JONI MITCHELL - THE LADY OF THE CANYON

BOTH SIDES NOW

“My music is not designed to grab instantly. It’s designed to wear for a lifetime, to
hold up like a fine cloth,” Joni once said. Well, that she did, and has done through
all these years. Joni’s music was not a series of “top ten pop hits”, although she did
have a few, but more so, her anxiously awaited albums were pieces of carefully
crafted but free in style works of art. Starting with “Songs of a Seagull”, rich in
mature lyrics, her albums evolved with the times. “Clouds”, released in 1969, won
not only a Grammy, but a new legion of fans. It was followed by the fun and quirky
“Lady of the Canyon” in 1970, and then her first million seller- “Blue”. Joni then
moved from the acoustic “folk” sound to a mixture of Jazz, pop and rock with the
release of “Court and Spark” in 1974, which may be her best selling album. Later she
worked with the Jazz great Charles Mingus. Never too concerned with the

“commercial appeal” , Joni’s work was eclectic, with complex melodies, self-
revealing lyrics and hitting on social and topical issues of the times. Joni became an

artist’s artist; well respected in the recording world as well as the players. Many of
her songs were recorded by other artists.
After the prolific 60-70’s, Joni continued to write and with full control of her
projects, she stayed relevant with the times. Joni, always a painter, had done the
covers of several of her albums, and now she found some time to return to that
passion. Her accomplishments and accolades continued as the years went by; too
numerous to fit in this space. Joni may be the first woman of the “Rock Era” to
achieve the lifelong recognition and respect of such peers as Bob Dylan, Judy Collins
and Crosby, Stills and Nash. In 1997 she was inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of
Fame; a lifelong Grammy Award in 2002; The Kennedy Center Honors in 20121, and
in 2023, The Gershwin Prize for popular song.
The Title: “Both Sides Now” Young 60”-70’s “Woodstock Era” on the left as the Lady of
the Canyon, and on the right, the elder Joni “Risen”, after a brain aneurysm in 2015. The
elder Joni is slightly higher than her younger self; “Risen” in stature and respect.
Polio: The word is on younger Joni’s nose. She suffered as a 9 year old. The affliction
didn’t seem to affect her piano playing, but as she grew older, she wanted to play the guitar
like the rest of the 60’s generation girls with long blonde hair and patchouli oil. The disease
weakened her left hand, and she was unable to tune a guitar conventionally. So instead, she
open tuned it, and wrote songs that didn’t follow the conventional standards of songwriting.
This “new sound” made people listen, and focus on her unique song style and lyrics. Ironic
huh?