How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Outstanding
Value for Money
Advantages:
None
Disadvantages:
None
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
This collection came out in 1996, and it try's to put together the more popular of her tracks,with the likes of an artist like Joni Mitchell no collection that a record company puts out is going to cover such a long and varied recording career as hers. The "Hits" compilation tries to cover the more popular tracks from Ms Mitchell. The more interesting album is the "Misses" collection released at the same time as this one.
The songs presented here have been re-mastered by the artist herself supervising the process, as a "HDCD" (high definition compact disc), giving the tracks a rich warm sound that brings out the detail that was lost in the previous pressings of her albums on C.D.
The problem I have with this anthology is that the tracks are not in Chronological order. The running order is all over the place historically, we start with an early recording from 1967 "Urge for Going". Then from the 1969 album "Clouds" comes "Chelsea Morning" then from the key album "Ladies of the Canyon" from 1970,the most popular tracks of her career "Big Yellow Taxi”,” Woodstock" and "The Circle Game" can be heard. The songs "Carey" and "California" from the huge album "Blue" from 1971 are next in the running order, followed by the 1972 cut from "For the Roses" album "Turn me on I'm the Radio", then from the 1974 release "Court and Spark" the next 3 tracks are taken "Raised on Robbery" "Help Me" and "Freeman in Paris" so far so good. Then for some strange reason the complier has put a track from "Blue" next,” River" should be after "California" as they are from the same seminal Joni Mitchell release "BLUE".
The listener then fast forwards to the 1982 collection "Wild things run Fast”, in this song Joni marries her own words "Chinese Cafe" to the classic "Unchained Melody" giving the listener a wonderful hybrid of a track.
The following track is lifted from the underrated 1991 album "Nigh ride Home", "Come in from the Cold" this track was released as a single edited version, but here the listener is treated to the full album cut and then to close the collection we jump back to "Clouds" from 1969 with the exquisite song "Both sides Now".
This I can kind of forgive with the superb improvement in the overall sound, it's maybe me but I like to listen to tracks in correct running order to hear the progression of an artist. The trouble with this collection is it brings to your attention how poorly the rest of her albums sound on C.D. Can we the public have the rest of Joni Mitchell’s back catalogue re-mastered to this standard or better ASAP...
Hits - Joni Mitchell
She has only had a few bona fide hits, but after almost 30 years, she's finally delivered
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a 15-song compilation of her signature songs that will be a CD point-of-departure for casual fans and newcomers well into the new millennium. The companion Misses...
Hits -
She has only had a few bona fide hits, but after almost 30 years, she's finally delivered
... more
a 15-song compilation of her signature songs that will be a CD point-of-departure for casual fans and newcomers well into the new millennium. The companionMissesv...
HITS
Personnel: Joni Mitchell (vocals, acoustic guitar, guitar, dulcimer, piano, electric
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piano, keyboards); James Taylor (acoustic guitar); Robbie Robertson, Jose Feliciano, Larry Carlton, Steve Lukather (electric guitar); Larry Klein (guitar, bass, percus...
