Clouds (Joni Mitchell album)

Last updated

Clouds
Joni Clouds.jpg
Studio album by
Joni Mitchell
ReleasedMay 1, 1969 (1969-05-01)
Studio A&M (Hollywood)
Genre Folk
Length37:45
Label Reprise
Producer
Joni Mitchell chronology
Song to a Seagull
(1968)		Clouds
(1969)		 Ladies of the Canyon
(1970)

Clouds is the second album by the Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, released on May 1, 1969, by Reprise Records. After releasing her debut album, Song to a Seagull (1968), to considerable exposure, Mitchell recorded Clouds at A&M Studios in Hollywood. She produced most of the album and painted a self-portrait for its cover artwork. (The red flower is a prairie lily, the provincial flower of Saskatchewan.) Clouds has subtle, unconventional harmonies and songs about lovers, among other themes.

Contents

The album charted at number 22 in Canada and number 31 in the United States. It has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, for shipments of 500,000 copies in the US. Clouds was generally well received by music critics.

Background

After moving to New York City and signing to Reprise Records in 1967, Mitchell recorded her 1968 debut album Song to a Seagull with producer David Crosby. The album was a mostly acoustic set of songs, some of which were subsequently covered by more established singers such as Barbra Streisand. Consequently, Mitchell received more outside exposure and began to earn a strong cult following. [1]

Production

Mitchell recorded Clouds at A&M Studios in Hollywood and played acoustic guitar and keyboards; she was joined by Stephen Stills on guitar. [2] She produced all of the album's songs, except "Tin Angel", which was produced by Paul A. Rothchild. [3] She also painted the album's cover artwork—a self-portrait. [4]

Two songs, "Chelsea Morning" and "Both Sides, Now", had already been recorded by other singers by the time Mitchell started work on the album. [5] Mitchell wrote "Both Sides, Now" after reading Saul Bellow's 1959 novel Henderson the Rain King on a plane and drawing on a point in the novel where the protagonist is looking at clouds from a plane. [6] The coincidence inspired the song's lyric about looking at clouds from both sides as a metaphor for life's ambiguities and mysteries, as she explained in a 1967 interview, "I dreamed down at the clouds, and thought that when I was a kid I had dreamed up at them, and having dreamed at the clouds from both sides as no generation of men has done, one should be able to accept his death very easily." [6]

Clouds mostly features Mitchell's vocals and acoustic backing. [7] Songs on the album feature unconventional, subtle harmonies, particularly "Songs to Aging Children Come", [4] which employs chromatic harmonies. [8] For the 1969 film Alice's Restaurant by Arthur Penn, Arlo Guthrie, and Venable Herndon, "Songs to Aging Children Come" was re-recorded and performed by Tigger Outlaw in an arrangement for solo vocals and guitar as diegetic music during a funeral service. Mitchell's composition was seen as pivotal for the "extraordinarily cinematic" and "beautiful" character of the scene. [9] Mitchell was originally cast to perform the song herself, but declined after unsuccessful royalties negotiations with the film's producers. [10]

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [4]
MusicHound 3/5 [11]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Pitchfork 7.0/10 [13]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [14]
The Village Voice C [7]

Clouds was released by Reprise Records on May 1, 1969. [15] It peaked at number 22 on the RPM albums chart in Canada. [16] In the United States, the album charted at number 31 on the Billboard 200. [17] It won a Grammy Award for Best Folk Performance for 1969. [17] In a contemporary review, Robert Christgau of The Village Voice felt that "without David Crosby's production ... Joni's voice sounds malnourished, which it is." [7] He observed three "excellent" songs—"Roses Blue", "Both Sides, Now", and "Chelsea Morning"—but critiqued that the latter two "have been done better elsewhere", particularly Gloria Loring's cover of "Chelsea Morning". [7]

Clouds was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on August 28, 2001, having shipped 500,000 copies in the United States. [15] In a retrospective review, AllMusic editor David Cleary called Clouds an "essential release" and "a stark stunner, a great leap forward for Joni Mitchell", commenting that her vocals "are more forthright and assured than on her debut and exhibit a remarkable level of subtle expressiveness." [4] Although she found Mitchell "a bit too young and chipper to be singing about disillusionment", Pitchfork 's Jessica Hopper nonetheless viewed the album as a "landmark" for Mitchell and an "introduction to [her] real deal, shaking folk tradition and giving off a little humor and spirit." [13] Rolling Stone observed an "older-and-wiser tone" and "much-improved second album" after Mitchell's 1968 debut. [14] The magazine ranked the song "Both Sides, Now" number 171 on their list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. [18]

Clouds is considered a contemplative album by Rolling Stone. [14] David Cleary comments that songs such as "Tin Angel", "That Song About the Midway", and "The Gallery" present sketches of lovers, [4] that "I Don't Know Where I Stand" is about the uncertainty of new love, that "The Fiddle and the Drum" likens a warmongering U.S. government during the Vietnam War to a bitter friend, that "Roses Blue" discusses the misuse of the occult, and that "I Think I Understand" deals with mental illness. [4] Jessica Hopper from Pitchfork feels that, "lyrically, [Mitchell] was transitioning from the era's de facto hippie sensualism (colors! the weather! vibes!) to the classically prosodic style (Keats! Cohen!) she'd become known for." [13]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Joni Mitchell

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Tin Angel"4:09
2."Chelsea Morning"2:35
3."I Don't Know Where I Stand"3:13
4."That Song About the Midway"4:38
5."Roses Blue"3:52
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."The Gallery"4:12
2."I Think I Understand"4:28
3."Songs to Aging Children Come"3:10
4."The Fiddle and the Drum"2:50
5."Both Sides, Now"4:32

Personnel

Credits for Clouds adapted from liner notes. [3]

Charts

Chart performance for Clouds
Chart (1969)Peak
position
Canadian Albums Chart [16] 22
US Billboard 200 [17] 31
US Cash Box Top 100 Albums [19] 24

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [20] Gold50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [21] Gold100,000‡
United States (RIAA) [22] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joni Mitchell</span> Canadian-American singer-songwriter (born 1943)

Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her personal lyrics and unconventional compositions which grew to incorporate pop and jazz elements. She has received many accolades, including eleven Grammy Awards and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Rolling Stone called her "one of the greatest songwriters ever", and AllMusic has stated, "Joni Mitchell may stand as the most important and influential female recording artist of the late 20th century."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Stills</span> American musician (born 1945)

Stephen Arthur Stills is an American musician, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Manassas. As both a solo act and member of three successful bands, Stills has combined record sales of over 35 million albums. He was ranked number 28 in Rolling Stone's 2003 list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and number 47 in the 2011 list. Stills became the first person to be inducted twice on the same night into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. According to Neil Young, "Stephen is a genius".

<i>Ladies of the Canyon</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Joni Mitchell

Ladies of the Canyon is the third studio album by the Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, released on Reprise Records in 1970. It peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard 200, and has been certified platinum by the RIAA. The title makes reference to Laurel Canyon, a center of popular music culture in Los Angeles during the 1960s, where Mitchell lived while she was writing the album. Specifically, Mitchell lived and wrote at 8217 Lookout Mountain Avenue, the house which is the subject of Graham Nash's "Our House". The album includes several of Mitchell's most noted songs, such as "Big Yellow Taxi", "Woodstock" and "The Circle Game".

<i>The Hissing of Summer Lawns</i> 1975 studio album by Joni Mitchell

The Hissing of Summer Lawns is the seventh studio album by the Canadian-American singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, released in November 1975 on Asylum Records. It continues the jazz-influenced sound of Mitchell's previous album, Court and Spark, with more unconventional and experimental material. It features sampling, synthesizers such as the Moog and ARP, and contributions from acts including the jazz-rock groups the L.A. Express and the Jazz Crusaders and James Taylor, David Crosby, and Graham Nash.

<i>Court and Spark</i> 1974 studio album by Joni Mitchell

Court and Spark is the sixth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. Released in January 1974, it infuses the folk rock style of her previous albums with jazz elements.

<i>Neil Young</i> (album) 1968 studio album by Neil Young

Neil Young is the debut studio album by Canadian/American musician Neil Young following his departure from Buffalo Springfield in 1968, issued on Reprise Records, catalogue number RS 6317. The album was first released on November 12, 1968, in the so-called 'CSG mix'. It was then partially remixed and re-released in late summer 1969, but at no time has the album ever charted on the Billboard 200.

"A Case of You" is a song by Joni Mitchell, from her 1971 album Blue.

<i>Both Sides Now</i> (Joni Mitchell album) 2000 studio album by Joni Mitchell

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.

<i>Hejira</i> (album) 1976 studio album by Joni Mitchell

Hejira is the eighth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, released in 1976 on Asylum Records. Its material was written during a period of frequent travel in late 1975 and early 1976, and reflects Mitchell's experiences on the road during that time. It is characterized by lyrically dense, sprawling songs and musical backing by several jazz-oriented instrumentalists, most prominently fretless bass player Jaco Pastorius, guitarist Larry Carlton, and drummer John Guerin.

<i>For the Roses</i> 1972 studio album by Joni Mitchell

For the Roses is the fifth studio album by the Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. It was released in November 1972, between her two biggest commercial and critical successes—Blue and Court and Spark. In 2007 it was one of 25 recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry.

<i>Song to a Seagull</i> Debut album by Canadian singer-songwriterJoni Mitchell

Song to a Seagull is the debut studio album by the Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. Produced by David Crosby, the album was recorded in early 1968 at Sunset Sound and released in March 1968 by Reprise Records.

<i>Blue</i> (Joni Mitchell album) 1971 studio album by Joni Mitchell

Blue is the fourth studio album by the Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, released on June 22, 1971, by Reprise Records. Written and produced entirely by Mitchell, it was recorded in 1971 at A&M Studios in Hollywood, California. Created just after her breakup with Graham Nash and during an intense relationship with James Taylor, Blue explores various facets of relationships from love on "A Case of You" to insecurity on "This Flight Tonight". The songs feature simple accompaniments on piano, guitar and Appalachian dulcimer. The album peaked at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart, number 9 on the Canadian RPM Albums Chart and number 15 on the Billboard 200.

<i>Turbulent Indigo</i> 1994 studio album by Joni Mitchell

Turbulent Indigo is the 15th album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. Released in 1994, it won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Album. John Milward, writing for Rolling Stone, wrote that it was Mitchell's "best album since the mid-'70s".

<i>Hendrix in the West</i> 1972 live album by Jimi Hendrix

Hendrix in the West is a live album by Jimi Hendrix, released posthumously in January 1972 by Polydor Records (UK), and in February by Reprise Records (US). The album tracks are split between those recorded in 1969 by the Jimi Hendrix Experience with bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell and in 1970 with Billy Cox and Mitchell during The Cry of Love Tour.

"Both Sides, Now" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. One of the first recordings is by Judy Collins, whose version appeared on the US singles chart during the fall of 1968. The next year it was included on Mitchell's album Clouds, and became one of her best-known songs. It has since been recorded by dozens of artists, including Dion in 1968, Clannad with Paul Young in 1991, and Mitchell herself, who re-recorded the song with an orchestral arrangement on her 2000 album Both Sides Now.

<i>Who Knows Where the Time Goes</i> (Judy Collins album) 1968 studio album by Judy Collins

Who Knows Where the Time Goes is the seventh studio album by American singer and songwriter Judy Collins, released by Elektra Records in 1968. It peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard 200 charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California (Joni Mitchell song)</span> 1971 single by Joni Mitchell

"California" is a song written by Joni Mitchell that first appeared on her 1971 album Blue. It was also released as the second single from the album, as a follow-up to "Carey".

Joni Mitchell Archives Previously unreleased material by Joni Mitchell

The Joni Mitchell Archives is an ongoing project to release previously unreleased recorded material by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. So far, each new release schedule consists of a box set collection, a compilation with material on the box set release, and a live album. The project is being overseen by Mitchell and Patrick Milligan, director of A&R for Rhino Records, the label through which the project's offerings are being released. The first release also received input from Neil Young, who had experience with the release of his own extensive archival series, and Mitchell and Young's late manager Elliot Roberts, who died during the process of planning the first box set, and to whom the release is dedicated.

<i>The Reprise Albums (1968–1971)</i> 2021 box set by Joni Mitchell

The Reprise Albums (1968–1971) is a four-disc box set by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, that was released on June 25, 2021, by Rhino Records. The set is the sixth overall release and first box set of remastered albums from the Joni Mitchell Archives, a planned series of releases featuring remastered and unreleased material from the singer's archives. Formatted in chronological order, the first volume of the remaster series includes Mitchell's first four albums, all of which were released on Reprise Records: Song to a Seagull (1968), Clouds (1969), Ladies of the Canyon (1970), and Blue (1971).

<i>Joni Mitchell Archives – Vol. 2: The Reprise Years (1968–1971)</i> 2021 compilation box set

Joni Mitchell Archives – Vol. 2: The Reprise Years (1968–1971) is a five-disc box set by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, released on November 12, 2021, by Rhino Records. The box set is the seventh overall release and second offering of unreleased material from the Joni Mitchell Archives, a planned series of releases containing remastered material from the singer's personal archives. Formatted in chronological order, the second volume of the series consists of the archived material that was recorded during Mitchell's tenure at Reprise Records, which includes the years between the release of her debut studio album, Song to a Seagull (1968) and her fourth studio album, Blue (1971).

References

  1. ↑ Jason Ankeny. "Joni Mitchell – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 31, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Joni Mitchell – Clouds CD Album". CD Universe . Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  3. 1 2 Clouds (CD booklet). Joni Mitchell. Reprise Records. 1990. 6341-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cleary, David. "Clouds – Joni Mitchell". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 27, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  5. ↑ Joni Mitchell, Biography: 1968–1970 Emerging Popular Artist Archived December 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine , JoniMitchell.com.
  6. 1 2 "Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Christgau, Robert (August 14, 1969). "Consumer Guide (3)". The Village Voice . New York. Archived from the original on June 10, 2013. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Harmonic Palette in Early Joni Mitchell", p.173. Author(s): Lloyd Whitesell. Source: Popular Music, Vol. 21, No. 2, (May 2002), pp. 173–193. Published by: Cambridge University Press.
  9. ↑ Vincent Canby, "Movies: Alice's Restaurant" Archived 2007-11-18 at the Wayback Machine , New York Times, Aug 25, 1969
  10. ↑ Joni Mitchell, Biography: 1968–1970 Emerging Popular Artist Archived December 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine .
  11. ↑ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide . Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p.  769. ISBN   1-57859-061-2.
  12. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Mitchell, Joni". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). London: Omnibus Press. ISBN   978-0-85712-595-8.
  13. 1 2 3 Hopper, Jessica (November 9, 2012). "Joni Mitchell: The Studio Albums 1968–1979". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on May 31, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
  14. 1 2 3 "Joni Mitchell Album Guide". Rolling Stone . 2004. Archived from the original on July 31, 2011. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  15. 1 2 "Gold & Platinum Searchable Database". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  16. 1 2 "Top Albums/CDs". RPM . Vol. 11, no. 25. Toronto. August 9, 1969. p. 13. Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  17. 1 2 3 "Clouds – Joni Mitchell : Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 28, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  18. ↑ "500 Greatest Songs of All Time: Joni Mitchell, 'Both Sides Now'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 1, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  19. ↑ "Cash Box Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Cash Box . July 12, 1969. p. 45. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Canadian Gold for WB, Atl. LPs" (PDF).
  21. ↑ "British album certifications – Joni Mitchell – Clouds". British Phonographic Industry.
  22. ↑ "American album certifications – Joni Mitchell – Clouds". Recording Industry Association of America.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.