Joni Mitchell - Painting with Words and Music

You can tell from the heading of this review I am a fan... and have been since Joni released her first LP. I don't know why it took me so long, but I didn't see her perform until the gig she did with Van Morrison and Bob Dylan at Pauley Pavilion in L.A., circa 1998. Although Dylan was in good form that night and Van was borderline miraculous, it was pretty much a bummer for me seeing Joni in that cavern of a place amongst a crowd that didn't seem to be there for her. I told the friends who accompanied me I felt Joni should only play in small settings and almost wished I had not gone it was so unfulfilling.Now, fast forward a couple of months and imagine my bliss when I got the chance to attend the two performances that were edited into one for this DVD. It was recorded in a small venue on the Warner's lot in Burbank, perfect for a Joni concert and just what I had imagined would be ideal for her. The band was most excellent, tight and all great players, well known and accomplished in their own rights. The set was good even though I would have liked hearing a few older tunes. And it was great fun watching Joni interact with the audience and tell a few stories along the way... and witnessing Graham Nash present her with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee trophy. Of course I had to have this DVD as a souvenir of the two nights I was enveloped in Joni's music. My only complaint: to my ear, the volume of Joni's voice is a little too low and should have been a tad more in the "front" of the mix. Otherwise, an awesome couple of nights for me that I can remember well by kicking back and enjoying this DVD. If you are a fan of Joni, I think you will enjoy it too.

Not withstanding the sound problems mentioned many times by reviewers,this was a pretty nice overview of Joni Mitchell's work,presented as she is now. The voice has lost much of itsoriginal spectacular presence BUT I really like the new deeperJoni voice. She is still capable of doing great work, justat a lower register. The new guitar she uses is perfectly suited forher stylings, still love the way she moves her hand across the frets making little percussive noises along the way, nobodyplays likes this. The Band is such a compliment to her music,dreamy, lonesome, searching always relevant. Nice pedal steeland especially the BASS work is terrific. I especiallyenjoy the likes of "Comes Love" and how much she enjoys herselftaking on this style. Shes never been afraid to explore hermuse so this show comes off beautiful for the most part, whatever happened to the mixing, the most important part to meI'll never know, it just should have been more striking considering all the time taken to look so good. This show isa must for those who've traveled with Joni all these years and just let her be who she's become as she ages andwell for those forever lost to the 1970s and unable to deal withthe artist evolving and changing and getting along its sad. Shesmokes big deal, she pays the consequenses of this but gettingback to the show, it has many great moments to recommend.

Joni Mitchell is a counterweight to Grace Slick. They both started out singing for what they thought was a revolution. When they found out they were wrong, when the revolution melted down into disco, cocaine and "greed is good," they had to go on somehow. Grace went on by letting the beautiful and wonderful Jefferson Airplane become "Starship," a mindless, schlock-rock money printing machine that fed her and some other people during the 80's. Joni put on her walking sandals, shed a tear for all that was Woodstock, then put the revolution in her pocket and kept going.This DVD is the culmination of that journey so far, and it showcases her beautiful music, her heart-wrenching lyrics and her skills as a painter. Anyone who loved her in the 60's will be thrilled to see the beautifully mature musician, artist and woman she's become since, and anyone who isn't familiar with her, will be in for a pleasant surprise. You'll be richer by far spending a little money on this DVD.And Grace, it isn't too late. I'm guessing that Peace and Love are due for a comeback any time now, and I'm pretty sure that we who are trying to make that happen all miss you and wish you were here. :-)

Joni Mitchell released only one all-original album after this concert (and two albums of covers), so this concert is something of a career retrospective. Mitchell performs here with a minimal band in a small venue, so her singer-songwriter talent takes center stage. The first half of the concert is a bit too sedate, but it picks up energy in the middle and sustains it through to the end. Mitchell's guitar work is excellent, as usual. Her voice had begun to take on a soft velvety quality that's well suited to her own particular, somewhat odd, signature vocal phrasings. She really has come into her own here. Joni Mitchell is an aquired taste; she's not for everyone — many of her most popular songs were bigger hits in the hands of other performers than in her own — so this DVD is really for her fans.

One of the many wonderful aspects of this DVD is Ms. Mitchell's storytelling, the most striking of which was how she came up with the title of her album Hejira. She explained that the definition of the word is, "...leaving the dream, no blame." Well, she has not left the dream. I have been listening to her music for 30 years, have all her albums, most on vinyl as well as CD, and I was SO mesmerized by this DVD. While she has lost the high end of her vocal range, she MORE than compensates with her style, her presence, and her incredible talent. My only complaint about the DVD is the sound quality which is spotty at times, otherwise it would be a 5 plus. The dream lives on.If anyone knows where you can get prints of her paintings, please contact me.

A 2008 studio concert with a live audience filmed on Warner's Lot in Los Angeles; there`s a brief look around an exhibition of Mitchell's paintings and a short, slightly embarrassing introduction by Rosanna Arquette but otherwise this is a relaxed and entertaining concert featuring Mitchell with a small electric band which consists of Mark Isham, Larry Klein, Greg Leisz and Brian Blade; the music is a fair mix of 18 songs from Mitchell's career (up until the recording date) with a few (then) recent songs and a few covers.Mitchell clearly has a good time and everyone performs well.The concert can be viewed in it's entirety or there's a menu option to go to a song.The DVD has a playing time of 98 minutes approx. and the picture is 4:3 screen format; there are no extras or subtitles.

Joni sings her beautiful, timeless songs...beautifully...with a CLASS band...amazing and 'essential'.

Despite a rather fawning start (and at 1-2 other points, such as the Graham Nash interlude), for most of the time the music speaks for itself; unfortunately for my particular taste in Joni's work (phase 2 if you like, For The Roses - Hegira), quite a lot of it is a little too recent. The menu system of the DVD doesn't help to ID/select indiv songs, so the low cost of the DVD does come at a price....

It is exactly as described and suits my purposes and so I am pleased with this purchase.

This is a great collection of Joni's later music (plus Big Yellow Taxi) played live and with some interesting guests and audience interaction. Well worth owning if you like Joni Mitchell.