The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 464

Rock 'ri Roll Insights From Inside Joni Mitche BY ROBERT HILBURN After having gone through all of 1973 without finding anything up to "album of the year" standards, we now have in these still early weeks of 1974 two candidates for the honor; two albums, in short, that are more satisfying and accomplished than anything released all of last year. Earlier, we had Bob Dylan's "Planet Waves" (Asylum 7E-1003-A), a hauntingly beautiful work that is not only Dylan's best work in years but rich with the quality and purpose that enables it to sit comfortably alongside such classics as "Highway 61 Revisited" and "Blonde on Blonde." Now, we have Joni Mitchell's "Court and Spark" (Asylum 7E-1001), a warmly virtually flawless album that may well- contain the most finely honed collection of songs and most fully realized arrangements in the singer-songwriter's distinguished career. As always, Miss Mitchell's lyrics speak of the delicacies, contradictions, frustrations and joys one. encounters in the search for love and satisfaction. But her writing seems even more disciplined, her vocal phrasing more certain and her commentary more personal.

After the brilliance and emotion of such works as Ladies of the Canyon," "Blue" and "For the. Roses," it's hard to imagine any writer being able ft 7 hi-U 1 I i A I S1. it :4 to reach inside herself again for fresh slices of insight and expression. But Miss Mitchell has done exactly that in these 10 new songs. Part of Miss Mitchell's strength has always been her ability to explore and then honestly reveal rather than filter, soften or glamorize her emotions and experiences, both the pleasure and pain.

Too many artists filter experiences to make themselves appear wiser, stronger, more confident. Miss Mitchell, however, allows the vulnerability to be seen. Thus, there are moments in "Court and Spark" as there were in "Planet Waves" so tender and exposed that it almost makes you wince from its degree of honesty. Another important strength in Miss Mitchell's work is its balance. She includes both the ups and downs, a bit of the times in which things did work as well as those times in which they didn't.

The pessimism and uncertainty may outweigh the optimism, but there is the lingering sense of eventual discovery of the right person. In "Car on the Hill," Miss Mitchell. speaks of the expectations and hopes raised in those early moments when everything is so right: It always seems so righteous at the start When there's so much laughter When there's so much spark When there's so much sweetness in the dark. But there's the ever present warning about the way things change. In "Down to You," she reminds: Everything comes and goes Pleasure moves on too early And trouble leaves too slow.

In "Help Me," Miss Mitchell captures the temptations of romance, the expectations that are aroused even though experience has taught her to be wary and, finally, the limitations caused by each person's ultimate need: Help me think I'm falling In love too fast It's got me hoping for the future And worrying about the past 'Cause I've seen some hot hot blazes Come down to smoke and ash Weloveourlovin' But not like we love our freedom. "The Same Situation" points out the near humiliation and tenseness of awaiting someone else's decision: You've had lots of lovely women Now you turn your gaze to me Weighing the beauty and the imperfection. Even though she knows the dangers ahead, she finds herself wanting so much to proceed, wanting so much for his answer to be positive: Still I sent up my prayer Wondering where it had to go With heaven full of astronauts And the Lord on death row. Each of the album's songs is toasted with some highly effective instrumental shading a touch of brass here, a dash of extra voices there. There is also some surprise assistance, including the Band's Robbie Robertson and Dr.

John on the spirited rocker, "Raised on Robbery." "Raised on Robbery" is the album's liveliest track, a sassy! provocative tune about an attempted pick-up in a hotel lounge. It's a surprising, but wel come exercise in humor. The lyrics include this invitation to step upstairs an invitation camouflaged enough to allow it to be heard on AM radio: I'm a. pretty good cook I'm sitting on my groceries Come vp to my kitchen I'll show you my best recipe The album ends with a version of "Twisted" (the only non-Mitchell song on the album) that is far from controlled and ultimately more effective than the version of the tune found on Bette Mid- JON MITCHELL the search for love and satisfaction. A 4 1 4 fS )i J8f'! Xjijif'y i x- i in If? ler's second album.

It includes a brief cameo ap pearance by Cheech Chong. Even with the enormous expectations one has fo an album from someone of Miss Mitchells artisti stature, "Court and Spark" is a major triumph. It' an honest, sensitive, highly musical package. There's also honesty and sensitivity in Carly' Si mon's hew album, "Hotcakes" (Elektra 7E-1Q02, but the. difference between it and "Court Spark'1 is major.

It's chiefly the difference betweei simple observation (on one hand) and interesting insight (on the other). The advantage, clearly, i with "Court and Spark." i Miss Simon's songs about the envy of an olde sister, the juxtaposition of childhood and adul roles, the man on her mind seem accuratt enough, but lack the depth or special twist to elc vate them above the commonplace. The result i at acceptable on strictly musical terms but largel) unessential album one that is all too easy to1 ig nore. The exceptions are "Think I'm Gonna Havte i Baby," a particularly well-arranged tune about ith transition from a pop star to a mother C'Thetfn puttin' out too many phonograph records I think I'm gonna have a baby and CARLY SMON honesfy and sensitivity without depth. a remake of the old Inez Foxx hit with vocal helf rm.