Both Sides Now (Joni Mitchell album)

Last updated
Both Sides Now
Joni Mitchell-Both Sides Now.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedFebruary 8, 2000
Recorded1999
Studio AIR Lyndhurst Hall, London
Ocean Way, Los Angeles
Genre
Length51:35
Label Reprise
Producer Joni Mitchell, Larry Klein
Joni Mitchell chronology
Taming the Tiger
(1998)
Both Sides Now
(2000)
Travelogue
(2002)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Robert Christgau A− [3]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]

Both Sides Now is a concept album and studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell that was released in 2000. It is her 17th studio album. The album won two Grammy Awards in 2001 for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) for the song "Both Sides Now" and a Juno Award for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year.

Contents

Background and release

The album traces the progress of the modern relationship through Mitchell's orchestral renditions of classic jazz songs. Two of her own songs are included: "A Case of You" (1971) and "Both Sides Now" (1969). The orchestra was arranged and conducted by Vince Mendoza.

In the liner notes, co-producer Larry Klein describes the album as "a programmatic suite documenting a relationship from initial flirtation through optimistic consummation, metamorphosing into disillusionment, ironic despair, and finally resolving in the philosophical overview of acceptance and the probability of the cycle repeating itself".

A limited run of copies was released on February 8, 2000, in chocolate box packaging for Valentine's Day with several lithographs of Mitchell paintings. A jewel case edition was released on March 20, 2000.

On tour, Mitchell performed the songs in the same sequence as the album, but she opened with the overture "Nuages", the first movement from Nocturnes , an orchestral suite composed by Claude Debussy. "Nuages" is the French word for "clouds". Although the music sets a romantic mood, the use of this piece can be seen as a pun since Clouds is the name of the album on which the song "Both Sides Now" made its appearance.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."You're My Thrill"lyrics: Sidney Clare; music: Jay Gorney 3:52
2."At Last" Mack Gordon, Harry Warren 4:28
3."Comes Love" Lew Brown, Sam H. Stept, Charles Tobias 4:29
4."You've Changed"Bill Carey, Carl Fischer5:00
5."Answer Me, My Love" Fred Rauch, Gerhard Winkler; English lyrics: Carl Sigman 3:23
6."A Case of You"Joni Mitchell5:52
7."Don't Go to Strangers" Redd Evans, Arthur Kent, David Mann 4:10
8."Sometimes I'm Happy" Irving Caesar, Clifford Grey, Vincent Youmans 3:58
9."Don't Worry 'bout Me" Rube Bloom, Ted Koehler 3:49
10."Stormy Weather" Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler3:07
11."I Wish I Were in Love Again" Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers 3:36
12."Both Sides Now"Joni Mitchell5:45

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Both Sides Now
Chart (2000)Peak
position
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [5] 19
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [6] 63
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [7] 20
Scottish Albums (OCC) [8] 70
UK Albums (OCC) [9] 50
US Billboard 200 [10] 66

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [11] Gold100,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

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References

  1. 1 2 Ruhlmann, W. "Both Sides Now". allmusic.com. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  2. Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0195313734.
  3. Christgau, R. "Robert Christgau: CG: joni mitchell". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  4. Moon, Tom. "Joni Mitchell: Both Sides Now : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on January 24, 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  5. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 9828". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  6. "Offiziellecharts.de – Joni Mitchell – Both Sides Now" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  7. "Norwegiancharts.com – Joni Mitchell – Both Sides Now". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  8. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  9. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  10. "Joni Mitchell Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  11. "British album certifications – Joni Mitchell – Both Sides Now". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 15 October 2021.