Court and Spark

[mudcub]

As a treat for myself, I thought I'd buy some CDs from the seventies folk-rock period. I am most impressed by female singer-songwriters who wrote, sang, and recorded their own music. In this age of vapid synthesized American Idols, I find it refreshing to go back thirty years and enjoy the originality of the women artists of previous decades.

Here are some CDs I don't own but think I should listen to:

Carole King "Tapestry"
Joni Mitchell "Court And Spark"
Carly Simon (I'll but a best-of CD)
Joan Armatrading "Walk Under Ladders"
Janis Ian (best-of, with "At Seventeen")

What about these artists? Can they be included in the genre?

Laura Nyro
Karla Bonoff
Patti Smith
The Carpenters
Kate Bush
Helen Reddy
Anne Murray

Can you recommend any others? Aren't there some famous lesbian singers I'm missing like Suede and Ferron and Holly Near and Cris Williamson?

Comments

[karusf.livejournal.com]

Reddy and Murray don't really belong in the same group with the others, ditto the Carpenters. On the Janis Ian, avoid the "best of" and go for 'Between the Lines' and 'Breaking Silence' instead. Add Armatrading's 'Me Myself I', Patti Smith's 'Horses', all three Karla Bonoff discs, and Kate Bush's 'Hounds of Love'. Joni Mitchell deserves a category of her own. "Blue" is a masterwork. "Hejira", "Hissing of Summer Lawns" and "For the Roses" all have strong material as well, tho less 'indispensable' than "Blue". If your CD player supports it, look for the HDCD remasters of the Joni discs. All of those artists are readily available used, fur hella cheap. Consider adding the Emmylou Harris (the "Best of" can work here) and Joan Baez' "Any Day Now", one of the best-ever sets of Dylan covers.