Why didn't she have a commercial resurgence?
-
Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Joni Mitchell
Future_Games — 11 years ago(May 18, 2014 03:18 AM)
I understand why she lost some fans when she released Hejira, Don Juan's Reckless Daughter and Mingus, but why didn't she achieve a career resurgence in the 1980s? The three studio albums that she released during the decade - Wild Things Run Fast, Dog Eat Dog and Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm - are commercial sounding albums with radio-friendly songs like Wild Things Run Fast, My Secret Place, Good Friends and Snakes and Ladders. The 1980s was a popular period for female artists, Cher and Tina Turner both made comebacks, while Stevie Nicks, Linda Ronstadt and Pat Benatar were scoring hit albums during the decade. I'm also surprised that Joni's Night Ride Home album didn't do better on the charts, especially with great tracks like Nothing Can Be Done and Come in from the Cold, though a lot of older artists saw their commercial successful at that point when grunge and alternative rock really took hold on the charts and radio.
ROCK STA
RS HAVE KIDN
APPED MY SON -
WarpedRecord — 10 years ago(April 28, 2015 10:04 PM)
Didn't she have a bit of a commercial boost in the mid-'80s, particularly with "Dog Eat Dog," which received some MTV exposure? I think her '80s material is as challenging and almost as good as her late '60s and '70s stuff, but I don't think the decade was a very good fit for her. Joni certainly wasn't going to modify her style or sensibility to fit the trendy '80s.
Another question: Why did she pretty much fade into anonymity shortly after that decade? "Turbulent Indigo" and "Taming the Tiger" are decent albums, but I don't see them in the same league as pretty much everything she released before. OK, maybe I just answered my own question.