Taming the Tiger

By Nate Byerley Catalyst

Send comments to: catalyst@wildcat.arizona.edu

Joni Mitchell Taming the Tiger (Reprise)

Joni Mitchell's latest album, Taming the Tiger, is a reminder that even the most hard-edge folksters soften after a while. That's not to say that Mitchell hasn't retained something of what made her an icon of the early '70s - she just seems to have found paradise, and it bears a slight resemblance to a parking lot.

First, let's talk instruments. Mitchell's propensity for honesty in the form of a woman and her guitar has given way to a complex and convoluted mix of a Kenny G saxophone and some pretty questionable keyboard creations. The opening track, "Harlem in Havana" is really the only track that navigates these sounds successfully.

Second, let's talk lyrics. Mitchell hasn't lost her touch, by any means, but amidst some really poetic verse are some second hand lines that don't do too much. The track, "Man from the Moon," features the lines "Since I lost you/I can't get through the day/Without one big boo hoo." Compare this to lines from "No Apologies" which read: "No apologies/To the outraged Japanese/No 'sorry little girl'/The pigs just took her."

These distinctions seem to be repeated throughout the album. Unfortunately, any resulting tensions appear, for this listener, rooted in Mitchell's dilution of her musical and lyrical presence.