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The Joni Mitchell Dozen.
Sometimes, these lists wind up being strings of hits, familiar if for good reason. The Joni Mitchell dozen makes up for a few of those, because if it came down to it, what I'd grab in a pinch is the first half of Night Ride Home -- lesser known, still fairly precise (from her picking/plucking style to the small lineup and expected sharp observations), yet with a recurring warmth from the romantic opener to reminisces of high school dances. Tack on six usual suspects, and I'd be in good shape.
(Btw, sometime in the last year or two, her official site got a facelift, exponentially improving her presence on the internets.)
Night Ride Home - I'll always associate a few discs with my senior year in college, including the first Led Zeppelin box, the first disc of that Derek & The Dominos In Concert set, and Night Ride Home. I'd go to sleep to this disc quite a bit. Husband/producer Larry Klein handles the bass. Guests on the album include Wayne Shorter, David Baerwald, and (I just noticed this) Karen Peris of Innocence Mission. Occasionally, I get the feeling I may have somewhat constricted views on what an album opener should do. Even if I do, this song fits the bill.
Passion Play (When All The Slaves Are Free) - A typically atmospheric, nocturnal atmosphere (think the disc's title) springs from the first second, and "Magdalene's trembling like the washing on the line ..." starts to set the scene. It's poetry, and if you blew over Don Alias' name above, here's an example of what percussion can do to create a mood.
Cherokee Louise - Night Ride Home's sparse ensemble shines here, from Shorter's staccato fills to the way Mitchell's tripletish acoustic part and Klein's bass create a swing that works because it's more implied than actual. The harmonies clinch it.
The Windfall - A finely constructed melody in the verse for a song about the pitfalls of L.A., in the form of one person in particular. Enjoy the vibe, or admire the invective ("You'd eat your young alive / For a jaguar in the drive / You lie too much, you lie too badly / You want everything for nothing.") Yikes.
Slouching Toward Bethlehem - Lyric based on the Yeats poem, arrangement stands apart by sticking with just guitar and voice for :40. Then we get the more formidable (but still supporting) sonic backdrop you'd expect for a song of mythical imagery, big things moving slowly, and expected revelation.
Come In From The Cold - "Back in 1957, we had to dance a foot apart ..." begins verse one, and we move through the years from there.
A Case Of You - At the risk of stating the obvious, I'm a bigger fan of the latter day, ten-thousand-packs-of-Camels later voice than of the soprano/songbird earlier voice. So I'll alwas take the remake on Both Sides Now over the original.
Coyote (live) - The first of three tracks I'd recommend from Shadows & Light, with Mssrs. Brecker, Mays, Alias, Pastorius, and Metheny (yes, recalled from memory) as the you-must-be-joking backup band. Another crackling live version awaits on The Last Waltz, of course with its own too-good-to-believe corps of sidemen. There must be a few people who are relieved that Joni never decided to write a song about them (so far).
Free Man In Paris (live) - But David Geffen is probably happy enough that she wrote this character study. I love the way that these chords pivot into one another.
In France, They Kiss On Main Street (live) - Another song discovered on a live record (happened too many times to count growing up), again Shadows & Light (originally the opener for The Hissing Of Summer Lawns). Listen to Jaco and colleagues high-step through the chorus. Metheny almost lets himself sound like Chuck Berry for a couple of bars there in the solo.
Raised On Robbery - After the yin of so much Serious Songwriting, this retro romp from Court & Spark has always sounded like some well-needed yang. From the sax solo to the cocky character and its humor ("I'm a pretty good cook / I'm sitting on my groceries ..."), it has some of that roadhouse feel that Dylan sidled up to a little more comfortably.
Trouble Man (live) - Love this Marvin Gaye cover (especially the rapid-fire verse), part of her live repertoire with her '98 band including Brian Blade, Mark Isham, Larry Klein, and Greg Leisz. Not on an official CD, but it was released on her Painting With Words & Music live DVD.