Blue

I now understand women

What have I done to deserve two Joni Mitchell albums in three days? Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.

I feel so voyeuristic listening to this album. I feel like I'm looking at her through a one-way mirror, the lyrics a very personal reflection of her situation and the instrumentation perfectly complementing it. A masterpiece of emotion. And her voice, my god.

i know some songs from this album but omg didn't know the whole album is THIS good!

Very beautiful and heartfelt. She has a very distinct voice and guitar playing style that I think I'll be obsessed with for the rest of my life. This Aussie gives an album they've never listened to before five rounds of backyard cricket with your mates out of five.

masterpiece honest to god carey and a case of you are some of my favourite songs ever

This is like being asked to review the Sistine Chapel. Where to begin. It took me some years to get in the rhythm of Joni Mitchell's music. Thankfully I stuck in there because her music is an indescribable gift. Blue in particular is an album I come back to frequently. Listening to Blue is like reading someone else's diary. It feels very personal, so intimate, so much so that you feel a little like you shouldn't have that kind of access to another person's thoughts. Mitchell’s lyrics are pure poetry. Her turns of phrase are stunning. "I could drink a case of you and still be on my feet" is a line that I think about a lot. It’s simple, but incredibly elegant, evoking all our own feelings and memories of being exuberantly, drunkenly lost in a love, regardless of the cost. The songs are a journey between those exuberant feelings to less pleasant feelings like melancholy, loneliness, disillusionment, loss. She revels in those emotions and displays them for us like jewels. Let's also not sleep on the quality of the music itself. The arrangements are simple, delicately rendered, but incredibly moving. Mitchell's piano and guitar work is a thing of beauty. Her accompanying musicians (James Taylor, Stephen Stills and Pete Kleinow) add great depth and texture to the work. Kleinow’s pedal steel guitar on “California” and especially “This Flight Tonight” is a delight. Mitchell’s vocal is so unique, it’s an instrument in itself. It’s angelically pretty, but she’s not afraid to bend her voice as it suits her, into some unexpected places. A lot of artists get compared to Joni Mitchell, but there’s really no one like her. I could say much more, but it would somehow never be enough. I could drink a case of this and still be on my feet. Fave Songs: A Case of You, River, California, This Flight Tonight, All I Want, Blue

Joni Mitchel doesn't try to rhyme or form song structure. Her music is like shitty skat poetry

I try and like this album every few years. It's still a 1 even with the creeping familiarity.

Amazing collection of songs. I loved this album. Joni’s lyrics straight from her soul, her remarkable singing voice and unique guitar playing make me very excited to listen to more Joni!

Not on Spotify which doesn't help. Sadly this album does nothing for me, obviously it's a classic that's loved so it must be me but for whatever reason I find it like listening to paint dry - not unpleasant but nothing of interest to me

Without question one of the all time great albums. Brilliant in 1971 and just as brilliant and timeless now. Joni is a brilliant writer and musician - perhaps my favorite artist, if I had to choose.

Blue by Joni Mitchell (1971) One must set aside the admittedly fascinating backdrop to this album and assess it on its own merits. Having done that, one must conclude that this is simply one of the greatest albums of all time. Top ten. Easily. Best thing to ever come from a Canadian recording artist. It puts the ‘class’ in ‘classic’. Why did Blue chart better in the UK than in the USA in 1971? Because in 1971 the British still had better taste and sense than we Americans. How things change. Delightfully poetic lyrics, unsurpassed vocal performance, masterful acoustic guitar/piano arrangement and execution, superbly crafted and unexpected melodies all characterize this superlative record. It all comes from the mind and heart of one person—Joni Mitchell. And if one needs to add instrumental color (“Carey”), one might as well get it from James Taylor and Stephen Stills. The poetics harness the rhythms with authority and without awkwardness. And the album is sprinkled with hugely entertaining metaphors and word pictures. The warm chord behind the lyric “warm chord” (second verse of “My Old Man”) exemplifies the perfection of synthesis between poetry and music. Likewise, pay careful attention to the music behind these powerfully poetic lines: “I could drink a case of you and still be on my feet” “I want to get up and jive . . . wreck my stockings in some jukebox dive” “I want to shampoo you” “But when he's gone/Me and them lonesome blues collide/The bed's too big/The frying pan's too wide” “Just a little green/Like the nights when the Northern lights perform” Listen to this record after waking from a bad dream. It will cure you. And Joni Mitchell’s skill on acoustic guitar is so sublime that it discourages amateurs and shames professionals. The delicacy and precision of her finger picking is flawless. And her piano attack and sustain are extraordinarily sensitive. Why don’t people hum these tunes? Because they’re beautifully unhummable. Nobody can do these melodies. Joni Mitchell composes music for precisely her voice alone. She never attempts to exceed her considerable range (even on the exquisitely delicate ending of “California”). She has one of the most recognizable voices in the history of recorded music. Her tone and pitch are endearingly winsome and precise. And she appreciates the importance of the initial consonant for both rhythm and diction. Listening in anticipation during the approach to one of her impossible intervals is like watching Simone Biles sprint toward the vaulting horse. You know what’s coming, yet you’re still dazzled. Why is the song “California” not the official anthem of the Golden State? Because nobody but Joni Mitchell can sing it. Her song “River”, with its regret, longing, introspection, the “Jingle Bells” theme in both the intro and outro, and the deft croak on the final sung note, is simply brilliant. Graham Nash must have shed more than one tear (for reasons we set aside in the first paragraph, but I digress). “River” is a song that should replace Mariah Carey’s nauseatingly ubiquitous “All I Want For Christmas Is You” as the secular pop Xmas carol du jour. But it won’t. We’re so unworthy. What do Barbra Streisand, Céline Dion, Diana Ross, Janis Ian, Roberta Flack, Cyndi Lauper, Loreena McKennitt, and Kenny Rankin all have in common? They all wish they could sing as well as Joni Mitchell. I needed this one. 5/5

Bony Joni and I used to clean toilets together for £4 a day. She used to lick them clean, the dirty little scrubber. She wrote this record about me. She repulses me, but I can't help but love the horrible bitch.

I wish I had words to convey how much I love and admire this artist and her extraordinary creations. Everything: songwriting, her poetry of lyrics, musicality, composition, performance (studio and live), originality, expression, timelessness,...I could go on and on. I hope anyone who loves music gets the chance to explore her catalog. Just incredible. (5 stars seems waaaay to low for this one.)

Wow. I knew this would be good but it completely exceeded my expectations. One of the most beautiful albums I've ever heard. It honestly moved me to tears

As soon as I pressed play on this album, a man materialized in my room. I immediately understood him to be my husband whom I loved very much. He promptly left me and broke my heart. Just the way Joni intended. 10/10

Going in, not super thrilled as I haven't been a huge fan of Joni Mitchell. I don't recognize any songs on the tracklist so let's see if this one changes my mind. Ok yeah, still not a fan. I did learn a quick formula for Joni Mitchell though. Is she playing a guitar? It's going to be a bit more upbeat and half-decent. Is she playing a piano? Prepare to be bummed out.

Boring and menopause-core. Maybe I could relate if I was a chick but im not so im off that vibe

Just a perfectly written and beautiful sounding expression of a melancholy universal.

Little green is a beautiful song. I feel like I need to curl up with a hot beverage and the lyrics of this album

Thought one track sounded like Jingle Bells, then realised that it was a track with a Christmas theme! All very Joni Mitchell. What's not to like? Very pleasant and easy listening. Loved it.

There aren’t enough superlatives to give this wonderful album. Joni Mitchell, the original confessional singer songwriter, possesses an exquisite voice and beautiful playing style. This is an album to get lost in and absorbed by. Influential and staggering, Blue is not just one of the greatest albums of the 20th century, it is one of the century’s greatest works of art.

An absolute masterpiece of writing and production. To imagine one person producing this in any amount of time is incredible. Gorgeous songs all the way through, perfectly rendered in a minimal and yet impactful way.

I really liked this, great melodies and I liked how her voice does weird key changes.

I don't like this genre of music, generally. That being said, I didn't hate this, and I can see why it made the list. There were a few times where she started a melodic progression that sounded like it was really going to resonate with me, but every time she went in a direction that I didn't find so compelling. My personal enjoyment: 1.5/5 Did it belong on this list: 4/5

Having never really heard much of Joni Mitchell's work up to this point in my life, I found 'Blue' to be quite a revelation. Sparse and delicate, this is real heart on your sleeve stuff and it's also very beautiful, painfully so.

This was the first Joni I ever heard, introduced to me by an aging hippie whose musical tastes have shaped my own over the years. It has lived at the top of my list ever since. Joni’s singing voice is unique and not necessarily for everyone, but there is no denying the power and influence of her songwriting voice. I don’t think you will find a female recording artist who doesn’t list Joni as an inspiration in some way. One of the original singer/songwriters, her unique folk tunings and feminine perspectives make this album a cornerstone of folk/pop history. I’d be hard pressed to pick a favorite song from Blue, though some resonate more for me than others: All I Want, A Case of You & Carey hit the hardest for me. The bittersweet, almost anti-holiday River evokes a deep & melancholy longing that haunts me. And the title track is a perfect expression of the sadness of a painful loss. This is a no-brained 5 for me.

Oh brother, didn't take much more than two weeks to get to our next instant five-star album for me. Joni Mitchell, where do I begin? We've had a few albums from her on this list already, and they're albums that I hadn't heard prior but think are great. This one, though, I know very well. There was a period a few years back where I was getting really into classic songwriters, Bob Dylan in particular. And I was fairly sure that Dylan was the GOAT, maybe the best American songwriter. But I kept seeing Joni Mitchell's name, and when I eventually listened to Blue, I was floored. Not only is her songwriting arguably on par with Dylan (maybe more focused on building a mood than telling a story, but damn if she doesn't cut to the core in the same way), but her voice is amazing and so singular. It's so funny that discussion of Bob Dylan seems to always include the caveat "yeah, his voice isn't great..." meanwhile with Joni no caveat necessary! She's got this unique, country lilt (I would've guessed Appalachian as her vibe, but she's Canadian), and it can turn on you from comforting to piercing in the blink of an eye. This album is stripped down to essentials only - Joni's words and voice, and a selection of acoustic instruments (guitar, dulcimer, piano). Who cares what the rest of the rock world was doing at the time, Joni captivated them all. Easy to see why so many rock legends were obsessed with her, she was just dialed into a utopian, unobtainable frequency. I adore this album, there are plenty of brilliant songs. Her writing is riddled with gems that may not trip you instantly, but they stick around ("You said love is touching souls, surely you touched mine 'cause part of you pours out of me in these lines from time to time. You're in my blood like holy wine, and you taste so bitter and so sweet. I could drink a case of you darling, and still I'd be on my feet."). Seriously, pick any song on this album, pull it up on youtube, and see how far you don't have to scroll to find someone claiming it's the greatest song ever written. There's just no criticism I can make about this, even the songs that didn't jump out and grab me the first few times I heard this have become comforting. One of the very best. Favorite tracks: I really do like them all, but the biggest for me are Carey, California, Case of You, Little Green, All I Want. Album art: A picture of Joni's face, and guess what? It's blue. Incredibly simple cover art, but what more do you need for an album this powerful? This one's iconic at this point, no question. No frills, no pretense, no nothing. 5/5

I haven't got time to write everything I would say about this one, but to me it's peak Joni. Everything seems to have come to gether to make a perfect album. Happy, sad, reflective, and derisive songs sit shoulder to shoulder quite comfortably. 'A Case of You' and 'The Last Time I saw Richard' probably deserve health warnings for their ability to put a lump in your throat. Also her use of various stringed instruments and piano definitely sets her apart from the typical 6-string strumming of some of the more popular folk-influenced acts of the time. Heartbreak and disillusion never soounded more perfect and original.

Blue, eh? Not sure I've heard this one before... But seriously, I feel envious of anyone who is hearing this for the first time; what a treat! I find it hard to find anything meaningful to say about this album that hasn't already been said a million times. If you were to pick a Top Ten Albums of All Time list, this would have to be on it. I note that the My Favourite Album podcast has effectively banned people from picking Blue, having already done five episodes on it. It is hard to over-praise the songwriting here. The album is full of absolute classics, and this is a masterclass of confessional songwriting. The melodies are light and full of movement, and harmonic twists that seem so natural and yet surprise me every time I hear them (My Old Man is a particularly good example). The playing is airy and open and always tasteful. The lyrics are poetic and surprising, but often simple and straightforward, and always honest. I love this quote from Joni herself: "The Blue album, there's hardly a dishonest note in the vocals. At that period of my life, I had no personal defenses. I felt like a cellophane wrapper on a pack of cigarettes. I felt like I had absolutely no secrets from the world and I couldn't pretend in my life to be strong. Or to be happy. But the advantage of it in the music was that there were no defenses there either." Pitchfork described this as "possibly the most gutting break-up album ever made", but a lot of it is light and playful, with moments of joy. I think makes this the most _human_ break-up album ever made. I've been listening to this album on-and-off for my whole adult life, and it always feels fresh and surprising and warm and human and real and complex and simple and heavy and just... everything. There is an argument to be made that this is the best album of popular music ever made. Often imitated, never equaled. Eleventy billion and out of 5

I enjoyed this quite a bit, although I do find the "longer" songs near the end started to drag the feeling of the album a bit, even if they were still telling compelling enough stories. I would understand why some would not like the song structure in Mitchell's vocals, often going for whatever, whenever, but I actually really enjoy it, with the falsettos often being placed in a way that make them satisfying rather than annoying. Just a solid album, but not perfect.

Not the biggest fan of female singers and this album is quite slow. It's okay as background music, maybe as music over a sombre photo slide. Depressing af. Okay it gets less depressing as it goes on - almost country esque

Nr. 153/1001 All I Want 4/5 My Old Man 2/5 Little Green 3/5 Carey 3/5 Blue 3/5 California 3/5 This Flight Tonight 2/5 River 3/5 A Case Of You 2/5 The Last Time I Saw Richard 2/5 Average: 2,7 I don't like her high-pitched voice. And she uses that a lot.

I... just don’t get the whole Joni Mitchell thing. Some of her songs are great (River, A Case of You), but her voice on songs like My Old Man makes me want to scream.

He voice alternates between beautiful and absolutely terribly annoying. She shoots up too high very often. 5.8/10

Another in the list of "I can kinda see why it's significant without really doing anything for me personally Clive" (plus Nazareth did it better)

Not a single interesting chord progression. Listen to the first song on the album because they are all effectively the same.

Didn’t really know any Joni Mitchell songs other than “Big Yellow Taxi” and couldn’t say I was a fan…..after listening to this album can’t say that has changed

Just kind of monotonous and boring. Not offensive, just not exciting.

Een krijsende kat klinkt nog beter

I'm sure it sucks but she's against Spotify for political reasons. RIP

It sounded like a buncha cats in heat, or a couple of puppies being ran over. I can’t decide which.

If I were ever given a physical copy of this album, I would feel compelled to step back for the 3-pointer and shoot it in the trash. It's just so, so boring.

She just can't hit those high notes

Turned off at track 6. I am the same age now that Ms. Mitchell was when she recorded this project, and I couldn't feel like I relate less to another human being than I do to her and this album listening to it in this present moment. A bunch of free verse, strummy bullshit with lyrics that sound like they were written by a teenager with their head in the clouds; more aptly a woman with little discretion and even less shame living in a free love fantasy world. Absolute dogshit.

Smooth

Delicioso. Pra ouvir sem parar!

Love this album

Absolutely gorgeous. Knew a few tracks but not listened to the album in full before.

this album filled my heart with joy and such rustic vibes of counterculture. also this album is called blue and has a song named carey so my opinion is unbiased and carey is not holding a gun to my head as i type this

Lyrically perfect. Fantastic musicianship. Unbelievable delivery. One of the best of all time. Blue me away

This was and still is a great album.

love joni mitchell

QUEEN JONI

Awesome, a lot like Carole King

I can't think of better words to describe this album than 'calm' and 'comfy'. Joni's voice and instrumentals and lyrics all combine to make this album a joy to listen to. The time flew by, and I can see myself listening to this again when I need something smooth to relax to.

I've listened to this album a few times finding this on the list. I liked it then, and I like it now for sure. God the vocals, instrumentation and writing are fantastic. Super glad I got to listen to this one again.

Excellent pop-folk album that talks about things that are going on at the time through personal experiences.

Amazing album. Great songs, emotional, passionate. Giving it a 5 though really a high 4.5. After River the last 2 songs are a little weak.

One of my favorite folk albums, period!

This album is an absolute classic. I enjoy absolutely everything about it. My personal favourite song is River, but I love all of the songs. 5/5 stars. If I could give more than 5 stars I would.

Five stars. This album is perfect. So beautiful and moving.

Really beautiful album. Such an array of sounds from folk, country, rock and blues of course. Amazing so writing and vocal inflection

Classic, love a lot, the shifted key at end of river really interesting

Joni's vocal talent is way out in front, highlighted by sparse instrumentation. California basically ripped out my heart. This album should be required listening in schools. A Case Of You is another absolute thunderously emotional track. The Last Time I Saw Richard hits harder when i thought this album was out of punches. "Only a phase these dark cafe days"

An all time fav

Beautiful album. Joni's voice is so unique. Amazing songwriting. Legendary album.

Brilliant, that's about all you can say about this album. Visceral and heart rending lyrics that get to show where our Joni was at this stage in her life. I love it! Favourite Tracks gotta be "River" and "A Case Of You" Again one for the vinyl collection.

The album is a close personal acoustic album which showcases the best of Joni's writing and singing. The album doesn't have any weak tracks which could be considered filler, and it stays intriguing throughout

"Beautiful" is an easy word to use for this album. I think the music speaks best for itself

Joni Mitchell is one of the best song writers ever

Top 5 de tout les temps. Une merveille cet album. A ecouter dans ca vie. 6/5 *

Joni has an amazing voice, and it has such an effect on these songs

Fuck this is good. Here's another one that makes me regret not listening to it years ago. I'm familiar with Joni Mitchell's first couple of albums from the late 1960s, and I like them more than most American folk-singer-songwriter stuff of the era. But "Blue" is another level. It exudes "mature album" vibes from every aspect: nice understated poetic lyrics; dynamic, expressive vocals that feel much less affected than the 1960s warbling; music that sounds clean and simple, but perfectly shaped around each song. It also plays through perfectly as a coherent and concise album. 5*

I ‘discovered’ this when I was 19 and at university and it quickly became my favourite album. Listening to it again (as I do often!), it is layered with memory. I love ‘A Case of You,’ which appeals to my romantic sensibility, the meaning in the lyrics evolving over time. ‘Carey’- wonderful instrumentality, poetic lyrically. ‘Blue’- ‘songs are like tattoos’- aren’t they just?

This is a perfect album. I listen to it a few times each year, so it was a pleasure to get it on such a cold day in Chicago. Two of my favorite songs of all time are "Case Of You" and "River." I feel like everything about this album has been said and will just bask in it's overall perfection.

hun er guddommelig

wow. great voice, great song construction. she is definitely at the top.

Genuinely lovely, and raw, album.

Beautiful album! Never heard anything from Joni before, and I loved it. Arrangements are simple but delicate, lyrics are very emotional. I can see why it is considered a vital record to music history. Favorite tracks: * River (so good!) * All I Want * Blue

Lindo, como costumam ser os trabalhos de Mitchell.

This was a bit hole for me. Fits right in with all the Carly Simon and Carol King records my parents would play. Really liked it.

Didn't get a chance to listen because Joni pulled the album from Spotify due to the Joe Rogan misinformation of Covid scandal. But Joni is wonderful and she gets 5 stars. I know her music.

I listened to this full album for the first time a year ago, anticipating we’d be getting it, and knowing it gets rated among the GOAT on many lists. I liked the album more this time. The way Joni jumps around from guitar to piano keeps things fresh, something hard to do for a folk-singer with minimal production and accompaniment. As a producer she does some nifty things, like The Goodbye Baby Goodbye part of This Flight Tonight, which almost sounds like a sample, and the way she toys with jingle bells in The River. The lyrics are very personal, her habit of referring to her boyfriend as her old man is funny, especially since most of the time the guy was in his early twenties. Her vocal range is amazing and compared to her folk singer/song-writing peers from the era she is certainly at the top.

This is Mitchell's greatest album, and that's saying a lot, since she has a lot of great records in her catalog. A folk masterpiece comprised of 10 beautifully composed songs, with iconic lyrics about relationships, tackling topics like falling in love, feeling insecure, clashes of egos and everything you can think about when you are in love. The side two of the album has an almost perfect sequence of songs, starting with "California", then "This Flight Tonight", "River" and the amazing "A Case of You". One of the greatest albums of all time, indeed.

What a songwriter. I should have reserved the 5 score for albums like this that are the best of the best. Best track: A Case of You

It’s a masterpiece! Engaging, emotive, charming… Joni is one of the best folk artists ever and Blue is a compelling example of it. I am hypnotized by her voice, guitar, storytelling, and sweet but unusual harmonies. Definitely, it deserves a 5

My sister got me listening to Joni Mitchell when I was 10 or 11. Always been a fan of her amazing voice and lyrics. This is a great record, to me it’s only superseded by Ladies if the Canyon.

I don’t always focus on lyrics but you have to with Joni Mitchell. They’re literary but still emotionally direct. And the music on this album is spare enough to highlight them, adding playful flourishes to accent her stories. I’ve listened to this album a bunch over the years but the little moments always surprise me. I love the seemingly improvised nature of her phrasing - when she chooses to sing high, when she lingers on a syllable, when she jams a long phrase into a short space. A beautifully constructed album all around. (“Carey” is a personal favorite of mine and Dreena’s. I’ll never get tired of imitating the way she sings “buy you a bottle of wine.”)

Joni's voice is perfection, always, but it is truly magnificent when she's singing this deeply personal and emotional material. This album is her magnum opus, a tour de force, the high watermark of her illustrious career. And she wrote and produced it all herself! Immaculate.

I love Joni and love this album, perfect blend of Folk and Pop.

Blue me away. I'll keep this one brief (for me) as there's not much to be said that hasn't been covered a thousand times, but what a gem of an album and what a songwriting talent. These are delicate and searingly personal songs, "like tattoos" as Mitchell so eloquently puts it in the title track. Over its forty minute running time, "Blue" is wryly comic, frankly confessional and mostly achingly beautiful. Music rarely moves me to tears unless I selfishly relate it to my personal life, but three of the songs here have done that all on their own. Try not to be moved by "Little Green", about Mitchell giving up her adopted daughter, or the heartbreak and desolation filling up "River". Elsewhere, "My Old Man" and "The Last Time I Saw Richard" showcase her storytelling at the height of its powers, and "Blue" and "A Case of You" paint such dazzling imagery with a deft soprano vocal. Amongst all her other talents, Mitchell is a deft guitarist, and her frequent use of open tunings serves the album's distinctive sound really well. Alongside all the other moods on display here, she weaves in perfectly accessible slices of pop-folk. "Carey" and "California" retain the same elegant sense of lyricism and gorgeous, soaring vocal lines, but set them to carefree (even jaunty) guitar accompaniments. "This Flight Tonight" was even enough to attract the attention of hard rock band Nazareth who reworked it a couple of years later. All of this album is stellar, but the second half especially is just a perfect run of songs. If you're thinking of giving it between 2-3 stars (or even 4) listen to it again, read the lyrics and reconsider. If 1, then you're a lost cause, mate.

Blue and Court and Spark are my two favorite Joni Mitchell albums. To me they're 2 sides of the same coin that is JM. Blue is of course the quieter, more sparse album, often just Jon's voice and a guitar or a piano. And what a vocal performance it is. Expressive, emotive and with a range few can match. So mature for such a young lady at the time. I also love when she does up the tempo, specifically on Carey and This Flight Tonight. Every song is an artistic expression. I really never tire of Blue. It should be a staple of every record collection 5 🌟

I’ve heard a lot about this album, so was glad it appeared. It is lovely. Joni Mitchell’s distinctive delivery just calmed me down and made the day feel very good. What could be more perfect than that?

Poetic and soothing. Really beautiful. I am grateful.

What a pretty sounding album. Just lovely.

A few observations: What happened to autoharps? They were all over when I was a kid, especially for elementary school music teachers. I like them. An entire bonus point has been granted for the lyric, "Acid, booze, and ass." (Also, "I want to shampoo you" and "There'll be crocuses to bring to school tomorrow") I wasn't immediately in love with this album, but each listen reveals something marvelous.

I wasn't fully on board until the last song and then it all hit me like a ton of bricks. Made me immediately want to give it another listen. 9/10

Such a light touch for such serious stuff.