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Ex-husband Larry Klein, who serves as co-producer and musical director,
explains in his liner notes that Joni Mitchell intended to tell the story
of a "modern" romantic relationship in the songs, most of which
come from the '30s and '40s. If so, her concept of a modern relationship
is very troubled -- most of the selections are unhappy love songs. Vince
Mendoza's arrangements -- a third of them played by a gigantic 71-piece
orchestra, a third by a regular-size orchestra, and a third by a swing-style
big band -- often suggest the oceanic sweep and serious, melancholy tone
of film noir movie music. They also do a lot of Mitchell's work for her.
As a singer, she has never had much projection or power, but she is a
master of phrasing and tone. Mitchell often sounds like an alternate Billie
Holiday, with the breathiness and note decay characteristic of later Holiday,
if none of her delayed timing. Both Sides Now is not revelatory in a musical
sense, but it does achieve its intention of reconceiving Joni Mitchell
as an interpretive singer.
(by William Ruhlmann, All
Music Guide)
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