• Heavyweight 180-Gram Vinyl
• Cut from the Original Analog Masters
• Reissue with Packaging Replicated to the Finest Detail
• Gatefold Cover with Lyrics Printed Inside
A1: Court And Spark
A2: Help Me
A3: Free Man In Paris
A4: People's Parties
A5: The Same Situation
B1: Car On A Hill
B2: Down To You
B3: Just Like This Train
B4: Raised On Robbery
B5: Trouble Child
B6: Twisted
Features the cream of LA’s session musicians next to stoner comedians Cheech and Chong.
Court And Spark was a huge leap forward. Joni brought in uber-talented musicians and produced the best sounding album of her career.
It oozes class – each song full of musicianship accompanied by Joni’s layered vocals soaring and swooping. It opens on the beautiful piano refrain of the title track. Larry Carlton’s guitar licks and sweet brass jabs interplay throughout the chipper Help Me and Free Man In Paris sees Joni ruing the “star maker machinery” – ably aided in her efforts by David Crosby and Graham Nash on backing vocals.
But that pales against the magical People’s Parties, which documents the awkwardness of being in company when you’re vulnerable. It segues into more lyrical honesty and brilliance with The Same Situation – the band feeling like an early incarnation of Steely Dan. Wayne Perkins provides guitar on the funky-soulful Car On A Hill and Joe Sample’s delicacy on the piano opens the beautiful Down To You.
The sound lifts into the stratosphere for Just Like This Train – lovers counted like railroad cars, and Robbie Robertson lends his guitar to the funky Raised On Robbery. The album closes out with two more grooves – Trouble Child and the analyst “right out of my head” jazz of Twisted.
Few artists elicit whispers of worship in every circle – but Joni does. This amazingly accomplished album reveals exactly why.
"Wrapped in a beautiful painting from Mitchell, Court And Spark was rapturously received, and would end up being her biggest selling album, going platinum, and earning her three Grammy nominations. The subsequent tour for the album, which saw Mitchell rejuvenated and playing with a fierce funk in her feet thanks to LA Express, was documented on the Miles Of Aisles double set. In Europe, she would share the stage with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; really, 1974 was a year spent mostly on the road. But her music was already changing shape, no doubt thanks to the ongoing influence of her backing group, but most likely as part of her ongoing quest to find the most supple and invigorating ways to frame her songs. While it was her biggest success, Court And Spark also stands as the beginning of Mitchell's most experimental phase-by making stronger connections with jazz musicians, who opened up what she was able to do with song form, she was being enabled to make the massive strides forward on The Hissing Of Summer Lawns, Hejira, Don Juan's Reckless Daughter and Mingus."
- Jon Dale, Uncut Magazine, 2017
Arranged By – Joni Mitchell (tracks: B1, B2), Tom Scott (tracks: B2)
Arranged By [Strings] – Tom Scott
Art Direction, Design – Anthony Hudson
Backing Vocals – Cheech & Chong (tracks: B6), David Crosby (tracks: A3, B2), Graham Nash (tracks: A3), Joni Mitchell (tracks: A3), Susan Webb (tracks: B2)
Bass – Jim Hughart (tracks: B5), Max Bennett (tracks: A1, A2, A5 to B4, B6), Wilton Felder (tracks: A3, A4)
Chimes – Milt Holland (tracks: A1)
Clavinet – Joni Mitchell (tracks: B2)
Composed By, Written-By – Joni Mitchell (tracks: A1 to B5)
Cover, Painting – Joni Mitchell
Drums, Percussion – John Guerin
Electric Guitar – Dennis Budimir (tracks: B5), José Feliciano (tracks: B3), Larry Carlton (tracks: A1 to A5, B2, B3, B6), Robbie Robertson (tracks: B4), Wayne Perkins (tracks: B1)
Electric Piano – Joe Sample
Engineer – Henry Lewy
Lacquer Cut By – HL, ST
Mastered By [Mastering Engineer] – Bernie Grundman
Photography By – Norman Seeff
Piano – Joni Mitchell
Trumpet – Chuck Findley (tracks: B5, B6)
Woodwind, Reeds – Tom Scott
Written-By – Ross (tracks: B6), Grey (tracks: B6)
Label: Rhino Records, Asylum Records – 81227986186
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, 180 Gram, Gatefold
Country: UK & Europe
Released: 2013
Genre: Jazz, Rock
Style: Soft Rock, Pop Rock, Jazz-Rock
Model Number | M22535 |
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RRP | 59.00 |