Neil Young called her "sweet Joni from Saskatoon," but the best thing about birthday girl Joni Mitchell, who turns 69 today, is that her unmistakable chirp emoted everything from sweetness and naivete to weariness, staggering emotional intelligence, and a knack for conversational, but poetic wordplay that has gone unchallenged in the generations that've followed her. Among legendary singer/songwriters, she's a definitive legend, and as much sexist rock critics want to conflate her importance with her femaleness, anyone with a brain and ear can tell she's been a remarkably distinct artist in her own right. And if I'm being honest, I'd say her writing is more piercingly articulate than Bob Dylan's. Take that, Rolling Stone.
To celebrate her big day, let's wheel through 10 of her best clips and performances. I've included a few standards and a few rarer gems, so don't feel too angry that I've left out some greats like "A Case of You,""You Turn Me On I'm a Radio," and "In France They Kiss on Main Street."
1. "Both Sides Now/ The Circle Game"
This CBC clip is one of the few flawless television performances I've ever seen. Joni is so young, yet the lyrics transcend her age and the era in general. These are fine songs for any age.
2. "California" on the BBC
In my estimation, this is her greatest song off her greatest album, Blue. The melancholy imagery is so real -- love the "He cooked good omelets and stews / And I might've stayed on with him / Yeah, but my heart cried out for you." Reminds me of the "The bed's too big / The frying pan's too wide" from "My Old Man" earlier in the album. Omelet love!
3. "Cactus Tree"
This is my favorite of Joni's very early stuff, from her first album Song to a Seagull. "Night in the City" and "I Had a King" are great too, but this song speaks best to her abilities with imagery and transcendant emotional resonance. Love the version she sings on her live album Miles of Aisles too.
4. "Willy" from The Dick Cavett Show
Joni famously couldn't attend Woodstock because she'd booked a TV gig on The Dick Cavett Show, but the results are fabulous: She sang a few songs, including "The Fiddle and the Drum" and "For Free," but I love the weepy quality of her performance of "Willy" from Ladies of the Canyon.
5. "I Shall Be Released" with Cass Elliot and Mary Travers
All. Hail.
Three of the best vocalists of the '60s teamed up for Cass Elliot's variety show, and that means, yes, here on Earth, we have footage of Cass, Joni, and Mary Travers (of Peter, Paul, and Mary) singing together. Could it get any better?
6. "Help Me"
The best of 1973's Court and Spark, ladies and gentlemen, though I'll stick my neck out for that craaaazy closer "Twisted" too.
7. "Coyote" from The Last Waltz
Don't forget that Joni's a Scorsese movie star: In The Band's epic concert film The Last Waltz -- which is perhaps my favorite Scorsese jam, aside from The King of Comedy -- Joni gives a lovely performance of her Hejira track "Coyote."
8. The definitive version of "Woodstock"
9. "Come In From the Cold" is devastating -- and you probably don't know it!
Though Joni picked up Grammys for 1994's Turbulent Indigo, my favorite of her 1990s offering is this seven-minute track from Night Ride Home. It's nostalgic and sad and tuneful and sprawling. And Joni's deep voice is perfect for it.
10. Look, she's funny! Here's "Big Yellow Taxi" with a Bob Dylan cameo.
"Big Yellow Taxi" is a big part of Joni's early career, but this performance here -- featured in the great documentary Woman of Heart and Mind -- is just as moving. Plus, she imitates Bob Dylan almost extraordinarily. Frightened? You should be.
