Court and Spark

by Joni Mitchell

Type: Album
Released: January 17, 1974
Label: Asylum
Country: Canada
Length: 36:57
Community rating: 4.63/5 from 14 ratings

Album Notes & Community Reviews

On 'Court and Spark', Joni Mitchell fully integrated jazz into her established folk-rock sound, backed by the polished musicianship of fusion group the L.A. Express. The album’s sophisticated and lush pop arrangements provide the framework for incisive lyrics exploring the conflict between romantic freedom and emotional commitment, exemplified on her hit single "Help Me". This synthesis of intricate composition and lyrical depth yielded Mitchell's greatest commercial success and a landmark recording of the 1970s singer-songwriter movement.

Genres

Descriptors: sophisticated, confessional, piano, literate, polished, folk, storytelling, melodic, saxophone

Tracklist

Credits

Joni Mitchell - vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, clavinet on "down to you", record producer, cover painting, arranged by
Tom Scott - woodwinds, reeds, arranged by [strings]
Joe Sample - electric piano, clavinet on "raised on robbery"
Larry Carlton - electric guitar
Max Bennett - bass guitar
John Guerin - drums, percussion
Chuck Findley - trumpet
José Feliciano - electric guitar on "free man in paris"
Wayne Perkins - electric guitar on "car on a hill"
Robbie Robertson - electric guitar on "raised on robbery"
Dennis Budimir - electric guitar on "trouble child"
Wilton Felder - bass guitar
Jim Hughart - bass guitar on "trouble child"
Milt Holland - chimes on "court and spark"
David Crosby - backing vocals
Graham Nash - backing vocals on "free man in paris"
Susan Webb - backing vocals on "down to you"
Cheech Marin - background voices on "twisted"
Tommy Chong - background voices on "twisted"
Henry Lewy - engineer
Ellis Sorkin - engineer
Anthony Hudson - art direction, design
Norman Seeff - photography
Bernie Grundman - mastered by