Joni Mitchell cover graces new issue of The Word

The new (“April”) issue of The Word, the London-based Uncle-rockpop monthly, has a cover feature announcing the return of Joni Mitchell. (As did The Sunday Times a couple of weeks ago.)

Remember Joni Mitchell? The Canadian pop soprano? She retired, in high dudgeon, in 2002, after promoting her masterpiece, Travelogue!

Presumably Ms M’s promoting the new album, with the working title Shine, or maybe the re-mastered, expanded 2CD reissues of Court And Spark, Hissing Of Summer Lawns, and Hejira - rumoured a couple of months ago, though there’s no sign of them yet where I shop.

Any of the four releases will be warmly welcomed by Music for Grown-Ups: Ms Mitchell is revered in these parts – particularly in her grown-up, post-Hejira mode.

And kudos to The Word magazine – this is their second Mitchell cover in two years. I can’t remember competitors MOJO and Uncut using a single cover featuring Saskatoon’s finest chanteuse. Ever.

The Word is the youngest/smallest circulation of the three London Dadrockpop monthlies – MOJO, the first, has the biggest circulation; Uncut sits in the middle.



Gerry Smith