Blue
Joni Mitchell
1971
Album Summary
Blue is the fourth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, released on June 22, 1971, by Reprise Records. Written and produced entirely by Mitchell, it was recorded in 1971 at A&M Studios in Hollywood, California. Created just after her breakup with Graham Nash and during an intense relationship with James Taylor, Blue explores various facets of relationships from infatuation on "A Case of You" to insecurity on "This Flight Tonight". The songs feature simple accompaniments on piano, guitar and Appalachian dulcimer. The album peaked at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart, number 9 on the Canadian RPM Albums Chart and number 15 on the Billboard 200. Today, Blue is generally regarded by music critics as one of the greatest albums of all time; the cohesion of Mitchell's songwriting, compositions and voice are frequent areas of praise. In January 2000, The New York Times chose Blue as one of the 25 albums that represented "turning points and pinnacles in 20th-century popular music". In 2020, Blue was rated the third greatest album of all time in Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time", the highest entry by a female artist. It was also voted number 24 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000). In July 2017, Blue was chosen by NPR as the greatest album of all time made by a woman.
Wikipediai 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.
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.
masterpiece honest to god carey and a case of you are some of my favourite songs ever
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!
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.)
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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"
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
Top 5 de tout les temps. Une merveille cet album. A ecouter dans ca vie. 6/5 *
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
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.
wow. great voice, great song construction. she is definitely at the top.
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
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
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.
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?
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
My initial reaction to this album is "Wow". I know this may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the way Joni sang every word had me convinced. Plus, the musical arrangements were just absolutely lovely. I could sink into this album for hours on end.
I get why people hate on Joni Mitchell but I still fucking love her music it’s interesting hearing her discography because it just sounds like a normal Bjork or I guess Bjork is just Joni Mitchell with an Icelandic accent, and a lot more experimental oddities I’m not making fun of either artist btw, huge fans of both anyway this album was obviously amazing - 10/10
Any single one of these songs would get a new artist signed to a multi-record deal. How timeless and flawless.
Complex in a "how did she come up with the idea for these chord progressions?" way but still extremely accessible on literally every track. Incredible guitar playing, airy piano, her vocals are not only never too much for me and (as not someone who focuses much on vocals) at times it's simply arresting as to how perfect her voice is. I think the lyrics are probably pretty good too :P It's never good enough for me to just listen to one song on this album, even though literally every song is excellent. It works so well as an entire unit and it's only ~36 minutes long anyways.... which often means an immediate replay. In sum: this is pretty much perfect. 10/10 5 stars.
One of the best albums of all time. Jingle bells remake, a case of you, all incredible.
Obra prima da Joni Mitchel! Melancólico e bonito! Melhores músicas: Blue, River e A Case of you
There is a deep mystery to this album. Everything in it is so personal--the lyrics, Joni Mitchell's idiosyncratic chord changes, her high-pitched voice, never grating, but still insanely eccentric in their own way to express the "blues", her insanely good guitar playing, displaying a sense of rhythm most players would kill for--and yet, for all those subtle flourishes, the record also spoke directly to the hearts of millions of souls in the ways only a straightforward pop album could, and it continues to do so these days. I'm not even sure this is my favorite Joni Mitchell LP--sometimes, I favor *Ladies of The Canyon* when it comes to her "Reprise" years, and after that, I have an even softer spot for the lush pop overtones of *Court And Spark", or for the jazzy digressions of *Hejira*. But *Blue* is definitely an essential album everyone should listen to at least once in their lives. It was *not* my entry point to Joni's universe, curiously enough. But it's been the one of so many fans of her that you just gotta consider it for the historical album it is. And please, don't get fooled by the melodically unobtrusive and lyrically naive "All I Want" that opens this record. Because once you pass this sort of back entrance to it, you're in for a treat, and this for each and every one of those tracks. A few examples here: the subject matter of *Little Green*--Joni's lament to the child she gave up for adoption--slaps HARD. "California" and "Carey" are just perfect pop songs about Bohemian lifestyles of the seventies, and yet they're anything but *easy* compositions. The plane trip of "This Flight Tonight" is as experimental as anything she later wrote, and yet it's also *fun* to listen to. As for "River" and "A Case Of You", they're the quintessential Christmas song and love ballad, respectively, and yet they're not following any old formula. Only Joni could have written those tunes. After all these years, it's still a true mystery how she could do this. As is the overall effect of this "slow burner" on me today. Indeed, the more you fall in love with this record, the more that blue haze on the cover thickens... One for the ages, in all senses of the word. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 856 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory: 79 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 36 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 30
Brilliant album from start to finish. Not a single skippable song. No one comes close to Joni's lyrics and the conviction with which she sings. A classic that deserves its spot.
god bless you Joni Mitchell for following your morals and pulling your stuff from spotify but I'm sorry I had to pirate your album. I hope you'll understand. It's no surprise that this album is on the list. Not only is Mitchell a folk music legend, but Blue perfectly captures what makes her sound so great: beautiful, tender, and captivating. Not only is Mitchell a musician, but also a poet and a storyteller. She knows the space that her music occupies and let's it breathe. Not too little, not too much. What more can be said about an album that has been loved so thoroughly already? I can only give my personal vouch, which means very little in the grand scheme of things. Blue is for everybody.
Of course this album belongs on a list like this. Listening to Blue on Apple Music through AirPod Pro's with Noise Cancellation on was a moving experience. I felt like I was inside of the piano by the end of the album. 5/5.
A fantastic album. Her voice is so soothing and perfect but I like the way it's quite unpredictable and sometimes just goes where you think it won't, same for the guitar and piano at times, creates a very varied sound. Like getting in a warm bath, which is weird because I don't like baths.
For someone who starting smoking at the ripe old age of 9, Mitchell sounds stunning. The complexity in her vocal schemes, the innovative sudden changes in keys and the sheer mastery of the songwriting is beyond most recording artists of the early 70’s. Her relationship with James Taylor becomes apparent on a couple of tracks; and we’re all the more lucky for that. Taylor’s playing suits Mitchell’s voice perfectly. Mitchell is one of the most important songwriters of the 60’s and 70’s. And there’s really very little to debate right there.
I genuinely believe this is a perfect record. Joni Mitchell writes lyrics just as hard-hitting 50 years later and accompanies them with lush instrumentation comparable to Paul Simon. The melodies are catchy without ever being trivial. THAT moment in 'This Flight Tonight' when the music switches to what she is listening to in her headphones while on a plane... Come on! And the title track. Wow. That track is SO DAMN BEAUTIFUL. Closing out on 'River', 'Case of You' and 'The Last Time I Saw Richard' is also just completely unheard of.
Talk about the album of the decade Album opener (All I Want) 10/10 and River 10/10 There are no words to actually describe what Joni Mitchell put into this but let me just say there's before listening to Blue and after listening to Blue
Love love love Joni! I already know a few of the songs on this album and many other albums but I’m happy to find others that I really enjoy.
Very good album. I've heard it several times before and always enjoy revisiting this album.
Razumijem ju zašto je maknula albume sa spotifaja, jebiga majko Joni, skinuo sam sa torrenta diskografiju i preko winampa si puštam. 9/10.
10/05/2022 Perfect album. Fills my heart with both warmth and sadness. Impossible to pick a favorite track because they are all incredible. My Old Man is probably my favorite though, simply for the “we don’t need a piece of paper..” bit. I can’t wait to listen to this album for the rest of my life. — Very chill day yesterday. We didn’t have any formal studio time, so I went to a consignment store, got some clothes, and then grabbed a late lunch at croissant brioche, which I think is gonna be my new hangout spot :)
A stunning, almost ethereal masterpiece. Mitchell bares every piece of her soul on Blue and it's lost none of its power 50 years after release.
This is immeasurably better than The Hissing of Summer Lawns. Her vocal excesses fit the songs and just give you that extra dose of emotion. That long note in River is so wistful. Wow!
This is the first Joni Mitchell album I ever heard in full. My partner introduced me to her and I might've made some fun of the voice in the beginning. (Hey, just like I'd do almost 10 years later but with Joanna Newsom.) But that move has always just been a cover-up — a kind of vestigial macho pose that's nearly inexplicable upon even a surface reflection. "You're a mean old Daddy but I like you..." And, California will make me cry on the right day. Despite Hejira being a thing, this is my forever Joni album now.
Great example of less is more. Nice sparsely arranged songs full of rich storytelling. There is a visceral quality to the music that speaks to a universal experience in all of us.
Good stuff. Her voice is different, that's not a bad thing. Definitely need to revisit this one several times more.
I didn't expect to like this one but I did. Great lyrics, good production, and Joni's voice grew on me. Not much more to be said there, to be honest. Solid 4 stars.
What a great put together album. Joni has her individual style yet one never feels like one song sounds like the other or that they blend together.
Beautiful voice and soft guitar. Favorite songs This Flight Tonight and A Case of You. California is one of the greatest songs ever, and the project was nice. At a point though, the album started to melt together, 6/8 overall.
Took me a while to understand her appeal. What a songwriter! These songs, are slow, melancholy and haunting. Perfect for a specific mood. Even if you're not in that perfect mood, listening to this will induce it.
She has a beautiful voice. Some of the songs felt like the instrumental parts clashed with her voice.
That was comfortable. Can’t think of a better description for soft 70s indie pop.
Por un lado, es innegable que qué bonita voz tiene esta mujer y qué melodías tan llegadoras y llenas de sentimiento y nostalgia que además combina perfectamente con su voz. Sin embargo, también siento que no deja de ser música cliché de mujer sufrida por desamores pero igual fuerte e independiente. Como que es lo que oiría la tía ex-hippie que nunca se casó y maneja un vocho. Lo único que sabía de Joni Mitchell hasta ahora es que la caja de uno de sus discos se parece demasiado a una caja de joyería.
Desde la portada te das cuenta de que va el contenido, muy agradable aunque le voy a dar otra vuelta cuando ande en el mood por que lo escuché manejando la moto y pues no lo disfruté como debería (ni el viaje ni el disco) pero puedo decir que tiene una increible voz y te transmite el sentimiento de cada canción.
Realmente no conocía nada de Joni Mitchell, el álbum está medio paradójico, por un lado puedo decir que se me hizo excelente y por otro que no me encanta ninguna de sus canciones de manera individual (quizá con excepción de A Case of You). El disco se siente como un producto completo en su conjunto y todo se siente en su escritura y música con el carácter exacto que quiere dar de un rompimiento amoroso. El título simple pero exacto, triste y azul, no sabía la calidad de escritora que tiene y, aunque se siente como un disco perfecto para poner de fondo en un día lluvioso el pensar sobe él como solo música de fondo no el haría justicia. Es un disco que merece ser escuchado, con calma para embeberse en la melancolía y lo bello de su tristeza. No tendrá la mejor voz del mundo pero como artista mercería estar al lado de los grandes con esa habilidad de ligar las palabras.
Very special and relaxed. I would love to listen to this after midnight.
Never heard a song dedicated to me before. Joni has described my life aside from marrying a figure skater and buying a dishwasher. Well done Joni, she gets an extra point.
I find it kind of interesting that this is defined as Pop. Probably just a testament to how much the idea of pop has changed over the years. Or maybe I just have a poor understanding of what pop is. Favorite track so far is Carey. Really raw album and I love it. It somehow manages to be both sad and happy at the same time? It feels very intimate and like I'm just hanging out in someones living room with them while I listen.
Actually very good to listen through. Had already “liked” some of the songs on this album. Always a good sign.
Not sure what's happened here, last time I listened to this it bored me. Today though it clicked, don't know why. Just did.
Вполне ламповый альбом. Я бы назвал музыкой, под которую стоит гладить кота. Даже осознаю, что кто-то может именовать дохуя культовой классикой. Однако прям охуенности не выкупил, никуды не залип. Тем не мене, пару раз прогнал по кайфу вполне.
You know what 6+2+2 equals? Exactly. Blue has always been one of my favorite albums, both as a kid and an (almost) adult. I think it had a huge influence on my songwriting style, not that I’ll ever measure up to Joni Mitchell. Here’s my LONG and detailed opinion (?) on the songs: 1) All I Want This is the perfect reminder that yes, even people on the verge of turning 30 don’t got everything figured out. My favorite part of the song is her realizing that ‘comfortable’ could mean something so high and complex as bringing out the best out of what the history agreed was evil, and as simple as shampooing the love of your life. 2) My Old Man Melodically, it’s not one of my favorites, but I love the metaphor; which goes like “yes, he’s many things to many different people, and that’s how humans are perceived by each other, but it’s not about how many things he could be, it’s how about MUCH he is to me.” I love it, I think it taught me so much about love at a young age. 3) Little Green My favorite part of my childhood, satirically obviously, is crying over the iconic “there’ll be icicles, and birthday clothes, and sometimes there’ll be sorrow” lyric Cause my 9 year old self definitely didn’t witness any of the first two parts of that line. It made me realize as a child, that I’m not cut to be a child. 4) Carey Nothing has ever struck me deep as “you know it sure is hard to leave here, but it’s really not my home” Sure the song was lighthearted, but this line has weighed the heaviest on my heart ever since I was nine, and it still does, ten years later. 5) Blue It’s the closure lost in All I Want, and the rightfully placed disdain lost in Little Green. 6) California Cali was a place of sadness in Little Green, but here it’s the sunshine needed. Maybe it’s a metaphor for how heartache is as cruel as the stormy weather, but it is as easily torn apart. Or maybe it’s a metaphor for how heartache in a familiar place is much lighter on one’s soul than heartache in a foreign spot. 7) This Flight Tonight No 8) River No one ever told a tale of anguish in a euphoric setting the way Joni did. That’s all I could say about River. 9) A Case of You This is a hindsight look into a lost cause, but paid no regrets. I love the instrumental, and always admired the descriptive and vivid imagery the lyrics always delivered. 10) The Last Time I Saw Richard The irony of this song is that, it crushed my faith in love as a child, and here I am, listening to it with the boy that renewed the hope this song destroyed. Could it be laughing at my naivety? Could I be hit with the regret in hindsight in a few years? Perhaps, but for now I’d like to think that the last laugh is mine.
listening to this album on a road trip was an out-of-body experience, a great album a bit too short though, but a great album nonetheless.
This was a new album for me. I am familiar with several songs from Mitchell, but "River" might be the only track on this album that I've heard before. This album felt like it had an overall theme, without being monotonous. Mitchell's voice is great. I'd listen to this album again. (4.5 stars)
all I want - crystal clear vocals, pick a note though. got a like. "I want to shampoo you"... 7/10 my old man - flighty notes really fit. 8/10 little green - evocative, open 7/10 carey - energy & vibes but no real hook? - 7/10 blue - title song, this gotta be good. that piano, wow. 8.5/10 california - some jazzy chords. 'he gave me back my smile but kept my camera to sell'! 6/10 this flight tonight - love the rich guitars, funny headphone effect. 7/10 river - ... I prefer the ellie goulding version. piano harshly recorded 6/10 a case of you - prefer the kd lang version. where's the depth? 5/10 the last time I saw richard - strong lyrics, emotive. ## overall no clear songalong bits, stumbly & emotive pacing. evasive rythms. not quite enough to be best album ever. 8/10
Señora se desnuda emocionalmente detrás de un micro y nos cuenta sus inseguridades al relacionarse con otros
Track 1: Really catchy vibe. Song I could listen to easily. Track 2: Soft. Piano and high vocals. Lyrics Worth listening too. End of Song had a great vocal riff. Track 3: Even softer than 2. Incredibly sad. But brilliant. Track 4: up beat Track 5: softer Track 6: California Track 8: River. The one Sarah McLachlan covered that mom always listened to.
Sophisticated music, gorgeous recordings, but very few melodies to sing along to.
Really good album Fav songs from album: A Case in Blue My Old Man All I Want Little Green 4.0/5
Loved the piano and guitar on this, and Joni can really hit those high notes effortlessly. Probably won't come back to this one as it's not my thing, but it's pretty good.
It's a classic for sure. A very historically important and influential album. But I'm not sure how much I actually like it. It's great but I feel like my opinion is a little scewed by the reverence of it.
So intimate it almost makes me uncomfortable at times. Such rich details throughout. Singing style and lyrics and even structures are so unique. Not following any formulas. Even though it's considered her masterpiece, it's not my personal favorite album of hers. Somehow this is too pure and clean for me.
I thought this was a great album with lots of good songs and lots of descriptive lyrics. One I would come back to.
I like joni Mitchell and I want everyone to know that. This was a nice easy listen.
I enjoyed this greatly. Simple arrangements and an evocative voice. Subject matter was a bit mehhhh but I can see why this was ground breaking in the early 70s. Still sounds fresh today
Joni has excellent vocal tone, range, and control. Strong band called accompaniment. Sounds fitting from the generation. Wouldn’t be soon sought out again, but a strong album in its own right.
A nice and easy album to listen to. No one song stood out, but she has a great voice! Will want to check out other stuff by her
Not really my preferred style of music but I can't deny it's a great record. Really beautiful. Should be 5 stars in all honesty but for me personally I wouldn't count it among my all time favorites so I'm going to only give it 4 to adjust for personal tastes.
I like her lyrics and melodies, but sometimes the lack of structure leaves me a little unsatisfied. It's not necessarily a bad thing. I might like some of her other songs better.
Good chill music. Lyrics are excellent. Not my normal listening music but she's an absolute master songwriter.
I love Joni Mitchell. This is supposed to be her best record and one of the best pop records of all time. I can't dispute that. And for that reason I'm giving it 4 stars. Why not 5? Because I think she made better records that are also deserving of "best record of all time" consideration. Those include "Court and Spark" which is the follow-up to this record, and "Hissing of Summer Lawns" which is right in the middle of her very interesting 70s jazz/folk output.
I’m not a huge fan of female singers but Joni is something else. Wonderful album
Not listened to this album for 15 years but it still had me engrossed, or at least it would have if I didn't have to listen to it on YouTube after Joni took her stuff off Spotify in the Joe rogan row.
Good album, I like the songs a lot. A little surprised that my parents didn't play Joni for me much before now!
One of the rare albums where I really paid attention to the lyrics on the first listen. Granted, the musical accompaniment is sparse and kind of forces you to. Occasionally, Joni's falsetto got a little grating, but never enough to where I wanted to shut the record off. The lyrics are great, and some even really hit home for me. Favorite tracks: "River", "Blue", "California"
My favourite Joni Mitchell album. Carrey is the hilight but there's lots of great songs. A mostly accoustic album allows Joni's voice to shine. 4.5 🌟
Our first album that was pulled from Spotify for Rogan reasons! It was easy to find a version that didn't result in her getting royalties from Spotify. I doubt she will need to hit the Food Bank anytime soon. Ahh, to be a jacuzzi socialist. There are some good songs on this album. Carey is a classic. Funny thing is I know This Flight Tonight because some dinosaur band whose name I can't remember did a cover that was massively overplayed decades ago. I appreciate that she can sing very well and hits some notes that few others can. Truth be told, I don't like the sound of anyone singing at that atmosphere. I'm not sure how many albums she has in the 1001 but I feel I should give one of her albums a rating above 3. Blue seems to be the logical choice given that Rolling Stone gave this 3rd best album of all time,
Pros: - very creative melodies. I can see why the taylor swifts / olivia rodrigos of the world exist when someone like her paved the way - very creative random parts too, like second track "my old man" at 1:33 the piano starts playing a scale that is in a different key; almost like something you would hear out of classical music's subgenre "new music". - instrumentation is superb. I'm a sucker for folk instrumentation in pop / singer songwriter contexts - title track is fantastic. - Really enjoying the album Cons: Misc: - I've never actively listened to her which sounds shameful but is also the purpose of this album project.
Wow what a highly influential album! I can’t help but hear Esperanza Spaulding and other awesome female artists taking a note from Joni with her complex jazzy melodies and insightful lyrics.
This is worth all the praise that it gets. Joni Mitchell is an actual songbird. I don't know how she does it.
a very Joni Mitchell album. honestly dont know how to rate this — really liked some songs, thought others were boring. it didnt feel that cohesive, i guess, though that doesnt make much sense.
Big points for raw, stripped-back production and Joni's undeniable voice. Putting her so up in the mix with no production to conceal her flaws leaves her so vulnerable, but there are almost no flaws to find. Her poetry is pure, if coffee house by today's standards. All around it is a really beautiful album, but it all happens at the same tempo, and I cannot dance to it.
Joni Mitchell usually doesn't work for me. I think that she is good, but I don't generally enjoy her albums that much. Blue is a notable exception. It's so beautiful and painful all the way through. Both her songwriting and her voice are on full display on this album. It's a very accessible entry point for her music 4/5
7/10. Pretty good, a whole album of Joni Mitchell is a bit much for me though
The last three tracks are amazing. Never listened to blue and was quietly impressed. A strong 4 this.
Big & tasty, like a jumbo lentil chile. Killer vocals and great songwriting
Beautiful voice - definitely the lead instrument. Beautiful and interesting vignettes of life, love and emotions. The folky side of Joni before the pop of Canyons and avant garde folk jazz of Hissing and beyond.
Really great stripped down folk with powerful lyricism and vocals. I like this a lot more than her more heavily produced stuff.
Wow. River was incredible, the whole last section of the album was excellent.
Not on spotify so listening on YouTube. Hopefully it's decent quality compared to the actual record. The best way I can describe her voice is "pure," it's like what you envision a siren/angel to sound like. Super folky music though, which isn't my style. Especially the sudden shift to higher pitches in the middle of verses. Just doesn't really do it for me. I did enjoy the title track "Blue," the intro gave me chills. Definitely recognized "California" from multiple movies and shows. "River" was another song I enjoyed so maybe it was just the first half of the album that I didn't care much for. I can see why this album is so well-renowned, but I wouldn't necessarily put it in my own collection.