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.

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

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

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

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!

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

Great great album I've listened to so many times. The writing, the voice, the everything--36 brilliant minutes that trip through emotions, people, places, styles, etc beautifully. Classic breakup album if listening to the Cure's Disintegration on repeat isn't your thing.

Twelve stars. I fucking love Joni and this is pretty unquestionably her best album (For the Roses is up there too but think Blue has gotta be #1). All I Want, Little Green, Carey, California, River, a Case of You, all on one album!?!? Fuck me. So good. Her melodies never go where you expect them to. So inventive. Her voice isn't for everyone ('reedy' is a fair word for it) and some songs on here border on indulgently sad (she's straight up wallowing for 3 minutes on Blue), but man she is for me. Tragically my dear wife hates Joni more than any other artist (Mitski is her only rival). Every time she hears her voice, she yells 'WHO IS THAT WHINY BITCH!?' so I rarely get to listen to her. At the end of the day I love my wife more than I love Joni so I don't put Joni on around the house, so I really relished the excuse to invite her into my headphones today. Welcome back baby.

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.

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.

It’s a little odd to have heard Joni Mitchell’s mid-70’s output before this album, which is arguably considered to be her best. Court and Spark, The Hissing of Summer Lawns and Hejira feel like polar opposites to this record. They’re full of varied, layered instrumentation and, as a result, Blue’s sparse instrumentation is arresting to me, at least initially. It’s quite a personal album, not only because of the subject matter, but because of the minimal instrumentation and crisp production. Blue often feels as though you’re sitting in the same living room where Joni is performing these songs. Capturing that type of intimacy is an impressive feat of production, in my opinion. I think that I prefer the widescreen, vivid production on Court and Spark to Blue’s minimalism, but it feels like that might only be a difference of time and place. Blue suits a different, more specific type of mood for me than Court and Spark does. Either way, the base of either record is the same: Joni Mitchell’s singular vocal and songwriting talents. I’ve been consistently impressed by her records throughout this project. Blue is no exception.

Længe siden jeg har hørt den, tror måske jeg er gammel nok nu til at jeg skal til at have en Joni Mitchell Fase. Giver mig helt lyst til at købe en JM plade til min kone i julegave i stedet for det halstørklæde hun altid plejer at få.

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.

I just finished the series, "this is us". The wife in the show was obsessed with Joni. Me... not so much.

This is the 2nd album I’m rating and honestly I first heard about this album from Apple Music’s Top 100 Albums list. I’ve heard a lot of good things about her and now it is time to listen to her for the first time. All I Want - Not Adding to my Playlist. Her singing is annoying. The instrumentals are nice though. My Old Man - Not Adding to my Playlist. The way she sings is amazing and terrible at the same time. Instrumentals are still pretty good though. Little Green - Not Adding to my Playlist. I’m sorry Joni Mitchell but I can’t get over this singing. Carey - Adding to my Playlist. This is much better. If the rest of the album goes on like this it’s a good album. Blue - Adding to my Playlist. Titular track is pretty good. California - Adding to my Playlist. I can see why this and Carey were the two singles from this album. This Flight Tonight - Not Adding to my Playlist. Her singing is pretty annoying in this song. I really like the instrumental by the way. That part around 1:55 is really nice. River - Not Adding to my Playlist. This isn’t that good. A Case of You - Adding to my Playlist. This is as good as Blue. The Last Time I Saw Richard - Adding to my Playlist. If she sung like this for the entire album it would’ve been much better. All in all I liked 5/10 songs. This album was pretty disappointing, I was expecting this to be much better than what it ended up being. About as disappointing as the first album I rated, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

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

Hollly fuck what a good album. Little green almost made me cry thinking about wendy. I really love this album, fuck. All good dreamers pass this way.

Whoa. I knew I "liked" Joni Mitchell, but I didn't know I loved her until I listened to this all the way through.

Perfect

Top 5 albums ever - incredible

all time favourite. Among Jonsi's great albums most probably her best. I would like to have "river" to be sung at my funeral (seriously) 5/5

This was not a new album for me. I love this record. No skips, absolute perfection. Beautiful piano. Transcendent. I don’t own this on vinyl yet and I need it.

This one I have and this one I love 5/5 #musicsky #albumsky #musicchallenge

Disco grandioso. Forse il più conciso della Mitchell in termini di scrittura, seppur si porti appresso un senso di irrisolutezza, di tensione costante verso un oltre, verso una trama aperta. Un grande classico.

This was an album on my list to listen to for a while, and it definitely did not disappoint. The lyrics are beautiful, the instrumentals are simple yet so gorgeous. I love the way she utilizes her vocal range as well. I'm a sucker for some good singer-songwriter, and this album is PEAK. No bad moments. The songs remind me of Pink Moon, and I love that album. This up there the best of the best.

Classic 🩵

Simple yet complex. Delicate yet powerful. Quirky, sad, joyful, blue. I don’t know how this much of everything is possible to put in one album, but here it is.

I did not need to relisten to this album to know it was five stars. One of my favorite albums of all time.

One of my favourite albums of all time. Beautifully personal lyrics, delicate musicianship, and soaring vocals. Each song tells a story and leaves you feeling almost like you were there. Joni's skill really has her near the top of the all-time list.

She's got a beautiful voice, and a way of weaving a story. Definitely belongs on the list. At least something by her. Nothing on this album grabbed me, but I wasn't bored listening to her. My rating: 5/5

Blue is the fourth studio album from Canadian singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell. It is regarded as her best work, and is widely considered to be one of the greatest albums ever recorded. Mitchell has a distinct, beautiful voice, and plays a technical, textured guitar which adds to the rich sound of her songs. Her songwriting may be her greatest strength - her songs are honest, open, striking images from a woman in love.

Wonderful lyricism, and great vocals.

I love it

Lush, gorgeous, and personal songwriting. Perfect album.

10/10 Generational album. Joni is so fucking goated on this album that she put a Christmas song on there just because. She’s got the sauce. Favorite Song: California

9.3/10.

To have that one-of-a-kind songwriting talent, with that voice, with that poetic flair, with that intellect, with that range of emotional expression, all in one person... Now that's just simply unfair.

Hermoso.

Excellent, I’ve always sort of casually liked Joni Mitchell but never really gave her a good listen

- love the dulcimer throughout the album - beautiful voice - beautiful just in general

Can't separate listening now from my earliest encounter (15 or 16?) with some of these song and then listening soon again as my desperate attachment to Joni took shape and flowered. The raw simplicity of the playing and arrangements makes the poetic lyric beauty resonate. Green just now (knowing the back story) brought tears to my eyes. Then Carey made me laugh joyfully. California--I was living back east--was a dream (I'd lived there as a young'un). I have more stories, but will leave off. A favorite album of all time. Brilliant achievement.

This album is transcendent. From the first notes she sings, I'm practically in tears, and the first tune isn't even among the sad ones. There's an emotional heart that anchors this work, it's infused with sorrow and hope and wanderlust and an artist's joy and pain. Remarkable. Few bells and whistles, just a microscope on what Joni is playing and singing. For her part, Mitchell carves something beautiful and haunting out of thin air. I also noticed, more on this listen than ever before, the hintings at her jazzier works. There were passages and chord changes and melodies that speak to her later work in ways I hadn't picked up on before. Love this album.

This is one of the three albums that I consider my all-time favorites. (Revolver is another. We haven't come across the third one yet.) I love every second of this record, and every song has been my favorite at one point or another. On today's listen, I marveled at how gorgeous the guitars and dulcimer sounded. If I can distill my love for this album to one moment, it's the opening line. ("I am on a lonely road and I am traveling, traveling, traveling, traveling.") The fact that she sings a variation of the line first and the "standard" version later on is such a baller move. It gives the song instant familiarity and makes it feel like an old standard. Nothing can ever top Blue. It's beautiful and perfect.

Nothing more beautiful than Blue. (Little Green always makes me sad. But Carey always delights!)

One of those revered albums that I think deserves its praise, even if I haven’t always fully connected with Joni’s music. The first time I heard it I expected a string of soul-baring tearjerkers that sound like the album cover looks, and sure, there are some excellent examples of those. But I was pleasantly surprised to also find a number of downright breezy, almost playful tunes like California and Carey. I enjoy the rhythmic guitar style on these - it feels quite distinct among folk songwriter types. The songwriting is obviously the star though; the lyrics paint vivid and impactful pictures without using oblique or complex language - just unique perspectives and honesty.

Loved. Poetic lyrics and beautiful vocals. Dulcimer!

melodies that are still stuck in my head. vocal emotion and range. A favorite

One of my all time favorites!

I’d heard bits & pieces of Joni Mitchell over the years but it wasn’t until last year that I started to really appreciate her and explore her discography a bit more. I’m a very happy convert. The combination of her raw, wispy voice with her soulful, open-tuned guitar is magical. This is her flagship album as far as I'm concerned. California, River and A Case Of You are all examples of perfectly crafted songs. The remaining songs are of such a high standard that this is well-deserving of a coveted 5 star rating.

Beautiful voice, a genius

First listen, I can immediately see how influential this album is. Mitchell's voice is so distinct and beautiful, the instrumentals are sparse and purposeful, and each song is so vulnerable. My favorite song is "River".

++: All I Want, My Old Man, Little Green, Carey, Blue, California, This Flight Tonight, The Last Time I Saw Richard +: River, A Case of You 9,7/10

Mum's favourite and definitely one of my desert island discs. Great guitar, great lyrics, sad, happy, angry. Best Album so far.

Pretty exceptional being able to release such a personal and stripped back album and then make it listenable. It’s not an album I’ll go back to often as it’s a bit raw for me but I’ve got to give it its dues that it’s an essential listen