I think we all could use some sleep

Continuing my trip up Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time...

#258 : The Hissing Of Summer Lawns - Joni Mitchell (1975)

Joni Mitchell got deeper into glamorous L.A. groove theory on her seventh album, reveling in the possibilities of pure melody for a set of songs where her genius as a producer shines just as brightly as her writing. “In France They Kiss on Main Street” bids farewell to the rock & roll era in a blaze of freewheeling, jazzy joy; “Harry’s House/Centerpiece” frames a story of a loveless high-society marriage in supper-club swank. The rest of the pop world would take years to catch up to where she was here.

Joni Mitchell is another artist I've heard more about than of - "Big Yellow Taxi", "Both Sides, Now" and "River" are the only songs of hers I recognise that I know, all of which I like so I'm not entirely sure why I've not investigated further.  Until now.  Firstly, let me say I really like this album's title - it's instantly evocative (if not entirely relevant to the current state of my snow-bound winter lawn).  But what about the music?  Well, I quite liked it although I wouldn't describe it as immediate - it all feels a bit too smooth and effortless in places, although the warmth of her voice does shine through.  It feels like it would need several more listens for me to get into it - which might happen, but it's not top of my list currently.

Wikipedia doesn't have an awful lot to say about the album but does include this beauty "On "The Jungle Line", Mitchell is credited with the first commercially released song to include sampling, featuring a loop recording of African musicians."  Admit it, you'd NEVER have guessed that, would you?!?  It also tells us that Prince was a huge fan of this album - again, not something I'd have guessed. Her Wikipedia entry gives a further list of obvious and not so obvious celebrity fans - Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Dave Gilmour, Fish and Madonna.  I just hope no-one's ever made her listen to Hole's cover of "Both Sides Now" though - believe me when I say no-one needs that in their life.  I was intrigued by the section on her guitar style, which tells how she uses an open tuning and has composed songs in 50 or so different tunings (Wikipedia rabbit hole alert) - apparently this resulted in much frustration when playing live until a friend invented a remotely retunable guitar for her.  And there's a lot of love out there on the internet for her guitar skills, which was something I was previously unaware of.  

"Customers also listened to" Laura Nyro, Tim Buckley and Rachmaninov (apparently she has often mentioned Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini).  I've certainly not been scared off Ms Mitchell and am looking forward to hearing more of her stuff, but I didn't immediately love this one as much as I was expecting to.  It's a bizarre album cover though - and apparently her house is highlighted, which seems hard to imagine people doing these days!

#257 : Coat Of Many Colors - Dolly Parton (1971)

Dolly Parton’s starkest, most affecting album. The title track is about wearing rags but keeping your pride. “That was a very sad and cutting memory that I long kept deep within myself,” she said of the song in a 1977 Rolling Stone interview. “I remembered all the pain of it and the mockery.” The rest is more hard country: On “Traveling Man,” Parton’s mom runs off with the singer’s boyfriend; on “If I Lose My Mind,” her boyfriend has sex with another woman in front of her.

I've no problems admitting I'm a fan of Ms Parton (yes, I was there at Glasto and it was GREAT!) - but maybe more as a fan of her personally than of most of her music.  However, one track I do really like is "Coat Of Many Colors" - it fits very neatly into my "female singer-songwriter story-lead songs" bracket.  The rest of the album is, as Rolling Stone says, more hard country - not totally my thing, but not hateful either.  "Traveling Man" is a peculiar song - for the first half she's sneaking away from her mom to meet up with this guy and then, all of a sudden, he runs off with her mom.  Obvious really.  One thing I don't particularly like about this album is the high levels of vibrato in her voice which set me off trying to find a version of "Coat Of Many Colors" I liked more - I think Shania Twain won (both singly and with Dolly) but Billy Connolly deserves a special mention for unexpectedness (I was expecting to like Eva Cassidy's version but it was just too dull!).

Wikipedia doesn't have a great deal to say about the album apart from the startlingly informative "The album was reissued on cassette in Canada in 1985".  You do have to wonder at the review processes involved with some of these pages.  Dolly's page is unsurprisingly slightly longer, but to be honest I paused at "She has composed over 3,000 songs" and thought about that for a minute - after careful consideration, I've decided that is a lot of songs.  She's basically an all-round good egg (her charitable foundation has given away over 100 million books, she's given millions for AIDS research, she's been a very early campaigner for all kinds of equality), she's been married for 54 years (before he retired, he ran a road-surfacing company and has only once seen her in concert) and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, she secretly executive produced Buffy, The Vampire Slayer (and Buffy and her share the same birthday!).

"Customers also listened to" Emmylou, Tammy and Loretta - I can spot a common theme running through their work.  All in all, this was more enjoyable than I was expecting given it's not really my thing, but I can't say I'll be massively keen to rush back to it.  But I'm still a fan of Dolly the person!

#256 : Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman (1988)

Somehow, this young folk singer came out of nowhere to catch everyone’s ear during the hair-metal late Eighties. Tracy Chapman had already spent time strumming her acoustic guitar for spare change on the streets around Boston, but her gritty voice and storytelling made “Fast Car” a huge hit. Her debut confronted listeners with the raw truths of songs like “Behind the Wall,” a grueling portrayal of domestic violence sung a cappella, and the radical hope of the anthemic opening track, “Talkin’ Bout a Revolution.”

Wow - 1988.  Was it really that long ago?  I had this on cassette and listened to it a lot in my knackered old Ford Fiesta that I drove at the time - but hadn't revisited it in years, so was pleased to be reminded to do so.  And it's still as fine an album as I remember it - simple songs, delivered well, often delivering their own little story - most effectively on "Fast Car" and, devastatingly, on "Behind The Wall".

Wikipedia doesn't have an awful lot to say about the album - other than noting it did OK with 20 million sales globally - 6 million in the US and 2,668,869 in the UK.  Some very careful counting going on there.  Her page is more interesting and has cleared up a mystery for me.  I remember her appearing from nowhere on the Nelson Mandela concert and just taking off from there - and it was weird because I thought she appeared more than most at the concert which I felt I must have made up because why would they give her more time given all the famous people who also played?  Well, Wikipedia explained that I didn't make it up - she played twice because, as Wikipedia puts it, "Stevie Wonder walks out ".  Which isn't entirely fair - he couldn't play because someone lost the hard disc with all his synth music on it (which was only discovered as he was walking on to the stage for a previously unannounced appearance and he left in tears, although he did return later).  So, who could step in at 2 seconds notice - Tracy and her guitar!  And the rest was history.  It's fair to say it's been a history with a downward trend, but given where it started I suspect she's not massively surprised (and hopefully reasonably happy) with that.

"Customers also listened to" a bizarre mix - Sinead O'Connor, Chris Isaak, Extreme, Phil Collins - the list continues in similar fashion.  My guess would be that the album just struck a chord with those "people who don't like music" - but I'm pleased they liked it and hopefully they found some other music they liked as a result.  I want those people to be happy!  And I was extremely happy to listen to this album again.

Well, I tell you I'm scared to offend any of these strong ladies so I'll explain that they're all fine albums, but I have to give it to Tracy for the memories it holds - and hopefully Joni and Dolly will find that acceptable.

#261-259 - As far as I can tell, The Slits never went to Colombus
#255-253 - At last, the poor men get a chance