Track Listing

1. Court And Spark
2. Help Me
3. Free Man In Paris
4. People's Parties
5. Same Situation
6. Car On A Hill
7. Down To You
8. Just Like This Train
9. Raised On Robbery
10. Trouble Child
11. Twisted

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1579 in Music
• Released on: 2004-09-20
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .37 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Painter-turned-folksinger Joni Mitchell had slipped stark saxophone solos into her prior album, For the Roses, and her singing had often hinted at a capacity for bluesier fare than her guitar- and piano-framed confessional ballads offered. None of those hints prepared fans for this sudden, expansive shift towards a much larger canvas--a sleeker, orchestrated pop style pulsating with jazz elements. Court & Spark found Mitchell casting aside her earth mother affectations and revealing herself as the thoroughly modern, thoroughly complicated woman she is; the songs sustained familiar preoccupations with relationships but replaced courtly settings and naturalistic imagery with recognisably modern locales. Deeply romantic, constantly questioning, classic tracks like the title song, "Help Me", "Free Man in Paris", "Same Situation" and "Raised on Robbery" display a more liberated Mitchell, ready to rumble with unbridled electric guitars (guest Robbie Robertson on "...Robbery"), even willing to poke fun at her own oh-so-sensitive rep with a hip cover of Annie Ross's hilarious "Twisted". --Sam Sutherland

CD Description
COURT AND SPARK completed Joni Mitchell's transition from folk-singer to sophisticated rock auteur. In addition to her meticulously crafted melodies and evocative, image-rich lyrics, the songs here are breezy and immediately appealing. This is in part due to Tom Scott's L.A. Express, a sinuous jazz-based combo, but also to Mitchell's knack for pop hooks, which abound on COURT AND SPARK. The album's accessibility made it Mitchell's most commercially successful, yet the personal intensity and insight of her songwriting never wavers.
"Help Me" was a hit single, as was "Free Man in Paris", an expansive pop frolic that is reputedly a dig at industry mogul David Geffen. Mitchell returns to the terrain of piano balladry on "The Same Situation" and "Down to You;" yet even on these, as on the excellent social satire "People's Parties", one can hear the influence of jazz on her vocal phrasing and intonations. The rock & roll romp "Raised on Robbery" and the bluesy, comic swing of "Twisted" mix things up a bit, showing the artist's increasing ability to master and manipulate any form. COURT AND SPARK is one of Mitchell's finest albums, confirming her standing--at long last--as one of the most important and subtle talents of the rock era.

Customer Reviews

PERFECT
If I was asked to recommend just one record in the entire world it would be this.The lyrics the musical accompaniment and that voice make this the complete package.This is Joni right in the middle of the most astonishingly creative period of any artist in the history of popular music. There is not a single weak moment on the entire recording with the absolute stand out track being Help Me which is simply joyful.The "didnt it feel good" refrain is my all time favourite section of any recording and the album is worth buying for this alone but remember the other tracks are also simply stunning. Do yourself a favour and buy this. I promise you that you will never regret it.

A Turn of the Wheel
Dame Joni entered a new phase with "Court and Spark". Self designed album sleeves and deep, confessional lyrics were already a stalwart, but additional elements were added to the mix on this effort. Jazz pop inflections, musical departures that Mitch was eager to explore, flavor this offering, her most popular of this era.

As society spiraled down from idealistic utopia to self conscious anaylsis, Joni never failed to deliver. " Help Me" the only single of her career to break the top ten, sets the tone for the album's concept, the power of love verses the desire for freedom. " Free Man in Paris" is an interesting spin on the musings of David Geffen, perhaps the most ambitious start-up mogul to ever enter the industry.

"People's Parties" could be a snap shot from most social scenes. Excellent. "Same Situation" and " Down to you" seem to be the beginning and conclusion of the same book; doubt at the beginning of a relationship, confirmation in the end that all things are passing. The musical bridge in "Down to You" is amazing for what it says without the words; listen carefully and you'll hear the rise of anticipation, the fall of disappointment, and, finally, tentative optimism tempered with a dose of melancholy.

"Just Like This Train" is a simple song with a loaded message. Jealousy colors the best of love with a very unattractive green. "Twisted" is just the right ironic bit of humor needed to encapsulate, and lighten, the collection of songs. "Court and Spark" has been outstripped by " Blue" as the years passed, but the relevance of this recording is still fresh today.

An Unbelieveably Perfect Album
'Court And Spark' belongs to an exclusive club of albums that are as close to perfect as you're ever likely to find. Just like Carole King's 'Tapestry', with 'Court And Spark' it really is difficult to find anything that could be deemed insubstantial or filler.
Of course this takes great songwriting skills which Joni has managed to provide successfully over the years but the arrangements, musicianship and production also have to be spot on - which they are here, right down to the finest detail.
At this point in time Joni was working on a much larger canvas than in previous years and with the introduction of jazz elements to her folk sound (courtesy of Tom Scott) Joni recorded what is perhaps her most sophisticated album to date. A great many of the songs deal with the stresses of stardom ('Free Man In Paris') and personal relationships ('Court And Spark' the title track, 'Help Me', 'Same Situation','Down To You' amongst others). Her vocals on every track are also exquisite.
To those unfamiliar with much of Joni's work, compared with contempories like James Taylor and Carole King she lacks a little of their melodic traits although this is not altogether a bad thing. Her songs often stretches musical boundaries to a much greater degree with various textures and experimental flavouring. This can sometimes result in an album like 'Court And Spark' seeming a little disjointed on a first listen yet the true beauty of these songs soon shine through after repeated listens and they manage to stay in the conscience of the listener over a greater period of time. Joni also places greater emphasis on her often poetic and occasionally opaque lyric writing.
Ultimately, 'Court And Spark' is an album that many of Joni's contempories can only dream of.
It really is hard to find an album which sounds so complete as this.