Don Juan's Reckless Daughter

Don Juan's Reckless Daughter is a 1977 double album by Joni Mitchell. Her first double LP, Don Juan's expanded on the previous album Hejira while delving deep into experimentation. Close to completing her contract with Asylum Records, Mitchell felt that this album could be looser in feel than any album she'd done in the past and said, "This record followed on the tail of persecution, it's experimental, and it didn't really matter what I did, I just had to fulfill my contract".

The opening "Overture" is played with six simultaneous guitars, some in different tunings from others, and vocal echo effects. "Talk to Me" outlines the effects of a "reckless" lifestyle and a transient nature; given her reputation in the 1970s for being involved in a series of destructive relationships, one may guess that it has a distinctly personal edge. "Jericho" is a studio reworking of a song she first sang live on Miles of Aisles.

"Paprika Plains" is a 16-minute song played on improvised piano and arranged with a full orchestra that takes up all of Side 2. In it, Mitchell narrates a first-person description of a late-night gathering in a bar frequented by a Native American clientele, giving a realistic portrayal of hopelessness and alcoholism. At a point in the narrative, this character leaves the setting and enters into a dreamstate, where the lyrics become a mixture of references to innocent childhood memories, a nuclear explosion and an expressionless tribe gazing upon the dreamer. In speaking to Anthony Fawcett about working on "Paprika Plains", she said: "The Improvisational, the spontaneous aspect of this creative process - still as a poet - is to set words to the music, which is a hammer and chisel process. Sometimes it flows, but a lot of times it's blocked by concept. And if you're writing free consciousness - which I do once in a while just to remind myself that I can, you know, because I'm fitting little pieces of this puzzle together - the end result must flow as if it was spoken for the first time".

"Otis and Marlena" is a portrayal of tedious petit-bourgeousie vacationing. "The Tenth World" is an extended-length instrumental of fiery Latin percussion, and "Dreamland" features only percussion and voices, many of which are provided by Chaka Khan.

"Don Juan's Reckless Daughter" is a depiction of two animal spirits (eagle and snake) battling for control of the singer's soul. "Off Night Backstreet" is a depiction of a disastrous love affair. The album ends with "The Silky Veils Of Ardor", the only completely solo track for Mitchell on the album, consists of a lament on the futility of her previous attempts at resolving her romantic inclinations (thereby bringing the general theme of the album to its conclusion).

The album contains notable contributions from members of Weather Report, a jazz rock band who were at the height of its powers at the time. Jaco Pastorius lends his bass playing to the entire album, and Wayne Shorter, who would become a frequent collaborator with Mitchell, also plays notable sax solos throughout.

Don Juan's Reckless Daughter was released in December 1977 to mixed reviews, but peaked at #25 on the Billboard charts and attained gold record status within three months.

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by Joni Mitchell; except for "The Tenth World" by Joni Mitchell, Don Alias, Manolo Badrena, Alejandro Acuna, Airto and Jaco Pastorius

"Overture/Cotton Avenue" – 6:41
"Talk to Me" – 3:45
"Jericho" – 3:22
"Paprika Plains" – 16:21
"Otis and Marlena" – 4:09
"The Tenth World" – 6:45
"Dreamland" – 4:38
"Don Juan's Reckless Daughter" – 6:36
"Off Night Backstreet" – 3:20
"The Silky Veils of Ardor" – 4:01

[edit] Personnel

Joni Mitchell - guitar and vocals, piano on "Paprika Plains", backing vocals on "Paprika Plains"
Alejandro Acuna - congas/cowbell and backing vocals on "The Tenth World", shakers on "Dreamland", ankle bells on "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter"
Airto - surdu on "The Tenth World" and "Dreamland"
Don Alias - bongos on "Jericho", congos/clave and backing vocals on "The Tenth World", snaredrum and sandpaper blocks on "Dreamland", shaker on "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter"
Manolo Badrena - congas/coffee cans and lead vocal on "The Tenth World", congas on "Dreamland", credited "in spirit" on "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter"
El Buryd - the split-tongued spirit on "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter"
Larry Carlton - electric guitar on "Otis And Marlena"
Michel Colombier - piano on "Otis And Marlena"
Glenn Frey - backing vocals on "Off Night Backstreet"
Michael Gibbs - conductor of orchestra on "Paprika Plains" and "Off Night Backstreet"
John Guerin - drums
Bobbye Hall - credited in spirit on "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter"
Chaka Khan - backing vocals on "The Tenth World" and "Dreamland"
Jaco Pastorius - bass, bongos on "The Tenth World", cowbells on "Dreamland"
Wayne Shorter - soprano sax on "Jericho" on "Paprika Plains"
J.D. Souther - backing vocals on "Off Night Backstreet"