Blue

Mostly just guitar and her voice and pretty basic

Booooorrrring,... She has talent, but this listen couldn't end fast enough.

Ik ppl like this one a lot, the production’s good, the lyric might be the best thing about it. Her voice kinda annoys me at times tho. Favourite track is “Little green”. A high three

Joni Mitchell's best in my opinion. I've heard this album plenty of times, it's raw emotion catches me every time. As Alan Rickman put it in Love Actually, "Continuing your emotional education."

joni mitchell's voice is beautiful and the music lasts really nice. feels liek you're hangin out with her.

blueueueue

I’m a big fan of the singer songwriter genre, just a chance for the artist to tell a story. Blue did not dissapoint, just a poignant story of love and loss, was a great listen

Not her best

It …… kewl

Not my style of music, is a good singer

I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this album hit me like a ton of bricks. I’ve never really listened to Joni Mitchell, but this record really made me feel something. The lyrics are consistently clever as they cut deep — finding new space in the simplest emotions. Her voice can be playful, sweet, and somber… sometimes all in the same song. I love the way her voice wavers when she holds a note. I also love how often the songs hit a slightly different note than I expected. I felt unexpected tears during “My Old Man” and they came around several more times before the album was done. River and A Case Of You might be my favorite pairing first time through. It’s an album that made me stop what I was doing and just listen. It’s rare for an album to hit me so hard on first play but I’m so glad I was ready to hear this… and that I was privileged enough for it to happen.

10/10 This was an easy one to rate. To my ears, this is one of the finest albums ever recorded and it's one that is never far from being back on my speakers. I've listened to it hundreds of times before and it's still magical to hear. But what makes it so special? Joni has always been somewhat experimental with her music, with her generally folk rock aesthetic pulling in influence from jazz and classical music. She messed around with uncommon tunings and was always striving to do something unique and fresh with her work. This resulted in a lot of great music, but Blue was the moment where everything converged into something remarkable. There's something incredibly open and vulnerable about this record, but it never shies away or hides the personal nature of the work. It also feels so free-flowing and spontaneous in a way that not many other artists pull off. Her melodies flow, spread out and then pull back in in a way that has a beautiful roaming quality, but they pull off the magic trick of never losing the thread of the song, always feeling centred and purposeful, even in their most drifting moments. Her lyrics are delightful and she is able to present emotion in such an affecting way with that combination of poetic lyricism and stunning melody. She also deals incredibly well with dynamic, sometimes pulling back to the subtlest of tones and arrangements, before soaring into a powerful and full bodied swathe of emotion. It's really glorious stuff. She's also incredibly careful to balance her orchestration. There's not a lot of instrumentation on this record, but when it's used, it all feels impactful and significant, enhancing the purpose of the music, rather than just bulking it out for no reason. The resultant ebb and flow creates this evolving, shifting wash of songs that takes you on a delightful journey through the mind of Joni Mitchell. There's not a stray note on this record at all and with each song, there's something that grabs hold of you and won't let go. I could ramble on about this record for ever, but it's probably just time to give it another spin. All I Want - Joni's melodies are free flowing and beautiful. This is a hell of an opener and showcases that fine skill of musically roaming while retaining a connection to the central motifs and themes of a song while always keeping things fresh. It's got superb dynamic range and she pushes and pulls the intensity of both her vocal and guitar playing so well. My Old Man - I find the routes that Joni takes to be endlessly beguiling. Many of the chord changes and melodic transitions on this song are quite out of the ordinary, but it all feels so natural and fluid. But again, she keeps a thread tied to the song's centre beautifully. She's so expressive with her delivery both as a singer and a player too. Little Green - This is so delicate to begin with, but she uses dynamic brilliantly and has so much control at every level of power in her vocal. This is just restrained, fairly sparse, but utterly beautiful. Carey - And now we're on to something with a bit more zip. The rhythms of her lyrics over her strumming and picking patterns are absolutely delicious, particularly with the cadences of her melodies supported by some perfectly balanced backing vocals. She uses a very different approach to her vocal delivery by the end and showcases an even wider range. Brilliant. Blue - The ebb and flow of the tempo on this track is excellent. Joni at her best has such an emotive way of performing and while this is less of a melodically centred track, it just presents that emotion in such a raw and fluent way that it offers something different but equally special. California - Again, things pick up a little pace wise now. I really love the rhythmic delivery of the vocal against the groove of the guitar part and the extra orchestration adds depth and an interesting twist to the tone. There are some melodic moments in this song, little trills and runs that give me goosebumps every single time, and I've listened to this album hundreds of times. It's just so pretty, melodically fluid and rhythmically interesting. This Flight Tonight - More great grooves, more soaring melodies, more moments of beautifully balanced dynamism. Again, some of those high trills are so pretty and also feel incredibly spontaneous. The lilt of the groove here is incredibly engaging and fun too. River - This is an achingly beautiful song. My first choice for any Christmas playlist. The subtlety of the playing and singing is superb, the dynamic control is excellent, and the rhythmic choices of the lyrical flow are incredibly engaging. And those melodies. Wow. A Case Of You - Straight on to another special, special track. This is an utterly stunning song. The free flowing melodies are incredibly beautiful, her lyrics are exquisitely poetic. It's deft and subtle, but it's all delivered with such an open, exposed style. While there's band work on this track, it does the bare minimum to support Joni and is all the stronger for it. The Last Time I Saw Richard - The roaming vocals on this track perhaps stray a little towards the edge, but just about stay within bounds. It's a more meandering song, but it continues on with that ebb and flow of power to her performance that evokes so much feeling, and it's kind of nice to end on a song that feels so free flowing and slightly less focused, just to give a bit more of a jazzy melodic bent to the final breaths of the record.

I enjoyed about 2 songs, the rest were.. annoying.

Maravilhoso!

It's good, but doesn't hit me as the amazing classic everyone says.

me gusto la cancion carey, en general letras poeticas pero yo no conecto mucho con l folk

Wooooooooow what a voice

1/5

Superb

Always a good day to listen to folk rock

not my type of music but it’s well made

I've listened to this album a few times in the past because I feel like I *should* really like it...but I just find it impenetrable. She has an amazing voice but I don't find the songs very interesting.

The arrangements are minimal, but not empty. Space is used like an instrument, letting dynamics and phrasing carry the emotional weight instead of production tricks. And the vocal delivery technically controlled but emotionally exposed sits right on top of that, tying everything together.

aburrido mierdon historico no me ha aportado absolutamente nada

It would be outrageous to suggest Joni Mitchell is talentless. Clearly this isn't the case but this was an absolute sleeping pill of an album. It felt a lot longer than 36 minutes. Tolerable at times, grating at others. As a general disliker of the singer + single instrument formula, this was unlikely to be for me and it certainly wasn't.

Not really my thing personally.

## Overview Released on June 22, 1971, *Blue* represents the crystallization of Joni Mitchell's artistic vision—a raw, unguarded masterpiece that redefined the singer-songwriter genre. Recorded during a period of intense personal upheaval following travels through Europe and the end of her relationship with Graham Nash, the album captures Mitchell at her most vulnerable. She described the experience as feeling like "a cellophane wrapper on a pack of cigarettes," with "absolutely no secrets from the world" . --- ## Lyrics: Confessional Poetry in Song Mitchell's lyricism on *Blue* operates at the intersection of personal diary and universal poetry. The album opens with the restless manifesto of "All I Want": *"I am on a lonely road and I am traveling/Looking for something, what can it be"*—immediately establishing the album's nomadic, searching spirit . The lyrics reject conventional resolution. As one critic noted, Mitchell's lines "run on, or end abruptly; they slip from heavy metaphor to plain talk," exposing "the erratic essence of emotional experience" . This technique creates what feels like real-time emotional processing rather than polished retrospective. Several songs carry specific biographical weight: - **"My Old Man"** addresses her relationship with Graham Nash with disarming domestic imagery (*"The bed's too big, the frying pan's too wide"*) - **"Little Green"** (written years earlier but included here) addresses the daughter she gave up for adoption in 1965—its cryptic references baffled critics until Mitchell revealed its meaning in 1997 - **"A Case of You"** is widely understood to reference Leonard Cohen and/or James Taylor, using the metaphor of holy wine to describe love's intoxicating, sacramental quality **"River"** stands as the album's emotional centerpiece—a Christmas-themed meditation on regret that has paradoxically become a holiday standard. Mitchell described it as "taking personal responsibility for the failure of a relationship" . The famous line *"I wish I had a river I could skate away on"* combines the childhood memory of practicing polio recovery exercises under Christmas lights with adult longing for escape . --- ## Music & Production: Intimate Minimalism ### Instrumentation Mitchell made the radical decision to set aside her guitar for much of the album, instead embracing the **Appalachian dulcimer**—an instrument she discovered at the 1969 Big Sur Folk Festival. She adapted it to her own style, beating it like a bongo rather than using traditional quill-picking . The dulcimer's delicate, percussive tone opens the album on "All I Want" and appears on "Carey" and "A Case of You," creating a sonic signature that distinguishes *Blue* from her earlier work. The album features sparse, sympathetic accompaniment from: - **James Taylor** (guitar on three tracks) - **Stephen Stills** (bass) - **Russ Kunkel** (drums) - **Sneaky Pete Kleinow** (pedal steel) ### Production Approach Mitchell produced the album herself with engineer Henry Lewy, who had worked on her previous records. Lewy described his role as that of "an engineer who cares and who listens" rather than a traditional producer . The production philosophy prioritized capturing spontaneous, unguarded performances. James Taylor compared Mitchell's approach to "a Japanese calligrapher" working with deliberate limitations—the dulcimer's restricted range became something to "push against, to push off" . This minimalism creates space for the lyrics and vocals to dominate, with arrangements that support without obscuring. ### Musical Structure Mitchell employed **polymodal composition**, moving between scales within songs to allow "seemingly oppositional tones and moods" to coexist . The melodies often subvert expectations: "River" transforms "Jingle Bells" into a melancholic minor-key meditation, while "Carey" balances calypso exuberance with underlying restlessness (*"it's really not my home"*). "California" incorporates tango influences in its chorus, with pedal steel adding plaintive texture . --- ## Themes: The Architecture of Longing ### The Color Blue The album's title functions as a multifaceted symbol evolving across the tracklist—from sadness to fear of abandonment to spiritual seeking. Academic analysis notes that six of ten songs explicitly reference "the blues" or the color blue, with the remaining songs incorporating subsidiary colors (red, black, white, green) . The penultimate track, "A Case of You," culminates this motif with *"I live in a box of paints"*—suggesting both artistic creation and confinement. ### Love as Religious Quest The album treats romantic love with spiritual intensity. In "A Case of You," love becomes communion (*"holy wine"*); in "All I Want," it approaches obsession (*"I want to shampoo you/I want to renew you again and again"*). This sacred framing makes heartbreak feel like crisis of faith rather than mere disappointment . ### The Impossibility of Escape Throughout *Blue*, Mitchell's protagonist attempts various forms of flight—planes, skates, sails, wings—yet remains trapped in emotional patterns. "The Last Time I Saw Richard" closes the album with cynical resignation: *"All good dreamers pass this way some day/Hidin' behind bottles in dark cafes"* . The song's descending melodic line musically enacts the downward spiral its lyrics describe . ### Freedom vs. Connection The tension between Mitchell's fierce independence and her desire for lasting love drives the narrative. "This Flight Tonight" captures the regret of walking away; "Carey" celebrates fleeting connection while acknowledging impermanence. The album documents what one critic called "the chronicle of Joni, a free lance romantic, searching for a permanent love" . --- ## Influence & Legacy ### Immediate Impact Despite initial commercial success (#15 US, #3 UK), *Blue*'s rawness disturbed some contemporaries. Kris Kristofferson urged Mitchell to "leave something of yourself" . Male singer-songwriters reportedly responded with anxiety—"Is this contagious? Do we all have to get this honest now?" . ### Critical Recognition *Blue* has achieved canonical status: - **#3 on Rolling Stone's 2020 "500 Greatest Albums of All Time"** - Named one of 25 albums representing "turning points and pinnacles in 20th century popular music" by *The New York Times* (2000) - David Crosby: "For me, *Blue* is the best singer-songwriter album... She was so brilliant as a songwriter, it crushed me" ### Artistic Influence The album established the template for confessional singer-songwriting that influenced generations: - **Prince, Bob Dylan, Taylor Swift** among declared admirers - Direct lineage to 2021 releases by **Billie Eilish, Julien Baker, SZA** - Enabled the shift toward emotional transparency in popular music—"after that record, everything changed as far as artists opening a little more of themselves to listeners" Mitchell herself viewed *Blue* as a turning point: "By the time of my fourth album, I came to another turning point—that terrible opportunity that people are given in their lives. The day that they discover to the tips of their toes that they're assholes... *Blue* really was a turning point in a lot of ways" . --- ## Pros & Cons ### **Strengths** | Aspect | Assessment | |--------|------------| | **Emotional Authenticity** | Unprecedented vulnerability; Mitchell described it as "probably the purest emotional record that I will ever make in my life" | | **Lyrical Innovation** | Transformed pop songwriting into literary art—poetry that "swim around in your heart" | | **Musical Evolution** | Dulcimer introduction expanded sonic palette; polymodal composition created emotional complexity | | **Production Restraint** | Minimal arrangements serve the songs; Henry Lewy's engineering captures intimacy without intrusion | | **Thematic Cohesion** | The "blue" motif unifies diverse emotional states into conceptual whole | | **Universal Resonance** | Despite specific biographical references, themes of love, loss, and longing transcend personal narrative | | **Influence** | Redefined the possibilities of singer-songwriter genre; template for confessional art | ### **Weaknesses** | Aspect | Assessment | |--------|------------| | **Emotional Intensity** | The unrelenting vulnerability can overwhelm; some listeners find it "too personal" or emotionally exhausting | | **Vocal Demands** | Mitchell's high soprano and wide vibrato occasionally strain or alienate listeners unprepared for her range | | **Occasional Crypticism** | "Little Green" and "The Last Time I Saw Richard" contain references so personal they resist comprehension without biographical context | | **Piano Composition** | "River's" intro has been criticized as approaching "parody of Laura Nyro" with its melodramatic minor-key "Jingle Bells" | | **Limited Sonic Variety** | The sparse, acoustic-focused production may feel monochromatic to listeners seeking dynamic range | | **Gendered Reception** | Some male critics initially dismissed its emotional openness; the "confessional" label has sometimes been used to diminish its artistic construction | --- ## Conclusion *Blue* stands as one of the most fully realized artistic statements in popular music history. It succeeds not despite its rawness but because of the discipline Mitchell brought to channeling that rawness into form. The album demonstrates that extreme personal disclosure, when executed with craft, becomes universal—Mitchell's specific heartbreaks illuminate the architecture of longing itself. The album's greatness lies in its paradoxes: it is meticulously constructed to feel spontaneous; it uses limitation (the dulcimer's range, minimal production) to achieve freedom; it documents the impossibility of escape while itself providing cathartic release. Fifty years later, it remains essential listening not merely as historical document but as living art—music that continues to reveal new depths with each encounter. **Essential Tracks:** "A Case of You," "River," "California," "All I Want," "Carey" **Rating:** Masterpiece—a defining document of the singer-songwriter form and one of the most emotionally profound albums ever recorded.

Quiero algún día estar en una casa en el campo, mirando el paisaje, no haciendo nada y escuchando este album mientras me tomo un ron y me fumo un tabaco. Puedo estar solo o acompañado, pero contemplativo.

I really loved this album start to finish.

7/10

i could live in this album i could wear it to school i could walk on it i could wrap myself in it in front of a campfire i could sleep in it for eternity

hermosa voz y hermosas melodías aunque no sea mi genero de música preferido, no creo escucharlo de nuevo.

Me ha parecido muy lindo. Aunque me ha aburrido un poco, me ha gustado mucho la tecnica vocal y como esta acompaña y armoniza con la guitarra, ha cogido un estilo músical y lo ha hecho propio, ha creado totalmente su sello.

даже не знаю что сказать

The instrumentals and the singer voice are great, but this is not the type of music that makes me vibrate. 3.5/5

Like it 3/5

Blue IM SOO EXCITED FOR THIS ONE 1. It reminds me of a piano song strangely like a medieval one but I still liked it 2. Her singing is so unique I luv 3. Slayed 4. Groovy 5. I dont likely 6. Slayed 7. Meh 8. Meh 9. Meh 10. Meh

Dober

Just pure talent. Probably one of the best albums I’ve ever listened to ever. Such amazing visual storytelling with just words. Pure talent with amazing execution

Another 'classic' album that I've never heard before. Perfect for a Sunday morning. I understand why it's held in such high regard now.

Lots of similar sounding folky songs.

Folk/soft rock, with an impressive vocal range. Can hear the DNA of later solo female vocalists here. Still, not my cup of tea. Best track - Little Green, Carey, California 3 stars - technically nice but it doesn't resonate with me at all

Me gustó la voz melodiosa de la cantante es muy agradable

beautiful

The Rolling Stones rated this as the third greatest album of all time, which is a bit of an exaggeration. Nevertheless, it's a very solid and enjoyable album.

Classic

Gorgeous record - 60s folk scene by the way of vocal jazz singing. This is my fave Joni Mitchell record because it has some unbelievable tracks and it's very nostalgic for me, but it's not quite a 5.

Notables: - California - River

Beautiful start to finish. Little green is probably my favourite at the moment but it changes all the time. I never really used to like The last time i saw Richard before but this time i listened to it and I think it's maybe the best on the album. It's in the way she speaks so honestly and really gets you to live in her story, I found myself wishing that Joni finds what she is looking for in California and gets out of that dark cafe. That is her power!

I just don't really like folk:(( really tried

Listening session: april 3rd, while commuting to internship Listened to before: heard a few songs before Thoughts: I really liked some of the songs as she’s obviously a great songwriter but the falsetto threw me off sometimes Favourite tracks: Little Green, Carey & River

A couple good tracks. But some were hard to listen to her voice

Extremely important singer/songwriter.

3,5/5

I fully understand why this is some people’s entire bag. It’s great song writing, it’s well done, she sings so well. I’m not going to add this to any playlist or anything but it’s so good, I get it. Deserving of all the praise.

J Cash vibes

Not my tipe

Joni Mitchell is always lost on me. the lyrics are great but the high register turns me off. Because of the lyrical content, i can definitely see why people love her though. just not for me.

This was an odd album. Odd lyrics, odd singing. Nothing like what I have heard before. I'm not a big folk person, but I do appreciate the uniqueness of her voice and singing style.

I always enjoyed the 70's solo woman genre (ie Carol King, Carly Simon, etc.) if there is even such a genre. This is no exception.

When to listen: Literally anytime. All the time. So many wonderful songs on this album, Joni Mitchell has the voice of an angel, her lyrics tear your heart out and sew it back in again. Love <3

Again, not my cup of tea. I know this is widely considered a masterpiece album. The music (what the instruments play) is quite enjoyable, but then she starts singing... I also know that she is considered a good singer, but the constant "expressive register switching" sounds just annoying after a while. I also didn't "feel" the lyrics. She often just describes a scene, a story, etc. very plain. And her use of, imho, of analogies (e.g. the frozen river on which she wants to skate away--->leaving her problems behind) are so basic.

Icónica y legendaria.

V good

5 stars duh

She is an excellent storyteller but sometimes her voice is tooooo much for my earballs

I've listened to this album a few times now over the years, and I don't hate it or even dislike it, but it just doesn't seem to grab me like it does everyone else. I've liked some Joni Mitchell - really liked "Coyote" - but none of the songs here really did much for me. Diff'rent Strokes for different folks, I guess...

Not my favorite. A little too slow for my liking.

Joni Mitchell is one of those artists that I feel like I'm *supposed* to like, but I just don't. Her voice is like fingernails on the chalkboard to me. I get that she's an important singer/songwriter, that she's beloved by many, but I've always felt like her music is some kind of Candid Camera hoax that the world is playing on me.

eh

Very much not my thing.

This isn't bad if it's what you are into. But this is not my thing.

Its... fine

Learning Joni Mitchell is simply not my thing, from a lyrical or musical standpoint, although in general I think the music is better here than on Court And Spark. But I don't think she's that great a singer or a songwriter and listening to an album's worth of music from her is wearying.

meh

Beautiful voice, peaceful sensation while hearing.

I don't understand the allure. It just kind of drones on. It's probably the best of the Joni Mitchell albums I've been forced to listen to, but that's a very low bar.

I had mixed feelings on this one. Catching me on a bad day, it came in a perfect way with reflexive, super deep, and detailed personal problems she has/had. It could've been a perfect connection, but here comes the problem: the over the top vocals, especially in some of the tunes in the album. Some were super deep, I was able to connect and vibe, but some just threw me off, and I wanted it to stop. I would save some tunes like A Case of You, The Last Time I Saw Richard and a few others. This still doesn't deny that I was very surprised by this, but probably won't revisit, at least not the entire album.

I've never listened to Joni Mitchell all that much. But I understand the appeal and I hear how she influenced others. This is the exact kind of music I love with the folksy sound. Sometimes you get the emotion from lyrics, sometimes from the performance itself. But I feel the music and melody and entire sonic composition really carried it. But I am not the biggest fan of Joni's singing itself. I am not a fan of when she goes high. It might be the recording or I don't like the big shifts in octaves in the vocals. I would want to listen to other Joni Mitchell or covers to see.

The voice is stunning, the instruments merge incredibly good one with another and every part of the songs feels like the perfect complement to each sound that you hear Not so sure about the best album by a woman of all time (as NPR opinion), didn't quite click with the rhythms, especially in "The last time I was Richard" Not fully my style, honestly

definitely not my genre. It's the types of songs I'd pretend to enjoy to look cool and deep but they all felt a little one note to me. Especially the first one, it turned me off pretty quickly. I still tried to listen to some other songs but nah

Сара 4 Марко 4

Of course I heard this was a classic but Id never listened to it. Loved it. Somtimes her high notes felt pretty shrill to be but nevertheless--5

Joni has a great voice and this was a really solid album. I liked it!

Whenever you think nothing new can be expressed in song form, go back to this one.

"Blue" is such a song!

I didn’t enjoy this at all. Not my thing.

I appreciate Mitchell’s artistry, her unmistakeable voice and phrasing, the raw production and instrumentation, the personal, everyday, abstract lyrics and yet… I don’t feel like I need to listen to this album again. She is just not my cup of tea and that’s ok. Having said all that, River is a timeless song, and listening to the album has motivated me to find as many high-quality covers as I can find.

Ew

There's no question that Joni Mitchell is an important voice of a generation; but that generation is not MY generation. This is lovely, but I have almost no resonance with it.

A bit to ballad heavy for my liking. The songs that were faster and Joni was flowing were much much better.

Bueno! muy agradable de escuchar

The music here was good, and a couple of the songs I liked, especially where she doesnt sing in that high range a lot, cuz that got grating after a while. I found myself wanting it to end after half way.

She's heartbreaking here. This is a beautiful work

Love Joni

4.4

if you don't rate this 5 stars prince will rise from the grave to spit on your shoes

It's probably objectively good, but I'm an uncultured dummy so TWO

This album is really hard for me to go back to. It’s definitely a 5 star masterpiece, but my ex used to sing many of these songs to me in various places and times and it truly crushes me to hear them… to listen to this whole album is something I do rarely because I know it’ll take me back in a truly bittersweet heartbreaking memories of full hearted loving. Goddamnit Joni… I guess I couldn’t drink a case of you and still be on my feet.

Can't argue with Blue! This is a classic for a reason.

a really beautiful album

It's a lovely record ("River" might be the best song Joni ever wrote), but it doesn't emotionally connect with me as much as I always expect it to. Really close to a five but not quite there.

Buen álbum, bastante fuera de mi zona de confort pero las melodías de las canciones y el album en si me gustó bastante, no es algo que escucharía todos los días pero de vez en cuando para tomar mates o limpiar la casa va bastante bien

Vibe/Genre ganz cool aber war mir ein wenig zu langweilig.

I must admit I'm not a big fan of folk; i think it's one of those genres you either love or hate. That's precisely why i approached the album with some prejudice. However, i can say it's a good album. I didn't love it, and i know i won't revisit it, but it feels so intimate. Joni Mitchell does a great job as a songwriter; each lyric feels like a confession and is unnervingly personal. As a woman, it's impossible for me to hate the album because we've all experienced "A Case for You."

While her voice is absolutely lovely, I do feel myself getting fatigued towards the end. And though I do appreciate the music, it's not making me amazed. Admittedly I almost fell asleep around track 7, I just don't think its my cup of tea.

Not my style of music but the lyrics were pretty original.

Heartfelt and soulful. That's the most accurate way for me to describe this album. A very enjoyable listening experience.

This is a really nice album.

jjaaa mijn vrouwtje!! wel minst leuke album hoor

This was fine. Although hippie folk is far from my favorite genre of music, Joni Mitchell has a pleasant enough voice to be a good listen. A lot of the songs started to blend together, not much variety on this album. A decent 3/5

Женское нытьё под гитару и пианино. Грушинский фестиваль по американски

*Woman Dylan All I want Little green California

I like how the album sounded, but the actual songs felt pretty wordy. Which, I guess makes sense since people say she has a "poet's spirit", it's just not really for me.

i love it

genuinely loved this album so much, on repeat since

“Oh, you're in my blood like holy wine Oh, you taste so bitter and so sweet I could drink a case of you I could drink a case of you, darling Still I'd be on my feet” One of many masterpieces that make up Joni Mitchell’s discography. Pretty much every song on here is a favourite of mine but I think if I had to I would narrow it down to “California” and “A Case Of You”. “Blue” is a perfect storm of what makes Joni Mitchell one of the greatest songwriters in popular music from her exceptional and unique vocals to her exemplary guitar playing.

a divota, šta da kažem... mislio sam da će bit četvorka, al zadnje dvije pjesme... još jedan album za kategoriju "V. ti je rekla i nikako da preslušaš, sada je prekasno", još jedan razlog za...

Great!!

Nice clean and honest folk. Liked it but probably won't revisit it soon.

Joni Mitchell is an icon, but it was my first time listening to one of her records. What a voice! It can be so soft, but it can soar and pierce and boom when it needs to. Impressive singing voice.

Stunning yet devastating. Loved it

I’ve been meaning to listen to this for years and it did not disappoint! Absolutely incredible stuff

Floated by very agreeably, great voice, pretty songs. Good album. 3.7

A phenomenal piece of work. 5/5. If I could give more, I would give more.

I like the music and there are some beautiful parts and lyrics. But her vocal style is not quite for me.

I prefer court and spark but I get this one is probably her big album with context around it.

love

always a good listen, especially around Christmas for me

oh so blue

not for me!

Bad day for people who are not fond of Joni Mitchell's voice. Well played California folk that is strongest when it's just Joni and a piano. It's good, just not for me.

Goddamn the voice gives me a headache and it's so much louder than the rest of the mixing. There's more than high notes out there.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Not a perfect album, but DAMN if there aren't some SERIOUSLY precious moments on here. Four stars. Will listen again.

This was actually quite lovely

Classic Feminist Music

A truly great songwriter with another album I never heard in its entirety. Bedrock of so much beloved music which followed.

Such a beautifullly written album. Songs are sad and her longing to be loved in some of the songs show the emotion she can evoke. Other songs clearly express the influence that Laurel Canyon had on her writing. So many amazing people were in that area and it helped her write an amazing album. It’s fun sad and everything that a classic album should be.

Beautiful Songs. Fav: River

Joni is legendary, listened like 5 times!! 8.2/10

mu bonico, pero me quedo con Big Yellow Taxi

true blue

Maybe her third or fourth best album and a total masterpiece.

Wish I liked this more! I'm so picky with folk from this era

Just part of that miracle Joni run where all she's doing is churning out perfection like only she can. This isn't even one of my favorite albums of that stretch but it would be extremely stupid of me to like this album as much as I do and rate it lower than 5.

Joni Mitchell has never really done it for me and this isn't changing my mind to be honest

great storytelling

She's really good at singing but this album is boring as all hell

She's a legend, but I can't stand her voice. Also, I have heard way too much folk from the Laurel Canyon on this list and it's just not for me.

Just the best ever. Just. The. Best. Ever.

Perfect, need I say more?!

Nope

Good album, I can tell she’s good at what she does

I’ve heard this one before. Absolutely quintessential. She has the kind of voice that can bring tears to your eyes in two notes. Such a lovely album. All the songs are so well written and filled with such emotion. I love all the instrumentals, god, just a good album.

There is just a beautiful simplicity and purity to Joni Mitchell's music that i so enjoy, and there are plenty of examples of it here. River will be my favourite Christmas track this year, while Little Green and Blue will be my favourite tracks with colours in the title. It's all very calm, quiet and easy to listen to, with a lovely musicality whether built through the piano or acoustic guitar. It's nice to have these tranquil moments - a worthy 4 stars.

I appreciate Joni on guitar but her voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me

Of Joni this is my favorite (but really not sure we needed 4). The only real criticism I have is that sometimes she rushes her lyrics because she wants to get so much in a song and it takes me a little out of the flow of her songs. But that's not all bad because i don't fall into a musical trance where I zone out. But overall it is really great, her voice is really beautiful in such a different way. Case of You is absolutely beautiful. I also love how she can have such a mature outlook on the world, but still get sucked into insecurities and heartbreak that we often consider so juvenile. Her reflection of the female experience is so normal and real that I can see why so many woman connect to her. It is also so sad in a way, River for example, is she really selfish and hard to handle or just not the picture of a perfect woman who didn't question a man at all? I feel like she is probably just a normal strong independent woman that the world and men took issue with because she didn't just smile and stay quiet and was gas lite to make her feel like there was something wrong with her. Joni girl, pour that heart out and remember it is not you at all, you are perfect :)

I have not especially liked the Joni Mitchell albums that we've had. But I liked this one. I think there's a lot of very creative guitaring (and nice piano work too). I don't especially always like her songwriting but she's really shining as folky-storyteller in some songs & the lyrics have a very genuine feeling. "I wanna shampoo you, I wanna renew you" followed by "I wanna knit you a sweater, write you a love letter, maker you feel better" are some of the best lyrics ever! Songs that won me over: All I Want, Carey, This Flight Tonight, and River.

Objectively this is Joni’s best album. It’s a slow burn that leaves a permanent scar on your soul. It’s the perfect Sunday morning vinyl to listen to whilst sipping on high quality coffee. It’s still not my favorite Joni album because it lacks simpler structured pop hits. That album for me is Ladies Of The Canyon. It doesn’t matter though. This is highest quality 70’s output from a true artist.

This was a refreshing change from the last two days! This is our fourth Joni album, and either she's finally growing on me, or this one is a step above the rest. The accolades it's received would suggest the latter, but I'm sure it's a mix of both. This was perfect ambience for a drive in the dark this morning with a light rain sprinkling down. Her lyrics exploring love and life and loss and wandering are all really beautiful and easily worked their way from her soul into mine. These are her own deep personal experiences, but from my perspective, it's safe to say it's also an exploration of being a woman in general. River was my favorite on here, what a gorgeous piece.

Meh

This album is very spotty! It sounds like some songs were given a lot more care and love than others. Better mastering, mixing, and singing on some songs and then none of that on other songs. 2.5/5

It's okay.

Thank god this is only 36 minutes. Meh. Her voice is so high to me it’s strident. I’m just not a fan.

Great mellow album Song I like: All I want, My Old Man,

This is just fundamentally not for me. I like music that excites and captivates me. This is not what this album is aiming to do. It’s just way too laid back, and the acoustic background music is so boring to me. Her voice is kinda nice, I guess, but this album wasn’t fun for me at all. 5/10

Muy yankee para que me conmueva

Beautiful album.

How colour blue tastes

Ett väldigt Joni Mitchell album. Skön melankolisk kvällslyssning!

Generational talent. Everything that’s been said about her has been said before, everything about this album is so wonderful. Case of You just spectacular

Nope. Not for me.

Going to be honest. I will upset people I am sure, but I couldn’t get past the voice. Not my choice of music at all. 4.5/10

Just a person trying to change as many octaves as she can for 36 minutes. Ugh will never listen to this one again. 2/10 (and that is me being nice)

This album is all about minimalist instrumentals highlighting Joni's voice, and I just don't like her voice that much. It's a kind of shrill lilting yodel that irritates me the whole time (Angel Olsen does this vocal style better on her first album imo). Lyrically it's fine, nothing terribly interesting.

i enjoy a joni moment of course but i’ve gotta say this isn’t my favorite of hers. the songwriting is so good but there are just a few too many piano ballads at the end. fave tracks: all i want, little green, blue, this flight tonight, the last time i saw richard

Joni Mitchell has always been one of those artists where I tend to like covers of their songs more than their own original recordings, but this album has given me a lot more appreciation for her as a recording artist herself. I like her vocals here quite a bit and the instrumentation is simple but very pretty, as much of the best folk music is Fav tracks: Little Green, All I Want

I listened to this before and it’s one of the first albums I do mess with. The whole albums is a joy to listen to and California is one of my favorite songs which the vocals on are mad impressive now that I relisten. The only reason it’s not a 5 is because it’s not one of my favorites even though it’s an objectively great album.

Favourite Songs: All I Want California

Not for me, sounds very of it's time 0/10 liked

It is not my taste but nonetheless its good

I adore this album. This, like many others, was my first Joni Mitchell album and it does not disappoint at all. Little Green, California, This Flight Tonight, A Case of You, are just joys to listen to. In general slower songs do not always entice me, but My Old Man, River, and Blue do not make me wanna fall asleep or skip. Joni has said this was her first album where she genuinely felt like she had let down her guard, absolute vulnerability, and these particular slower songs are I believe the best window into this sensuality. I love this album, it's always a pleasure to re-listen to this, and I think I will be listening to it a couple more times as of recent.

This is something entirely new to me. Listening to this album gave me the impression of hearing music for the first time, as if it were a new, undiscovered phenomenon. Each song is so touching and leaves its mark on my heart. The lyrics have become a mystery I can't quite solve yet, which makes me want to listen to them over and over again. The performance and style are completely unique to me. Joni Mitchell’s music and voice create an extraordinary harmony.

I think this may be my favorite Joni Mitchell album.

Has a nice old-timey vibe but I'm not really feeling it

Ok I love the songs but don’t love the singer?

Hmm, I know Joni Mitchell is revered, and I do like some of her other albums, but I like the ones that have like lots of interesting instrumentation on them. When it is just guitar, then I realize it's about the lyrics and unfortunately I don't currently have the bandwidth for that, at least not delivered this way. River is great.

To quote my partner: best luteal phase album ever made

Great songwriting, vocals are occasionally a bit grating however.

Very very good

Beautiful album I really enjoyed listening to it. Definitely deserves to be in the top 1001 😎

Unglaublich wehleidiges Album..... Bevor ich von ner Brücke springe, werde ich dieses Album über die Kopfhörer hören, um mir den letzten Rest zu geben

mühsam und weinerlich, nichts für mich

Absolutely elite songwriting, straightforward yet emotional and full of brilliant metaphor. It's strange hearing a load of songs for the first time and it feeling like you already know them somehow. Can draw a lot of comparison to Carole King's Tapestry - much like that it needs a few more listens from me - but already really like it

Can’t decide if I actually like Joni Mitchell, I think some of the songs on here are truly beautiful, like all I want and river. But then others just sort of toe the line between being beautiful and a little irritating like my old man. I can also appreciate how influential it was though 3

She has talent but I wouldn’t listen to any of these songs again.

Muy chiil quizás si le doy otra oportunidad o lo escuchará en el mood correcto me vendría bien

Beautiful album

Love this duh

Every time I listen to Joni Mitchell, I wince, and say "I don't think I can take a full album of this." But by the time I'm partway through the first track, I remember why she's one of the greats.

ok... ze kan een tekst schrijven, da's waar... maar ze kan helaas ook zeer hoog zingen

I remember listening to it but I dont remember anything about it.

This was my mother’s favorite album. I knew she loved Joni Mitchell and that we listened to her a lot in our house. But I didn’t know this was THE album until I heard the first few notes of the opening song. Then countless evenings of hanging out with my parents after dinner while they drank toddies and listened to this album flooded back from my memory. I began weeping and didn’t stop until the album was done. I cannot express the singularity of moment that I experienced driving into the winter sunset listening to River, my mom’s favorite song from this album, while sobbing, form missing her, from missing that time, the simplicity, the joy, the sorrow. It was everything. I will never forget this album.

I was hoping to be pleasantly surprised by this record, not being a fan of Joni Mitchell. I was absolutely surprised at how much I loathed this record. Her voice and lyrics are insufferable. I was so relieved when the last song was over. This just isn’t music made for me. My gut reaction was so strong that I can’t pretend to rate this one objectively.

Joni at her best. Her best album. Her best set of songs. Really really good The highest of 4s

Liked: All I Want, Little Green, Blue, California, This Flight Tonight, River, A Case of You

(V) such a beautiful record. Joni is an all time Legend.

Very good, enjoyable album 4/5

Great album

Joni is such a legend and this album is golden

I mean is anyone actually surprised that I loved this album? I was halfway raised on like Ani Difranco and Sufjan Stevens, two artists who obviously found this album very impactful. Either way though Joni absolutely came through with some beautiful music here. There's not a bad song, and every single one individual feels like the basis for someone to start their own musical career. The songwriting is probably the platonic ideal for 1970s singer-songwriter material, like this and like on the beach really do come the closest from most anything from that decade to transcending the time period they were created in. Overall, I really really enjoyed every single song, especially All I Want, My Old Man, Carey, California, This Flight Tonight, River, and The Last Time I Saw Richard (though every song here is a clear favorite off of the album). I love the folk pop touch Mitchell adds across this whole project, it really gives it both a sense of heightened variety, but also a lot of sustained consistency. Mitchell's voice is also outright beautiful, and while that's not necessarily something that always matters (just look at the 10/10 rating I gave to Elizabeth Cotten's "Freight Train and Other Folksongs," which for all of its endless merit and influence, doesn't necessarily have the most beautiful vocals), it absolutely contributes to the atmosphere here, in the same way that something like some of Joan Baez's early works might lend to. The difference between a classic Baez recording and this is that this has better lyrics, more dynamic playing, and is just significantly more interesting than, say, the original "Joan Baez" from 1960, due to the variety in the musicality, lyrics, and instruments used. Overall this album does a pretty awesome job in proving that it is worth listening to!! It's a near-perfect album and I definitely will be listening again. 9.5/10

I enjoy this but it’s not something that I’m drawn to relisten to. But River is maybe my favourite Christmas song of all time.

Not my cup of tea, but I can get how it set the path for future pop music and related interactions with fans

10/10

Delicado y melancólico. Nunca lo había escuchado completo, no sé por qué. Se nota la influencia que ha tenido sobre muchos artistas hasta la fecha.

This was really good, I’ve been wanting to get into Joni Mitchell for a while

I didn't appreciate Mitchell until close to midlife, and then it was like opening a door I'd never noticed was there. Her work is incredible; the high soprano sometimes grates, but this is the last album where she uses that range frequently. If you're into guitar, her work with open tunings here is beyond compare. If you're into songcraft and poetry, there is no one like her.

9/10

Listening to river in February life hack

A heartbreaking masterpiece. So simple yet so effective in its arrangement, Joni Mitchell’s stunning voice paints pictures with her poetry. The listener almost feels voyeuristic as she pours her heart out for all to hear, and may even shed a tear or two. I’d never listened to this album before, but I will certainly be revisiting it when I get the blues. 10/10

Lovely. 3.5

There's a Christmas jumpscare.

oh YES all i want carey my little green god, this album was SO GOOD

som classics in here she has such a unique voice

Amazing voice, I can see why a lot of people like her. Me? Not so much. Her lyrical structure is either nonexistent or just beyond me. It's like listening to someone tell a stream of consciousness story that doesn't have a point. Even that I can roll with if the rest of the music is interesting enough. Buuuut it isn't. Moody girl in a coffeehouse does nothing for me. It gets 2 stars because it's not actively offensive to my ears, but I do find it unbearably boring.

I see why it is a classic and DAMN am I feeling my feels right now!

Vackert!

Bara ett på alla sätt genuint album.

Världen behöver mer av det här, och mitt betyg reflekteras nog av den känslan, även om jag tycker soundet överlag också är ganska starkt!

Mysigt!

Det är såååååå nära en femma men jag personligen hade velat se lite mer breddande i soundet. Men utöver det är det jäkligt starkt.

I've listened to this one before. I know it holds a lot of emotional weight to many people. As for me, I don't hate it, but I don't get it either, sorry!

I love pretty much all of Joni Mitchell's back catalogue, but out of her studio albums, I've got to admit this one doesn't quite make it into my top three. Maybe number five? Even so, it's a very good album that grabs you and makes you listen. And yet, at the same time, it's also one of those albums you can have on in the background when you're doing other stuff. I'm going to give this one four and a half stars.

River!!

beautiful

hermoso. increíble como no se guarda nada de lo que está sintiendo y la forma que encuentra para expresarse. "Carey", "California" y "This Flight Tonight" mis favoritas. "He gave me back my smile, but he kept my camera to sell"

Amazing voice, just not for me.

Maybe Joni Mitchell's magnum opus? I certainly have no complaints after listening. It's a very solidly written and well-constructed album that just sort of flies by if you're not careful. But listen carefully, as Joni draws on her various journeys and relationships (with mostly bitter ends) to create these simultaneously fun and calm, yet poetic compositions.

too whiney

I want to like this more than I do. James Taylor and Joni Mitchell have the same effect on me where I enjoy their music even when I don’t love it, yet it can be hit or miss. This is one where every song sounds good but nothing was moving me and it became a bit homogeneous. I will return to the classic songs on this album but the rest of it likely not.

This is probably peak listening if you are into hippy era singer-songwriters. I can appreciate it for that, and California is a pretty good song, but otherwise it's pretty dry.

This is famous enough that at some point I must have bought the CD back, but I don’t recollect giving it a serious listening until now. Only song I will admit to knowing is River which has become a bit of a Christmas hit of late. Simple, personal, heartfelt and achingly pretty. It’s kind of timeless. Will listen again when I want to just sit back and need to nourish my soul for a while. 4

So good. Love her honesty in her lyrics.

Gorgeous voice, great storytelling songwriter

Absolutely amazing album. I could feel myself transforming into a Joni fanatic listening to this. Every song is a powerhouse performance. Unbelievably unique song craft. 1 of 1.

All I Want - I want to shampoo ya. I wanna make you feel free. Substantive riffage. What a song. My Old Man - more poetic genius. Shocking. And that voice is amazing. Why I like this and not Kate Bush I cannot say. Little Green - I’m not crying you’re crying. Carey - sounds like they had a good time. Blue - a jazz exploration. They say hell is the hippest way to go but I’m not so sure. California - slide guitar and references to Europe are a wild and beautiful contrast This Flight Tonight - more riffage! River - breakup song with musical and lyrical layers A Case of You - baring one’s soul might set you free Richard- the travelling ends here, some go one way, some go another.

Long before I started this list, Blue was my favorite album. I find it funny it came to me at a point where I checked in late in the day, on the most mundane day, mostly working out, cleaning. Just had valentine's day weekend, very in love. One would think, my day shouldn't involve this masterpiece, I have never in my life been further away from it. Yet, here it is, so I'll tell you exactly why it resonates with me, always and every day. I think that every track on there should be there, I don't want anything to be removed from it, because it touches on the very human experience in the most unique way. 6 of its song have at some point in my life been my favorite, because as I grow and experience different things, it aligns in a different way with my experiences. I'm confident at some point the other 4 will be in contention to be my favorite as well, but it is definitely that good. It has everything I love in an album, a point of view, a sonic palette that is rich and bold, plenty of ambition for such an intimate project. Her voice and her writing are so fucking unique and precise, it blows my mind every single time. A lot more complex that one might think, I also love that it rewards both replaying it as you experience life and careful listening. I'll take it any day over everything else because it uses music in the same way I do, almost in a therapeutic way, but also not in a exclusively devastating or trauma healing way. All I want, is my most recent favorite cause it really helped with a tough time I had. To me, it is a perfect song, very much delicate in the push and pull that love can offer when it is not fully right. To me the song is about a relationship that is beginning, that shows promise but ultimately falls short. While you may want to do mundane things with them because you see them in your life for a long time, sometimes trouble like anger and jealousy lies beneath and you have to face the fact that it is not where you actually are. While you want the best for them, it is not what you bring to each other. It is better to be free than in a company that is destructive. That is a life lesson everyone should know, and you just have to listen, cause Joni said it with the most beautiful guitars in 1971. My old man, while I don't relate to it personally, I found fascinating in context. After the mundanity of All I want, where she lists all the very normal things she wants to do with her man, comes a gorgeous love song in the form of the fantasy of domesticity. All she wants, is her old man. The longing for something true and real, that she feels in her bones. I think the mention of a mariage licence as something somewhat adjunct is visionary in 1971. The love she wants knows no bounds, and simply given by an extraordinary individual to her. Not a super man, but a "singer in the parc" and that, I found profound and beautiful especially next to a gorgeous piano. Little green is a song that took time and context to be understood by me. While I love it now, I used to not fully get what she meant by it, much like critics reviewing her work when it came out. When you understand the song as a love song for the baby she had to give up while being a struggling artist, it’s a devastating emotional blow. Now, every time I hear it I get emotional, because it is so well written, clever and so deeply personal it is incredible. It is tender, hopeful, and very sweet, while still having sadness and regret laced trough it. I also think it shows incredible strength, she just says she hopes for the best, and that it is the best decision for a « child with a child pretending ». I think this song is probably the most uniquely hers here, it very much so feels like a way to process a trauma and to leave something behind for her « little green ». Carey was my favorite as a teenager, and I couldn’t tell you why, except that it is funny and sweet, and the melody is gorgeous, especially the harmonies in the second part of the song (the ooo’s). I also think when you name a song after a person, a clever writer will give a description of said person, and here the details are so vivid it makes the whole song incarnate. I think most of us have encountered a Carey in our life time, a person you don’t know very well that is interesting and makes you stay longer than you should. Hence why, when people call Blue a break up album, or about love or whatever, I say it’s a reductive point of view, because Carey is here, it is brilliant, and I have never seen anyone make a song about these type of encounter before. Blue, the title track is also very interesting, and not just because I like James Taylor. It is obviously about him and their relationship, but you can also totally ignore that and it is still a very gorgeous balade.It has a timing so very specific and odd, and her singing as so many peaks and valleys, no one can and would want to sing it quite like that, so high, so precise, and with such weight on every word. It is a very hard song to cover, cause it is very much her voice singing words from her soul. The vibrato, the long notes, the diction and phrasing, the sprawling piano, here everything goes together to give a gorgeous love song to someone who obviously isn’t ready or able to receive it. It feels confessionnal, cause we get to hear the ancestor of the voice note, a message that is for one person. I am glad it is included here, cause it is too beautiful to keep private, but I do get the feeling that it feels voyeuristic and that explains why I couldn’t pick it as a favorite of mine. California is much like Carey not a song about love, but about home. Joni as a Canadian calls California her home, recaling the classic trope that home is not just the place where you come from, but really the place where your people are. Nothing novel in this idea, but it is said so succinctly that I found it beautiful, especially since there is tension in the song « Will you take me as am I ? » As home and the people changed too much that they no longer recognize her ? The other thing I resonate with is the idea that war and trouble on a world level make you want to curl up and return to a place where you feel confortable and safe. Saying that now would probably be a cliché, but not at that time. It is quite simple sonically, and makes for a fun break full of joyfulness. California is necessary because it brings is a very welcomed breath in an otherwise often quite sad album. Of course the different rythm going on at once, expemplify an understanding of music that is a lot deeper than just spilling out your guts in a microphone. I have always loved California, and at a time when I couldn’t understand what she meant, I loved that track so much because of its melodi. Today, as a Parisian, the place I call home is the precise place she wants to leave behind which I often think about. (Why don’t you like us ? I am not settled in my ways, or am I ?) This flight tonight, to this day is in my opinion the weakest track on there. I like it, I found it fun and some of the details I look forward to while listening to it, like the Goodbye baby goodbye break. I am sure I will connect to it someday. I understand the message, and I don’t mind the track which is in no way a skip. It is a pretty song, just not a favorite. I also think it is not helped by its placement in the album, it comes after the fun of California and I mostly look forward to River when I hear it. It is sandwiched between the fun and the saddest song, and while I get the palette cleanser feeling, it is also never gonna be as strong as those two. River of the 4 piano ballad, is by far my favorite. I love it so much, it explains why none of the other three ballad have ever been my favorite on the record. While I do like them, and I found them clever and interesting, I think river hits emotional strides in a whole different way. I cannot begin to explain how beautiful this song is to me, it is incredible in so many aspects. First thematically, a sad Christmas song for the lonely at Christmas ? Yes please. I can hear jingle bell, I can hear the despair, I can hear the translucent quality of the album in its peak here. Secondly I think the writing is incredible. It feels cohesive, and like a full story, but told in such a subtle manor, that no one knows what this song is actually about. Partly a recollection of a time where she couldn’t skate as a child because she had polio, a break up song, may be a reference to the daughter she had to give up, but none of that is really the point. I personally think it is about all of the above, to me the song is about loss in every way. Loss of experiences, time, meaning, people, it’s about how she can sit down and reminisce on times where she felt hurt and lonely, and the idea to bring it forward in a song talking about Christmas and sampling Jingle Bells is absolute pure genius. Christmas is a time where you should be with family, happy in theory, but here she feels lonely and out of place and wishes to experience a different thing. That to me is visionary, cause there is nothing sadder than a lonely Christmas, and I am probably not alone in feeling that way, because the suicide rate goes way up every year at that time. I think the piano is amazing, and her vocals are legendary here. I may be a competent singer at times but I can not sing this and no one should in my opinion. It cuts deep and is truly to me a statement of brillance. A case of you, is the hit of this record, if there could only be one, and I understand perfectly well why. I think it shows everything Joni can do in 4 minutes, and it is grandiose in this aspect. I also do not subscribe to the idea that it is a sad song, it can be if you look for that, but it is so much more complex than straight up sad. It is literary about the feeling of being intoxicated by someone, while using the metaphor of drinking wine. To me the person she describes is both exactly what she wants, and a little poisonous. Something that takes her completely over, than runs through her blood, but also something that is temporary, that she can recover from. It is succinct, but it completely describe the feeling of infatuation. The interesting part, is that it is not through the perspective of heartbreak which is why this song is to me brilliant. She already as a song about heartbreak on the record, in this one she isn’t devastated, she is just self aware and recognises that while the relationship had benefits, (making her step outside of her box mainly, with the devil line and them being « holy wine ») it has its drawback (« be prepared to bleed »). Beside the gorgeous simplicity that shots right through the heart, one thing I found fascinating is the number of men coming forward to say that the song is about them. I can only dream to write something so beautiful and important that Leonard Cohen says he is the muse of it. I found it incredibly complimentary of her work that he wants to be the inspiration for it and have his part of the credit I’m sure. Well, you ain’t getting any from me, this masterpiece is quintessentially Joni’s. The album closer, The last time I saw Richard, is incredibly important for the album as a whole, to understand her aim with this precise collection of songs. It is very complex and does reward careful listening to understand what she actually means. It revels in tension between optimism and cynicism around love, using a protagonist and lessons she gleans from conversation with him. Richard is a reformed romantic on the surface, he is cynical about love after heartbreak calling love lies, and saying that all of the romantics meet the same fate, being cynical and heart broken. To Joni, he is only pretending to be cynical, because he chooses songs on the jukebox « about love so sweet ». In reality, he marries a figure skater, (which I understand as someone beautiful by societies standard, and a show person, meaning not someone he picks for their intellect and values, but for what they represent societally. He makes a convenient home with her, but in doing so, he is left drinking alone (with no romantic by his side). He settles, stops believing that love and heartbreak might be worth it, and now watches TV. Joni refuses the same fate, she doesn’t want to settle, she wants love and romanticism and wants big wings to fly, she wants to feel something rather than just let life settle her. That is not novel as an idea, and though it is said beautifully this is not where the genius is. It comes after, at the end of the song, when Joni herself is in the dark café, meaning suffering heartbreak, she first feels anger and loneliness, (« I don’t want anybody at my table, I’ve got nothing to talk to anybody about »). I think there is the idea that she is done with love, much like Richard once was before he settles. But unlike him, she is second guessing herself and holding on hope. She hopes it’s just a dark cocoon, « only a phase, these dark café days » and it is quite a dark chord indeed. She is not sure she will recover, but she is waiting for brighter days. I think that that final note is truly a sign of absolute brilliance. She closes her album about different kind of pains and hopes on saying « I’m broken but hopeful it’s a phase » and I think this final song is absolutely paramount to understand the whole album. Blue the album, ebbs and flows between optimism and heartbreak, pain and excitement, in such a masterful way. But it ends on a very signifiant note : all of it is temporary. To me that is truly a message to remember, you should live life, its heartbreak and challenges, the joyfulness and the loneliness and never become a cynic like Richard. It is said in a very unique and delicate way, and I am never tired of listening to her giving her testimony about what life is about. And even on a mundane day, I need to remember to be open to feel things.

High 3 i think. Some very lovely tracks and a couple pleasantly surprisingly melodic lines

Mr. President, a second 5 in a row has hit the building. Best songs are Blue and River.

This is the second Joni Mitchell album I've hit on this site. I've never listened to her much, though I was familiar with some of her stuff. I'm still not a convert, but I do like this album a bit more than Court And Spark.

Absolute ground breaking classic album. A statement of the time. Lead by California, All I Want, Carey and River. Solid 5.0

Nice easy listening. I enjoyed it, though it doesn't pair well with the video games I've been playing as I listen.

Beautiful voice

An all-time masterpiece.

A classic. River is one of my favourites of hers.

3.5

beautiful! it seems that is the first album generated with woman vocal. probably i will not relisten this, just bcz it's not my temperament and it's reason why i can't give 5*, I'd gave 4,5*. it's rlly good and meow

Very Disney princess vibes. Not bad though.

I tried, but nah

Nope, nope nope. I’ve tried to listen to this album a few years ago when it came on one of my “best albums of all time“ list. It hasn’t changed. I haven’t changed. I understand why people like it, just not me.

One of the few times in history that the critics all agree and actually get it right. Pure poetry

Longtime fave, no notes

Understands how to open an album. Woulda been a 5 but for The Last Time I Saw Richard.

One of my faves. Takes me back to driving around Erie in my Chrysler Concorde, being a 90s hippie.

Probably the best Joni Mitchell album I've heard so far. 'California' is a nice track that I've run into a few times before. As all music that leans heavily on the lyrical content, I'm having a bit of a hard time gelling with it completely. The guitar playing isn't interesting enough, and there aren't many other instruments to add to the mix enough to make it stand out more than the lyrics. Overall this was a nice album, and even though I really want to like this more, I find it difficult to squeeze more than a strong 3 out of this.

A few nice tracks in here, both California and River are good songs. If River is a Christmas song is always a debate. Anyway the rest of the album is ok too, I enjoyed the sparse arrangements. There is however something grating to me about the vocals and how the pitch changes to falsetto every so often. Is this how people who don’t like Bob Dylan hear Dylan’s singing? Still I enjoyed this and could listen to it more. Strong 3.

Not a bad album ny any means however its definitely an album for its time Best-California Worst-My old man

Feb 12, 2026 - remind me to purchase this on vinyl thank u

Can't say why but I just don't like Joni Mitchell's voice. I find it grating and hard to listen to.

Joni Mitchell's Blue was also good, but not to my taste. They are definitely a good singer, but behind the soft country and blues, I couldn't fully pick the songs apart and it left me wanting more 3/5, Fav song: California

Absolutely bloody beautiful. I’ve listened to this 4 times in 24 hours and I love it. Soooo soothing. The lyrics are very nice too. Relaxing and soothing to say the least. Lovely shower music.

5 - AVERAGE

Beautiful album

Feels like every ballad anyone sings is just trying to be half as good as River. California also great

I really loved this when listening today. Much better than the last Joni Mitchell I heard

Perfection. All time fav.

This is one of the rare ones on the list that I really think you should be forced to listen to. And you may be forced, because Joni Mitchell can be a lot. And really, if all your Joni-tolerance will allow is to listen to "All I Want," that'll do.

I fell in love with Joni Mitchell’s music in high school so of course I adore this album, the culmination of her early folk phase. It’s spare, sublime, poetic, assured and emotionally resonant, and it set a high bar for confessional singer-songwriters to follow.

yes of course

Not my thing, but I liked it better than Hejira.

Beautiful singing voice and clever lyrics. Definitely an album to revisit later

Great album

I enjoyed it, but I don't quite get Joni. I realize that there's talent & passion in her heart, but I don't view her as a great artist. I apologize. ★★★

The most sincere confessional pop album. Beautiful and I believe every word and emotion fully.

Not a fan of Joni Mitchell. Relisten didn’t improve.

She has a beautiful voice and writes beautiful songs. Joni Mitchell just bores me to tears.

Probably the best album I've ever heard

I don't love her voice. not sure why its never clicked for me

Hmm. It's beautiful in its own way i'd say. But i do have to point out that she switched to high notes a little too often for me. But that's on me, i prefer deep voices and tend to be irked by too high ones. Overall a nice album that i won't listen to again but still nice

3 stars for now because I need to listen again because lyrics like these deserved to be listened to again and again.

not really interested in that kind of sounds, but great vocal

Good voice, but too sentimental for me.

A classic

Fantastic album love the Joni 💗

This is so obviously her best work the writing is perfect the guitar is excellent its so emotional and nostalgic

Fantastic vocal performance, guitar is lovely and only adds to her voice. Will have to relisten with a greater attention to the lyrics. Not usually my vibe but does its job very well

Ändå några bangers jag hört på albumet typ river (vilket är en av mina bästa jullåtar), California och tror det var ngn mer kommer ej ihåg dock! Tyckte det var bra, tycker Joni har en bra speciell slags övergång från huvudröst till magstyrka if that makes sense

3/6

Such a good album, no notes

Favorite track(s): Joni herself said there's not a dishonest note on this whole album. A rare and astounding feat.