About

Shadows and Light is the second live album by Canadian musician Joni Mitchell. It was released in September 1980 through Asylum Records, her last release for the label. It was recorded in September 1979 at the Santa Barbara Bowl in Santa Barbara, California. For this album, Mitchell was backed by a band of acclaimed jazz and fusion musicians consisting of guitarist Pat Metheny, bassist Jaco Pastorius, drummer Don Alias, keyboardist Lyle Mays, and saxophonist Michael Brecker. The vocal group the Persuasions appear on the title track and a cover of Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers' "Why Do Fools Fall in Love".

The musicians are given room to jam, and they sound terrific on uptempo songs such as "Coyote" and "In France They Kiss on Main Street." If there is a general theme of these songs, it's about growing older and maturing after the failed idealism of the late '60s (the album opens with audio clips from the movie Rebel Without a Cause). Although this album is pleasing, the live arrangements are not different enough from the studio versions to warrant higher marks. In fact, Mitchell has always been an album artist who recorded studio albums that had a sound and feel all their own. While Shadows and Light provides a nice summary of her experimental period for casual fans, interested listeners should start with Hejira or The Hissing of Summer Lawns. — (via AllMusic)

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Label: Asylum Records 
Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, 180g
Country: UK, Europe & US
Reissued: 2024 / Original Release: 1980
Genre: Jazz, Rock, Pop
Style: Acoustic

File under: School of Rock
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