Judy Collins had a hit with this song a year before Joni Mitchell recorded her own version of her own song in 1969. I distinctly recall as child sitting in a car with my mother hearing the Collins version for the first time. It must have been around 1968-69 because of the particular car.
Mitchell has said in an 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.The lyrics are "female" to my ear which is fine. Joni Mitchell liked to write these time-sweeping narratives and this is a good example.
18 comments:
People with conventional musical views must repressing a gag reflex when considering this post.
This one's for you, chickelit.
?:>/,,
This too.
It is sort of Judy Collin's signature song. I think. I saw her sing it at Red Rocks. She has long aged gray hair. Hippy hair. And you're sitting there thinking, "Is there a problem with conditioner?" And by then her song was annoying. I do not know why I was there listening to her, probably roped into the deal, wanting to be with friends, part of the gang, go along get along, peers -- whatchagonnado? and all the rest, and when your gang has crap musical tastes these type of things do happen.
I learned she went to East High School here in Denver and graduated the same year as some of the people I was with. Maybe that was part of it. Her and Golda Meir, who was not a singer but went on to be something like president of Israel.
Her and Golda Meir, who was not a singer but went on to be something like president of Israel.
I thought Golda Meir grew up in Milwaukee, not Denver. Turns out both places, according to Google.
Very pretty song. Wistful.
RC, I'd never heard of jazz violin. Love it. Must see if there's any Christmas music...must be.
I can still remember my wow reaction to Clouds when I first heard Judy Collins sing it. But, and I don't know why this is, it's one of those songs that have very diminished impact on a second hearing. And the third time around the something precious about the lyrics began to bug me.
RC, I'd never heard of jazz violin. Love it.
I bought Jean-Luc Ponty's Enigmatic Ocean in 1977 during my Jeff Beck phase.
Lots of jazz violin there.
Thanks chick, I'll have to listen later, but the little bit I heard made me think of Kansas.
@deborah: Carry on you wayward one!
Like a Greyhound down the road.
I'm a fan of both Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli from way back (even still have some of 'em together on vinyl).
Hard to get what's wanted on line. But, perhaps, this might stand in as at least some sort of example.
Perhaps some of you will like this, as well, or at least might want to check it out.
Decades later, SG was still at it, dayum and thanks be.
Also, I meant to say last night: "Wow! That really was the era in which Joni Mitchell [whose music I enjoy, by the way, despite...] had serious pitch problems, among other technicalities. She had not yet gotten the notion of how "embouchure" (most commonly associated with reed/double-reed instrument players, but entirely applicable to any musician requiring the effective use of throat, face & etc. etc. etc. etc. muscles) and "diaphragm" (which so many great singers, for decades and even centuries before, got--and both earlier and sooner) matter, quite seriously and specifically, for masters of the singing craft.
Just noting.
Yet, and also, speaking of notions, I do have regrets, and so I do regret some specific things I did and said. I was wrong and I did wrong, without justification, in those cases. Full stop.
However, once done, there's no going back--and still, life moves on. So it goes, and always will it. I get that, and always, always, always have I: a fundamental fact of life, not to mention both humanity and the human condition.
Please insert an "of" between "both" and "humanity," if you will.
I noticed that thing when I came back over to post this link.
LOL. Irony bites harder even than reality. Innit so?
Thanks for those last comments, r,l. I'll follow up tomorrow when I have more energy
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