Joni Mitchell is the greatest artist of the 20th Century

I just wanted to finally say it.

i disagree

With all respect to another person's opinion, I disagree on many levels. But, whatever...

I just wanted to finally say it.

Well, she's certainly one of them.

i disagree

Me too - despite how much I like Blue and Court and Spark (which would be a great deal).

but, just not enough stuff at that level. Dylan's been going since the early sixties and still putting out great stuff. (Yes, lots of it wasn't and some of that may be in a different century etc.) But anyways, Joni's great. Was it great live? I dunno. Does that matter? She's certainly an enduring influence - you can hear Joniesque artists today. But, for many of them, that is not a good thing. Not Joni's fault perhaps.

I dunno - Elvis, Dylan, Muddy Waters, Aretha, even Carole King as a songwriter and artist.

This is not to take anything away from Joni at all. Did I mention I think she's fantastic and if I'm exiled somewhere I hope I get to take Blue (and possibly Court and Spark) with me? Good. We're just gonna have to agree to disagee.

Cheers,
Geoff

Where do you put Paul McCartney? And I'm not even a Beatles fan.

I lean more towards Miles Davis, who was the greatest jazz man of his time, decade after decade after decade.

I just wanted to finally say it.

I'm glad you got that off your chest. Keeping stuff like that bottled up is not healthy.

Excellent performer, singer, songwriter. Greatest in a century, nah.

She's on my short list and definitely one of a kind.

Big fan of Joni. Always have been.

btw: Chocolate is the "greatest" ice cream flavor and green is the "greatest" color of the 20th century.. (see how silly that statement was too)?

She's pretty good.

That's all I really need from an artist, that "greatest" thing isn't of much interest to me.

She's a talent but geez i think she'd struggle to make it into the top 150 greatest artists of the 20th Century

Well, at least she did collaborate with the greatest musician of all time, Pat Metheny.

Where do you put Paul McCartney? And I'm not even a Beatles fan.

I lean more towards Miles Davis, who was the greatest jazz man of his time, decade after decade after decade.

I don't think McCartney makes the list at all, at least as a solo.

I'm listening to Joni's "Court and Spark" right now..and I'm reminded of how inspiring and influential she is to me..

..I'm also thinking about ordering my favorite delivery pizza tomorrow night, because pizza is the greatest food of the 20th century.

I don't think McCartney makes the list at all, at least as a solo.

Yeah, what was I thinking? :roll: Not a first rate artist.

Joni is one of the greats along with Dylan, no doubt. Think of any other female singer/songwriter & Player who has been as prolific, influential and plain special in various genres, if you can you tell a lie.

I have been enjoying Travelogue lately, the songwriting stands up to time and re-interpretation. Only Billie Holiday comes close to having the same timeless creative power.

well, I agree about pizza

She's a talent but geez i think she'd struggle to make it into the top 150 greatest artists of the 20th Century

Huh?

I would rather disagree with this, than disagree that she's the greatest.

I think it is unfashionable to admit how much of an impact she had. I don't think the 21st Century has been a good one for her at all, but that doesn't make me forget all she's done.

greatest artist of a century?

what are we... like 10 years old?

C'mon GB! I may not agree with this assessment, but these kinds of topics are fun!


(maybe I'm just in touch with my inner child?)

Now we know.

I just like to make pithy comments right before I go to bed.

I gotta go with Pablo Picasso.

greatest artist of a century?

what are we... like 10 years old?

mentally im still about 15

I gotta go with Pablo Picasso.


I think she's got old Pablo beat.

http://jonimitchell.com/paintings/byyear.cfm

"I'm a painter first, and a musician second" - Joni Mitchell, 1998

I think she's got old Pablo beat.

I imagine she would agree with you.

I loved Joni back late 60s to mid 70s. But I wouldn't go that far.

I think we're still searching for the greatest artist.

No, it's true, just ask her.

She's a talent but geez i think she'd struggle to make it into the top 150 greatest artists of the 20th Century

I saw an interview with David Crosby where he specifically put Joni above Dylan and said that in 100 years, Joni's the one people will be talking about, not Dylan. I don't necessarily think that's true but in my opinion she's miles ahead of Dylan in the talent department. I don't even think it's close.

Greater than, say, Vanilla Ice?

I think she's got old Pablo beat.

http://jonimitchell.com/paintings/byyear.cfm

"I'm a painter first, and a musician second" - Joni Mitchell, 1998Hm.

I'll assume this is one of those mild sarcasms that whooshed by my head.

No, it's true, just ask her.

Now *that's* the Joni Mitchell I briefly met once and immediately disliked -- as good as she is, nobody is as good as she thinks she is.

It's funny, I only have one of her CDs and I virtually never listen to it, but I have had the thought that there may be more genius in her art than any other musician of my lifetime.

oh c'mon, everyone knows justin beiber is the greatest....beiber fever!

greatest artist of a century?

what are we... like 10 years old?

No, a hundred years old!

I'd select Captain kangaroo over her any day.

not in my opinion...

I will say that "Clouds" is a great great song and that Court and Spark is a really good record

Amazing singer songwriter. And drop dead gorgeous back in the day.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y228/Scotty111/jm0008.jpg

No, no, no.

Chad Mitchell.

I've got two Joni Mitchell albums. Court and Spark, and Blue. I think I might have owned Hissing Of Summer Lawns once, I forget.

She's a little behind 'Greatest Canadian Artist of the 20th Century' after Cohen and Young, never mind Greatest Artist of the 20th Century in her own right :wink:

She's definitely in the A Team with a dozen or so others. Greatest might be pushing it though

I like Joni alot but u just cant measure art, everybody is not doing the same thing in the same place at the same time, music is not the long jump or the 100 meter breaststroke, its not the olympics where on a different day the results can vary. Artist r more like kisses, I'm not gonna try to explain it, I'm gonna enjoy it and hope they keep coming or even lead to something even more interesting.

I appreciate you guys pointing out how ridiculous it is to talk of greatness, and I agree. You'll have to excuse me for just thinking out loud, late at night, and a couple of brewskies....

Anyway, I love Joni and while I've never met her personally I wouldn't expect her to act any differently than any other jaded rock star out there but I think she is totally awesome!!!!

Miles of Aisles is as close to perfect as a live album can get.

Everybody that says they can't "measure" art is a sissy.




Keep on making pithy comments, somebody's gotta do it!

In fact, I'm going to make one right now!



There's A Riot Goin' On is the best album of all time

(oh, and I've been drinking, so take this with a pound of salt)

Amazing singer songwriter. And drop dead gorgeous back in the day.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y228/Scotty111/jm0008.jpg

Eh... even back in the day. As a friend of mine put it recently, she could eat an apple through a chain link fence. And she is notorious for her nasty comments about other artists and... virtually everything else.

Hissing Of Summer Lawns was a HUGE influence on me. Showed me that all "boundaries" in pop music -- lyrical, stylistic, etc. -- were just nonsense.

I think Crosby is right. In 100 years, Dylan's work will probably seem like period pieces. Joni will seem timeless.

Anybody agree?






no?

I agree. I'm a huge fan. Intelligent, thoughtful and well crafted lyrics lyrics with unforgettable melodies.

She always did her own thing and stuck to her guns. I would say she is one of the greatest of the century, although I don't everyone will agree. But I like her and in my world that's all that matters!

After seeing Wileyone's post (photo),
I'm ready for the Kool-Aid, she may be the greatest!

First of all ---> TDPRI

But...
Please...
really...?

NO.

A real icon of the 60's. Every 17 year old girl in North America wanted to look like and sing like Joni.

I saw an interview with David Crosby where he specifically put Joni above Dylan and said that in 100 years, Joni's the one people will be talking about, not Dylan. I don't necessarily think that's true but in my opinion she's miles ahead of Dylan in the talent department. I don't even think it's close.

I agree, it's not even close - Dylan couldn't touch her from a vocal or musical standpoint. As poets is the only place you can compare them, then Dylan wins just on sheer volume. Joni is by far a superior musician, singer and arranger though. I agree she's one of the century's best. Her voice can make the hair on the back of my neck stand up, tears well in my eyes and brain work over time.
Hell, it can even make me happy. The only time my hair stands on end when Dylan sings is lin a bad way.

But I love Dylan's poetry and writing, where he's got Joni beat.
However she's got him beat by a mile when it means combining music with poetry and delivering it. Dylan's might be more accessible for the masses, but Joni's is more artistically rich. But remember, it's art, which is purely a matter of opinion. Who would be more critically acclaimed by other players? That's a question you might ask yourself. Would anyone choose Dylan to sing one of their songs? Highly doubtful. Is an artist just about writing? Or the combination of musical prowess, writing, composing and vocal ability?

For the entire combination Joni wins by a mile on vocal talent alone.
Dylan wins by a mile as a poet, Leonard Cohen is closer than Joni.

Come on, Napoleon. Like anyone can even know that.

i guess it would depend on what's on the pizza.

I love Joni and did once have this opinion. Now I'm less interested in who's better or superior than someone else, and just glad that there's a lot of good stuff. Who cares if Joni or Dylan's better? I am glad we have them both.

Joni is one of the greats along with Dylan, no doubt. Think of any other female singer/songwriter & Player who has been as prolific, influential and plain special in various genres, if you can you tell a lie.
I mostly agree with this, but why restrict it to females? Take the work female out and I agree wholeheartedly.

"Think of any other singer/songwriter & Player who has been as prolific, influential and plain special in various genres, if you can you tell a lie."

"Ice Cream Castles in the air" why thar tis boys, words like that don't grow on trees.

Ah but I'm a "sweet talkin' ladies man"... Help Me... puleeease

All just Circle Games on a Two Lane Blacktop if ya'r to be askin'.

Joni M. best Smoothly professionally produced and promoted female middle aged blond semi serious folk singer on acoustic guitar of the mid 20th Century.

Hissing Of Summer Lawns was a HUGE influence on me. Showed me that all "boundaries" in pop music -- lyrical, stylistic, etc. -- were just nonsense.



You could say the same about Steely Dan's 'Can't Buy a Thrill'.

Which Joni may or may not have leaned on for inspiration. Couldn't say.

"Ice Cream Castles in the air" why thar tis boys, words like that don't grow on trees.

Ah but I'm a "sweet talkin' ladies man"... Help Me... puleeease

All just Circle Games on a Two Lane Blacktop if ya'r to be askin'.

Jodi M. best Smoothly professionally produced and promoted female middle aged blond semi serious folk singer on acoustic guitar of the mid 20th Century.

That appraisal might carry more weight if you'd managed to spell the lady's name correctly :wink:

A real icon of the 60's. Every 17 year old girl in North America wanted to look like and sing like Joni.

Well, yeah, but in the same way that guys who design clothes to make women look like 13-year-old boys would probably like a girl...:wink:

Joni is beautiful, no?




I mean, absolutely, right?

No. Absolutely, no.

what folk songstress do you find attractive E-Merl?







She looks like a knockout in that picture to me

what folk songstress do you find attractive E-Merl?







She looks like a knockout in that picture to me

The ones who bathe and shave. Which means, NONE OF 'EM...:twisted:

And the ones who can sing...

Don't care much for her voice..

It takes a village, dood!

Forgot about Mama Cass...

No accounting for taste .....:roll:

I think blanket statements like that are pretty invalid considering the wealth of talent that came up somewhat earlier and around the same time she did.

The Beatles and Bob Dylan come to mind.

Eh... even back in the day. As a friend of mine put it recently, she could eat an apple through a chain link fence. And she is notorious for her nasty comments about other artists and... virtually everything else.

The buck teeth were always a turnoff.

Seriously, great singer, great songwriter, just not my cup 'o tea.

Its a good thing she had those buck choppers, otherwise she would've been too beautiful. With the emphasis of today so oriented on exteriors, from plastic surgery, shaved body parts, hair extensions, fake boobs and bleached crappers, those teeth lent her some humility.

I was making an observation about teen age girls of the sixties. Personally, back then I wanted every 17 year old girl in North America to look like [and who cares,sing like] Raquel Welsh:wink:

notdave... wait till your eyes get old, you'll think all the ds look like ns too... actually thank you, I repaired that, it is important to spell her name correctly... it was not really a slur anyway... I like her, just no where near the '"greatest".

A good Short list
EmuyLou
Lucinda Williams
Joan Baez,
Stevie Nix

hope I spelled all the names right:twisted:

notdave... wait till your eyes get old,

Tell me about it brother. I have a large print keyboard :wink:

I'll pass on both her and her music.

History will place her above Dylan? I seriously doubt that.

I saw an interview with David Crosby where he specifically put Joni above Dylan and said that in 100 years, Joni's the one people will be talking about, not Dylan. I don't necessarily think that's true but in my opinion she's miles ahead of Dylan in the talent department. I don't even think it's close.

I saw that interview. He also said that he felt the Monkees were all incredibly talented musicians who had been miss-labeled as a bunch of second rate actors who didn't even play on their own records. He closed by saying in 100 years we'd all be dead.

I believe he's still right that in 100 years will all be dead.

How about no?

As a Singer/Songwriter, she definitely is among the best.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/billn1959/JoniMitchell001.jpg

I think Crosby should be allowed to talk.
But I think anyone who listens to him should be dismissed out of hand.

Mitchell is the worst kind of sad.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/apr/23/bob-dylan-joni-mitchell

:sad:

I think she's on that list for sure. And near the top. Probably just under Bon Jovi.

I think she's on that list for sure. And near the top. Probably just under Bon Jovi.

http://www.figure.fm/cgm/ecommerce/figure/images/large/403406f7816c19d39f5b6bd8142e47c0.jpg?1310750173

I think Crosby should be allowed to talk.
But I think anyone who listens to him should be dismissed out of hand.

I agree bro'

Except he should only be allowed to talk when he's alone in the woods. :wink:

I finally started a thread that went 3 pages

:mrgreen:

I finally started a thread that went 3 pages

:mrgreen:

Congratulations! I've never accomplished that.

I'll add that there was a time that I liked Joni's music a lot, but eventually I got turned off by her relentless narcissism, which I think comes out in her songs. Undeniably a major talent in spite of that. I wish I'd written as many good songs.

Hey McG, just do some more drunken posting before bedtime, I'm sure that would do the trick!:grin:

I bet she's a tiger in the sack...
"Fibres in a variety of colors protrude out of my skin like mushrooms after a rainstorm: they cannot be forensically identified as animal, vegetable or mineral. Morgellons is a slow, unpredictable killer – a terrorist disease: it will blow up one of your organs, leaving you in bed for a year."

One of, but not the.

Hey McG, just do some more drunken posting before bedtime, I'm sure that would do the trick!:grin:

I wouldn't say drunk, but inspired. I was watching some YouTube videos titled "From the Byrds to the Eagles" and somehow the thought came into my mind.

Haha! That's a good one! I think I may get inspired later today!

I finally started a thread that went 3 pages

:mrgreen:

Easy, just make any kind of absolutist but contentious statement online haha.
So easy, like this:

America is the worst country in the world.

Or America is the best country in the world.

Music after 2000 is the best ever.

Or Music after 2000 is the worst ever.

Boneyguy wears ladies underpants.

Or Boneyguy definitely wears ladies underpants.

Who is this Johnny Mitchell?

I think Crosby should be allowed to talk.
But I think anyone who listens to him should be dismissed out of hand.

I've learned some real useful, insightful stuff from guys who are pulling your leg 85% of the time.

The parallel is inaccessible music. It is a challenge to sift through a lot of mistake filled garbage and find some incredible gems. It is like prospecting. There's wealth there, you just have to sift though a lot of "soil" to get to it.
And the learning how to distinguish what's worth taking to heart and what is not is a skill we don't value enough, I think.

No, the much more dangerous thing is getting into a rut, confident that your source will give you only fully vetted, checked out solid gold wisdom, and then there's a mistake in there and you're in front of the United Nations and you're full of it and you don't even know. Crosby is your friend, because you simply must do your own processing and you know it.