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In her nearly four decades as a musician and lyricist, Joni Mitchell has spanned the fields of folk, pop, rock, and jazz with 23 albums. Her willingness to change direction without warning has frequently left fans upset, but its exactly that free spirit has kept her fresh and allowed her to endure a long and interesting career. Originally from Canada, Joni Mitchell moved to New York City in 1967, and took up residence in the arty Chelsea district. She met Elliot Roberts in the fall and he began to manage her career, helping to open up the circuit for her in New York City. Later while performing at a club in Florida, Joni met ex-Byrds member David Crosby, who was quite taken with her. David was a great help in convincing the record company to agree to let Joni record a solo acoustic album and with that she was on her way. By the time Ladies of the Canyon came out in 1971, Joni Mitchell was becoming a big name, immediately successful on the radio and selling swiftly in the first few months this, her third album, eventually sold half a million copies to make it her first gold album.

So what is it that makes Joni Mitchell such an original and well-respected musical name? Well on this album it's the understated sparseness of the folk sound that she helped to promote coupled with one of the most admired voices of that era, or indeed any era. When you read the list of musicians on the CD's back cover, you realise that what you are going to get is by and large Mitchell herself with very little in the way of a band. Thirty odd years on, in world of over production and fashion statement bands, it's refreshing to be reacquainted with a real musician delivering songs that are forged very much from her own abilities. There are not many artists today who would be brave enough to record with the emptiness that this album brings, and fewer still who would pull it off successfully.

Opening with just a gentle picked guitar progression, her striking voice is not far behind it and that mesmerising simplicity that she possessed holds you for the duration of "Morning Morgantown." Occasionally a laid back piano joins in and the choruses are treated to a minimal percussion affect, but the song really captures what Joni Mitchell was about and you feel that if you saw here perform this live it would sound much the same. "For Free" is a piano led ballad telling of a busker whose music she hears one day. She compares their relative lifestyles, hers, all limousines and album sales, his playing

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