Details
Track Listing
1. My Secret Place
2. Number One
3. Lakota
4. Tea Leaf Prophecy, The (Lay Down Your Arms)
5. Dancin' Clown - (French)
6. Cool Water
7. Beat of Black Wings, The
8. Snakes and Ladders
9. Reoccurring Dream, The
10. Bird That Whistles, A
Album Notes
Personnel: Joni Mitchell (vocals, guitar, keyboards, programming); Peter Gabriel, Billy Idol, Tom Petty, Iron Eyes Cody, Don Henley, Willie Nelson (vocals); Michael Landau (guitar, background vocals); Steve Stevens (guitar); Wayne Shorter (saxophone); Larry Klein (keyboards, bass, congas, programming, background vocals); Steven Lindsey (organ); Thomas Dolby (marimba); Manu Katche (drums, percussion, background vocals); Benjamin Orr, Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Coleman, Julie Last (background vocals).
Mitchell's '80s work is often written off as too slickly produced, but that's too easy a generalization. There's a level of sophistication at work on this album that transcends any qualms about studio gloss. Ever the explorer, Mitchell never stopped exploring new sonic vistas, and here she ups the ante, utilizing '80s studio technology to create an ambient edge that suits her impressionistic lyrical and harmonic sensibilities. Sure, co-producer Larry Klein leans toward the smoother side of things when it comes to keyboard and backing vocal sounds, but that doesn't distort the painterly beauty of Mitchell's compositions. Synth pioneer Thomas Dolby is on hand to provide some inventive soundscapes, and the presence of Don Henley is countered by the vocal appearance of Tom Petty and Billy Idol on "Dancin' Clown."
Industry Reviews
Rolling Stone 3 Stars - Good
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