Joni Mitchell - Hejira (1976)

Un de mes favoris, tous genres confondus.

Déjà la pochette, superbe :



Tout est parfait, la voix, les compositions, les arrangements, la basse de Jaco Pastorius sur plusieurs morceaux (grosse année pour le Jaco qui enregistre la même année son premier album solo, le Bright Size Life de Metheny et Black Market de Weather Report, 'scusez du peu). Certains trouvent qu'elle est envahissante, je la trouve simplement parfaite.


Black Crow

Et pourtant, du beau monde, il y en a :

* Joni Mitchell: vocals, acoustic & electric guitars
* Larry Carlton: acoustic & electric guitars
* Abe Most: clarinet on "Hejira"
* Neil Young: harmonica on "Furry Sings the Blues"
* Chuck Findley: horns on "Refuge of the Roads"
* Tom Scott: horns on "Refuge of the Roads"
* Victor Feldman: vibraphone on "Amelia"
* Jaco Pastorius: bass on "Refuge of the Roads", "Black Crow", "Hejira" and "Coyote"
* Max Bennett: bass on "Song for Sharon", "Furry Sings the Blues"
* Chuck Domanico: bass on "Blue Motel Room"
* John Guerin: drums
* Bobbye Hall: percussion

Neuf morceaux qui s'enchaînent parfaitement, pour un beau voyage :

1. "Coyote" – 5:01
2. "Amelia" – 6:01
3. "Furry Sings the Blues" – 5:07
4. "A Strange Boy" – 4:15
5. "Hejira" – 6:42
6. "Song for Sharon" – 8:40
7. "Black Crow" – 4:22
8. "Blue Motel Room" – 5:04
9. "Refuge of the Roads" – 6:42

Les guitares, splendides et encore la basse, son contrechant, ses harmoniques :


Coyote


Refuge of the Roads

L'émouvant Amelia :



En hommage à l'aviatrice Amelia Earhart qui a accumulé les records (première femme à traverser l'Atlantique en solitaire, par exemple) et qui disparut mystérieusement en mer dans les années 30.



I was driving across the burning desert
When I spotted six jet planes
Leaving six white vapor trails across the bleak terrain
It was the hexagram of the heavens
it was the strings of my guitar
Amelia it was just a false alarm

The drone of flying engines
Is a song so wild and blue
It scrambles time and seasons if it gets thru to you
Then your life becomes a travelogue
Of picture post card charms
Amelia it was just a false alarm

People will tell you where they've gone
They'll tell you where to go
But till you get there yourself you never really know
Where some have found their paradise
Other's just come to harm
Oh, Amelia it was just a false alarm

I wish that he was here tonight
It's so hard to obey
His sad request of me to kindly stay away
So this is how I hide the hurt
As the road leads cursed and charmed
I tell Amelia it was just a false alarm

A ghost of aviation
She was swallowed by the sky
Or by the sea like me she had a dream to fly
Like Icarus ascending
On beautiful foolish arms
Amelia it was just a false alarm

Maybe I've never really loved
I guess that is the truth
I've spent my whole life in clouds at icy altitude
And looking down on everything
I crashed into his arms
Amelia it was just a false alarm

I pulled into the Cactus Tree Motel
To shower off the dust
And I slept on the strange pillows of my wanderlust
I dreamed of 747s
Over geometric farms
Dreams Amelia - dreams and false alarms


Encore un disque "obligatoire". Comme les deux autres que Joni Mitchell a faits avec Pasto (Don Juan's Reckless Daughter en 1977 et Mingus en 1979).

Elle m'a toujours un peu fait "peur", du coup, jamais osé l'écouter.

Je remonte de suite corriger cette erreur. (ou pas)

Ecoute cet album et n'ai pas peur. C'est une perle. Avec Bright size life c'est le meilleur de Pasto, et le plus accessible, ce qui ne veut pas dire le plus "facile".