Both Sides Now

Infobox Album
Name = Both Sides Now
Type = Album
Artist = Joni Mitchell


Released = February 8, 2000
(Special edition)
March 20, 2000 (Regular)
Recorded = Air Studios, Hampstead, London, 1999
Genre = Jazz, Torch songs
Length = 51:29
Label = Reprise Records
Producer = Joni Mitchell, Larry Klein
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:78420r2au48z link]
* Robert Christgau (A-) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=joni+mitchell link]
*"Rolling Stone" rating|3|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/jonimitchell/albums/album/321744/review/6067446/both_sides_now link]
Last album = "Taming the Tiger"
(1998)
This album = "Both Sides Now"
(2000)
Next album = "Travelogue"
(2002)

"Both Sides Now" is an album by Joni Mitchell, released in 2000. It is a concept album that traces the progress of the modern relationship through Mitchell's orchestral renditions of classic jazz songs. Two of Mitchell's own songs are also included, "A Case of You" and "Both Sides Now". The orchestra was arranged and conducted by Vince Mendoza.

In the liner notes, co-producer Larry Klein describes the album as "a programmatic suite documenting a relationship from initial flirtation through optimistic consummation, metamorphosing into disillusionment, ironic despair, and finally resolving in the philosophical overview of acceptance and the probability of the cycle repeating itself".

A limited run of copies were released on February 8 in special chocolate box packaging for Valentine's Day, including several lithographs of original Mitchell paintings. Many of these were returned to stores as the CD holder in the box would not reliably hold the disc and copies often arrived scratched. A regular jewel case edition was released on March 20. "Both Sides Now" is also available on DVD Audio. As of December 2007, the album has sold 323,000 copies in the US.

On the concert tour tie-in to this album, Joni Mitchell performed the songs in the same sequence, but opened with an overture of the movement "Nuages" from French composer Claude Debussy's "Nocturnes". "Nuages" means "clouds" in English. While the music certainly sets a romantic mood, the usage of this piece can be seen as a clever pun, since "Clouds" is also the name of the album on which the song "Both Sides Now" made its original appearance.

Track listing

#"You're My Thrill" (Sidney Clare, Jay Gorney) – 3:52
#"At Last" (Mack Gordon, Harry Warren) – 4:28
#"Comes Love" (Lew Brown, Sam H. Stept, Charles Tobias) – 4:29
#"You've Changed" (Bill Carey, Carl Fischer) – 5:00
#"Answer Me, My Love" (Fred Rauch, Carl Sigman, Gerhard Winkler) – 3:23
#"A Case of You" (Joni Mitchell) – 5:52
#"Don't Go to Strangers" (Redd Evans, Arthur Kent, Dave Mann) – 4:10
#"Sometimes I'm Happy" (Irving Caesar, Clifford Grey, Vincent Youmans) – 3:58
#"Don't Worry 'Bout Me" (Rube Bloom, Ted Koehler) – 3:49
#"Stormy Weather" (Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler) – 3:07
#"I Wish I Were in Love Again" (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) – 3:36
#"Both Sides Now" (Joni Mitchell) – 5:45

= Personnel =
* Joni Mitchell - vocals
* Mark Isham - trumpet, solo
* John Anderson - Oboe
* Julie Andrews - Bassoon
* Nick Bucknall - Clarinet
* Stan Sulzmann - Clarinet, Flute
* Philip Todd - Clarinet Flute, Flute (Alto)
* Jamie Talbot - Clarinet Flute, Flute (Alto), Sax (Alto)
* Andrew Findon - Flute
* Dave Arch - Piano
* Vaughan Armon - Violin
* Kate Wilkinson - Viola
* Dave Daniels - Cello
* Philip Eastop - Horn
* John Barclay - Trumpet
* Pete Beachill - Trombone
* Wayne Shorter - Soprano & Tenor Saxophone
* Owen Slade - Tuba
* Richard Henry - Bass Trombone
* Peter Erskine - drums
* Chris Laurence- Double Bass
* Frank Ricotti - percussion
* Herbie Hancock - Piano
* Skaila Kanga - Harp