Joni Mitchell Miles of Aisles (Vinyl, Asylum Records, 1974, 2022 reissue) ****
Joni Mitchell Rolling Thunder Revue (Vinyl, Rhino Records, 2025) ****
Genre: Pop, folk rock
Places I remember: JB Hi Fi
Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Home To Us (Macca)
Gear costume: Both Sides Now (Joni)
Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Home To Us (Macca)
Gear costume: Both Sides Now (Joni)
Active compensatory factors: These three albums came from a recent spending spree at JB Hi Fi during their 20% sale. That takes away some of the pain of paying nearly $90 for a new slice of vinyl (that was the price on the new McCartney album).
There aren't too many artists still around who I make a special hour journey to the record store for, to buy their latest album on the day of release. Macca is certainly one. His latest is The Boys of Dungeon Lane. The boys he refers to are his mates back in Liverpool's Speke district, where he grew up.
The whole album has a lovely nostalgic vibe about it - from the cover illustration that leans on a street sign from the Speke district, to an inner sleeve with copious photos of John Paul George and Ringo plus others (such as Brian, Mike McGear, and Neil Aspinall), to Ringo's appearance on one track - Home to Us, a real standout. I'd love to hear a complete album of songs like this - with both of them playing and singing up a fab storm.
It also sounds absolutely current thanks to Andrew Watt's presence and Paul's brilliance (he plays most of the instruments and obviously is the main writer). Yes, his vocal abilities as he approaches his mid-eighties aren't what they used to be, naturally, but he still sounds recognisable and full of vitality. This won't be his last studio album, I'm sure.
Joni Mitchell released her first ever live album, Miles of Aisles, in 1974. For some bizarre reason, it's taken me until 2026 to buy a copy. Bizarre because I love Joni and I've always wanted a copy of this album. When it was re-released four years ago it was priced well above my comfort level. so when I spied a new copy for $50 (with JD's 20% reduction) it was time to finally make the purchase.
Tom Scott's jazz fusion band (LA Express) are a perfect foil for Joni at this point, in between Court and Spark and The Hissing of Summer Lawns. That is balanced by half of the album being Joni alone with her guitar - so, you get the best of both worlds.
Joni's Rolling Thunder Revue was a Record Store Day album that is of historic significance. She hitched aboard Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue and this album includes material she was working on for Hejira (my favourite Joni Mitchell album). Two reasons why I enjoyed the album immensely.
Where do they all belong? Full credit to the delights of JPM and Record Store Day releases!
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