| Product: |
Turbulent Indigo - Joni Mitchell |
| Date: |
03.04.08 (44 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: tuneful melodies powerful lyrics in a consistent collection of songs
Disadvantages: not everyones cup of tea, some may find the album a bit samey
Turbulent Indigo is an album by the fabulous Joni Mitchell. I bought my album from amazon about a year ago and it cost about £7 including post and packaging. (It was an "Excellent Condition" used album) This album has become one of her most critically acclaimed releases. It won two Grammy's in 1996, one for best pop album, winning over Madonna, Mariah Carey and Annie Lennox. The second was for the recording package. The paintings in the sleeve are beautiful - they burst not with simply indigo but with magnificent coulours and shapes. The album was released on October 25, 1994. This is certainly one of Joni Mitchell's rawest, to-the-core/bone albums and I think how much you like or don't like it depends partly on how much rawness you can take.
As far as Joni's folky -sounding stuff goes, I absolutely love the album "Blue". I will probably review it at a later date. However, this album almost matches it. Turbulent Indigo is said to be her best album in over 15 years and I completely agree. ("Blue" was written in 1971 may I add.) It seems that the wear-and-tear on Joni's voice have only added to its character. Time and cigarettes normally do vile things to your voice (so I'm constantly being told as an actor/singer) - but Joni Mitchell has managed to make an exception and has defied nature. (She smoked from the age of 9! How is this even possible?) By the early nineties, her voice matured into a lower, sultry tone compared to earlier works. In this album her voice is deep and husky in places, quiet and tranquil in others. My only pickle is that she doesn't use a huge vocal range - high notes are few and far between. In saying that she stays where she is comfortable and thats fair doo's - maybe she doesn't need to demonstrate at age 64 she can still hit a top C.
Joni Background info
I'm in awe of this musician. I don't want to bore you with facts etc, but I personally think she is utterly fascinating. She was born 1943 in Canada and thinks she would have been athlete if things had gone to plan. However she was struck by a number of life threatening illnesses at a young age including polio, chick pox and scarlet fever. The singing began when she was in a hospital room with 6 year old boy who was very sad - she sang to try and cheer him up. But the boy told her to shut up! So her very first fan at the age of 9 was a heckler! As a teenager, she taught herself ukulele and, later, guitar and began performing at parties, which eventually led to busking and gigs playing in coffeehouses and other venues. Painting was her real love and passion and when she went art school, she paid for her fees and fags via music. After leaving art-college in June 1964, she left her home and moved to Toronto. Joni also found out that she was pregnant by her college ex-boyfriend, and in 1965 she gave birth to a baby girl. A few weeks after the birth, Joni married folk-singer Chuck Mitchell and another few weeks later she gave the baby up for adoption. In the summer of 1965, Chuck Mitchell took Joni with him to the U.S. However, the marriage and partnership of Joan & Chuck Mitchell ended after a year and a half. So after giving up her baby and finishing her marriage she poured her heart and soul into music that helped define a generation. In the 1970's she was an artist with the right voice right time.
Turbulent Indigo
Turbulent Indigo reflects her thoughts on a troubled world and the music pitches and rolls appropriately. Joni uses some really organic-sounding, symphonic sound effects that completely enhance the sound rather than mess with it. It's a Alternative, Folk jazz genre and The album lasts about 43 minutes. Joni Mitchell found her inspiration for this album from the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh for her own self-portrait on the cover. It's a weird album in the sense that, I hadn't realised it was so dark and melancholy until I listened to the lyrics. It's all hidden in the lyrics. You know that way sometimes you can listen to music without actually LISTENING to what it's saying. But the utter brilliance of this album doesn't make you want to slit your wrists or start popping the pills. I was happily singing along to "The Sire of sorrow" not that long ago in the supermarket, minding my own business up the fish ailse (as you do) and I hadn't even given the lyrics a second thought until I heard myself sing "Let me speak, let me spit out my bitterness, Born of grief and nights without sleep and festering flesh... what have i done to you? That you make everything I dread and everything I fear come true?" well, all I'll say is that I hadn't noticed I was singing so loud...the old lady next to me seemed most offended! There is a theme throughout the album about people who hide behind masks of morality. Several songs lead always to this theme, and that of the observer who can only observe in silence, silenced by what their eyes see - quite ironic really that the old lady I met up the fish ailse was tutting and shaking her head when she heard me singing.....Its a supermarket not a library! and she had a purple rinse through her hair which at the time I did think was rather unfortunate....sorry I digress.
The songs
Each song is like a painting. So many layers and textures and more detailed than you first think. Each of these "Paintings" work together to create one solid masterpiece of a CD. Like most of her albums, the whole is dependant on the collaboration of the contents. These are not random individual songs without order. They are chapters in a book- put on one song, and the "prose" can be ached and awknowleged. Choosing a song from "Turbulent Indigo" is like choosing your favorite Van Gogh Painting-they are all so wonderfully individual in their own right.
1) Sunny Sunday - This is a real silky jazz number and it eases you in gently to the album. Basically a woman tries to shoot out a street light with a pistol and misses every night - a metaphor for an individuals struggle to fight against civilization. I love the tranquil guitar intro - it lures you into a sense of security. Wayne Shorter's soprano sax screams out during the bridge which seems to represent the rising tension of the scene - utter genius! It's a bit like a sound scape this song and each time I listen to it there is something else I discover, pure magic!
2)The song "Sex Kills" refers to a number of late twentieth century issues including violence, global warming and consumerism. With a title like that, its got something important to say! A generalized criticism about everything, Joni takes it all on - from lawyers to the hole in the ozone layer. It has a metallic backing that is utterly perfect for the lyrics. The music creates a kind of clattering of an alley, it's so vivid. Such a powerful track. When you close your eyes and listen to this song you can hear so many things going on. It's open to interpretation as well. It's art and only when you listen closely to the detail and close your eyes can you hear the amount that is involved.
3)"How do you stop" Great song-Joni rarely does other writers' material which means when she does, it's particularly meaningful. HOW DO YOU STOP and it was released circa 1986. This apparently was written by Dan Hartman (of I Can Dream About You fame) in 1986. From what I know of him he wrote it from a personal place he knew a lot about. It's an incredibly moving song.
4)The song "Turbulent Indigo" specifically addresses the madness of Van Gogh, an inability to understand artists. Being a painter herself I think this number is partly about how people don't understand her either.The title song laments the ignorance of the world at large regarding what it takes to be an artist. Artists aren't manufactured, they are born. They are then shaped by time and experience. This is my favourite track - it has a kind of lullaby bridge "oh what do you know about living in turbulent indigo?" It's explores contrast and pace. Can be listened to anywhere - my preference is on a Sunday morning whilst tidying the flat - this tune playing loud as poss and your laughing. The beat of the guitar and sax in the background does have a tendency to make me dance too though (a waltz is very appropriate) so you have been warned.
5)"last chance lost" - about a romantic disappointment. I love the make up of this song. She has been really clever in her use of poetry techniques . eg. repetition for emphasis. The her music really seduces you, drawing you into her world of pain and sorrow. Like all of the songs on this album this one really reaches something inside you. Love, love, love the guitar music in this song too.
6) "Magdalene Laundries" about the sufferings of Irish women once consigned to Magdalen Asylums run by the Roman Catholic Church and made to work in the asylum's laundries. The synthesized elements in the backing help to pack more of an emotional punch, the electronic wailing in this song has to be one of the album highlights. It's a sad a beautiful ballad. The spaces in this particular number are as important as the notes, simple arrangements that support and enhance the words. I love this number because it is so rich and full of a deeper truth.
7)The song "Not to Blame" was rumored to be about Mitchell's singer-songwriting colleague Jackson Browne and his then girlfriend, actress Daryl Hannahd. (Joni denies this is what the song is based on though) The song is about a famous man who beat his wife to death, but everyone just said "She was out of line, you're not to blame," and Joni questions why, saying "Not one wet eye around her lonely little grave said 'He was out of line girl, you are not to blame.'" Really painful theme, incredible arrangements.
8)"Borderline" I absolutely love this song. It's about how everything seems to have a borderline, everything has boundaries nowadays. It's such a relevant song in current society. With lyrics like "You snipe so steady / You snub so snide / So ripe and ready / To diminish and deride! / You're so quick to condescend / My opinionated friend / All you deface, all you defend / Is just a borderline" She has so many complex ideas going on and she expresses them using quite complex phrases - I personally think that this kind of complexity is frequently absent in pop - rock music. Lets have more of it.
9)"Yvette in English" This is a song that might be considered weak by some, but rolling melody's around the lyrics to make this such a fabulous listen.
10)"The sire of sorrow" basically about a man whose livelihood has been taken away by some unnamed "tireless watcher". I presume God? But at the same time, the fantastic guitar work with Joni harmonizing with herself is so easy on the ear. Swooping melodies and amazing lyrics. So powerful and honest, few songwriters could write with such blunt and honest language. It is powerful, depressing, dark and sad and scary and wonderful. Fabulous closure to the album.
Other dudes involved
Jim Keltner- Drums
Larry Klein - Organ, Bass, Producer
Michael Landau - Guitar (Electric)
Greg Leisz - Guitar
Joni Mitchell - Bass, Guitar, Producer, Art Direction
Seal - Vocals
Wayne Shorter - Sax (Soprano)
Carlos Vega - Drums
To conclude.........
The low key music really and restrained vocals contrast the powerful lyrics. It shows us a disturbing view of modern life made all the more potent by the hushed presentation. All the tracks have a stand-out quality with few words to translate meaning. A great album, but I highly doubt it will be everyone's taste.
Thanks for reading
Summary: Fabulous work of pure art.
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