Record basics
- Album name: Miles of Aisles
- Group name: Joni Mitchell and the L.A. Express
- Year: 1974
- Number of discs: two
- Label: Asylum Records
- Collection: Selman
- Distinguishing characteristics: “PROMOTIONAL COPY NOT FOR SALE” sticker on front, “PROMOTIONAL COPY FOR BROADCAST & REVIEW / NOT FOR SALE” sticker on back
- Buy it:
- Amazon (Vinyl): $13.95
- Amazon (CD): $17.99
My review
Level of familiarity before listening
I’ve heard a lot of Joni Mitchell’s music over the years, but never had a strong opinion about her either way.
What I expected
Acoustic folk rock with intense vocals.
What it was actually like
This was a live record that was significantly jazzier than I thought (with a little bit of funk). I was surprised at how little of the material I recognized!
I did learn from this record that the famous (and somewhat annoying) Joni Mitchell song about paving paradise and putting up a parking lot is actually called Big Yellow Taxi, and the live version I heard on this record was better than the studio version that I hear all the time. The Circle Game was a bit weaker, though.
Ultimately I didn’t really like this record for the same reason that I don’t usually listen to Joni Mitchell: boring songs that exist to showcase a singer’s amazing vocal ability are… still boring songs.
Grade
3/5: interesting, but not for me
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