Court And Spark

ターニングポイントともなった74年6枚目がMOBILE FIDELITYから限定ナンバー入りハイブリッドSACD仕様で登場!

フュージョン系ミュージシャンを重用し、フォーク、ロック、ジャズのまさに文字通りのフュージョンとなった本作は、音楽的にもよりポップさを増しセールス的にも4週連続全米2位と大成功を収めた一枚。それまでどおりの研ぎ澄まされた伸びやかさに加え、力強いバックの演奏と共に暖かさが格段に増した音像は、JONIの数ある最高傑作のひとつとも言われます。自身のボスで生粋の業界人DAVID GEFFENについて皮肉めいて書かれた"FREE MAN IN PARIS"や、全米7位とJONI史上最高のヒットとなった"HELPME"など、明るくユーモアのあるJONIを堪能できる名盤!

Joni Mitchell reached her commercial high point with Court and Spark, a remarkably deft fusion of folk, pop, and jazz which stands as her best-selling work to date. While as unified and insightful as Blue, the album -- a concept record exploring the roles of honesty and trust in relationships, romantic and otherwise -- moves away from confessional songwriting into evocative character studies: the hit "Free Man in Paris," written about David Geffen, is a not-so-subtle dig at the machinations of the music industry, while "Raised on Robbery" offers an acutely funny look at the predatory environment of the singles bar scene. Much of Court and Spark is devoted to wary love songs: both the title cut and "Help Me," the record's most successful single, carefully measure the risks of romance, while "People's Parties" and "The Same Situation" are fraught with worry and self-doubt (standing in direct opposition to the music, which is smart, smooth, and assured from the first note to the last). ~ Jason Ankeny