Chelsea Morning

I first became aware of my Joni Mitchell blind spot when Bill and Hillary revealed the inspiration for their daughter's name, and again when Grace got kicked out of a Mitchell concert for "singing too loud" on "Will and Grace." But it didn't really come to a head until Sheila Weller's book, "Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon -- and the Journey of a Generation," came out earlier this year: Truth is, although she's the least serious "artist" of the three (or is it because?), I've always been way more of a Carly queen. I have EVERYTHING she's ever done -- through the good times and the bad. And singing along to "Anticipation" and "Haven't Got Time for the Pain" half-sleeping on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the back of my parents' station wagon on those long trips to visit relatives in Washington back in the '70s are some of my fondest music memories (despite near death by carbon monoxide poisoning thanks to my mom's smoking with the heat blasting and all the windows up). I'm also a big Carole King fan. One of the few albums my mom had when I was a kid was "Tapestry," and we played it over and over again, and while I don't collect King's albums, that gem definitely ranks high on my all-time fave list. (Although Mom's K-Tel album with Cher's "Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves" on it may have had a more, uh, profound effect on me.) But maybe even more so, I was a HUGE fan of King's songwriting (with Gerry Goffin). "Will You Still Love Me?" by the Shirelles, "One Fine Day" by the Chiffons and "Up on the Roof" by the Drifters are certainly three of the all-time great pop songs.

   But then we get to the book's third star, Joni , who is unquestionably the most acclaimed and influential of the three. I've long admired her, but despite my estrogen-laden record collection I've never had the urge to buy anything she's released. Feeling conflicted about this, I updated my Facebook status the other day to: "Kenneth is feeling guilty that he has no Joni Mitchell in his collection, but then remembers her voice is a bit grating ..." and waited to hear what my friends had to say. Do you have Dolly Parton's cover of "Both Sides Now"? That may alleviate some of the guilt, and put a spring in your step. Honestly, Kenneth... just one... pick one! You at least need "Help Me" and "Free Man in Paris." If you DO feel the need, remember something very, very important - get nothing - ZILCH, NADA, NOTHING - released after 1974. NOOOOTHIIIIIING!!!!!!! Something to think about, but not enough to go on. So I turned to my music-loving coworker Jesse Mayshark (who you may remember wrote this kickass playlist recently) and asked him what to do. "Court and Spark" was "the one" to start with, he told me. But beyond that, he told me he only has her "Hits" and "Misses" compilations and that's all he feels he needs. (He, too, says he admires her more than adores her.) So I got the "Hits" disc (which I'm playing right now) and am finding it surprisingly enjoyable -- and not nearly as grating as I'd expected. I'd completely forgotten about "River," one of my all-time favorite holiday songs (to be honest, I think I've heard covers of it far more often than Joni's).

   

 All the singles -- "Help Me," "Free Man in Paris," "Woodstock," "Big Yellow Taxi" (great 1970 performance above), "Both Sides, Now" and especially "Carey" -- sound as good as ever. And now I'm sleeping a little bit better knowing that I'm not overlooking one the most important "girls of a generation" who undoubtedly helped pave the way for the myriad rocker chicks I've spent my life worshiping instead.