8 - Joni Mitchell - Morning Morgantown (LIVE 1967)

[MassaJim]

I used to play this song on warm, sunny mornings in the summer while stationed in Neu Ulm, Germany in the Air Force nearly 40 years ago. This song always started the day off right for me. Despite cynical comments from the usual Youtube sociopaths, Joni was a songwriting and singing genius. Love ya, Joni!

[milagromac]

joni

nice legs

art

[suerisk]

to jackSchytt: I sang on the same stage as Joni Mitchell, but we were teens playing at a YMCA coffeehouse. Perhaps some people don't like high soprano, but her work was riveting, beautific, so enticing that not a peep could be ehard by anyone. People weren't such bitter jackasses as to jeer, waffle way over their wine or guffaw, as the people do today. Whether you like the tones or not, you've been blessed by one of the most esoteric ears (her sound research ) ever!

[eyedelon]

@suerisk Agreed! But it is a tragedy that she has destroyed her upper register with chain-smoking. And the melodies of her more recent songs are less interesting due to her lack of range. Such a loss to the musical world.

[suerisk]

to jackSchytt: I sang on the same stage as Joni Mitchell, but we were teens playing at a YMCA coffeehouse. Perhaps some people don't like high soprano, but her work was riveting, beautific, so enticing that not a peep could be ehard by anyone. People weren't such bitter jackasses as to jeer, waffle way over their wine or guffaw, as the people do today. Whether you like the toones or not, you've been blessed by one of the most esoteric ears (her sound research ) ever!

[amphoravideo]

I periodically, revisit Joni M but I continue to find her painful to listen to. I saw her play once many moons ago at an outdoor venue. She spent an unreasonable amount of time talking about how much she despised Bob Dylan. (I think maybe he dumped her?? ) She was seething with anger. When she was actually singing, I kept wondering why she wouldn't simply hold a note without warbling. Is she doing that stylistically or to mask an inability to hold a pure note? Seriously...I'm curious.

[JackSchytt]

@amphoravideo if YOU find her painful to listen to, Why do YOU listen? YOU are assinine.

[CF77777]

@amphoravideo your an ass

[marinman39]

@amphoravideo Joni has been a chain smoker since at least the 1970's, its a miracle she is alive. That is why her singing deteriorated at a relatively young age (Tony Bennett, the other extreme, is 85 and can still hit the high notes). Without the smoking, she'd probably still sound really good.

[tonyhume100]

@marinman39

without the fags she wouldnt be joni

[vimana19]

What a legend, I met here once.

[VanityKillsABC]

In my book, this is the finest singer who has ever breathed.

[pauljval]

I like to think she's singing about Morgantown, W.V. Does anyone know if she is singing of any place in particular?

[eibhlinb]

@pauljval Yes! She went to school at WVU in 1967 & wrote that song....

[Kaitipoo]

Beautiful song. It's too bad that when they have all these beautiful songs on YouTube, people can't just enjoy them but have to go on policital rants, name calling rants, put downs etc. Don't like a song or artist? Refrain from comment and move on to something else, Don't like the policitics behind a song than move on also. Maybe all songs should just have the comments disabled.

[vaughnsalem]

I was playing old Joni 2 years ago ,,all of of a sudden she is popular again ,,I must have started a trend ,,anyway let it play

[markisod]

Hauntingly beautiful. This is one of my favorite Joni Mitchell songs.

[stevep0508]

Given the other songs recorded at the same time, all one can say is that this must have been a GREAT gig or residency !!!

Much thanks to MusicForYourFunk !

[amphoravideo]

Joni Mitchell sounds like a wounded sheep. fine guitarist, lousy singer loved only by

pretentious hippie wannabees who think they are supposed to like her....so they do.

[VisiBone]

@amphoravideo Thanks, you make me less cynical. From now on I will always be skeptical of my own suspicion that someone loves a thing because they "think they are supposed to".

[jcisbell]

@amphoravideo I feel sorry for you. I don't say that angrily. I really do. I wonder what else you miss.

[SuperNevile]

'Sometimes a country is more of an idea than a place' ~ (Al Stewart).

One of my favourite Joni songs. This is great but a bit downbeat. It's the piano accompaniment on the album that for me lifts the song to the bright/happy. Good companion piece to Paul Simon's "59th Bridge Street Song", a song that also revels in the ordinariness of life.

[ApocalypsePlough]

And, if you think Canada doesn't matter to Joni, that it didn't impact her work, read Michelle Mercer's recent book - "Will You Take Me As I Am: Joni Mitchell's Blue Period". Canada has more of an impact on Joni and her work than most people think. And than most Americans would like to think.

[lazurm]

@ApocalypsePlough I don't think that Canada doesn't matter to Joni, or you. I'm just saying that I long for the day when where we were born isn't important in terms of who we are, how we measure our relative worth. I never think in terms of national origin but, rather, in terms of what a person does, says, feels and produces and the sum total of what effect this has on life. I just feel, at times, alone in that perspective.

[ApocalypsePlough]

Nice to read Americans talk about Joni being Canadian. Usually, Americans try to co-opt her & claim her as their own. Not to sound too morbid, but she was born here & she'll die here & be buried here. And if any statues are to be erected in her name, they will be on the Canadian Prairies, in Saskatchewan and Alberta. She spends half of the year now in British Columbia. Typical of Canadian artists ... they leave to make it big in the States, but in the latter part of their lives, they come home.

[lazurm]

@ApocalypsePlough I know this probably will never happen but, heck, it'd be great if we'd all be proud of a person's achievements because they are human, of the Earth, and the artificial political boundaries aren't a source of pride but, rather, a mere convenience that doesn't have people's egos attached to them. Trust me, it looks silly from afar. She's beautiful, her songs pure poetry, their meanings universal truths, and all the open, exposed feelings magnificent. Who cares what pnt on Erth.

[deborahkauffman09]

you hear as I do, Joni Mitchell and Emmilou Harris are the best of the best

[Earthdogbonzo3]

Joni's voice is a national treasure

[alexuniverse]

@Earthdogbonzo3 And it's a tragedy that she smoked it away into the cinders her voice now sounds like. I loved her singing and songs so much and I still do love her performances from the past.

[bliss4jules]

@Earthdogbonzo3 Canadian that is.

[Earthdogbonzo3]

@bliss4jules America is a fertile breeding ground for things like: Britney,Madonna,GaGa and all else that squeals on the surface. Just a reflection on the American people-negative

[bliss4jules]

@bliss4jules Agreed, and I too am American. Only wanted to assign national credit where it belongs. America, thankfully, breeds so much more, for celebrating, beyond the hollow talent you mention. Moreover, Canada continues to be a remarkably rich and underappreciated breeding ground for authentic music talent. For a voice worthy of national treasure status in the States, my vote goes to Emmylou Harris.

[lazurm]

@bliss4jules I know this probably will never happen but, heck, it'd be great if we'd all be proud of a person's achievements because they are human, of the Earth, and the artificial political boundaries aren't a source of pride but, rather, a mere convenience that doesn't have people's egos attached to them. Trust me, it looks silly from afar. She's beautiful, her songs pure poetry, their meanings universal truths, and all the open, exposed feelings magnificent.

[ApocalypsePlough]

@lazurm - you're saying, it doesn't matter that she's Canadian.

Actually, it does.

It does to Canadians.

And it does to her.

Do you know what Americans were saying about Canadians in the recent WikiLeaks documents that were leaked? That we have "a habitual inferiority complex". ..... an "iinherent inferiority complex". There were a few other things said, but, of all the things that Americans could have said about us, that is what comes out, that we have an inherent inferiority complex.

[ApocalypsePlough]

It's true. We do. Living next to the world's superpower will do that to a country.

You're American. You don't understand the Canadian psyche. We Do feel inferior, especially to Americans. The people that have grown up here & made an impact on the world, like Joni, they make us proud & less inferior. You cannot grasp the concept because Americans are inculcated, from the time you are children, to believe that yours is a superior country. Canadians are inculcated with a pathological modesty.

[lazurm]

@ApocalypsePlough Well the way I look at it, that's the problem: defining a country as superior or inferior. I don't think that the U.S. is "superior" nor do I think that way in terms of national identity. When the Chinese, or whomever, invent something I am equally proud that we, as humans, can achieve this level of invention. My point is that I hope that, one day, all of us identify with being human, sharing our planet with other life, on equal terms of respect. Love Joni for her poetry.

[ApocalypsePlough]

@lazurm - I don't define a country as superior or inferior. Americans do that. Most Americans think they are superior. I'm not just talking the average American. Watch TV any day of the week. Watch Charlie Rose. He believes in American exceptionalism. He's one example of many. You guys are spoon-fed that on a daily basis. If you don't believe you are superior, then you are in the minority.

[ApocalypsePlough]

It's hard NOT to think of where an entertainer is from. I love Bruce Springsteen. He's as American as apple pie. His music moves me, both emotionally & literally. But, you can't separate his Americanism from him or from his work. And, there's nothing wrong with that. I can live with it. Too bad so many Americans can't live with the fact Joni is Canadian. I mean, she was on a stamp here, for God's sake. They took the Queen off and put Joni on. Americans want to own everything. Even entertainers.

[lazurm]

@ApocalypsePlough I'm not saying that one should deny the cultural influence of a particular region on an entertainer. As you state, it's hard to ignore. My point is that one shouldn't confuse cultural, or regional influence with some sort of artificial worthiness paradigm, whether expressed in terms of ownership, national pride, or anything that creates the kinds of uneeded boundaries that separate us rather than bring us together. Fact is, regardless of boundaries, we share one planet deeply.

[lazurm]

@ApocalypsePlough I haven't read stats regarding determining how many Americans think the U.S. is superior (to what?) or not but I'd guess that there are many exceptions to your determination. Either way, it's an absurd notion: superior? how? in all categories? The best, or less than the best? The fact is that, taken as a statistical territory, the U.S. doesn't rank near the top in a host of categories: health, education, literacy, etc. Still, this is besides my point.

[bliss4jules]

@ApocalypsePlough I agree with you, and I'm American. It's an embarrassing tendency of ours.

[bliss4jules]

@lazurm In no way do I think 'it'd be great' if artists were stripped of their cultural roots. That world you imagine would wash away a lot of richness from the arts. You're thinking way too hard. First, we ARE all human and 'of the earth', so I think your fellow earthlings have your first wish covered.

[lazurm]

@bliss4jules As I've clearly stated before (or so I thought) I, too, don't think artists should be stripped of their cultural roots, nor do I think that's possible. I'm referring to judging worth merely based on the country the artist originated from. I think that is absurd. When I referred to "humans" I meant judging another based on who they are, what they do, how they affect others. I have a problem with nationalism and think it very artificial and random, based on where one is born, luckfctr

[bliss4jules]

@lazurm OK. Did someone suggest that her Canadian roots somehow make her better than an artist from another country? I still think you're overreacting. While I share your disdain for nationalistic pride, I don't think calling an artist a 'treasure' for that particularly country implies by necessity some sort of superiority over other countries.

[lazurm]

@bliss4jules I don't think calling an artist a treasure for that country implies a supieriority either but I do believe that thinking the gift is for a country is artificial & nationalistic on some level.The artist's gifts are for all of us and they are from that artist and that artist's life, personhood and genius.It's more a statement for the best humans have to offer than it is some sort of country thing,which,to me, undermines the true value of the gift. It's not a country thing, that's all.

[slownoman]

@bliss4jules No,bozo, they make her who she is- or, rather, they are part of what she has become. If she'd been born in Laurel Canyon she'd have been a different person. You can't reshuffle that deck. She'll always contain that girl from Saskatchewan. We're the better for it.

[bliss4jules]

@slownoman You're preaching to the choir. If you took the time to read the conversation carefully before engaging in childish name-calling, you'd find that my original position is exactly that. Since you can't grasp that, there's little hope you'd be able to grasp the nuanced position of @lazurm, one which I don't quite share, and one which, perhaps, you were wanting to target in the first place. Either way, comment threads can do without the likes of you and your panty-waisted outbursts.

[bliss4jules]

@slownoman

Read my posts carefully. That's the point I made. Piss off, "bozo."

[bliss4jules]

@lazurm Your extrapolation that the (usually inevitable) mention of an artist's (very real) cultural background (i.e. 'country' in many cases) that so often informs her or his art - as well as provides a degree of joy for others who share that cultural background - equates to an endorsement of ego-driven political affairs is not only absurd, but a milk-toast concept.

[lazurm]

@bliss4jules I differentiate culture from country. One country may have numerous cultures and the cultural influence does, indeed, help to define an artist's orientation. It's when one denotes pride from a country of origin, i.e., a form of nationalism, that I take issue with. For instance, being proud of JM because she's from Canada and that fact elevates one's sense of pride is as random as it is absurd. She was born on a spot on Earth, yea, so what. Nationalism is ego driven and political.

[bliss4jules]

@lazurm @lazurm @lazurm No, I don't trust you that 'it looks silly from afar'. First, what are your credentials to assert such? Second, yes, she and her songs, in my OPINION, are what you state. I would add, 'and she's Canadian'. Period. No value judgment made. In fact I believe Ms Mitchell herself would readily verify that her Canadian 'experience' informed her art to a great extent. It's all over her music, though perhaps more early than late.

[bliss4jules]

@bliss4jules Please don't try to bring in your common-denominator political ideas. It spoils the beauty, which includes all the texture that culture adds, of an artist's creation, and which you claim to appreciate. Your political thought is for another place. She's Canadian. Picasso was born and raised in Spain. And I still hold that numerous Canadians, even today and for many reasons I imagine, are turning out some wonderful music, at least in my opinion.

[lazurm]

@bliss4jules What I meant is that the location on Earth looks small from afar. Our little blue dot of a planet doesn't resolve to its various locations from far away; it just looks like the little dot that it is...that's what I meant. Again, her experience is important and, if it's a Canadian experience, different from another type of experience & can be strictly defined as Canadian, well, yes, that's important. But merely stating that one is proud that she's Canadian is merely nationalistic.

[bliss4jules]

@lazurm I think we have some points of agreement, but I don't buy your last statement. Way too extreme for me to expand 'pride' in being associated by cultural background with someone who creates beautiful art to a degree that it becomes a statement of worth relative to other cultures or nations. I reject such a joyless state, if one cannot feel PRIDE without having it construed by someone as yourself as CONCEIT. Too simplistic. Indeed, I regard your view to be just as ugly as nationalism.

[lazurm]

@bliss4jules I think you may not be understanding me in that I don't equate cultural with national. The way I refer to it is: cultural influences are real and substantive while national is more about mere geographical location. One may legitimately have cultural pride but having national pride is, to me, absurd. It's like having pride over where you were born, utterly random and worthless. But that is what national pride is and, therefore, I believe it to be wastful, missing the value of things.

[jessicawabbit2525]

I was raised hearing my mother singing along with this song....It always me think of my mom, I LOVE YOU MOM!!!

[problem49]

Young Joni Mitchell-Va Va Va Voom and Hubba Hubba! Me rikey velly much, as they say in Japan.

[phnagami]

Luminous and near perfect music and lyric-- the America town-- it can never be quite lost because Joni Mitchell summons it again intact, alive, and new.

[99horselover]

cool :D my friend is called morgan she sent it 2 me x

[manelk8]

Met my (ex)wife in Morgantown after listening to Joni for years. Fate

[mobyboy]

living poet

[8marloes8]

Thanks for your amazing Joni uploads!

[adoptfromarescue]

Yes, thanks!

[shimereemoon]

I always favored this song. wv

[pattywolford]

@shimereemoon

Yes, memories of Morgantown.