There are many moments of pre-pandemic concerts that now have a mystical quality. Neil Young reliving “On the Beach” for the first time in 16 years. Phoebe Bridgers singing “Garden Song” a few weeks before the blockade. And Lana Del Rey recruiting Weyes Blood and Zella Day for a cover of “For Free” by Joni Mitchell in fall 2019, on the stage in – you guessed it – Los Angeles.
On Friday, Del Rey released his new album Chemtrails Over the Country Club, with the cover “For Free” as the final track. It appropriately follows “Dance Till We Die,” where she checks Mitchell’s name among several female icons: “I’m covering Joni and I’m dancing with Joan / Stevie is calling on the phone”. (Side note: Lana and Stevie text?)
Zella Day begins the first verse of “For Free” with Del Rey taking the reins on the second. Natalie Mering from Weyes Blood is no stranger to Mitchell’s covers – check out her version of “River” or “Woodstock”, where she prefaces the latter with “I just wanted to say that it wouldn’t exist without Joni Mitchell” – and that appears in the third verse, where his velvety vocals take the music home.
The trio delivers the right amount of the grandeur of the 21st century Laurel Canyon, even though Mitchell wrote the track after witnessing a New York clarinet player on 6th street and 8th avenue. Del Rey may lean towards American culture in Chemtrails Over the Country Club, but “For Free” is a fitting ending to the album, proving that she is first and foremost a Lady of the Canyon.
Find the vinyl of Chemtrails across the country. Find a playlist of all our recent Music selections you need to know on Spotify.