Search - Joni Mitchell :: Dreamland

A self (and well) chosen introductory sampler

Siriam | London United Kingdom | 11/08/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After the mixed blessings of the prior separate CDs "Hits" and "Misses" one might wonder what this latest compilation will achieve. The answer (with some personal doubts) is a great one stop compilation of Joni's best cuts as chosen by the lady herself and remixed with great clarity (especially in the instrument separation). Combined together with a neat package of her paintings (better than the usual good and bad mix), notes by Cameron Crowe and full lyrics and track details this is the best starting point if you are new to the music and for longtime fans I would venture a better memory than her recent boxed set of Geffen recordings.



The order of the tracks is great in showing what an adventursome musical journey she has made, covering all her best known recordings though the choice of specific tracks will inevitably see indivdual longtime fans disappointed (how they could ignore anything from "Turbulent Indigo" plus use the recent orchestral version of "Both Sides Now" in preference to the original would be my doubts).



Best of all it shows the range of consistent and varied songwriting Joni achieved and will hopefully be a very simple answer to refute the "ice lady" image she has unfairly been tainted with over the years."

Overview of the Best

Siquomb | Dayton | 09/18/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dreamland is an overview of one of the finest bodies of work in popular music. It is not necessarily, in my opinion as a long-time Joni Mitchell fan, the best of the best, but it does offer a pleasing and, especially for the casual fan, more than adequate sampling of Mitchell's indescribably eclectic musical adventure. The most essential hits (Help Me, Free Man in Paris and Big Yellow Taxi) are here, along with two songs originally from Mitchell's magnificent masterwork Hejira (Furry Sings the Blues and Amelia, the latter being a beautiful and lushly arranged reinterpretation from the Travelogue album). The majority of the tracks here are upbeat, sing-along tunes, just the sort one would expect on a best-of collection. While some long-time fans are whining about the release of another compilation, they should note Dreamland is not produced for them as much as for the broader public, for people who don't already own every last Joni Mitchell album (yet). This Rhino collection is about exposing more people to Joni Mitchell's music, and there is certainly nothing wrong with that."

A Masters Work.......

J. Bilby | Kingston, New Hampshire United States | 09/14/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Get with the real world.....this is a fantastic reminder of

what is sorely missing in music these days. This collection

spans so many memories, what a treasure chest of some

of the greatest music that came from such simple beginnings and evolved into one of the greatest musical

geniuses male or female but she's done this her way and

has lived the ups and downs of the music world. Its nice

to get to revisit an old friend and these choice nuggets

although I could piece them all together with my Mitchell

collection, its nice to see Joni's name on the hot sellers

list again and getting what she deserves. With so many

so so artists selling millions of records with one song

Joni gave us millions of memories, so many songs, year after year and never really exploded except for Court and Spark? she did it her way and

paved the way for so many, she deserves the respect of

all the greats from the past.. If you have all the songs and

it bothers you do see Joni Mitchell reintroducing herself

to a whole new generation of music lovers, don't buy it

but if you seek out some of the freshest, interesting, melodic

music you can buy, this is as good a place as any to

experience Joni Mitchell. Give her a break. Joni Mitchell

doesn't have to prove anything to anyone, these chestnuts

speak for themselves!"