Posts Tagged Joni Mitchell

Counter Culture Midweek Song List #170

October 21, 2026 at 8:10 pm · Filed under Midweek Song List, Music, Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Last Wednesday we asked the following question:

Can anyone think of a song that became much more successful in someone else’s hands than it was for the original performer?

As an example, we used Suspicious Minds, written and first recorded by Mark James in 1968. His version made little commercial impact, but when Elvis Presley released his recording the following year it became one of the defining hits of his career and one of the great singles of the late 1960s.

The web version of last week’s list repeated the question and provided another excellent example. I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll was first recorded by the Arrows in 1975. It wasn’t until Joan Jett and the Blackhearts got hold of it seven years later that it became a global smash and an enduring rock anthem.

Another song that sits firmly in that category is The Tide Is High. Most people know the chart-topping Blondie version from 1980, but the original recording appeared thirteen years earlier courtesy of Jamaican vocal group The Paragons. It’s a reminder that sometimes a great song simply needs a different voice, arrangement or audience before its potential is fully realised.

We continue the cover-version theme, albeit at a slight tangent, with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards’ interpretation of Amazing Grace. Originally published in 1779, the hymn has been recorded countless times, yet few versions possess the emotional power of this one. Whether you consider yourself religious or not, it’s difficult not to be moved by the sound of the pipes.

At the other end of the musical spectrum sits Frederick Delius’s Spring Morning. Delius had an extraordinary gift for creating music that evokes landscapes, changing seasons and fleeting moods. This particular piece is full of optimism and warmth. If it doesn’t brighten your day, we’re not sure what will.

Elsewhere there’s a typically varied mixture of alternative rock, ska, punk, singer-songwriters, grindcore, folk and rockabilly. As ever, variety remains one of the Midweek Song List’s guiding principles.

Until next week, enjoy the music.

Frederick Delius – Spring Morning

Frederick Delius was one of Britain’s most distinctive composers, although he spent much of his life in France. Spring Morning comes from his orchestral output and reflects the impressionistic style that made him famous during the early twentieth century. Rather than telling a story, Delius paints musical pictures, and this piece captures the freshness and promise of a spring day. His work fell somewhat out of fashion after his death in 1934 but has enjoyed periodic revivals thanks to its lyrical beauty and unique atmosphere.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z36zKAB0tnI

Dinosaur Jr – Just Like Heaven

Originally appearing on The Cure’s 1987 album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Just Like Heaven became one of Robert Smith’s best-loved songs. Dinosaur Jr recorded their version in 1989 and transformed the shimmering pop original into something fuzzier, louder and more distinctly American. While retaining the melody and emotional heart of the song, J Mascis’s guitar-heavy interpretation introduced it to an alternative rock audience and has since become one of the most celebrated cover versions of the era.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT7IpRx08tE

The Interrupters – Sorrow

Sorrow was originally recorded by The McCoys in 1965 before being covered by Merseybeat group The Merseys later the same year. It subsequently gained a wider audience through David Bowie’s version on his 1973 album Pin Ups. The Interrupters recycle the song once again, adding their trademark ska-punk energy. The result is faster, punchier and rhythmically more upbeat than previous versions while still preserving the melancholy sentiment at the centre of the lyrics.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIZWd0zhq2E

John Mayer – Say

Released in 2007 for the film The Bucket List, Say later appeared on the reissue of Mayer’s album Continuum. The song won a Grammy Award and remains one of his most commercially successful recordings. While Mayer is often praised for his guitar playing, Say strips things back in favour of a direct lyrical message encouraging listeners to express what they truly feel before opportunities are lost. It is one of the most accessible entries in his catalogue.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phaIklEphSM

Joni Mitchell – Rainy Night House

Taken from the landmark 1970 album Ladies of the Canyon, Rainy Night House showcases Joni Mitchell’s extraordinary ability to transform personal memories into compelling songs. The track is believed to have been inspired by her friendship with singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. Unlike some of her more overtly autobiographical songs, it unfolds quietly and subtly, creating an atmosphere of reflection rather than dramatic confession. More than fifty years on, it remains a fine example of her writing at its most intimate.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeIqdZCy2EQ

Napalm Death – Suffer The Children

Appearing on the 1988 album From Enslavement to Obliteration, Suffer The Children is one of the most important tracks in the development of grindcore. Unlike many early extreme metal recordings, the song tackled serious social issues rather than fantasy or horror themes. Its subject matter concerns the suffering caused by poverty and neglect. Various versions have appeared over the years, but the original remains unsurpassed in terms of raw power and impact. It helped establish Napalm Death as one of Britain’s most influential underground bands.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9o33gocD50

The Paragons – The Tide Is High

Recorded in 1967 and later included on collections of the group’s rocksteady material, The Tide Is High was written by John Holt of The Paragons. The original version has a relaxed Caribbean groove, rich harmonies and a romantic feel. Blondie transformed the song into a New Wave and reggae-infused pop hit in 1980, taking it to number one in Britain and America. Atomic Kitten would later do much the same for a new generation in 2002. Despite those successful reinventions, many reggae fans still regard the Paragons recording as definitive.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/SQXqkiKXiHc

Queen – We Will Rock You

Released on Queen’s 1977 album News of the World, We Will Rock You was written by Brian May after the band observed audiences enthusiastically participating in concerts. The famous stomp-stomp-clap rhythm was deliberately designed to encourage crowd involvement. While the original remains the best-known version, the song has since been covered by everyone from Five to Metallica and has become one of the most recognisable sporting anthems in the world. Nearly fifty years later, its simplicity remains its greatest strength.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOaOzNhDRPA

Royal Scots Dragoon Guards – Amazing Grace

The words of Amazing Grace were written by John Newton and first published in 1779. Hundreds of recordings exist, ranging from gospel interpretations to folk and country versions. The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards recording reached number one in the UK in 1972, a remarkable achievement for an instrumental pipe band performance. While many artists have focused on the song’s vocal power, this version allows the melody itself to shine through, creating one of the most moving recordings of the twentieth century.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSgCkJqB82Q

Sex Pistols – Pretty Vacant

Released as a single in 1977 and later appearing on Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols, Pretty Vacant became one of the defining songs of the original British punk movement. Johnny Rotten’s sneering vocal delivery and Steve Jones’s powerful guitar work gave the track a swagger that countless imitators have tried to replicate. Numerous bands have covered it over the years, but most versions lack the sense of danger and unpredictability that made the original such an important cultural statement.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpK-RDQN_hE

Shanghai Treason – Free Man On The Land

Edinburgh-based Shanghai Treason have built a strong reputation through relentless touring and energetic live performances. Free Man On The Land perfectly demonstrates their ability to blend folk, bluegrass, punk and Americana influences into a coherent and highly entertaining sound. Their recordings capture only part of the appeal; they are very much a band designed for festival fields and crowded venues, where their enthusiasm becomes infectious.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwnSSi6rybA

The Wise Guyz – Jumping Record

The Wise Guyz have spent years championing rockabilly and roots music while updating the style for modern audiences. Jumping Record draws heavily on the sounds of artists such as Gene Vincent, Carl Perkins and Eddie Cochran but delivers them with contemporary production values and a modern edge. The result is a frantic, energetic and hugely enjoyable track that demonstrates why rockabilly continues to attract devoted followers decades after its commercial peak.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgddyW7KbAQ

Counter Culture Choice ★

The Wise Guyz – Jumping Record

We’ve featured everything from classical music to grindcore this week, but our choice goes to a song that simply oozes fun. Jumping Record captures the spirit of classic rockabilly without feeling like a museum piece. The Wise Guyz understand that the genre works best when played with enthusiasm and conviction rather than reverence, and that’s exactly what they deliver here.

The song combines infectious rhythms, strong musicianship and enough energy to power a small town. It won’t change the world, solve political disputes or answer life’s great mysteries, but it will almost certainly improve your mood for three minutes. Sometimes that’s more than enough.

This week’s Counter Culture Choice: The Wise Guyz – “Jumping Record”.

Leave a Comment

Rainee Blake Captures Joni Mitchell’s Essence

August 21, 2025 at 1:42 pm · Filed under Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025, Music, Uncategorized ·Tagged , , ,

Five black stars on a white background representing a review rating.

Joni Mitchell: Take Me As I Am at the Edinburgh Fringe 2025 is a small marvel. Rainee Blake doesn’t just sing Joni—she is Joni. She performs in character, speaking to us as if we’ve been invited into her home after a tour. There’s a wry, playful sense of humour in the way she tells stories, teasing the audience, laughing at herself, and sharing secrets that feel half-confessed. It’s intimate, and it works.

A young woman in a cream-colored embroidered dress sitting on the floor while playing an acoustic guitar.

I went in only knowing a few songs—Big Yellow Taxi and Both Sides Now. Both were delivered with warmth and beauty, reminding me why they became classics. But it was the lesser-known songs that surprised me. Coyote and Woodstock felt alive, urgent, and new. Blake’s voice, tuned to Joni’s strange chords, carried the ache of longing and the restless energy of the road.

What impressed me most was the honesty. No attempt at polish or distance—just raw storytelling woven through song. At times it felt like time travel, the room holding its breath as she played. It’s rare at the Fringe to find something this still, this sure of itself. Take Me As I Am is not a tribute—it’s a meeting with Joni Mitchell in her prime.

Reviewed By Pat Harrington

More information and tickets here

Leave a Comment

Lyrics to Live By Keys to self-help – notes for a better life

August 2, 2018 at 1:17 pm · Filed under Books, Spirituality/Philosophy ·Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

IT’S often said that the best ideas are the simplest. And this is certainly the case with the idea behind Lyrics to Live By. Indeed, I’d go as far as saying that the idea behind the book is so simple it’s absolutely brilliant.

So what’s the idea, what makes it so simple and why is it literally a stroke of pure genius?

The idea’s so simple because it relates to something that we probably do every time we hear a song – and that’s to sing along to it and wonder what some of the lyrics actually mean.

This basic query about the meaning of the lyrics can also generate many other questions. For instance, how did the song come about, how long did it take to write, what is the writing process and what’s the idea behind the song? Why use the particular set of lyrics that appear? How personal is the song – and does it contain any hidden or subliminal messages?

With this in mind, the publisher of Lyrics to Live By has asked Tim Bragg to interpret the lyrics of a dozen songs. Ten songs were provided by the publisher whilst Tim chose Paul Simon’s Slip Slidin’ Away and one of his own compositions, Some Answers.

LyricstoLiveByAdamazonuk

For those who don’t know, Tim Bragg is a multi-instrumentalist and a writer of songs, novels and short stories. Indeed, he has several albums and books to his name. He also has a deep interest in English and green politics and is the founder of English Green – https://www.facebook.com/groups/167522623276444/?ref=br_rs – which describes itself as ‘a group interested in ecology and its relationship with all aspects of human activity. How we co-exist with the flora and fauna and how we conduct ourselves in an ecologically healthy manner and how we achieve a spiritual and material well-being are of particular interest’.

Tim is also a really deep thinker – he describes himself as “the eternal outsider” and has been described as “a provocative intellectual renegade”. He is also interested in issues relating to free speech and English culture, previously describing Stratford-upon-Avon as his “spiritual home”.

In his Foreword, Bragg sets the scene by highlighting the importance of music:

‘But we are drawn to particular songs and musicians who seem to speak to us. They really do help guide us through life and come to our aid when most needed. At our lowest, a song can be played over and over, and this repetition seems to heal. When we are blue a blues song seems to do the trick. And the very personal nature of a song makes it effective for our own personal situation – bad/good or otherwise. I am thankful to the musicians who wrote songs that helped me through difficult times: the end of a love affair … for instance’.

I’m sure we’ve all wondered, why certain lyrics have the ability to strike a chord deep inside us. Indeed, every reader could probably suggest the lyrics of several songs which have really touched them – almost in a spiritual way. To me, it simply illustrates the beauty and power of song. However, has it always been like this – and will it be like this forever?

The lyrics Tim comments on are really varied – they include those from Hey Jude, Stairway to Heaven, Wicked Game and Big Yellow Taxi. The musical genres covered are also fairly broad. Writers include Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, John Lennon and Paul McCartney of the Beatles, David Bowie, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell.

I’m not going to give you any details of what he makes of any of the lyrics (and I know that this is extremely strange for a review!) as I want to encourage readers of Lyrics to Live by to really think for themselves. That’s because we live in a world where all sorts of information is readily accessible and Wikipedia is king. Such easy access to information is very much a double-edged sword. On the positive side it enables folks to learn about more-or-less anything under the sun. On the negative side, I fear that many folks are – or have – lost the ability to question information and think for themselves.

Earlier I mentioned that Tim is a very deep thinker, and this is certainly borne out in how he interprets the lyrics. I must admit that I’d often sing along to a song and spend a few minutes contemplating what the lyrics mean. But to actually sit down and to probably spend hours really analysing the lyrics is probably an art form in itself!

This is the first time I’ve read an examination of lyrics to such a high level. Indeed, Tim noted that the process was ‘almost as if meditating’. I really do think that most people will be in awe of (or even shocked at) the depth of thinking employed here. Whether you agree with Tim is open to debate. However, it would really be interesting to know what readers think of his in-depth interpretations.

Lyrics to Live by also poses many questions in itself. I’m not too sure if this was the original intention or simply a by-product of the subject matter?

For instance, I’d particularly like to know how and why the particular songs – and more importantly, the individual lyrics – were chosen by the publisher? I also wondered if there was any sort of thread linking the artists? I presume they must mean something to the publisher, but what? Are they in some way personal, or do they contain any hidden or subliminal messages? Indeed, does Tim’s interpretation of the lyrics match those of the publisher, or are they wildly different? Furthermore, I found it interesting that Tim looked at the lyrics of one of his own songs – I wonder if this was therapeutic in any way?

The Foreword mentions Tim’s admiration for Phil Lynott and Van Morrison, who ‘have certainly helped me through my life’s journey’. Yet neither of them feature in the book. This got me wondering what artists would any of us choose to analyse– and why?

A couple of other things also came to mind whilst reviewing the book:

Firstly, Tim Bragg is a multi-instrumentalist and is comfortable with different genres of music. With this in mind, I presume that a Heavy Metal singer would be more at home looking at the lyrics of a Heavy Metal song. The same would presumably go for a Folk musician with Folk lyrics. However, what would happen if you gave the Heavy Metal and Folk singer the lyrics to a Country and Western song? Would the change of genre completely throw them – or would they both apply the same thought process, successfully analyse the lyrics and manage to overcome the change in musical style?

Secondly, this review has thrown up many unique and interesting ideas and questions. They all lend themselves to a series of books looking at various lyrics and their meanings. I’d love to read the thoughts of other artists – and, in particular, independent artists – in the very near future. Here’s hoping that the first follow-up book is at the planning stage already.

Reviewed by John Field

Lyrics to Live By is available as a Paperback or E-book from all Amazon stores

Comments (1)