Product Description

With all the artistic milestones behind her, Joni Mitchell would seem to have attained the kind of iconic status that allows her to do whatever she damn well pleases. Previous to TRAVELOGUE, her last album consisted almost entirely of standards from the Great American Songbook. This time around, she decided to revisit two discs' worth of (mostly) her more obscure material from various stages of her career, with fullorchestral accompaniment. From a lesser artist, such indulgences might scream (or at least whisper) "loss of direction". Leave it to an artist of Mitchell's stature, however, to make such an ostensibly questionable move pay off in spades.
As it turns out, the asymmetrical, artsong-like aspect ofMitchell's more progressive compositions lends itself so well to orchestral arrangements that you'll be hard pressed toremember what tunes like "Otis and Marlena" (from DON JUAN'S RECKLESS DAUGHTER) or "Cherokee Louise" (NIGHT RIDE HOME) sounded like in their original versions. Though there are a couple of Mitchell's staples included here, one of the most striking achievements of TRAVELOGUE may be the way it renovates the reputation of some of the tunes from Mitchell's lesswell-regarded '80s efforts. Okay, Joni, you've pulled it off; now will you give us another batch of new songs?

Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Otis and Marlena
2. Amelia just like
3. You dream flat tires
4. Love (I Corinthians 13)
5. Woodstock
6. Slouching towards Bethlehem
7. Judgement of the moon and stars (Ludwig's tune)
8. Sire of sorrow (Job's sad song)
9. For the roses
10. Trouble child
11. God must be a boogie man

Disc 2:

1. Be cool
2. This train sex kills
3. Refuge of the roads
4. Hejira
5. Chinese cafe/Unchained melody
6. Cherokee Louise
7. Dawntreader
8. Last time I saw Richard
9. Borderline
10. Circle game

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #27341 in Music
• Released on: 2002-11-25
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Enhanced

Amazon.co.uk Review
Travelogue finds the incomparable Joni Mitchell sticking to a format that worked so well on her previous album. However, where Both Sides Now took a series of American standards, hitched them up to a 70-piece orchestra and gave them her own quirky twist, with Travelogue she has applied the same technique to her own back catalogue. Recorded in London's Air Studios with an orchestra, 20-voice choir and key players such as Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, this double CD is a moving reinterpretation of her most significant songs. There is "Woodstock", for instance, now sounding filmic and expansive; and "Hejira", softened by strings. Mitchell avoids schmaltz, however, with a rigorous, jazz-inspired approach. "God Must Be a Boogie Man", for instance, has a sense of Miles Davis's languid cool, while "For the Roses" sounds vibrant and edgy. On this record Mitchell explores memory and nostalgia, but without a hint of regret. --Lucy O'Brien

Customer Reviews

Truths rather than slogans, emotions rather than sentiment. A true artist at work
This CD is sublime. A re-recording of assorted gems from Joni's back catalogue, all with orchestra (with lush, but not saccharine arrangements by Vince Mendoza), and many with accompaniment from such greats as Wayne Shorter.

I would not especially recommend this as a starting point for a new listener, but for a devoted fan of old, it is a total joy to hear her re-visit old material, and bring to it new shades of nuance and meaning.

Because her lyrics are genuinely poetic, crafted and thoughtful, they accquire additional depth and resonance for this (47 year old) listener, when filtered through my own experiences over the last thirty odd years, and as sung by Joni in her -now heavily Malboro stained- voice.

The songs on this CD represent a body of work full of truths rather than slogans, and emotions rather than sentiment, which endure and actually improve with age, rather than dating.

That would make Joni a member of a very, very small club within popular music: A true Artist.

A true genius and a full orchestra - it just not get better
I came to Joni late, being of the punk generation who were supposed to sneer at old hippies. 'The Hissing of Summer Lawns' turned me around and this album sealed my love for her. It's just pure class from beginning to end - as simple as that. Lyrics that blindside you with their insight at 4am, married to music that makes you want to hug strangers.

Joni may not have the octave-spanning soprano of old anymore, but the older, wiser voice is just as seductive. You feel you can learn something from this person.

Highlights include the double emotional punch of 'Refuge of The Roads' closely followed by 'Hejira'; the heart-tugging child abuse drama of 'Cherokee Louise': the weary reflections on growing old that is 'Chinese Cafe' (which includes a seamless segue into 'Unchained Melody') and the lyrical masterclass of 'Amelia'.

To listen to this album is to remind yourself of the possibilities of popular music; to not accept the lazy and formulaic, but instead to embrace the visionary and poetic. Take the time to listen and absorb and it will stay with you.

If this is to be Joni's swansong, then there is no better way to go out. If only I was older.

A masterly re-working of the back catalogue.
I've been a fan of Joni Mitchell for years. I love the combination of her distinctive voice, thoughtful lyrics and accomplished musicianship, but I haven't really kept up with her more recent albums. I did buy Both Sides Now, but while I appreciated the musical arrangements, I didn't really connect with the songs.

Travelogue was a welcome, if unexpected revelation. Joni's voice has matured and lost some of it's range at the top end, but has developed a deeper and more weighty quality. The vocal style is more restrained, but no less vibrant, and she sings with precise diction and careful phrasing. Retaining the intensely intimate and personal quality that she brings to her best work, the overall effect is a richer, more poignant style which is perfectly complemented on Travelogue by a lush orchestral backing.

The songs are well-chosen to make the most of the combination of voice and orchestral arrangement, and display her formidable qualities as a lyricist. Few song-writers have her ability to write intelligent, intensely personal lyrics that resonate with the listener so effectively. The "standards" that she covers on Both Sides Now seem shallow and lightweight by comparison, and some of the tracks on Travelogue are profoundly moving.

Travelogue is a masterpiece, full of beautiful, thought-provoking songs with an orchestral backing that emphasises the depth and intensity of the lyrics. I've listened to it time and time again and it keeps getting better. Thoroughly recommended.