Today we were out shopping & I found a 24 kt gold DCC cd of 'Court & Spark' at Circuit City for $20.99. C&S was my very first Joni Mitchell record and is probably still my favorite. So after debating with myself, I finally decided to buy it (I also picked up RLJ's 'It's Like This').
We came home & Travis started preparation of a pot roast in the kitchen. I went to the living room and couldn't resist popping C&S into the player with the intention of listening to one or two songs, just to see how it sounded. I ended up sitting down & listening to the whole cd, absorbing just about every note as it played. I'm not an audiophile but I've always felt that the first pressing of this particular record that I bought on cd did not sound as good as it should have. My memories of first getting acquainted with this record have accorded it a near mythical status among the many records I bought & came to love during my college years. In a lot of ways it was the ultimate discovery for me, more so than 'Sgt Pepper's' or any other record. I had never heard anything like it before. When Edward & I first bought a cd player, somewhere around 1985, I made a vow that 'C&S' would be the first cd I would buy. But somehow, the experience was just never the same as hearing that vinyl record back in '73 or '74. Later I bought the HDCD version. It still didn't do it for me. Today I think I finally was able to relive that 'goose bump experience'. The beauty of this record came so clearly through those speakers today and it made me remember how much I love it from beginning to end. Maybe 'Hejira' has more depth. Maybe 'The Hissing of Summer Lawns' and 'DJRD' are more musically adventurous. Maybe 'Night Ride Home' and 'Turbulent Indigo' are more mature works. But for me, 'Court and Spark' has a perfection and beauty to it that still takes my breath away. I think it was a major mile post in Joni's career. She had definitely shed the 'folk singer' image with this one & was on her way to destinations uncharted & unknown at the time. So JMDL audiophiles! I want to know what your opinions are of the gold DCC 'Court & Spark'. Did I get a good deal? Or would you have put the cd back in the bin & walked away? After listening to it this afternoon, I don't have any regrets but I am interested in the opinions of those who know more about what to listen for than I do. Mark E.
