An Album/Song A Week - "Both Sides Now" - Judy Collins

  Recorded in 1967, but not released as a single until October 1968, "Both Sides Now" was not only Judy Collins' biggest hit (#8), but the song that introduced its writer, Joni Mitchell, to a larger audience.  Mitchell was indifferent to Collins' version, once calling it decades ago as "pretty lightweight".  But Collins's recording is better than both of Mitchell's versions.  Mitchell did an acoustic take in 1969 and a better orchestral one in 2003.  But Collins' is made for the Pop charts.  And the song is better for it.

   I was all of 4 when Collins' version came out, but I remember it today as being one of the first songs I've ever heard.  Of course I had no idea what it was about at that age, but it was the music that caught my young ears.  Hearing it again I'm taking back to the late 60's, and an innocent age for me but not for the U.S. Joni Mitchell was in her early 20's when she wrote "Both Sides Now".  And the maturity in the her lyrics would be a hallmark that she would only sharpen.  It would be a long time before those words got through to me as I got older.