words come off with a sense of whimsy and the stories told feel lived in. I was very impressed with Court and Spark, and give it a high recommendation.

Great album

Absolute classic by a genius at the height of her powers. Everything Joni Mitchell touched at that time struck gold. A truly unique voice of beauty, grit and grace. Masterpiece.

Blue is the only full album I've listened to from Joni, so that one is my favorite. I was blown away by that album, so I am listening forward to hearing this one. Her roller-coaster vocals are so cool. It's always a mystery where she is going next, and it's a beautiful ride. The musicality and musicianship, the harmonies, the songwriting, and the storytelling are all mastered by Joni. I could listen to her all day. In fact, that is what I'll be doing today. Just Like This Train is one of my favorites on this album. I still like Blue better, though. Easy 5 from me on this one, and probably most of her albums.