Joni Mitchell – Court and Spark

Court and Spark was Joni Mitchell's sixth album, the culmination of her folk-rock period and the beginnings of her jazz-rock period. It is her most commercially successful album: it topped the RPM album chart in Canada and the Cashbox chart in the US, and reached #14 in the UK.

Court and Spark is also one of Joni Mitchell's most critically acclaimed albums, generally falling just behind Blue. It was nominated for a 1975 Grammy award as best album and generally makes lists of the greatest all-time albums (#37 in Paul Gambaccini's The Top 100 Rock 'n' Roll Albums of All Time in 1987, #116 in The Virgin All-Time Album Top 1000 in 2000, #111 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in 2003) and the greatest Canadian albums (#23 in Chart magazine in 2005, #18 in Bob Mersereau's The Top 100 Canadian Albums in 2007, #38 in CBC Radio's 100 Greatest Canadian Albums list in 2013). Court and Spark also receives glowing reviews from the critics:

• AllMusic gives it a perfect 5 stars
• Robert Christgau gave it an A
• New Rolling Stone Record Guide and the Rolling Stone Album Guide both gave it a perfect 5 stars
• Pitchfork gave it a perfect 10

"Raised on Robbery" (#51), "Help Me" (#6) and "Free Man in Paris" (#16) were all hit singles from the album.

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Track Listing

1. "Court and Spark" (Joni Mitchell) – 2:46
2. "Help Me" (Joni Mitchell) – 3:22
3. "Free Man in Paris" (Joni Mitchell) – 3:02
4. "People's Parties" (Joni Mitchell) – 2:20
5. "Same Situation" (Joni Mitchell) – 3:05
6. "Car on a Hill" (Joni Mitchell) – 2:58
7. "Down to You" (Joni Mitchell) – 5:36
8. "Just Like This Train" (Joni Mitchell) – 4:23
9. "Raised on Robbery" (Joni Mitchell) – 3:05
10. "Trouble Child" (Joni Mitchell) – 3:57
11. "Twisted" (Annie Ross, Wardell Gray) – 2:18

Personnel

• Joni Mitchell – vocals, background vocals (on 3), piano, clavinet (on 7), acoustic guitars (on 3, 5, 6, 9), electric guitars (on 1, 2, 4, 7, 8)
• John Guerin – drums, pecussion
• Max Bennett – bass (except 4, 10)
• Jim Hughart – bass (on 10)
• Wilton Felder – bass (on 4)
• Mike Holland – chimes (on 1)
• Tom Scott – woodwinds, reeds
• Chuck Findley – trumpet (on 10, 11)
• Joe Sample – electric piano
• David Crosby – background vocals (on 3, 7)
• Graham Nash – background vocals (on 3)
• Susan Webb – background vocals (on 7)
• Cheech Marin – background vocals (on 11)
• Tommy Chong – background vocals (on 11)
• Wayne Perkins – electric guitar (on 6)
• Dennis Budimir – electric guitar (on 10)
• Robbie Robertson – electric guitar (on 9)
• Jose Feliciano – electric guitar (on 3)
• Larry Carlton – electric guitar (except 6, 9, 10)

• Joni Mitchell – Blue (album)
• Joni Mitchell – Hejira (album)
• Joni Mitchell – Both Sides Now (song)
• Joni Mitchell – Big Yellow Taxi (song)
• Joni Mitchell – River (song)
• Joni Mitchell – A Case of You (song)