For Joni Mitchell fans here's a treat better than surprise birthday party with a three-tier cake "Court and Spark," her latest album gift wrapped by the composer singer with an original pastel painting on honey that offers a hint of touching songs inside.

Sensitive songs, enhanced by fragile interpretation and definitive phrasing, prove once again her well-established talents, sure to be labeled by some as "Mitchell magic."

The album's title song is a distinctive opening, followed by a strong work, "Help Me," an upbeat cut with decided measure. "Free Man in Paris" follows with some surprise background support by Jose Feliciano and Graham Nash.

But here the album's momentum slows as Miss Mitchell sacrifices musical strength for poetry in "People's Parties" and "The Same Situation," a suitable title to follow "People's Parties," for both are lackluster.

The words are meaningful, but are jammed into brief musical measures that force the singer to hurry them, thus greatly diminishing the impact.

But side two regains the momentum started in the album's first three offerings with "Car on a Hill," an interesting instrumental with vocal backups.

Give a gold star to the five songs that follow--they are dynamite!

"Down to You" a soulful lament of a loveless existence marked only by meaningless physical gratification, supports a lovely musical interlude featuring Miss Mitchell on the clavinet. The mood is set by the telling phrase: Everything comes and goes, pleasure moves on too early and trouble leaves too slow.

But here an about face, as the music turns more robust with "Just Like This Train" and a boogie woogie-flavored "Raised on Robbery."

Trouble Child" is a thought-provoking piece, but it is overshadowed by the song that follows, "Twisted," the only non-original work Miss Mitchell has included.

Once done by Bette Midler, "Twisted" is a seat-inspired duet between Chuck Findley's muted trumpet and Miss Mitchell's instrumental voice. No one can surpass Miss Mitchell's inspirational interpretation.

Alone, this is worth the price of the album, but fortunately, the disc has many other plus marks--all Joni Mitchell's.