Joni Mitchell's 'Both Sides Now' Turns 25 (Silver Liner Notes)

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Of It – Joni Mitchell's 'Both Sides Now' Turns 25

Episode Title: Joni Mitchell's 'Both Sides Now' Turns 25 (Silver Liner Notes)
Host: Alison Stewart
Guest: Ann Powers, NPR Music Critic and Author of Traveling on the Path of Joni Mitchell
Release Date: February 7, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of All Of It, hosted by Alison Stewart, the spotlight is on Joni Mitchell's iconic song "Both Sides Now" as it celebrates its 25th anniversary. The discussion delves into the song's enduring legacy, its impact on Mitchell's career, and its place in contemporary culture. NPR music critic Ann Powers joins Alison to provide insightful analysis and personal anecdotes related to Mitchell's work.

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Joni Mitchell's Performances and Album Anniversary

Alison Stewart opens the episode by highlighting Joni Mitchell's recent performances of "Both Sides Now" at the Clive Davis Pre-Grammy party and the Fire Aid benefit in Los Angeles. She notes that the song has been a recurring piece throughout Mitchell's illustrious career, including her concept album of the same name released 25 years prior.

Notable Quote:

"I've looked at love from both sides now from give and take and still somehow it's love's illusions that I recall I really don't know love I really don't know love at all."
— Joni Mitchell (01:14)

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Transition to Ann Powers

Alison introduces Ann Powers, who elaborates on her connection to Mitchell's music and the significance of the "Both Sides Now" album in Mitchell's career trajectory.

Anne's Insights:

• Legacy Period Initiation: The album marks the beginning of Mitchell's legacy period, where she starts reflecting on her career with a tasteful and classic approach. Despite identifying herself as a "tough broad," this album signifies her transition into a more introspective phase (02:46).

• Personal Growth: Around the time of the album's release, Mitchell was overcoming health struggles and reconnecting with her daughter, experiences that influenced her artistic expression and maturity (03:22).

• Influence on Younger Artists: Mitchell's work inspired a new generation of female artists, notably those involved in Lilith Fair, cementing her role as a mentor and icon in the music industry (03:24).

Notable Quote:

"People make the culture and we hope, need, and want the WNYC community to be a part of our show."
— Allison Stewart (User-generated content)

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Musical Style and Genre Classification

Alison references a Rolling Stone review that describes Joni Mitchell as a jazz singer, prompting a discussion on her genre classification.

Ann's Perspective:

• Unique Categorization: Mitchell defies strict genre labels, inhabiting a space between folk, jazz, and standard singing. Her Canadian roots and exposure to jazz through her father influenced her distinctive musical style (04:39).

• Jazz Fusion Influence: Mitchell's collaborations and arrangements often reflect jazz fusion elements, blending complex harmonies with her introspective lyrics (05:34).

Notable Quote:

"Joni Mitchell doesn't walk from one room to, to another in her house without being in charge. She is always in charge."
— Ann Powers (14:41)

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Listener Engagement and Personal Stories

Throughout the episode, listeners share their personal connections to "Both Sides Now" and other Joni Mitchell songs, highlighting the song's emotional resonance and timeless appeal.

Highlighted Calls:

1. Monique from Chicago (05:34): Shares how "Both Sides Now" was a foundational song in her high school chorus, emphasizing its affirming and beautiful nature.

2. Mary from Westchester (12:53): Describes the song as her theme through various life stages, from childhood to motherhood, illustrating its adaptability and enduring meaning.

3. Perry from Massachusetts (13:48): Credits Mitchell's music with inspiring his 35-year career as a touring musician and guitar player, underscoring her influence on aspiring artists.

4. Tom from Long Island (25:46): Recounts personal anecdotes related to "Chelsea Morning," another of Mitchell's songs, linking it to her own high school experiences and emphasizing the song's narrative depth.

Notable Quote:

"Both Sides now has that same feeling. It's such a universal melody and experience expressed in the lyrics."
— Ann Powers (24:10)

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Analysis of 'Both Sides Now' as a Concept Album

Alison inquires about the conceptual framework of the "Both Sides Now" album, to which Ann explains its thematic journey through the stages of a relationship.

Key Points:

• Narrative Arc: The album traces a relationship from optimism and excitement to fulfillment, love, romance, and ultimately, disappointment, although the sense of disappointment emerges early in the tracklist (07:11).

• Vocal and Arrangement Evolution: Mitchell's 2000 orchestral rendition presents a more subdued and mature vocal approach compared to her earlier, more acrobatic performances. This shift underscores her personal growth and deepened emotional expression (07:52).

Notable Quote:

"It's remarkable that Joni Mitchell wrote this song in her 20s... she really could sing it as someone who had seen life from so many sides."
— Ann Powers (17:28)

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Comparative Analysis with Other Artists

Ann draws parallels between Mitchell's late-career works and those of other legendary artists like Frank Sinatra and Marianne Faithfull, highlighting the beauty and depth brought by an aging voice.

Notable Quote:

"Marianne Faithfull, who passed away recently, another singer who gifted us with the beauty of her older voice... this song kind of fits in like I could have heard Marianne covering as well."
— Ann Powers (10:50)

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Place in Pop Culture and Legacy

The conversation explores how "Both Sides Now" has permeated pop culture, featuring in films like Love and Coda, and its status as a musical standard.

Key Insights:

• Cross-Generational Appeal: The song resonates with multiple generations, serving different narrative functions in various media contexts (24:10).

• Universal Themes: Its universal melody and relatable lyrics contribute to its enduring presence and adaptability in diverse settings (24:10).

Notable Quote:

"She developed her own timbre, her own sort of enunciations... she never once did that [imitating black vernacular]."
— Ann Powers (09:25)

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Conclusion and Final Thoughts

As the episode wraps up, Alison and Ann reflect on the profound impact of "Both Sides Now" and Joni Mitchell's broader musical contributions. They emphasize the song's ability to capture life's complexities and its seamless integration into both personal narratives and popular culture.

Notable Quote:

"Both Sides now is such a universal melody and experience expressed in the lyrics. It's a simple song to sing in some ways, but you have to bring a lot of depth to it."
— Ann Powers (24:10)

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Closing Remarks

Alison Stewart thanks Ann Powers for her insightful contributions and encourages listeners to explore both the original and contemporary renditions of "Both Sides Now." The episode underscores the timelessness of Joni Mitchell's music and its profound influence on both artists and audiences alike.

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Relevant Timestamps for Quotes and Key Moments:

• 01:14: Joni Mitchell's original lyrics from "Both Sides Now."
• 02:25 - 03:24: Ann Powers discusses Mitchell's career phase during the album's release.
• 04:39 - 07:11: Conversation on Mitchell's musical style and genre.
• 07:52 - 09:25: Analysis of vocal evolution and Canadian influences.
• 10:50 - 12:15: Comparison with other artists and vocal maturity.
• 12:53 - 27:43: Listener calls sharing personal connections to Mitchell's music.
• 17:28 - 21:04: Deep dive into the conceptual aspects of the album.
• 24:03 - 25:34: Discussion on the song's placement in pop culture.
• 27:28 - 28:57: Exploration of additional songs and their relevance.
• 29:00: Final ad segment.

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Additional Notes:

• Exclusions: The summary omits all advertisements, introductions, and non-content sections to focus solely on the meaningful discussions and insights presented in the episode.

• Engagement: Listeners are encouraged to connect with their own experiences of "Both Sides Now" and explore Joni Mitchell's expansive musical repertoire.

Transcript

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[Alison Stewart]

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. Last weekend, Joni Mitchell performed her signature song, Both Sides now at the annual Clive Davis Pre Grammy party. A few days beforehand, she had performed it at Fire Aid, a benefit to help Los Angeles residents affected by the fire. It's a song she's revisited many times in her career, including on her concept album of the same name, which was released 25 years ago tomorrow for another installment of our 25th anniversary album series. Silver Liner Notes this is Both Sides Now.

[Joni Mitchell]

I've looked at love from both sides now from give and take and still somehow it's love's illusions that I recall I really don't know love I really don't know love at all.

[Alison Stewart]

Originally, Mitchell released Both sides now in 1969 on her album Clouds. In 2000, she revisited the song in that new orchestral arrangement along with another song, a Case of youf. The other 10 tracks on the album were much older and came from the Great American Songbook. Tracks like Stormy Weather and At Last, the New York Times wrote about Mitchell. By lifting her voice out of the matrix of her usual complex arrangements for guitar and keyboards, the record allows you to hear her gifts as a singer more starkly. Joining me now to talk about the album for its anniversary is NPR music critic Ann Powers, and is also the author of the book Traveling on the Path of Joni Mitchell. Ann, welcome back.

[Ann Powers]

Hey, it's great to see you looking so great, listeners.

[Alison Stewart]

Do you have a connection to Joni Mitchell's music and this album in particular? Or text us now at 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC so where was Joni Mitchell in her career when she made that album?

[Ann Powers]

It's interesting, Alison. I mean, she was embarking on her legacy period. And I think one thing that's beautiful about this album is that it begins this process of looking back and it does it in such a classic way, you know, and dare I say, tasteful way. I mean, Joanie loves to characterize herself as like a tough, you know, a broad, whatever. Like a tough broad or whatever. But this was a perfect kind of transition into her reassessment of her career in her own songs, even though we only get two original songs on this album.

[Alison Stewart]

Where was she in her personal life?

[Ann Powers]

Well, you know, it was a time when she was also kind of coming out of some struggles, health struggles, but she was opening herself up to the doyenne role. She had in the 90s, been reunited with her daughter, who she gave, who she entrusted in adoption at birth Killoran. So she was experiencing her own motherhood in a different way than she did when she was a birth mother. A new generation of younger artists, especially women, had sort of like fallen at her feet, right? The Lilith Fair women and all of that. And she was still working with her longtime partner and ex husband, Larry Klein. He had invited her to. Well, he and Don Henley had invited her to be part of a benefit for Walden Woods, Henley's environmental cause. And at that, she sang with an orchestra. And I think that kind of put the spark in their minds, you know, that this would be a good way to take her to a new place. Always creative, always curious. It was a great way for Joanie to do something new with material she knew very well.

[Alison Stewart]

A review by Rolling Stone at the time began like this. Deep down, Joni Mitchell has always been a jazz singer. Do you agree with that?

[Ann Powers]

You know, yes and no. I mean, I think Joanie exists in her own categories and, you know, to kind of cop some of what the musicologist Kevin Felez says in his book about jazz fusion. She really inhabits that space between, you know, at the same time, she certainly is a standard singer. She certainly grew up with this music. Her dad was a huge jazz fan. And it's a very natural transition into doing these standards. I write in Traveling that I imagine her and Larry kind of like sitting down with a really good bottle of, like, Chateau Lafitte and going through their record collection, you know, hero Record, Collect and say, oh, I love this song, Sinatra did or whatever. And that's the ones they chose.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's take a call. Monique, thanks for calling in. You're on the air.

[Caller]

Hi.

I just wanted to say thank you for that beautiful song. I was a child of immigrants in Chicago, and that was like the first song I learned in our high school Glee club, or not Glee Club, but chorus back in the 70s in Chicago in an all girls Catholic high school. And it was just lovely. So it's just. It's such an affirming, beautiful, timeless song. Thank you.

[Ann Powers]

Lovely story. I mean, it's been very interesting, Alison, to see how both sides now, how Joanie has completely embraced both Sides now as her signature song. Now, I think there were times in her life when she would have wanted to run as far from it as she could. You know, she's doing much more complicated, thorny material. But when a standard emerges, you know, when a song resonates in so many ways, and I love that our caller just talked about a choral arrangement in high school. How can you not own that? How can you not say yes? And Both Sides now is actually more complex than we think of it sometimes.

[Alison Stewart]

I'm speaking to Anne Powers, NPR music critic and author of Traveling on the Path of Joni Mitchell. Tomorrow is the 25th anniversary of Joni Mitchell's album Both Sides now, and we are taking your calls. Do you have a connection to Joni Mitchell, Mitchell's music and this album in particular? Call or text us 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. So this album is generally described as a concept album. What's the concept?

[Ann Powers]

Well, the concept, Larry Klein writes about it in his liner notes for the album, is that it's the arc of a relationship from early optimism and excitement to fulfillment and love and romance to disappointment. But, you know, it's so funny to me, all what you notice if you look at the track listing is disappointment comes pretty early, right? I mean, by track four, it's, you've changed one of the most desolate sounding songs on the album. So.

[Alison Stewart]

When she tackles these standards, what is different about the way that Joni Mitchell sings them?

[Ann Powers]

Yeah. Well said. Well, another really important thing about this record is that it is a reintroduction or really kind of like a full introduction of her, her 21st century voice, right. And that voice is so different than certainly way different than the early, very acrobatic, you know, spinning, spinning into Arabesque's voice that we love Joni for. And then different than the 70s jazz fusion voice. This is it's more limited voice in some ways, a different timbre, a different register, you know, that smoky alto that she's that she's using. But it fits so perfectly with her Persona and with this material. And it's a revelation to hear how her own songs mean different things in this voice.

[Alison Stewart]

The album is really it's really lush. The orchestration is really lush. Who did she work with?

[Ann Powers]

She worked with a guy named Vince Mendoza. He's a composer and an arranger. And he's a young younger than Joni by about, I guess, 20 years or so. And they brought him in and he had, he said at the time, you know, Joni was great to work with. At times, she was just a chick in the band. At times she was, you know, very intense, a poet. At times, she's just the girl from Saskatoon. So it was a good relationship. And in fact, Mendoza won a Grammy for his arrangements.

[Alison Stewart]

Here's a question for you. How much did her being Canadian inform her music and perspective? Thank you. That one calls from. That text is from Mary.

[Ann Powers]

That's a great. That's a great question about Joni in general. I think it's always present in her music, her Canadian ness, both in that it gives her kind of an outsider view of the scene, especially in her LA life, you know, but also, I've always thought about her voice and almost like her accents and, you know, that Canadian ness that remains in her voice. And just to hazard a theory, I think that in a strange way, it allowed her to avoid a trap that a lot of white American singers fall into, which is imitating black vernacular almost irresistible when you're doing this kind of material as well. And she never. She never once did that, even though she certainly did other things that were crossing some racial lines, but she never did that. She developed her own timbre, her own sort of enunciations. And in this, I think she's really entering a space of that. You know, you walk into a bar and there's someone at the piano, and there she is, the seasoned bohemian who's singing us a few songs you wanted to play.

[Alison Stewart]

You've changed. Why did you pick this out in particular?

[Ann Powers]

Well, I do think this is a great example of where Joni let herself go on this album. Vocally, it's a pretty dark lyric, and the arrangement reinforces the darkness of the song. And I think her more weathered voice really works perfectly with this. I just want to say, send out flowers to Marianne Faithfull, who passed away recently, another singer who gifted us with the beauty of her older voice, you know, throughout the second half of her life. And this song kind of fits in like I could have heard Marianne covering as well.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's listen to youo've changed it.

[Joni Mitchell]

You'Ve changed. That sparkle in your eyes is gone. Your smile is just a careless yawn. You're breaking my heart. You've changed.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's take a call. This is Mary in Westchester. Hey, Mary, how are you?

[Caller]

I am doing fine. Today's my birthday.

[Ann Powers]

Happy birthday. You know what? My birthday was just a few days.

[Caller]

Ago, so happy birthday, fellow Aquarian with the criers. Actually, this is almost like my theme song as a kid from the South Bronx to now a mom, grandma, great grandma and a widow. I certainly now look at life from all different sides. But you know what? I'm still moving. Mr. Right Foot, Mr. Left Foot gets me around. And there's still more adventures ahead. So that's the way I have to look at things.

[Alison Stewart]

First of all, happy birthday to you. Thank you so much for calling. We really appreciate it. I hope you have a great, great day. Let's talk to Perry from Massachusetts. Hi, Perry. Thanks so much for calling. You're on the air.

[Ann Powers]

Hi.

[Caller]

Thanks so much for taking my call. I wanted to call in because I would not be who I am today were it not for Joni Mitchell, this song, these albums. I ended up with a 35 year touring care as a musician and a guitar player. And really listening to her music was an entire education. We talk about whether she's a folk singer or a jazz singer. The answer is, I think for me that she's unclassifiable and that what she taught any of us who came up behind her as musicians is that we could make our own path and sing what we sing and write what we write and that it was going to be okay and that if it was musical and had a musical message, that that was enough. And I'm eternally grateful for her leadership in that way.

[Alison Stewart]

Thank you so much for calling. Did you want to respond?

[Ann Powers]

Yeah. Well, that was a beautiful, beautiful story to share of how you were inspired by her and you made your own career as a singer and a player. I think it's important to say that Joanie doesn't, you know, this is a record that's putting her out as a vocalist and she's working with an orchestra. She does have some of her favorite bandmates on this record, though. Wayne Shorter is on this record. Herbie Hancock is on this record. And I always want to celebrate Joni not only as an instrumentalist, a guitarist, but as a band leader. And that I want to stress that for this record, Both Sides now, she and Larry, their true partnership really shows, you know, that she is always in charge. Joni Mitchell doesn't walk from one room to, to another in her house without being in charge. She is always in charge.

[Alison Stewart]

Joining me for this edition of Silver Liner Notes is Ann Powers, NPR music critic and author of Traveling on the Path of Joni Mitchell. Tomorrow is the 25th anniversary of Joni Mitchell's album Both Sides Now. We'll have more after a real quick break. This is all of it.

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[Alison Stewart]

You are listening to all of it on WNYC. I'm Alison Stewart. This is Silver. Liner notes. Tomorrow is the 25th anniversary of Joni Mitchell's album, Both Sides Now. With me is NPR music critic. All right, we're gonna listen to Both Sides now, but first, how does it take on new meaning on this new album?

[Ann Powers]

Say that again? Sorry, you took that for a second.

[Alison Stewart]

Oh, that's okay. How does it take on new meaning in the two sets?

[Ann Powers]

Both Sides Now.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah.

[Ann Powers]

Yes. Okay. So it's remarkable that Joni Mitchell wrote this song in her 20s. I mean, imagine, you know, being that young and writing a song that pretty like as an earlier caller said, you know, can stand at the end of your life and really, really or at the later years of your life and, you know, really encapsulate what it means to live a full life. But now at this point when she records this song, I mean, you know, she was she was mid in midlife. She wasn't in as she is now in her 80s. But she she really could sing it realistically, she could sing it as someone who had seen life from so many sides. So I think the combination singing it in a different timbre, singing it with this arrangement that shows that it is a standard and singing it from her own experience really changes the meaning. It fulfills the song. It brings the song to its culmination.

[Alison Stewart]

Well, first, let's listen to the original version of Both Sides now, rows and.

[Joni Mitchell]

Flows of angel hair and ice cream castles in the air and feather canyons everywhere. I've looked at clouds that we.

[Alison Stewart]

And let's listen to the 2000s version.

[Joni Mitchell]

But now they only block the sun. They rain and they snow on everyone. So many things I would have done but clouds got in my way.

[Alison Stewart]

So beautiful to hear them back to back.

[Ann Powers]

Oh, it's so. It's incredible. It's a life story. And you know what's interesting, Allison is watching all of Joni's comeback appearances that she's made. And you mentioned she just did two more at Clive's party. And at the Fire Age tribute, she's singing the later arrangement. Like, this is the one that she feels connected to still. It's the one for her.

[Alison Stewart]

This is an interesting text that we got. Love her. And Judy Collins version of Both Sides now. Curious to me that Big Yellow Taxi is the song that is done with a popular. With the younger generation. I would have thought Both Sides now would be that song she's most known for. Maybe when they're older, they'll get it.

[Ann Powers]

I think they get it now. I mean, it's true that Big Yellow Taxi win. Counting Crows and Vanessa Carlton did their version. It was a huge smash, and it brought the song back. I do think also Case of youf, which she does on this record, is a beloved song by many younger people that I know. That song is just such a rapturous account of desire and, you know, romance. Maybe it takes you a little time to live this song. You know, maybe it takes you a little time to relate. I'm not surprised that it resonates the most with people over, say, 40.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's listen to A case of you while we have it.

[Ann Powers]

Yeah.

[Joni Mitchell]

I am a lonely painter. I live in a box of paints. I'm frightened by the devil and I'm drawn.

[Alison Stewart]

That's the 1971 version. Let's listen to the 2000 version.

[Joni Mitchell]

I remember that time that you told me you said, love is touching souls. Surely you touched mine. Cause part of you pours out of me in these lines from time to time.

[Alison Stewart]

So fun. We play them back to back.

[Ann Powers]

I love it. I love it. And, you know, this was a brave. I mean, do you hear the like, think about the courage it took to sing this song in that new voice. Because that, I mean, both Sides now is one thing, but Case of you, that's a very challenging song. You know, there's leaps in that song that are. That she had to figure out how to make those leaps in a different way.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to Al from the Rockaways. Hi, Al. Thanks so much for calling in and joining us on the air.

[Caller]

Hi, Allison. Thank you so much for taking my call. Oh, gosh. I'm, like, overwhelmed, you guys playing those songs. She just brings me to tears. She's so amazing. I just wanted to add to the conversation. Years ago, when the biography by David Yaffe, Reckless Daughter, came out, I bought it and I read through it while I listened to Joni's songs and her albums chronologically. As I was reading about them being made and everything that went where she was in her life when she was making this music. I was listening to the albums in order, and it was just an amazing experience. And I got to know her music in such a unique way. And I highly recommend it for anyone who is a Joni Mitchell lover. And I also just want to say that I first heard the album that we're talking about. I've heard Both Sides now when I watched Love. Actually, just that scene. That scene with Emma Thompson, it still breaks. I mean, it's a problematic movie in many ways, but, like, that scene with Emma Thompson just broke my heart open. Yeah. Anyway, I am loving this segment, so thank you so much for it.

[Ann Powers]

Well, thank you for that. I have to say, please do read David Yaffe's wonderful biography, Reckless Daughter. And I'll also say that many readers of my book Traveling have said they've done the same things. So I think this is something to think about when you're reading any music book. You have the tools. You can make your own soundtrack to your reading experience. And it's a very enriching thing to do.

[Alison Stewart]

She mentioned Love. Actually, it's the movie where Alan Rickman has given Emma Thompson a piece of jewelry. It's not for her. Well, she thinks it's for her. It's not for her. The song Both Sides now is also on the soundtrack. The climactic moment of the Best Picture winner, Coda.

[Ann Powers]

Yes. Yes. Beautiful version in that.

[Alison Stewart]

How do you think it's placed in our pop culture today?

[Ann Powers]

Well, it's. You know, it is a standard. And it puts me in mind of another standard I've been thinking about recently. Cause I've been writing a little bit about the Beatles. And, you know, the song Yesterday, another song covered by so many people. Paul McCartney has said, famously, that he woke up with that melody in his head and he thought someone else had written it. And he actually didn't record it for so long because he. He thought someone else had written it and he was plagiarizing someone. And I think Both Sides now has that same feeling. It's such a universal melody and experience expressed in the lyrics. And it's a simple song to sing in some ways, but you have to bring a lot of depth to it. So that's why I think it survives. And you talked about love, actually, where it's kind of. It plays a literal role in that movie. It's Emma Thompson, a kind of buttoned up person, saying, oh, but I have this depth of feeling and I've had these experiences in coda. It's a very different. It serves a very different function. It's a young woman who is choosing to sign the song for her deaf parents as she performs it, as well as singing it. And you see it from that youthful perspective, and you almost see it as a standard. It's a song that crosses generations. So I think filmmakers can find what they need in this song.

[Alison Stewart]

This text says, I'm in my late 50s and my kindergarten teacher used to have all the kids. Both sides now, along with her, let's talk to Tom from Long Island. Hi, Tom, you're on the air.

[Caller]

Hi. Thanks for taking my call. I'm calling in connection with one of Joni Mitchell's songs, Chelsea Morning. And she wrote that back in 1967. She was living on West 16th street in Chelsea. I was a student at a Catholic high school, boys high school across the street. It was all military back then. It was run by the Jesu. And she lived across the street at 61 West 16th. I never knew this back then. I think she just signed her first contract that year. She wasn't famous yet, but I learned a story within the last year. I looked it up, documented it several places on the Internet, and actually found a video of her talking about the song when she was introducing it up in Toronto way back when. But there's a line in the song, woke up, it was a Chelsea morning and the first thing that I saw was the sun Threw yellow curtains and a rainbow on the wal wall, et cetera. And she said that she hung the curtain because to keep the boys from the high school across the street from looking in the. They weren't coming right up to the window, but I guess they noticed that there was a pretty girl living on the ground floor there across the street.

[Alison Stewart]

Across you from Xavier.

[Ann Powers]

That's where they were.

[Alison Stewart]

That's so funny.

[Ann Powers]

That's amazing. That's so funny. What a great story.

[Alison Stewart]

We're gonna play I Wish I Were In Love Again real quick and we'll talk about it on the other side.

[Joni Mitchell]

The sleepless nights the daily fights the quick to bargain when you reach the heights I miss the kisses and I miss the bites. I wish I were in love again.

[Alison Stewart]

Why did you want us to play that?

[Ann Powers]

Well, I, you know, I think it was Robert Crisco, the great music critic and my spiritual dad, who said in his review of this record that this song Joanie must love because it has lyrics that kind of perfectly suit her sensibility. They're very rye, they're funny. It reminds me of her own songs, like her lyrics for Mingus when she wrote songs, lyrics for this, you know, Mingus composition, goodbye Pork Pie Hat. There's a playfulness to this song that she just totally connects with. And also a song that famously was recorded by Frank Sinatra on his album A Swinging Affair. And I think you can see a correlation between this album, Both Sides now, and Sinatra's late work. Sinatra also gave us the gift of his older voice, you know, and a kind of a gravitas that enters into his performances later in life. And I know, I'm sure she's thinking of Sinatra when she's delivering these lyrics.

[Alison Stewart]

I've been speaking with NPR music critic Ann Powers. Read her book Traveling on the Path of Joni Mitchell. Thanks for the time, Anne, Always a pleasure.

[Ann Powers]

Thank you so much, Allison.

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