Alternative review: As a fan of Joni Mitchell and songs of that era, I should say that I was disappointed by the new album. "Both Sides Now" is perhaps the best -- just because of her voice and the interest in the song -- but this is really not her music, and the orchestration is too, well, orchestrated. She, Sinead O'Connor, and Linda Ronstadt (to name two other notorious retros) just have no real feel for what is required. It is better than Linda Ronstadt, for what that is worth. If you want to spend your money wisely, go and buy Ella Fitzgerald's songbooks. If you can't do them as well as Ella, or can't find some other way of making them work, what is the point? I am in favour of people reinterpreting this music -- otherwise it is museum dead -- but why do a bad copy?
yours, Peter T.