Should a tribute album adhere closely to the original songs or should it be a radical reinterpretation? There is no right answer, as is obvious with this attempt to pay respect to one of the great songwriters of our time. But I do think the key lies in making us believe that this song could be for you, or speak for you. The two best examples here do just that.
Prince doesn't reconstruct A Case of You but he does reshape it into something between gospel and a slow soul seduction. Much more radical is what Bjork does to Boho Dance, almost inverting the original rhythm, stretching the phrasing and emphasising the words with her pronounced enunciation. The result posits the song very much in the realm of Bjork's vocal-only Medulla album but at the same time connects with the lyrical heart of Mitchell's original.
I gained nothing from James Taylor's attractive take on River but even the perpetually nice Sarah McLachlan brings something to Blue. You may raise an eyebrow at Caetano Veloso's carnivale remodelling of Dreamland, though it feels quite natural quite quickly, just as you may nod with familiarity at k.d. lang's straightforward Help Me, though it too works because it feels close to her skin. But I doubt anyone will have any complaints about The Magdalene Laundries where that fine interpreter, Emmylou Harris, inhabits the pain and the dignity completely.
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