Joni Mitchell...

I didn't discover singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell until the late 1990s.  I had heard a lot about her, but never actually heard her... Or, I was only familiar with her mid 70s song "Help Me", which was played a lot on adult contemporary radio stations...

And maybe "Free Man In Paris", though I never really paid attention to who sang it...

And I knew about Judy Collins singing "Both Sides Now", not knowing that Joni Mitchell had written it.

I actually think I like Judy's version better.

In the late 90s, I came into a couple of greatest hits albums with Joni Mitchell's music on it.  I really got into it and enjoyed a lot of songs I missed when they were more timely.  Since I am a big James Taylor fan, it's crazy that I wouldn't listen to music from his ex.  On her awesome album Blue, he contributed a lot of guitar.

Sadly, as Joni got older, her voice changed.  She was (and probably still is) a chain smoker.  I remember seeing a video of her painting-- besides being a writer, singer, composer, and guitar player, she can also paint...  and the whole time, she was chain smoking like a chimney.  She's also pretty old now.  Her voice is much lower than it was in the 70s...

"The Magdalene Laundries" is a very poignant song about unwed pregnant teens who were forced to work in a laundry in Ireland... I think this song is amazing, even if it is depressing, but Joni's voice is very different here than it was before.

And no song captures how different her voice is now like her 2006 rendition of "The Man I Love".

It's been awhile since I lasted listened to Joni Mitchell.  I might have to put her on this weekend and revisit some of my favorite songs by her.

Obscure folkie guy singers...

My childhood was rife with songs by singer-songwriter types.  I'm not just talking about guys like James Taylor, Dan Fogelberg, or Jim Croce.  I'm talking about some guys who sang and wrote a song, then kind of faded away...  Check out these singer-songwriters who were sorta one hit wonders.

Too cool.