This is a live performance from 1970 taken from British TV. It is pretty short (30 mins or so) but it delivers on a number of levels. For one it shows Joni Mitchell at the height of her powers. This is only a year or so after Woodstock... she's still in her full on Folk phase. She performs solo on guitar, piano and dulcimer. This is a totally live performance, recorded before a small and respectful audience.
Thankfully absent are the MTV induced edits that ruin so many live performance videos. The sound is good, as are the visuals. It's 1970 remember so it's not HI Def, but I was suprised that it was formatted for wide screen.. which was a pleasant surprise.
The performance itself is nothing spectacular, I'm sure it's not among her best, but still I was delighted at being able to see and hear Joni perform at that point in her career. It was like a gift from the Gods. There's something to be said for the high tech DVD's that showcase what the technology can do, but in the end it's the music that really matters, and on that level this DVD truly satisfies.
It gave me what I really treasure in music DVDs, a direct interaction with an artist in their prime, with as little directorial interference as possible.
