SONG OF THE DAY
“Woodstock” by Joni Mitchell (Miles of Aisles (Live Album), Asylum Records, 1974). Written by Joni Mitchell.
WHY TODAY?
My old* friend Michael from high school was ruminating on facebook about Ash Wednesday and how fortuitous it was for “Woodstock” to play on the radio yesterday, with its lines “we are stardust” and all (*sorry about the old, but my 10 year high school anniversary is this year, so, yes, “old” is now the appropriate word. Forevermore). Anyhow, as it turns out, Michael and I were both raised by hippie fathers on the sounds of the 1960’s, and Joni Mitchell/ Cat Stevens/ CSNY/ or just Neil Young are equally his childhood memories as they are mine. Cool. Our friendship finds yet another facet to grow in, yet another thing we have in common* (*except Love Actually. We won’t ever have that in common, I’m afraid, though my favorite Joni Mitchell album, Blue, does play a prominent role in the film). ANYHOW….
Michael and I agreed that Miles of Aisles was awesome and the best, and worthy of blogging. Besides, this is my favorite version of this epic song (better than CSNY live at Woodstock or in the studio, better than her mellow studio version, etc.). This version rocks the high holy days and gets us right back to the garden. Rock on.
INTERESTING FACTS (a la wikipedia)
– Miles of Aisles is a 1974 double live album by Joni Mitchell backed by the L.A. Express, recorded on the Court and Spark tour.
– It reached #2 on the charts and became one of her biggest-selling records.
– Four years after “Big Yellow Taxi” stalled at #67 on the charts in its original studio version, the live version heard on Miles of Aisles was released as a single and reached #24 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, becoming Mitchell’s fourth top 40 hit and continuing her commercial hot streak at the time.
-Track listing (All tracks composed and arranged by Joni Mitchell):
- “You Turn Me on I’m a Radio” – 4:09
- “Big Yellow Taxi” – 3:09
- “Rainy Night House” – 4:04
- “Woodstock” – 4:29
- “Cactus Tree” – 5:01
- “Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire” – 5:23
- “Woman of Heart and Mind” – 3:40
- “A Case of You” – 4:42
- “Blue” – 2:49
- “The Circle Game” – 6:29
- “People’s Parties” – 2:42
- “All I Want” – 3:21
- “Real Good for Free” – 4:27
- “Both Sides Now” – 4:14
- “Carey” – 3:30
- “The Last Time I Saw Richard” – 3:35
- “Jericho” – 3:26
- “Love or Money” – 4:50
– The Double-LP has a length of 78 min.
– Personnel: Joni Mitchell – vocals, guitar, dulcimer, piano; L.A. Express: Robben Ford – electric guitar, Tom Scott – reeds, winds, Larry Nash – piano, Max Bennett – bass, John Guerin – drums, percussion
– Recorded at the Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, California 14 – 17 August 1974, the L.A. Music Center, 4 March 1974 (track 5) and the Berkeley Community Center, 2 March 1974 (track 13).
Hippie likes.