Joni - by Barney Hoskyns (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"Nearly 50 years' worth of critical efforts to solve Mitchell's mysteries have now been rounded up in Barney Hoskyns's Joni: The Anthology....what comes through most consistently is a possessive impulse, a desire to really know an artist whose fierce privacy has often seemed at odds with the impression of intimacy conveyed by her music." --The Atlantic

Nine Grammys. More than ten million albums sold. Named one of the greatest singers and songwriters of all time by Rolling Stone. Joni: The Anthology is an essential collection of writings on Joni Mitchell that charts every major moment of the famed troubadour's extraordinary career, as it happened.

From album reviews, incisive commentary, and candid conversations, Joni: The Anthology includes, among other things, a review of Mitchell's first-ever show at LA's Troubadour in June of 1968, a 1978 interview by musician Ben Sidran on jazz great Charles Mingus, a personal reminiscence by Ellen Sander, a confidant of the Los Angeles singer-songwriter community, and a long "director's cut" version of editor Barney Hoskyns' 1994 MOJO interview. A time capsule of an icon, the anthology spans the entirety of Joni's career between 1967-2007, as well as thoughtful commentary on her early years.

In collecting materials long unavailable, rare, or otherwise difficult to find, Joni: The Anthology illuminates the evolution of modern rock journalism while providing an invaluable and accessible guide to appreciating the highs--and the lows--of a twentieth century legend.

"Once I crossed the border, I began to write and my voice changed. I no longer was imitative of the folk style. My voice was then my real voice and with a slight folk influence, but from the first album it was no longer folk music. It was just a girl with a guitar that made it look that way."--Joni Mitchell, 1994

Review Quotes

Selected by Harper's Bazaar as one of the "Best New Books of 2017 (So Far)"
A Library Journal Fall Editors' Pick

"Nearly 50 years' worth of critical efforts to solve Mitchell's mysteries have now been rounded up in Barney Hoskyns's Joni: The Anthology....what comes through most consistently is a possessive impulse, a desire to really know an artist whose fierce privacy has often seemed at odds with the impression of intimacy conveyed by her music." --Jack Hamilton, The Atlantic

"Gemlike...true gold." --O, The Oprah Magazine

"Amazing." --Noisey

"Some might say that the talent and virtuosity of Joni Mitchell are magical, even smacking of wizardry. For those of us who came upon her early works, when strong -female voices were demanded and treasured, it seems only right to see her as editor Barney Hoskyns does: 'a towering troubadour and sometimes reckless daughter of America's folk-rock revolution.' We've fallen in love with her." --Library Journal

"A fascinating compendium of interviews with a legend, many never read before." --Sheila Weller, author of Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon--And the Journey of a Generation

"Legendary music critic and archivist Barney Hosyns's JONI: The Anthology is a comprehensive, sensitive compilation."--Elle

"The least a reader can reasonably expect from the presentation of an anthology collecting criticism of and interviews with a legendary artist is a clear narrative path about the personality in question. Barney Hoskyn's Joni: The Anthology certainly provides that and much more in this compelling, highly readable, and at times emotionally gripping tale of this singular, idiosyncratic, determined musical and visual artist." --PopMatters

"Joni: The Anthology celebrates the musical pioneer spirit that Mitchell exudes. This book...leaves no stone unturned, especially with early essays when Mitchell was coming onto the scene...One may want to read Joni more like a poetry book, experiencing different emotional beats within its articles." --Edge Media Network

"A must for music lovers." --Booklist

"Just when you think you know Joni Mitchell, you find such rare gems in Joni: the Anthology: 'It's good to be exposed to politics and what's going down here [the US], but it does damage to me. Too much of it can cripple me. And if I really let myself think about it - the violence, the sickness, all of it -- I think I'd flip out.' Joni Mitchell 1969." --Malka Marom, author of Joni Mitchell: In Her Own Words

"The book inevitably creates a desire to hear Mitchell's music and perhaps try to track down some of her artwork, which at the end of the day are the reason the book exists in the first place." --Kirkus Review

"Thorough...a solid introduction to listeners new to Mitchell." --Publishers Weekly

"Joni: The Anthology invites you to sit in on a photoshoot as Mitchell, dressed in all black, mourns the loss of Bluebird, her stolen Mercedes Benz, which she bought with her first royalty check in 1969; learn why she snubbed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's invitation for her own induction, or why she chose to not play her hits on that 1998 tour with Bob Dylan and Van Morrison; understand just why her most appreciated compliment from a blind black piano player was that her music was raceless and genderless--a corroboration to why American jazz pianist Charles Mingus invited Mitchell to pen words to his chops on Mingus." --Elmore Magazine

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