JONI MITCHELL - CHALK MARK IN A RAIN STORM

Joni Mitchell is an artist I'd heard a lot about before I actually heard her music. Prince admired her and talked about her often. I'd also heard her name dropped all over the place by various musicians and random people. To say she was influential on artists of the 80's wouldn't be inaccurate. She certainly influenced people I listened to.

Since the 80's, I've heard her material and I find her offbeat, kinda wacky and sometimes beautifully poetic. She's written some amazing stuff in her day. This album is one I purchased because Wendy & Lisa worked on it and I wanted to hear how their track would sound. I had no idea they only sang background for her. That was the extent of their involvement. Still, they give a rather lackluster song an ethereal quality it wouldn't normally have.

It seems like a whole slew of major names were drafted to help push this record. When I see lots of guest musicians, I automatically think the album is too weak to stand on its own merits. Sometimes I'm wrong, but in most cases, I'm right. The guest stars are appearing to help pump up record sales using their own celebrity to pimp sales to their fans. Here are some of the power names appearing on this record... Peter Gabriel, Don Henley, Billy Idol, Tom Petty, Willie Nelson, Steve Stevens and Thomas Dolby. Oh, and let's not forget Wendy & Lisa...

Mitchell writes music like free form poetry. She doesn't often follow traditional forms of prosody with her lyrics. Looking for meter in a Joni song can be as useless and destructive as a search and destroy mission. A part of me finds this appealing. I like the idea of her doing something outside the accepted formula. On the other hand, when I listen to it, I often feel unsatisfied with what she's doing. I ultimately ask myself, is she a brilliant artist? Or just a really bad lyricist?

The production value on this disc is pretty much standard fare. It came out in 88 and it sounds like it. There's all the typical flare of popular 80's production; which is another sign of marketing to a larger audience, but sadly, it leaves the listener with a generic feeling. Very little really stands out.

The subject matter is interesting to some degree. There's music about Native American culture, the desert, anti-war declarations and even a poke at product marketing. I find that last particularly interesting considering the obvious marketing aspects of the record to generate income. I like "My Secret Place" though I find the narrative of the song somewhat tedious. It still holds up as an enjoyable piece, largely due to Peter Gabriel's vocals with Mitchell's.

You know, I don't think anyone reading this would be surprised I didn't like the album. And I'm sure Mitchell's not fond of it now either. Something that seemed like a great idea at the time hasn't stood the test of time like her earlier material. The meaningful anthems, the delicate vocals... These things are missing from 'Chalk Mark In A Rain Storm'. If you're a die-hard Mitchell fan, this is a must have. For everyone else, save yourself the money and buy individual tracks online. Not exactly the best place to start discovering Joni Mitchell. My final words: DULL AS DISHWATER.

JONI MITCHELL - CHALK MARK IN A RAIN STORM
01. My Secret Place
02. Number One
03. Lakota
04. The Tea Leaf Prophecy (Lay Down Your Arms)
05. Dancing Clown
06. Cool Water
07. The Beat Of Black Wings
08. Snakes And Ladders
09. The Reoccurring Dream
10. A Bird That Whistles