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!

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

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

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!

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.)

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

The Good: though at first I was not enjoying this album at all, by the third spin it has started to grow on me a lot more. The Bad: if Joni is to be considered one of the best female performers out there, then how many other ones belong to the ranking of "the best"? The Ugly: that darn falsetto... I am struggling on what score to give this album, seeing as it is starting to grow on me... maybe if I had started listening to Joni Mitchell earlier in my life I would give this album a 4 1/2*, for now a solid 3*

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

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.

Another five star album i am not in a hurry to listen to again.

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 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Respect to Joni Mitchell. Removed all her music from spotify to protest Joe Rogan and his purposeful spread of misinformation on masks and vaccines. I did have to listen to this on youtube, but it still is captivating. Favorite tracks are All I Want, California, and This Flight Tonight.

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.

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

I thought ok Joni Mitchell, cool! Not cool. Total opposite of cool actually.

I'm not sure I'm describing this correctly. I like her voice, but then it goes up an octave and I find it cloying and grating. There parts of this I like but when it gets to a part I don't like, I really don't like it. In songs where she stays in a lower register, I like it more, but she never stays there for long. I feel bad for this one but I just can't do it.

A very overrated album. I like some of Joni's work, and yes, this is an intimate album, but that doesn't make the music inherently good. As another reviewer said, this album shows too much of the side of Joni where she's not worrying about song structure or whether the lyrics fit the music. Sometimes the rhythm and flow feel disjointed, like she’s prioritizing raw emotion over cohesion. Joni often forces syllables into rhythms that feel unnatural and forced. Tracks like "This Flight Tonight" or "California" are examples where the flow seems uneven, as if the lyrics and melody are at odds with one another, creating a jarring experience instead of something organically emotive. Sure, Joni's great, and her lyrics are undeniably deep and personal, but the unconventional phrasing and odd choices in melody can come off as awkward rather than artful. For me, Blue lacks the atmospheric cohesion and the finely tuned arrangements of The Hissing of Summer Lawns or the flowing narratives of Hejira. Those albums show Joni’s artistry at its most balanced—complex yet accessible, innovative without sacrificing listenability. On Blue, the oddities are more of a distraction than a triumph.

Too much Joni Mitchell. One album was plenty. 2 is too many.

I SHOULD love this I try to love this I don't love this repeat, repeat, repeat..... I know that one day, I'll listen to this album at exactly the right time, in the right place, in the right weather, and through the right speakers and I will LOVE it Today's not that day.

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

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)

This has no place here. It's a recording of a dying woman who, while on her deathbed, is impersonating two dead turtles copulating.

Not my type of music. Chasing high notes randomly for no reason

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.

She just can't hit those high notes

It's just so, so dull.

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

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

Een krijsende kat klinkt nog beter

Ach Joni one of my all time favourites. Searingly open and honest. Love this entire album.

First listening - really enjoyed this album and know it will grow on me as time goes on. Joni’s vocals have their own pacing lending her an identity that is fun but feeling. High falsetto with operatic performance. Songs like little green and blue convey her emotional intelligence when dealing with topics like familial love or romance. But then California and A case of you express her admiration for beauty even in its excess. It’s just classic folk so I can’t say no. Four listens in one day. After reading wiki and finding out it’s the ultimate break up album I still find it reductive. It’s definitely filled with emotions, regrets, desperation for solitude and isolation while admiring all the crazy intoxicating feelings that flow through someone. Maybe Joni wrote all this just to get all the shit of her chest and say this is how I feel so take part. Removed though, it will be done amazingly with all my best intentions.

Thought I'd already done this one, but I guess I just listen to it. What a record. Just keeps on hitting. I'm lucky to have discovered a love for it during midlife, so I haven't yet played it to death. Although I have played it twice today. I've never really got into any other Joni record, I like jazz but not really Joni-jazz, but this is the real deal. Why does River not end up on Xmas music playlists? So Christmassy. Anyway, it's on mine now. Best songs: Case of You, River, All I Want, Carey, California

The original sad girl

one of my top 10 albums of all time

Beautiful!

I'm glad there's only one Joni. I'm glad she followed the pure inspirations of her heart.

Probably not my number 1 Joni but still great

Hippy songs, enjoyed it

Perfect. Sun kissed melodies and an angelic voice. The instrumentation is understated and serves only the song and is all the more for it. You can feel the sand in the grooves of a long lost summer. Every time I listen I find something new to love. Every song rejostles for my favourite... Classic 5*

Nearly a flawless album. The vocal talent is obviously amazing, but the showy parts are also perfectly exucuted. This one’s staying in my downloads. Favorite Song: This Flight Tonight Least Favorite Song: A Case of You

One of my all time favourite albums and so good to listen to at this time of year, when I already have River in heavy rotation. Funny how little of the rest of her catalogue I enjoy really. Her voice grates and it’s only on this record that I really enjoy it

Joni is a legend, and blue is just flat out beautiful.

this for me is one of the most beautiful albums of all time ... joni's voice and lyrics invoke such incredible images in my mind ... and Case of You is one of the most devastating songs ever written i reckon ...

Such a lovely and serene album.

Love it. It's calming and well-written.

10/10 perfection Beautiful

Perfect Album!

Love this album

I was just so captivated by the whole thing from front to back, it’s such a raw and vulnerable album. Favorite track: California

My second Joni Mitchell album in a week and this is one I was already familiar with. Out of her albums I've heard, this is easily my favourite - just unbelievablely good lyrics start to finish. Easy 5* for me. Fav tracks: A Case of You, River, Carey

It has been some time since I gave 5 stars. Joni deserves it for this masterpiece. It's Joni at her best. It is sad and happy and emotional and just very good.

Moet ik hier zelfs nog uitleg bij geven. Dit album komt ook perfect. 'T is wat koud buiten en het landschap verandert in een bruin-oker kleurenpalet. Door het verdwijnen van dit album op Spotify ben ik indertijd overgestapt naar Apple Music en dat zegt misschien wel genoeg (oké, misschien had Neil Young er ook wat mee te maken). 5.0 en als ik meer mocht geven, zijt maar zeker dat ik dat zou doen.

Amazing is the word that describes this album. Amazing voice, amazing sound... I'm sorry but today I'm speechless...

Can see a lot of inspirations of LPs that I love coming from this one

Blue and The Last Time I Saw Richard get me every time

Her voice and style is completely unique. After a brief adjustment period this album really shines.

Beautiful. I'd never listened to Joni Mitchell before, and I can see why Blue is such a lauded record now. It's a unique folk record for its time since it eschews some radio sensibility-style rhythms or melodies, opting instead for a more poetic songwriting style. It feels more like she's written a series of experiential stories.

It's simple and even kind of plain, but her voice, lyrics, and performance are rock solidly beautiful throughout.

Joni's the GOAT, man. I think very few songwriters manage to reach that kind of intimacy and vulnerability. I'm always finding new things to love from these songs. An all-timer. Best Track: River Worst Track: not a chance. you're 'avin me on

Didn’t get into it until about halfway through, but this is beautiful! Joni has a beautiful voice, and the fact that this is mostly just her and a piano is amazing.

It's a very meditative, reflective album. Part of my slight quibble on Joni Mitchell is sometimes her voice goes all over the place (like in "The Last Time I Saw Richard"). But that's a minor complaint, as she doesn't do it on every song. I was listening to this while I was prepping for class today. I felt a bit more at peace, and ready for the day. I wish all albums were able to do that for me. But that this one did, says a lot about the feel and music. I could listen to pretty much every song on that album again almost immediately. It has a very re-listenable quality to it. Definitely a must.

I think this is a pretty darn good album. But it sure gave me opposing views. Like on the opener All I Want. She has some great vocals but then sometimes she switches too abruptly between ranges. And her vocals are clever but also maybe a little juvenile? - I want to talk to you, I want to shampoo you. I just don't know how to feel, although I know I feel like it's a solid song. There are no clunkers on this album and her piano-based ballads like My Old Man, Blue, River (minus the Jingle Bells bits), and The Last Time I saw Richard really bring out the emotions - both her delivery and sharp (sometimes bleak) lyrics. But they are not to be outdone by her soft acoustic pieces like Little Green and A Case of You - also tug on the emotions. And then there are her more up-tempo folk pieces like Carey and California - just fun. This Flight Tonight ain't no slouch either, a great version of that song. You won't appreciate this album if you only listen to it once or twice.

It sometimes takes me a moment to get past the way she jumps up and down the scale in her singing, but once I get past that it's clear as day what a beautiful voice she has and how outstanding her songwriting is. There are so many albums in the 1001 that reward a close listen. I was a little dismissive in my first listen, but when I focused on listen two, following the lyrics, I was blown away by this album and understood all the accolades. Great musicianship (guitars, piano, singing), great songwriting, powerful lyrics, beautiful voice. Favorite tracks: Little Green (about the baby she gave up for adoption and didn't see again until 1997 - crushing lyrics), Blue, California (fun fact - Going to California by Led Zeppelin references Joni Mitchell: "To find a queen without a king / They say she plays guitar and cries and sings"), This Flight Tonight (really like the guitar on this song), River (the nicest song to ever feature Jingle Bells), The Last Time I Saw Richard ("All romantics meet the same fate someday" - great line). Definite 5.

I knew most of these songs, though it ended more quietly and moody than I anticipated.

This will be my third Joni Mitchell album to review, and I’m really looking forward to it. I gave four stars to both Court and Spark and The Hissing of Summer Lawns, the latter of which I should have given five stars to. I wasn’t familiar with any of Joni Mitchell’s music before starting this project, but she’s quickly become an artist that I keep going back to. I can’t think of a better way to spend a Friday than listening to one of her most popular albums. This album is great, and I can see why it has a reputation as Joni Mitchell’s best work. It’s intimate, beautiful, and features great songwriting. The whole album is poetry set to music, and it works wonderfully well. I feel like other artists struggle to be accessible when they focus so much on the songwriting, but not Joni. The instrumentation might be somewhat sparse, but it’s a treat to listen to. I love the guitar and piano playing, and no matter which one she’s using, it’s soothing to listen to. Colors came up as a theme several times throughout the album, but that theme was subtle, and I liked how the cooler tones of those colors drove the mood of the album. Joni’s singing was absolutely fantastic, and her voice fills in every corner of this album to perfection. “My Old Man” and “Carey” are neck-and-neck for being my favorite song on the album. The backing vocals and carefree spirit of “Carey” are so much fun, and on “My Old Man,” I love that key change about a minute into the song (at least I think it’s a key change, I’m not very well versed in music theory). That change shifts the mood of the song before right before the lyrical tone shifts as well, and I thought it was brilliant. From a songwriting standpoint, “Little Green” might be the best song on the album. The story of the child that Joni gave up for adoption is absolutely heartbreaking, and as man, I will never understand the bond between a mother and her child, but this song is about as close as I’ll ever get. There were some moments on this album that weren’t my favorite, but the singing and arrangements were so beautiful that it I always had something to enjoy in each song. This album is great, and it earns its reputation as one of the best albums of all time.

A beautiful album.

Oh, this is such a relief on so many levels after listening to that Muse album straight through yesterday! First of all, there is such an overabundance of male voices and perspectives coming at me on a daily basis that a female one makes me want to get down on my knees and weep with gratitude and relief. Second of all, when that voice is Joni Mitchell, I’ll go from my knees down to a fetal position and just soak it in. I’ve never listened to this album (or most albums) from start to finish. I love this whole 1001 albums project for forcing me to take the artist’s intended journey. It’s new for me. After the Muse album the “simplicity”….no, that’s not the right word….the “straightforwardness”, maybe, of a voice and a guitar is such a gift. That’s what my brain and ears, such as they are, were craving. And her turns of phrases, both musical and lyrical, are delicious. The notes of the phrase “we don’t need no piece of paper from the city hall” in “My Old Man”…so satisfying. Oh, my kingdom for the vocal freedom of Joni Mitchell…her voice feels like a bird soaring on gusts of wind and relishing every swoop and directional change. Jesus, though….how desperately lovely and heartbreaking is Little Green. And River…I’ve never been able to listen to it without crying, and that’s okay. It’s such an absolutely perfect encapsulation of that very particular shade of heartbreak. I’m so grateful when I find those songs that I know can strum that particular heartstring for me…it reminds me to tend them. That said, now I’m crying in the grocery store, so….that’s inconvenient.

I don't know very many Joni Mitchell songs and I hadn't really listened to anything by her except Big Yellow Taxi and Both Sides before starting on this 1000 Album journey. This is the second album of hers that I've listened to here, and man, I just love everything about her sound. The performances (both instruments and vocals) are just absolutely perfect. Super stark and simple, but over the top in beauty and clarity and inventiveness. There was one track, This Flight Tonight, where Joni's vocals got so loud that they distorted a bit, which was surprising given the high production quality of the rest of the album. However, this kinda worked to give that part a more raw sound, so maybe it was like a happy accident and left in on purpose? Anyway, I loved it and listened to it twice. Five stars.

Magnificently beautiful album. (10) ★★★★★

Not my favourite Joni Mitchell album, but still one of the greatest albums of all time!

i mean what is there to even say. masterful storytelling. one of my favorite things about joni is that i don’t think her voice sounds that ‘impressive’ at first listen—just cos she’s not belting or doing anything that obviously crazy, and it has a lighter tone that might be mistaken for ‘weakness’. BUT if you actually try to sing along it becomes apparent just how flexible her range was. just so effortless…i would describe her voice as being nimble which i think also suits her very dense lyrical style. incredible vocal + narrative dexterity. yeah. the way she slightly mispronounces “percolator” in the last time i saw richard is like a lance through my heart. i cry every time. fav tracks: the last time i saw richard [probably in my top 5 songs of all time tbh..]; california; all i want; river; carey; little green

obviously amazing. there is just SOMETHING in the music that even without hearing the lyrics makes me cry...to the point that when some songs start i get choked up even though NOTHING HAS EVEN HAPPENED YET but i know what's coming and i'm emotional just from the anticipation of it. that being said this is one of the rare cases where i do care a lot about the lyrics, and like any of the artists that penetrate my typical inability to hear lyrics, it makes them all the more special to me. there's something about the way the words roll off her tongue that feels so inextricable from the melody itself, like the words are begging to be sung a certain way rather than her writing lyrics to fit a tune. But also the inflections in her voice feel so natural and effortless that it's hard to tell which she came up with first, or if it was even a conscious process at all rather than an organic outpouring of emotion. it really is as good as everyone says it is.

See guys! The Blue Album is on the list after all! I'm joking, of course. However, while I would love it if the Weezer blue album was on the list, I am perfectly content with getting Joni Mitchell's Blue instead. Why is that, you may ask? The reason is simple. This album's amazing. I've said this to a few other albums, but this might be the saddest album I've ever heard. Songs like "Little Green" and the title track are written in such ways that really capture strong emotions well. Speaking of which, the writing on these songs is great. I can see why the 1001 albums book listed Joni Mitchell as an example of a great songwriter. Of course, while a great songwriter can be successful despite having a weak singing voice (just ask Bob Dylan), strong lyrics are made even stronger with a good vocalist. Fortunately, Joni Mitchell is also a good vocalist. I really like her singing. It's nice. The sound is quite simple, but still excellent. A lot of the sound was provided by Joni Mitchell herself, though other artists like James Taylor contribute as well. They all do well with the music. Overall, this is a timeless album that absolutely deserves the praise it has gotten and then some. It is a true artistic statement of a quality that doesn't come all the time. It is, dare I say, a masterpiece. 5/5.