Joni Mitchell's Shine-- A Masterpiece

I was thrilled to find Joni Mitchell's latest recording, Shine, at Starbucks last week. I typically avoid Starbucks in favor of a locally owned coffee house near my office. But, I was desperate for a caffeine fix, and in San Francisco, there seems to be a Starbucks on every corner. As I ordered my triple grande vanilla latte with fat free milk, I saw the CD on display at the counter and had to buy it. Joni Mitchell is a relatively new discovery for me, the result of an ex's adoration of the singer/songwriter and perhaps one of the few things that came out of that failed relationship.

When I returned to my office, I put the CD in the player and gave it a listen. To be entirely honest, I was not immediately "wowed." But, that's the beauty of Mitchell. She makes you work for the "wow." Her melodies don't reach out and grab you with a hook. You won't find yourself singing along very easily. Yet, the music will resonate within your soul if you simply let it in. And, that's the trick! You need to be quiet and present to the music alone, letting the lyrics and the instrumentation unwrap their tapestry, thread by thread, before you. I had to live with Shine for about a week before I fell in love with it.

Shine is Mitchell at her best--hauntingly beautiful and honestly perceptive. She lays it all out on the table for us to see the mess we've made of our world. With lyrics like "Holy war... Genocide... Suicide... Hate and Cruelty. How can this be holy? If I had a heart I'd cry" juxtaposed against quiet and comfortable piano and guitar accompaniments, Joni Mitchell shakes us to the core. In "Bad Dream" she admonishes, "We have poisoned everything and oblivious to it all. The cell phone zombies babble through the shopping malls while condors fall from Indian skies--Whales beach and die in sand."

Mitchell reprises her well-known "Big Yellow Taxi," leaving the listener to wonder about its prophetic message left unheeded for many years. The song has been covered by a number of recording artists over the years, but the message has failed to sink in.

While pointed and direct, the music of Shine is not didactic or "in your face." Joni Mitchell speaks her truth with the dignity and grace that comes from years of observation and creating. And, Mitchell does not leave us without hope. The title track is a benediction of sorts. "Oh let your little light shine." She calls for blessing on everything from rising oceans and evaporating seas to red light runners and the Catholic Church. The final cut "If" is a promise of hope, reminding us that it's not too late. "If you can fill the journey of a minute with sixty seconds worth of wonder and delight the the Earth is yours."

Shine is thought provoking and artistic. Its message is both timely and timeless. Joni Mitchell proves once again that she has embraced her vocation as a singer/songwriter--as an artiste, if you will. She is the voice of a people and a planet in profound need of healing.

Be sure to catch the world television premiere of The Fiddle and the Drum, Mitchell's collaboration with choreographer Jean Grand-Maitre of the Alberta Ballet Company. The ballet was inspired by Mitchell's music and her commitment to speak out agains environmental neglect and humankind's warring nature. Featuring her paintings and three selections from her latest recording, Mitchell has described The Fiddle and the Drum as the "best project of my career." Airing on Bravo on October 22. Check local listings for times and find more information at jonimitchell.com.

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