Details
Track Listing
1. Good Friends
2. Fiction
3. Three Great Stimulants, The
4. Tax Free
5. Smokin' (Empty, Try Another)
6. Dog Eat Dog
7. Shiny Toys
8. Ethiopia
9. Impossible Dreamer
10. Lucky Girl
Album Notes
Personnel: Joni Mitchell (vocals, piano, keyboards, synthesizers, sound effects); Michael McDonald (vocals): Larry Klein (spoken vocals, keyboards, synthesizers, bass, programming); Thomas Dolby (spoken vocals, keyboards, synthesizers, programming); Joe Smith, Rod Steiger, Zyg Winard (spoken vocals); Mike Landau, Steve Lukather (guitar); Larry Williams (flute, tenor saxophone); Kazu Matsui (shakahachi); Wayne Shorter (soprano & tenor saxophones); Jerry Hey, Gary Grant (trumpet, flugelhorn); Vinnia Colaiuta (drums, samples); Alex Acuna (bata drum); Michael Fisher (percussion samples); Don Henley, James Taylor, Amy Holland (background vocals).
Producers: Joni Mitchell, Larry Klein, Thomas Dolby, Mike Shipley.
In the '80s, Joni Mitchell took on the role of a sophisticated pop artist. This move, with releases like 1985's DOG EAT DOG, brought the singer a great deal of criticism from those who felt she had betrayed her folk origins. What those critics failed to realize, however, was that not only was Mitchell still the magnificent songwriter she had always been, but that she now embraced new, innovative soundscapes. The result is a very electric sounding record that, nevertheless, contains songs of uncommon depth not found in other glossy pop records of the time.
The pop style Mitchell sets out to conquer is evident in the opening duet with Michael McDonald, "Good Friends." This is followed by "Fiction," a driving collage of electronic samples, robotic voices and sound effects coupled with Mitchell's brand of bravado. As usual, many dark subjects are covered including a brilliant portrait of corruption in organized religion in "Tax Free" and the hopelessness of "Ethiopia." On a lighter note, the all-too-short "Smokin'," with its sampled cigarette vending machine and Joni's layered vocals, is a treat. Also, the expressive title track is one of Mitchell's most impressive performances in this era of her long career.
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