Joni Mitchell is one of the most intriguing artists of the past 50 years and her album Blue (1971) is not only recognized as a landmark, it is also one of the most appreciated and revered productions of recent musical history. Many generations of young men and women have matured to the tones of Blue and it helped them often in discovering and clarifying their deepest emotions, because Blue is a so-called confession album, in which the Canadian singer-songwriter shares her personal emotions in a very emphatic and unveiled way with the listener. She herself was probably a little shocked by the vigor and sincerity, that could be measured by the reactions of the fans. After the release of the album, she retired for over a year in her cottage on the Canadian east coast to catch her breath, but her so-called Blue Period would take years, and author Michelle Mercer has come to the conclusion that the albums For the Roses (1972), her second masterpiece Court and Spark (1974) and even Hejira (1976) are eligible, and that is very plausible, because on her next album, Don Juan's Reckless Daughter (1977), Joni Mitchell resolutely opted for jazz and destroyed the image of the blonde girl with the guitar and the angelic voice. The fans did not understand it, because they wanted more of the same – that’s the way fans are - and consequently Mitchell’s album sales plunged completely. It would take until 1982 before she gave in to the pressure and released accessible material again.
Michelle Mercer has interviewed Joni Mitchell elaborately in the course of many years, and she met her often on other occasions, where she could observe the artist with her friends and acquaintances. For Will You Take Me As I Am, she has consulted interviews and books from colleagues to make an accurate and complete portrait of Joni Mitchell (which it obviously can never be) and perhaps she herself is a fan (why else would you write such a book?), but she proves to be able to take enough distance to approach the topic of her interest with sufficient objectivity. As a result, Will You Take Me As I Am is not only a fascinating, but also an original book in which admiration and respect are linked to a strictly professional and journalistic approach, which is often lacking in this genre. And to avoid blunders, Mercer has discussed her findings with artists and actors from the entourage of the artist, sometimes with amazing results.
The author does not proceed chronologically, but she connects events and trends from different periods, so that a clear and hopefully regular behavior appears that can be linked to the musical output of Joni Mitchell, the culture and the zeitgeist in general. It is an exciting process. Those who are familiar with the life of Joni Mitchell from earlier books and articles, will not really find new facts in Will You Take Me As I Am. It is rather a refinement of certain known facts and circumstances, presented in an attractive style, allowing music lovers who are no fan of the Canadian artist to keep reading. For hardcore fans of her work, this is an indispensable book because it provides insight into the intense and uncertain period of her life and career between 1970 and 1976, which can be related to the aforementioned albums.
Will You Take Me As I Am, is certainly one of the key phrases from the work of Joni Mitchell, an artist who often felt misunderstood and was not willing to give in to the expectations of her fans, and regretted the fact that they begrudged her personal and artistic freedom. Someone like Bob Dylan has definitely taken similar decisions to similar effect, but apparently he felt less threatened by public rejection and criticism. Joni Mitchell belongs to a different and more sensitive species, but it has paid off, because during the darkest periods of her life, she wrote her best work.
Michelle Mercer’s Will You Take Me As I Am is not published in Dutch, but the book can be ordered through the usual channels.
Backbeat Books, 2009
Paperback, English, 239 pag.