moonwalker84's Full Review: Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm by Joni Mitchell
Chalk Mark In A Rain Storm is a classy affair. One comes to expect no less from Joni Mitchell. The music herein is awash with drum programming and synthy keyboards. Lyrically, it's a collection of stories, love and commentary. Things have a mellow air, and generally the vibe is warm but also wet -- somewhat like the rain falling on the desert.
Joni's experimentation with modern techno sounds in the 1980's met mixed reviews, but with the heart and soul of her songwriting preserved, it really matters little. There are some absoutely beautiful moments on here -- the cozy lover-escapism of My Secret Place, the soldier's requiem Beat of Black Wings, and capitalist intensity of The Reocurring Dream to name a couple.
But there's also Dancin' Clown, the sugarcoated rockabilly Billy Idol-duet that's easily Joni's most regrettable moment. Not to mention the preachy, overlong Native American anthem Lakota, and the fairly mediocre Snakes & Ladders. Chalk Mark is not flawless like Joni at her best, but it's a worthy experiment with a lot of successes.
The Beat of Black Wings is the sad story of a returned soldier Joni met in a bar around 1969. Set over a steady, slightly jungle tempo and bittersweet keyboard chords, she mourns a drunkard slowly drowning the sounds of battle out of his ears.
My Secret Place is a warm lover's invitation to a private cozy spot. It's a comfy album that opens with I'm gonna take you to my secret place, It's a place that no amount of hurt and anger can deface.
Number One is a stand against the all-or-nothing attitude apparent in the music industry and society in general. When Joni played this live, opening for the Police, she was booed offstage and had glass bottles chucked at her. Apparently there's a moment in that performance where you can see her face light up, as she realises that how apt the abuse is for the song and hopes somebody's filming.
The Tea Leaf Prophecy (Lay Down Your Arms) is the story of the meeting of Joni's parents. Note the presence of Wendy & Lisa (of Prince & The Revolution fame) on backing vocals.
I believe The Reocurring Dream to be the most underrated thing she has ever recorded. For this assault on capitalism, she taped TV commercials for two weeks and interspersed her vocals with sampled stabs of soulless salesmanship. "Our discontent is their delight, they offer relief for the purchase price", she sings. Then the song becomes a pounding cycle, commercial banter jumping between the channels. "Soft, sexy hair", "It's a picture of how to get what you want out of life", "Latest styles and colours", "Pick up your phone and dial", while Joni relentlessly sings Dreamer! Dream on!. She even lets out an "Aaow!", before chuckling at herself. I couldn't have thought of a better way to end the song: "Is there some other way?" "Who cares!". Brilliant. Someone's so gotta remix this.
A Bird That Whistles is a somewhat irreverent remix of Corrina, Corrina that makes a satisfying closer. I hate to repeat myself, but Chalk Mark but it's a worthy experiment that's hardly flawless but enjoys a lot of success.
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