Joni Mitchell: Court and Spark (1974)

I came late to the Joni Mitchell party. Growing up in the early 70s, my parents had a Joni Mitchell record (never a good sign), and we used to sing songs like "The Circle Game" and "Both Sides Now" around the campfire at summer camp. Neither of which are huge selling points when you stumble into a pre-teen obsession with rock & roll (thank you, Sweet!). Later, my love of powerful women singers like Joan Jett and Liz Phair seemed to render Mitchell (or at least my impression of her) anathema.

But ...