Elvis Costello, Joni Mitchell, and the Torch Song Tradition

Explores how the torch song tradition combined with the force of personality in two major Joni Mitchell, Elvis Costello, and the Torch Song Tradition combines .
Table of contents

Freely available

When Smith does venture an authorial comment, it generally suffers from an ill-judged tone, often cloying and overfamiliar, occasionally crackpot. Here, for instance, is a sample from his concluding paragraph in the chapter on Mitchell's oeuvre: It is the Garden of Eden—a place where every morning is a butterscotch morning. Health foods, nature walks, skinny-dipping, and other wonderful, natural treats are readily available—and you may smoke in public, if you like.

People cooperate with each other, share responsibilities and duties, and pass along life's wisdom in informal settings' p.

Elvis Costello, Joni Mitchell, and the Torch Song Tradition

The chapters surveying the bodies of work make their way painstakingly through every single album. An attempt is made to divide the careers into distinct subperiods, but the criteria for such a division remain rather impressionistic. Thus Mitchell's work falls into a 'participant-commentator' phase —74 , a 'sonic explorer' phase —9 , and a 'seasoned commentator' phase —98 ; Costello's into a 'Citizen Elvis' period —81 , a 'punk tunesmith' era , and a 'punk composer' phase to the present.


  1. Joni Mitchell - Elvis Costello, Joni Mitchell, and the Torch Song Tradition - Book.
  2. O Engenhoso Fidalgo D. Quixote de la Mancha - Primeira Parte (Portuguese Edition).
  3. SearchWorks Catalog;
  4. Elvis Costello, Joni Mitchell, and the torch song tradition in SearchWorks catalog.
  5. Stanford Libraries.
  6. Elvis Costello, Joni Mitchell, and the Torch Song Tradition - Larry David Smith - Google Книги!
  7. .

Again, tone is a constant problem. Discussing Mitchell's 'Chelsea Morning', Smith calls the song 'an aural smiley face' p.


  1. .
  2. Mareijkes Courage.
  3. !
  4. Structurally Sound - Renovating The Middle-Aged Body.
  5. ?
  6. .
  7. Individualisierung von Kollektivleistungen: Strategische Optionen für Wirtschaftsverbände (NPO-Manag.

The level of discourse approximates to a lengthy, enthusiastic, but self-indulgent review posted on a music retail website. Most damaging, however, to the usefulness of a book dedicated to the explication of a putative 'torch song' aesthetic is the almost total absence of any musical discussion. Then set up a personal list of libraries from your profile page by clicking on your user name at the top right of any screen.

Library of Books and DVDs

Separate different tags with a comma. To include a comma in your tag, surround the tag with double quotes. Skip to content Skip to search. Home All editions This edition , English edition: Language English View all editions Prev Next edition 4 of 4. Creator Smith, Larry David.

Subjects Costello, Elvis -- Criticism and interpretation. Mitchell, Joni -- Criticism and interpretation.

Get this edition

Popular music -- Analysis, appreciation. Chansons d'amour -- Histoire et critique. Love songs -- History and criticism. Summary "The torch song has long been a vehicle for expression - perhaps American song's most visceral. Two artists in particular have built upon this tradition to express unique outlooks on their lives and the world around them.

Project MUSE - Elvis Costello, Joni Mitchell, and the Torch Song Tradition (review)

By Larry David Smith. The book is structured as a dual life-and-works, with chapters on biography, artistic philosophy, oeuvre, and individual close readings for each musician. Smith contributes no new biographical research, being content to collate and repackage the extensive material already available in biographies and music journalism.

The result offers an interesting comprehensiveness for those unfamiliar with the existing literature, but adds little of value. When Smith does venture an authorial comment, it generally suffers from an ill-judged tone, often cloying and overfamiliar, occasionally crackpot.


  • .
  • !
  • !
  • .
  • Additional Information!

    • Most users should sign in with their email address. If you originally registered with a username please use that to sign in. To purchase short term access, please sign in to your Oxford Academic account above.