Joni Mitchell - professional muse

You know Joni Mitchell from 'Big Yellow Taxi'. You know, 'they paved paradise, and put up a parking lot'. She is a great folk singer who is quite a weird chick also, but the great ones usually are. I was watching 'Joni Mitchell: Woman of Heart and Soul', and you should Netflix it. Since it is Christmas, you really need download or buy 'River' from her. It is the best and most awesomg song about winter and the holidays ever. It being a Joni Mitchell song, by the way, so it is super depressing.


Know what Joni says about depression? "chase away the demons, and they will take the angels with them". That is good shit, my friend. You could say "we are given the bad to appreciate the good", but that is tedious and obvious. This is why Joni is such a prize, what beauty she emits out of every pore. Have you heard her song 'Coyote' from 'The Last Waltz'?


Interesting, Joni's music isn't the reason I wanted to right today. I realized that Joni is the inspiration for so many great songs. James Taylor's 'Something in the way she moves' is about Joni. Crosby, Stills, & Nash' 'Our House' is about Joni's relationship with Graham. Long story longer, Joni Mitchell may be the most important woman in music. Oh yeah, another cool thing about Joni > she is super independent. She does things her way, and though a cliche... it is super true with her. Small example, when her record company asked her to do a greatest hits package, she agreed. However, the deal was they had to release a companion album. She picked her favorite songs that she thought were underrated. That was released together and called 'misses'.

Can you name someone with as much influence, unique style, and staying power? I submit not.

Just wanted to say, Thanks Joni!

update 1.7.2014 - things have changed in the nearly ten years since wrote this.