Blue

Will listen again.

4/5 best - carey worst - this flight tonight

Joni has a lovely voice

Not on spotify so listening on YouTube. Hopefully it's decent quality compared to the actual record. The best way I can describe her voice is "pure," it's like what you envision a siren/angel to sound like. Super folky music though, which isn't my style. Especially the sudden shift to higher pitches in the middle of verses. Just doesn't really do it for me. I did enjoy the title track "Blue," the intro gave me chills. Definitely recognized "California" from multiple movies and shows. "River" was another song I enjoyed so maybe it was just the first half of the album that I didn't care much for. I can see why this album is so well-renowned, but I wouldn't necessarily put it in my own collection.

Great album from a great artist

be right back crying 4/5

Wow. River was incredible, the whole last section of the album was excellent.

A lot of emotion behind this album. Really good all around!

Really great stripped down folk with powerful lyricism and vocals. I like this a lot more than her more heavily produced stuff.

Beautiful voice - definitely the lead instrument. Beautiful and interesting vignettes of life, love and emotions. The folky side of Joni before the pop of Canyons and avant garde folk jazz of Hissing and beyond.

Big & tasty, like a jumbo lentil chile. Killer vocals and great songwriting

Worth finding outside of Spotify. The River is velvet

I love the familiar songs.

The last three tracks are amazing. Never listened to blue and was quietly impressed. A strong 4 this.

I have this album on vinyl.

7/10. Pretty good, a whole album of Joni Mitchell is a bit much for me though

Joni Mitchell usually doesn't work for me. I think that she is good, but I don't generally enjoy her albums that much. Blue is a notable exception. It's so beautiful and painful all the way through. Both her songwriting and her voice are on full display on this album. It's a very accessible entry point for her music 4/5

Wistful, melancholic, full of feeling. Great album

Big points for raw, stripped-back production and Joni's undeniable voice. Putting her so up in the mix with no production to conceal her flaws leaves her so vulnerable, but there are almost no flaws to find. Her poetry is pure, if coffee house by today's standards. All around it is a really beautiful album, but it all happens at the same tempo, and I cannot dance to it.

a very Joni Mitchell album. honestly dont know how to rate this — really liked some songs, thought others were boring. it didnt feel that cohesive, i guess, though that doesnt make much sense.

Love this album. It’s a classic

This is worth all the praise that it gets. Joni Mitchell is an actual songbird. I don't know how she does it.

Wow what a highly influential album! I can’t help but hear Esperanza Spaulding and other awesome female artists taking a note from Joni with her complex jazzy melodies and insightful lyrics.

Pros: - very creative melodies. I can see why the taylor swifts / olivia rodrigos of the world exist when someone like her paved the way - very creative random parts too, like second track "my old man" at 1:33 the piano starts playing a scale that is in a different key; almost like something you would hear out of classical music's subgenre "new music". - instrumentation is superb. I'm a sucker for folk instrumentation in pop / singer songwriter contexts - title track is fantastic. - Really enjoying the album Cons: Misc: - I've never actively listened to her which sounds shameful but is also the purpose of this album project.

Our first album that was pulled from Spotify for Rogan reasons! It was easy to find a version that didn't result in her getting royalties from Spotify. I doubt she will need to hit the Food Bank anytime soon. Ahh, to be a jacuzzi socialist.  There are some good songs on this album. Carey is a  classic. Funny thing is I know This Flight Tonight because  some dinosaur band whose name I can't remember did a cover that was massively overplayed decades ago.  I appreciate that she can sing very well and hits some notes that few others can. Truth be told, I don't like the sound of anyone singing at that atmosphere. I'm not sure how many albums she has in the 1001 but I feel I should give one of her albums a rating above 3. Blue seems to be the logical choice given that Rolling Stone gave this 3rd best album of all time, 

4/5

Hier staan echt een paar hele mooie nummers op.

My favourite Joni Mitchell album. Carrey is the hilight but there's lots of great songs. A mostly accoustic album allows Joni's voice to shine. 4.5 🌟

One of the rare albums where I really paid attention to the lyrics on the first listen. Granted, the musical accompaniment is sparse and kind of forces you to. Occasionally, Joni's falsetto got a little grating, but never enough to where I wanted to shut the record off. The lyrics are great, and some even really hit home for me. Favorite tracks: "River", "Blue", "California"

Classic

Good album, I like the songs a lot. A little surprised that my parents didn't play Joni for me much before now!

i just listened to this! 4?

Not listened to this album for 15 years but it still had me engrossed, or at least it would have if I didn't have to listen to it on YouTube after Joni took her stuff off Spotify in the Joe rogan row.

Joni knows

I’m not a huge fan of female singers but Joni is something else. Wonderful album

Ærlig sangskrivning, smuk vokal, simpel guitar, rimelig godt

What a beautiful voice

Lovely album.

I love Joni Mitchell. This is supposed to be her best record and one of the best pop records of all time. I can't dispute that. And for that reason I'm giving it 4 stars. Why not 5? Because I think she made better records that are also deserving of "best record of all time" consideration. Those include "Court and Spark" which is the follow-up to this record, and "Hissing of Summer Lawns" which is right in the middle of her very interesting 70s jazz/folk output.

Good chill music. Lyrics are excellent. Not my normal listening music but she's an absolute master songwriter.

Есть довольно милые песни. В целом, альбом хорош.

Pretty good, but very much of its time.

I like her lyrics and melodies, but sometimes the lack of structure leaves me a little unsatisfied. It's not necessarily a bad thing. I might like some of her other songs better.

Poggers

Beautiful voice and tone.

So happy to hear my favorite christmas song

Not really my preferred style of music but I can't deny it's a great record. Really beautiful. Should be 5 stars in all honesty but for me personally I wouldn't count it among my all time favorites so I'm going to only give it 4 to adjust for personal tastes.

A nice and easy album to listen to. No one song stood out, but she has a great voice! Will want to check out other stuff by her

Joni has excellent vocal tone, range, and control. Strong band called accompaniment. Sounds fitting from the generation. Wouldn’t be soon sought out again, but a strong album in its own right.

I enjoyed this greatly. Simple arrangements and an evocative voice. Subject matter was a bit mehhhh but I can see why this was ground breaking in the early 70s. Still sounds fresh today

I like joni Mitchell and I want everyone to know that. This was a nice easy listen.

I thought this was a great album with lots of good songs and lots of descriptive lyrics. One I would come back to.

So intimate it almost makes me uncomfortable at times. Such rich details throughout. Singing style and lyrics and even structures are so unique. Not following any formulas. Even though it's considered her masterpiece, it's not my personal favorite album of hers. Somehow this is too pure and clean for me.

She's got a beautiful voice.

It's a classic for sure. A very historically important and influential album. But I'm not sure how much I actually like it. It's great but I feel like my opinion is a little scewed by the reverence of it.

Loved the piano and guitar on this, and Joni can really hit those high notes effortlessly. Probably won't come back to this one as it's not my thing, but it's pretty good.

Absolutely gorgeous

Really good album Fav songs from album: A Case in Blue My Old Man All I Want Little Green 4.0/5

Sophisticated music, gorgeous recordings, but very few melodies to sing along to.

Track 1: Really catchy vibe. Song I could listen to easily. Track 2: Soft. Piano and high vocals. Lyrics Worth listening too. End of Song had a great vocal riff. Track 3: Even softer than 2. Incredibly sad. But brilliant. Track 4: up beat Track 5: softer Track 6: California Track 8: River. The one Sarah McLachlan covered that mom always listened to.

Raw, complex melodies

Señora se desnuda emocionalmente detrás de un micro y nos cuenta sus inseguridades al relacionarse con otros

all I want - crystal clear vocals, pick a note though. got a like. "I want to shampoo you"... 7/10 my old man - flighty notes really fit. 8/10 little green - evocative, open 7/10 carey - energy & vibes but no real hook? - 7/10 blue - title song, this gotta be good. that piano, wow. 8.5/10 california - some jazzy chords. 'he gave me back my smile but kept my camera to sell'! 6/10 this flight tonight - love the rich guitars, funny headphone effect. 7/10 river - ... I prefer the ellie goulding version. piano harshly recorded 6/10 a case of you - prefer the kd lang version. where's the depth? 5/10 the last time I saw richard - strong lyrics, emotive. ## overall no clear songalong bits, stumbly & emotive pacing. evasive rythms. not quite enough to be best album ever. 8/10

This was a new album for me. I am familiar with several songs from Mitchell, but "River" might be the only track on this album that I've heard before. This album felt like it had an overall theme, without being monotonous. Mitchell's voice is great. I'd listen to this album again. (4.5 stars)

listening to this album on a road trip was an out-of-body experience, a great album a bit too short though, but a great album nonetheless.

You know what 6+2+2 equals? Exactly. Blue has always been one of my favorite albums, both as a kid and an (almost) adult. I think it had a huge influence on my songwriting style, not that I’ll ever measure up to Joni Mitchell. Here’s my LONG and detailed opinion (?) on the songs: 1) All I Want This is the perfect reminder that yes, even people on the verge of turning 30 don’t got everything figured out. My favorite part of the song is her realizing that ‘comfortable’ could mean something so high and complex as bringing out the best out of what the history agreed was evil, and as simple as shampooing the love of your life. 2) My Old Man Melodically, it’s not one of my favorites, but I love the metaphor; which goes like “yes, he’s many things to many different people, and that’s how humans are perceived by each other, but it’s not about how many things he could be, it’s how about MUCH he is to me.” I love it, I think it taught me so much about love at a young age. 3) Little Green My favorite part of my childhood, satirically obviously, is crying over the iconic “there’ll be icicles, and birthday clothes, and sometimes there’ll be sorrow” lyric Cause my 9 year old self definitely didn’t witness any of the first two parts of that line. It made me realize as a child, that I’m not cut to be a child. 4) Carey Nothing has ever struck me deep as “you know it sure is hard to leave here, but it’s really not my home” Sure the song was lighthearted, but this line has weighed the heaviest on my heart ever since I was nine, and it still does, ten years later. 5) Blue It’s the closure lost in All I Want, and the rightfully placed disdain lost in Little Green. 6) California Cali was a place of sadness in Little Green, but here it’s the sunshine needed. Maybe it’s a metaphor for how heartache is as cruel as the stormy weather, but it is as easily torn apart. Or maybe it’s a metaphor for how heartache in a familiar place is much lighter on one’s soul than heartache in a foreign spot. 7) This Flight Tonight No 8) River No one ever told a tale of anguish in a euphoric setting the way Joni did. That’s all I could say about River. 9) A Case of You This is a hindsight look into a lost cause, but paid no regrets. I love the instrumental, and always admired the descriptive and vivid imagery the lyrics always delivered. 10) The Last Time I Saw Richard The irony of this song is that, it crushed my faith in love as a child, and here I am, listening to it with the boy that renewed the hope this song destroyed. Could it be laughing at my naivety? Could I be hit with the regret in hindsight in a few years? Perhaps, but for now I’d like to think that the last laugh is mine.

Вполне ламповый альбом. Я бы назвал музыкой, под которую стоит гладить кота. Даже осознаю, что кто-то может именовать дохуя культовой классикой. Однако прям охуенности не выкупил, никуды не залип. Тем не мене, пару раз прогнал по кайфу вполне.

Great, but not my favourite Joni album.

Excellent!

Not sure what's happened here, last time I listened to this it bored me. Today though it clicked, don't know why. Just did.

Actually very good to listen through. Had already “liked” some of the songs on this album. Always a good sign.

I find it kind of interesting that this is defined as Pop. Probably just a testament to how much the idea of pop has changed over the years. Or maybe I just have a poor understanding of what pop is. Favorite track so far is Carey. Really raw album and I love it. It somehow manages to be both sad and happy at the same time? It feels very intimate and like I'm just hanging out in someones living room with them while I listen.

Never heard a song dedicated to me before. Joni has described my life aside from marrying a figure skater and buying a dishwasher. Well done Joni, she gets an extra point.

Beautiful music

Very special and relaxed. I would love to listen to this after midnight.

Folk pop del bueno

Lovely stuff but prefer the orchestral versions in 2000s albums

good allthough it drags a little

Realmente no conocía nada de Joni Mitchell, el álbum está medio paradójico, por un lado puedo decir que se me hizo excelente y por otro que no me encanta ninguna de sus canciones de manera individual (quizá con excepción de A Case of You). El disco se siente como un producto completo en su conjunto y todo se siente en su escritura y música con el carácter exacto que quiere dar de un rompimiento amoroso. El título simple pero exacto, triste y azul, no sabía la calidad de escritora que tiene y, aunque se siente como un disco perfecto para poner de fondo en un día lluvioso el pensar sobe él como solo música de fondo no el haría justicia. Es un disco que merece ser escuchado, con calma para embeberse en la melancolía y lo bello de su tristeza. No tendrá la mejor voz del mundo pero como artista mercería estar al lado de los grandes con esa habilidad de ligar las palabras.

Great folk album. 8/10 1. All I Want 2. California 3. My Old Man

Nice relaxing music. All I Want is a great opener.

Desde la portada te das cuenta de que va el contenido, muy agradable aunque le voy a dar otra vuelta cuando ande en el mood por que lo escuché manejando la moto y pues no lo disfruté como debería (ni el viaje ni el disco) pero puedo decir que tiene una increible voz y te transmite el sentimiento de cada canción.

Por un lado, es innegable que qué bonita voz tiene esta mujer y qué melodías tan llegadoras y llenas de sentimiento y nostalgia que además combina perfectamente con su voz. Sin embargo, también siento que no deja de ser música cliché de mujer sufrida por desamores pero igual fuerte e independiente. Como que es lo que oiría la tía ex-hippie que nunca se casó y maneja un vocho. Lo único que sabía de Joni Mitchell hasta ahora es que la caja de uno de sus discos se parece demasiado a una caja de joyería.

A self-contained universe

That was comfortable. Can’t think of a better description for soft 70s indie pop.

She has a beautiful voice. Some of the songs felt like the instrumental parts clashed with her voice.

Took me a while to understand her appeal. What a songwriter! These songs, are slow, melancholy and haunting. Perfect for a specific mood. Even if you're not in that perfect mood, listening to this will induce it.

Beautiful voice and soft guitar. Favorite songs This Flight Tonight and A Case of You. California is one of the greatest songs ever, and the project was nice. At a point though, the album started to melt together, 6/8 overall.

What a great put together album. Joni has her individual style yet one never feels like one song sounds like the other or that they blend together.

Honestly liked this one a lot more than I thought i did

I didn't expect to like this one but I did. Great lyrics, good production, and Joni's voice grew on me. Not much more to be said there, to be honest. Solid 4 stars.

Great songwriting and a great voice. Can’t ask for more than that

Good stuff. Her voice is different, that's not a bad thing. Definitely need to revisit this one several times more.

I'm sorry, I really can't stand her falsetto.

*Relisten*

This is one of those albums that I have been aware of but haven't really had much opportunity to check out before now. And while I can see why others may praise this album, I had a harder time getting traction. This is definitely one of those albums in which the music is written to support the poetry, and not the other way around. Because of this I found the melodies often wandered without creating memorable hooks. Perhaps this one could grow on me in the future.

Great voice but not a Joni Mitchell fan

Pretty Annoying Boring Melodic Silly Overall: Fine

a nice folk album. I have never rally liked her music a lot. This album certainly made me reconsider this. unfortunately like a lot of albums, there are a few really likable songs and a number of other that I don't like as much. my overall liking of her music moves this up to a solid 3

I actually got into Jodi Mitchell a few years ago after watching a documentary about David Geffen, who she was good friends with back in the 60’s & 70’s. Some of her music was used, in particular “Free Man in Paris” which was about him. It led me to listen to some of her albums, and I even ended up picking up a couple of vinyl. Favourites are “Song of a Seagull” and “For the Roses”. Haven’t listened to Blue in a little while, as the above tend to be my go-to albums of hers, but here we go :) A fine album overall, although still not my favourite of hers.

A real mixed bag for me with this one. The tracks I liked were great. The tracks I didn’t like I REALLY didn’t like. The Last Time I Saw Richard in particular I bloody hated. I will give it another listen later though. When I generated Court And Spark way, way back as album 32 I hated it on the first listen really enjoyed it the second time round. Top Track - River

Hard to get into with her history that didn’t age well. Music is good but doesn’t hook me in necessarily, wanted to like

Strong folk sound, little bit of early country. Shades of Dylan with greater vocal range, albeit less lyrical depth. Strong theme of wistful melancholy throughout. Enjoyable experience but wouldn't make it onto the heavy rotation.

Some great folk pop songs but I can find the high pitch sections painful River, Carey, blue are all great folk songs

muy lindo pero no es ni de cerca mi cantante de folk favorita

Nice lyrics. I'm not that into folk but reading the lyrics and back story was nice.

Alright, some good emotional acoustic stuff but wouldn't say its very memorable, still not bad

🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 Apologies to Emily because I KNOW she’s gonna love this one. And yea, though I know my mom won’t go near Joni Mitchell, I wanted to love this one too. I’ve come to really trust Emily’s taste, even if we like a lot of different stuff—if she was this excited about Blue, then I hoped I could love it too. I tried, I really did, but with her sparse and predictable instrumentation and lyrics that live up little to the reputation she’s amassed, I can’t say I’ve been convinced to Stan Joni. Notably, I didn’t mention her voice there, which I think is also supposed to be the stuff of legend. That’s because I’m really not sure about it. There was a point, in this album, where I felt just-below-middling about those vocals, which are full of lilting, sixties flourishes—round o’s and frail, trembling belts (she says “go” like “goh”?). I was especially irked with her skibidi-bop vibrato thing—part of me is like, girl, nothing about this song warrants all that. I’m not sure I can justify that kind of free-form flow state during that regular-ass piano stuff, but I can’t say it feels performative, either, which would be my point against it—without that, I’m no better for adoring Kate Bush (and a major hypocrite, at that). So that I could maintain my virtuous perch atop the moral high ground, I tried to really consider what makes this tick, and to Joni’s credit, I realized she builds out her melodies in a really interesting way. These aren’t really straightforward crescendos, even though it’s clearly signposted where those vocals are going—instead, it’s a clambering ascent, taking a zigzagging path like she’s softly bouldering. While this did make a couple of scattered rhythms click, I’ll admit this didn’t win me over emotionally. The classics, in particular, were where I expected this stuff to get really juicy—lyrically or musically—but they did little for me, either. “California” was one of my least favorites, and though the Apple Music review for Blue glazes the lyrics of “My Old Man” to no end, there really wasn’t anything extraordinary to me about saying when her partner’s gone the frying pan feels too big—like, it’s a neat detail and I like it, but I’m struggling to find the inimitable monumentality in it. What I will say earns that reverence was “A Case of You,” whose respect from me was hard-won after that corny title (which I thought was supposed to be a case as in illness, but is actually a case as in Wine, but guess what? That’s still corny). Those lyrics were had me arrested similarly to Leonard Cohen, but with a distinct literary flavor—though I should’ve been locked in from the opening lines, I was hooked after “oh I am a lonely painter / and I live in a box of paints / I’m frightened by the devil / and I’m drawn to those that ain’t afraid.” Still, that “Jingle bells”-ass song—rippin’ off like an Oasis Christmas—was about where I finally accepted that I resented having to give this a full listen, even if it did end interestingly. Ultimately, I walked away liking just “All I Want” and “Carey,” though I still detected notes of something interesting beneath the cheese of “River” and “A Case of You.” I will be listening to all four again because I’m not giving up on Joni, hence the three stars—this was more good than bad, certainly better than proficient, and I was only a little bit irritable by the end of the album. 1: Bad | 2: Okay, No Desire to Revisit | 3: Good, Conditionally (OR Inconsistent Mix of Qualities) | 4: Great (OR Technically amazing but missing the sauce emotionally) | 5: Amazing

it's good, I should relisten as I may have not appreciated properly

164. Blue - Joni Mitchell (1971) 8.5.26 Variety: 2 Adequacy: 3 Listenability: 2 Uniqueness: 4 Emotionality: 4 = 3.0 "There'll be icicles and birthday clothes/ And sometimes there'll be sorrow" This might be a rough one. I've not heard much Joni Mitchell in my life outside of the one giant hit - "Big Yellow Taxi" which I find to be quite annoying. It's admittedly very catchy and easy to see why it was a hit, but man do I find Mitchell's singing voice to be grating. I think part of this is maybe that she was in some ways , if not the originator, but the popularizer of this kind of quirky, singer songwritery, acoustic coffee shop pseudo-hippy delivery that droves and droves and copied, and then the copies or the copies of the copies have just become such a cliche that somewhere in the mid-90s I think it became an already stale, very parodiable thing. So maybe when she first popped up on the scene this was all fresh and new and exciting, and original and bold and all that. I will try my best to put myself in that mindset, but it might be hard. As far as I know I don't think I've heard a single track off this album, which is crazy given its reputation. Rolling Stone has it still I think in the #3 of their Greatest 500 albums list. How much of this is old boomer grey-hairs clinging to the sound of their youth, and how much is genuine influence and greatness? I suspect somewhere in between, and I will make a prediction based on what little I HAVE heard of her ( mainly off Court and Spark I think) that this will be a lot of deep, introspective and personal, well crafted lyrics with nary a memorable melody. Otherwise how have I NOT heard any of these? THE TRACKS Side one "All I Want" - This was a lot jazzier than I expected, and quite a nice song about infatuation, and what seems like new love. About half the time, especially at the beginning of the verses Mitchell's voice was fine. It's the hiccupping extremes of the ups and downs that gets under my skin for some reason. "My Old Man" - Some fine piano playing here on a sweet love song that makes me think Kate Bush ( not one for covers outside of Elton John that I am aware of) or Tori Amos ( who has covered other songs on this album for sure, but not this one it looks like) must have replayed this one quite a bit. "Little Green" - This one worked a LOT more for me. More great acoustic guitar from Mitchell here, with a very pretty, very bittersweet tale of a too young mother and love and loss, and a chance at a better life. Holy shit this one must have caused some celebration in the offices of the Kleenex corporation when it came out. If people were paying attention to the lyrics I guess. And Mitchell tones the jazzy, jumpy vocal phrasing way down here. Her voice is warm, and tender and the sadness really comes across. More of this please. Cover by Morgan James: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV8UB2c46oo Cover by Bell-Skinner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv2Lg-w75FA "Carey" - The most instrumentally filled out song on the album thus far. The vocal tics are back, but not in full form, and there's some nice dulcimer playing to open things up on what feels like a very lived in, authentically experienced story of an affair in some possibly Mediterranean location. There's a lot going on here, and it's all very interesting, but leaves me feeling a bit indifferent. "Blue" - Another very pretty piano ballad that contains the DNA of perhaps Tori Amos's whole sound. Not sure if her vocals are growing on my or what, but this was also some pretty great stuff. Even when she goes high at the very end it works. Cover by Cyndi Lauper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_VrzLuy2WY Cover by Sarah McLachlan ( who herself seems very vocally influenced by Mitchell): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s38dMRb2j6w&list=OLAK5uy_lyIfWKiIyO9AelV5yKhutyqOU7gAtdvMk&index=7 Side two "California" - And the vocals swing entirely back again, but they aren't bothering me as much, though I am not fully acclimatized yet. This is a bouncy number about homesickness has a lot to like aside from the vocals, especially the touches like the steel guitar. It does suffer a bit from the "I'm just gonna name everything I can currently see in my field of vision" approach to lyrics where there's just a description of a bunch of stuff that happened. But that's fine, and the phrasing in the verses reminds me a LOT of the vocal melody from a Polaris song that I really like called "Ivy Boy". Cover by James Taylor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYQ1zIdRiCg "Ivy Boy" by Polaris: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A8MATboRoQ&list=PLsZPRnPvhMVtR5WM8WMhvbDHf7WuWFljI&index=5 "This Flight Tonight" - Some cool, aggressive acoustic playing, and the vocals are still not my favorite but this was a light, more fun one. The speed the lyrics were delivered at felt like a manic anxiety-ridden inner monologue of someone who can't shut their brain off. I did like the dip into the song within the song in the 5th verse. "River" - My least favorite track so far, and only partly because of the awful "Jingle Bells" piano motif throughout, and the general Christmas vibes. Also the most stereotypical offering on here I think. "A Case of You" - More great dulcimer work from Mitchell and accompaniment by Sweet Baby James himself on guitar. This was fine. It just felt lacking of any good melodies, and she really reaches into that falsetto in ways that haven't really annoyed as much as they did very early on. Wasn't a fan of either the Tori Amos or the Prince version either. I think this one is a prime example of the lyrics far outshining anything going on musically, which is maybe one of the reasons it seems to be a very popular candidate for covers with such different takes. Cover by Tori Amos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOxvhTHQLIw Cover by Prince: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lJ0f75oSL4&list=OLAK5uy_lyIfWKiIyO9AelV5yKhutyqOU7gAtdvMk&index=6 "The Last Time I Saw Richard" - More solid piano playing, but a very boring track with pretty formless and unmelodic verses, and not a chorus to be seen. Not to keep on comparing them, but Tori Amos took this sort of thing and made it so much catchier. But would she have even been sitting behind the piano without this stuff to have inspired her? HIGHLIGHTS - "Little Green" - "Blue" - "California" MIDLIGHTS - "All I Want" - "My Old Man" - "Carey" - "This Flight Tonight" - "A Case of You" LOWLIGHTS - "River" - "The Last Time I Saw Richard" FINAL THOUGHTS I really liked the acoustic playing throughout, and looking at the 1971 release date, it does feel like a different and fresher tale than the country-folk stuff going on around the same time with, as I mentioned, a more jazz influence it seems. It's distinct even from what Dylan was doing, and I can imagine James Taylor, Jim Croce and the like having their tops blown off by how personal and raw the content was. But it does seem the basic mode of the music itself was already in the air with Simon and Garfunkel being maybe the more pop forward presentation, and Taylor, Croce, Tim Hardin and many others already pulling the sound out of the air to craft this kind of inward looking folk, that seemed to want to shed the social and political messaging of prior decades. The artist most contemporary to her that she reminds me most of though is Labi Siffre, with both of them possessing such unique vocal deliveries, and unusually open and personal seeming lyrics. I say "seeming" because I do think it's almost always a mistake to infer authorial biography in a song, even if the inspirations are well documented and deemed of a personal nature by the author themselves. This discounts the listening experience un my opinion, and I think probably even Mitchell herself would want her songs to feel like universally lived in experiences. Which they do. I think. What I disliked most in this album - mainly the vocals ( her voice is fine, she just over inflects and trues too many gymnastics, sometimes even syllable to syllable) the sameyness of the acoustic mode ( acoustic guitar or piano with very little other accompaniment is a limited palette), and the lack of memorable hooks - are tempered enough by the actual songwriting itself, and the playing that it ends up being a bit of a wash. I can't deny how well crafted and legitimately influential this was, and I can't accuse Mitchell of unoriginality, or lack of boldness or any of the stuff I might normally throw at an artist whose stuff fails to move me. It's just ultimately a clash of personal taste. Singer songwriter stuff is just not my bag. And it takes a more pop facing type of it to really get me interested. Carole King for example on Tapestry, while taking a much different approach and aiming at the universal, was able to do this with a style and an ear for melodic hooks that I find lacking in Mitchell's stuff here. Song to song it's fine, sometimes even very good, but at the end, I struggled to differentiate much of it. I think this album is probably a much better one in theory than in practice, and very likely deserves it's special place in the history of popular music, but it's not one I think I'll be revisiting aside from maybe those highlights. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Just the highlights FURTHER LISTENING - Sit Down Young Stranger by Gordon Lightfoot - Madman Across the Water by Elton John - The Singer and the Song by Labi Siffre - Sweet Baby James by James Taylor - Pink Moon by Nick Drake - Blood on the Tracks by Bob Dylan - Little Earthquakes by Tori Amos - Once I Was an Eagle by Laura Marling - Multitudes by Feist

Very talented. I like other songs of his orher more

Entiendo que a la gente le parezca uno de los mejores álbumes de toda la historia, pero personalmente para mí no lo es. Joni tiene una excelente voz, pero las canciones nunca cambiaron de ritmo y lo sentí tedioso en partes.

I'm of two mind on Joni. I simultaneously get her and she irritates me.

I'll be honest. Joni in small doses for me.

Not at all what I was expecting. I've never listened to Joni Mitchell and I'm not a huge fan of folk in general (except for a few artists) but since she's such a vocalist it makes the genre bearable to listen to lol. -1 for blackface

I guess I don't get it

I bought this on LP when I was in my early 20s, and then traded it in shortly afterwards as I thought it was a bit dull. 20 odd years on, and I can see the appeal, particularly the second half. Will definitely be listening again.

good

fine

Classic folksy; light, airy, & haunting.

Nice album — no song was unlistenable, however a few were slightly boring and I didn’t really find myself enjoying the experience. Liked the song California though.

Second Joni album for me. I prefared the first one. This one didn't catch fire for me. Pleasant enough nothing special

Another reviewer pointed this out, but it’s worth saying again- Joni does this thing where she doesn’t rhyme any of the lines, and once you hear it, you can’t unhear it. It’s really distracting honestly. I do like her voice in general, and her songwriting is good as well. I see why people love it, even if it’s not my thing really. River is kind of clever and funny, starting with an interpolation of jingle bells on piano, then she starts singing about how it’s never snowy or Christmasy in California and waxes poetic about grifting with her music “make a lot of money and leave this crazy scene”. Well clearly that didn’t happen. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This Flight Tonight! Not a bad album, I'd say 2.5, but will round up because she had a great voice.

She's very talented but it's a little too slow and same-y for me.

C’était bien pour bronzer Mais je ne réécouterai pas forcément

Plutôt sympa, très chill

All I Want is for the River to keep flowing as I listen to this album.

There is something unique and nice about Joni Mitchell’s voice. As a late 30s guy it’s not in my wheel house but I enjoyed the stripped down acoustic sound of this album. Although the cover of this flight tonight by Nazareth is better.

She sings.

I didn’t know what this was going to be. It was ok. Nice and quick listen.

Nice but that's all

A day isn't enough to take this album in. It's music, but more than music, it's words. Lots of words placed together with cadence and emotion in a way that transcends the words you could read on a book. I admire how efficient this album is, in that sense. Having heard other Joni albums now puts this one in context. This is stripped down, making it easier to appreciate how she dominates her vocals, and I think simplifying the song-listening experience as well. I listened to this in passing during my teens and never looked back, I think some 15 years later we might be repeating the process. This time, at least I feel like I get her. The acoustics grate at me, personally, often with beautiful details that embellish really simple compositions. Also, while I can admire how she blends her words together, her whimsical vocal direction also annoys me here. I can appreciate it as an art, I can appreciate her as a seasoned artist using her tools as best she sees fit, it feels that way, it's just not winning me over. 3/5

Didn’t mind it. Not something I’d listen to regularly.

I thought I would like this more, I guess it is too slow for my bad attention span right now

Gewoon, wat saai op den duur

Didn’t know River was on this album! I had only heard the Ben Platt cover of it from The Politician. Kinda folksy, but I dig it enough to give 3 stars!

Me suena bastante a country, aunque es folk. Las letras son curiosas, tienes que prestarles atención para ver que son poesía. No me gustó mucho la voz de la cantante, por eso le doy 3 estrellas

she has a cadence unlike anything else

Good album

I’ve heard this one before a while ago Beautiful voice “A Case of You” is a highlight but overall the album doesn’t have enough to stand out for me to listen to it regularly

Always like her voice and style ..enjoyable album

Very nice female folk of the 70s slow and cool guitar work

not my thing. but good talent

어우 듣기 좋아 베스트: California

Joni’s vocal affectations and sometimes twee presentation and lyrics can annoy me bigtime. She does offer some clever lyrics, great storytelling and a welcome, winking sense of humor in places, which helps a lot. I want more of that. There are a couple of classics here - “Carey” and, especially, “California” - that edge this into high three territory

One of those “so inoffensive, it’s offensive” albums on the list. The two star album that’s more forgettable than the one star. Upon relisten, it sonically doesn’t do much for me, but the lyricism is what so many singer/songwriters strive for and fall flat.

actually it gives a good vibes i loved the song called "little green" good music,slow rhythm, a cute voice

Well... it's sad, run-of-the-mill folk music. Nothing really stands out.

Some people worship Joni, I'm not one of them. This was alright.

I might have to listen more to this album, because in my first listen it didn't do much for me, but I believe this album can get better the more I listen to it.

Day 317 I can recognise how good this album is but don’t think I’ll be returning to it often if at all, glad I heard it. Highlights Carey River

On first listen I was a little underwhelmed, but on second listen I liked it a bit more. Not an all-timer for me but pretty good. 3.4/5 -> 3/5

Some really beautiful songs

Good but nothing really grabbing my attention here

I know it’s important-meh

okay she has a stunning voice, but i was just expecting a little bit more from this!!

she is blue

Look it’s clear she’s very highly regarded and is good at what she does. But this sounds exactly the same as the other albums we’ve had. And after a while it gets to the point where enough is enough and let’s just move on.

Well this is a clear step up from the multitude of other albums we’ve had from her. This time some of the songs back up her great voice, but ultimately doesn’t justify the hype.

Such a good voice. Very chill album. I thought Woodstock was on this album but it wasn't missed, the tracks here are just as good.

River is a great Christmas song.

I liked it a lot

Fine

I'm told this artist is brilliant by many, many people, several of whom are brilliant themselves. And I have no reason to doubt them. I can absolutely hear that this is operating on a different plane than most. I am interested in a full JM deep dive to really appreciate the depth (&breadth!) of her work. Her Mingus record has been on my radar for some time now, but I'd never prioritized it bc I associate her name with the sound of this record. A sound I've really got to be in the mood for. I never really had a gentle-quiet-soulful poet-with-a-guitar phase. I can def recognize the songwriting talent there & that will be a focus when I get to the deep dive, but right now I need some electric funk or else i'mma fall asleep

Okay and mid ? I didn't really like listening to it...

This album had moments that were solid. I am just not a huge fan of her voice.

This album is held in such high regard-I was looking forward to listening to it. Musically & lyrically I can see why so many other artists point to her influence….but her voice & the bouncing back & forth between upper & lower registers….sadly detracts from the rest

decent

Really nice. Hadn't listened to it in a while. I'll come back

3/5

Difficult to separate the myth from the quality.

It's a shame that I don't like music like this, because I really like her voice and singing style.

Beautiful songs, I found myself enjoying this far more than expected.

It was fine

Mitchell is a very talented artist and there’s very little to critique about this album, but it just didn’t appeal to me all that much.

It's a good album and I have no faults for it but every time I think about Joni Mitchell I think of the fact that she loved doing blackface and it just takes me out of the whole thing. When there's a wikipedia article about how much you love blackface as a white person, maybe you fucked up somewhere. "Joni Mitchell dresses up as me. Part I" by Gustav Parker Hibbett Dark felt fedora and sunglasses. Little blackhaired mustache, afro wig skin the hue of walnut wood painted over face, neck, hands, gold chains, earrings, jewel toned blazer. I am the sort of man an artist wears to sing in, dawn to shed herself, puffed up, pimping, perfectly impermanent. "I am beautiful," she says. The wisp of something negro in the twilight timber of her mezzo piano riff of blackbird wings. noble sorrow turned arpeggio, my brass bravado grand enough to make her trouble soulful jewelry leave her feeling freer, deeper, natural. She loves that I'm the friend she's never had to worry for. The man who drives and jukes so centrifugal that my noose is dew drop slipping from a crocus stem. Who grooves so fast the cops can't catch my saxophone. Seductive, tragic, lovely. Joni says she loves my self-possession. How it feels to possess me.

Iconic but not my thing

I know and love River and A Case of You. The other songs were fine. I didn't love any of them though.

As I said for other Joni albums, she has a nice voice (Little Green stood out to me as coming through so clean and pristine), but her albums aren't for me. Don't generally enjoy singer songwriter albums. 3*

Good listen, with just one standout for me

Dit is zo'n album waar ik veel over gehoord heb, maar nog nooit heb geluisterd. Ben heel benieuwd hiernaar! En ja Joni heeft een bijzondere manier van zingen, waarbij ze vaak de hoogte in gaat met haar stem. Het heeft wel iets breekbaars, maar ben er nog niet helemaal uit of ik het goed vind of niet. Instrumentaal is het vrij typisch folky, heel minimaal en meestal met alleen een piano of alleen een gitaar. En ja ik hou gewoon echt echt echt niet van die typische folk sound. Het klinkt best ok, maar Joni's manier van zingen is het gewoon niet helemaal voor mij. Ik heb het idee dat ze hier een andere stijl gebruikt dan op haar andere albums die ik op deze lijst voorbij heb horen komen. Het klinkt niet verkeerd, het klinkt zelfs erg goed. Maar ik zal dit niet snel nog een keer aanzetten en het is gewoon niet echt mijn smaak. Sorry Joni, nog steeds een mooie naam. FAVO:

slow n sad, not bad ig..

If you like Joni Mitchell, you like Joni Mitchell. He voice is cool but her songs all kind of sound the same

enjoying this a lot more than the last time(s) i've listened to it. this is kind of a no brainer to anyone else but i'm starting to realise how much my mood impacts how i react to any given album. i've liked "california" before but this time it really stuck with me, it's so beautiful. "carey" is still my favourite! <3

Nice 1. Little Green 2. Blue 3. California

Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: A Case of You Date listened: 29/05/26 Listen when: Snowy, sad evening I see and appreciate the beauty of the lyricism and honesty but I can't quite seem the get there with Joni Mitchell. At times I feel each song has the same pattern and theme of her extending every word with a high pitched ooo to an annoying point. But when the songs themselves have such a strong personality this adds rather than distracts, which is why her best songs are so immense.

no me ha molestado como para, teniendola de fondo, decir "me quito esta mierda" asi que guay

Lady can sing!

сначала внимательно вслушивался и даже нравились подобные альбомы из данной подборки, но со временем они меня утомили, возможно просто настроение сейчас такое, но не цепляет подобное

It's fine. Like, it's not for me, but I can hear that it's good.

Tough for me to evaluate objectively because I hope to never need another breakup album in my life, and it makes me sad to even try and put myself in that headspace! It’s astounding how far away 1971 sounds on this album — this is a sound for a different generation that I can’t quite connect with since I can’t connect with Joni Mitchell the person during this time. I hate to say that some of her vocal runs feel pretty self-indulgent and don’t carry emotion for me, it’s more like a songbird doing math rock. I was able to connect with some of the more straightforward songs with simple, beautiful stories (Little Green, River, A Case of You)

I may not like her voice but I can say the same thing about Bob Dylan so I'll give it to her for song writing

Started hating it but kind of got it by the end, overall ok. The voice stuff didn't work with me most of the time but she can sing. The Oh Canada towards the end was nice lol

overall rating: 7/10. this album just fits everything that comes with it. this album is the name joni mitchell and is the year 1971. no further elaboration necessary

It's good - A Case of You especially. I don't really think it's my style and the tone does get repetitive. But I appreciate the music!

This album kinda defines the Singer/Songwriter style. A beautiful voice singing of love and heartbreak over paired down instrumentation. California River

Nice, soft background folk.

Jonin ääni on miellyttävä, mutta musa on vähän liian hidastempoista mun makuun.

I didn't know Joni Mitchell. This album is pure 70s vibe and, at least the version I heard, was perfectly recorded, meaning it doesn't have that grain or background noise you can find in many albums from the era and it's not a remastered version. It was quite enjoyable.

‘Fijne muziek’ zei mama. Ik had het aangezet via de geluidsinstallatie. Zelf weet ik het niet. Ik kan horen dat het goed is. En begrijpen dat mensen het goed vinden, maar haar stem, daar ik niet zo van. Vooral wanneer ze de hoge tonen zingt. Ik hoor de liedjes van Joni Mitchel het liefst in coverversies. Gezongen door een ander.

Pretty chill, clear chords song. For some ocasions, but not a daily listen. The mix is pretty good.

Great songwriting, superb distinctive voice, feels like an album that could be perfect when I am in the right mood for it. Unfortunately, I am not sure how often that mood would be.

Not quite as good as Court and Spark but still enjoyable.

ver well ig

Goo album but a lot of the songs sounded the same to me it kind of all blended together so nothing stood out

Meh.

Chill and melodic and almost haunting in a good way

en détente 3,5 sur 5 si c'était permis.

Un album sympa, bon c'est bien en fond sonore mais je guess que ce sont les paroles qui importent avec elle Mais le chant est beau aussi Donc bon un beau 3.8 (qui sera un 3 au final)

I really admire the poetry of the album but I've never been a fan of Joni's vocals. I thought the album started off great with All I Want, but that ended up being my favorite track and musically it felt like the rest of the album was much of the same.

Quite nice

This is a monumentally important record and much of it is incredible. This is about the fifth time I’ve listened to it front to back and it grows on me every time. I still don’t connect with it though. So rounding down it is to a 6/10

Her voice is awesome. And I really enjoyed the first few songs. But then… nothing changed. And, with some exceptions, most of the album began to blend together. It got kinda boring. BUT I still liked it so a 3 is fair I think.

As a Joni fan this is def not my favorite album but it has all the makings of a "good" album. I love how she interpolates snippets of well known works into her folk songs (see: River for the most obvious) and you can't talk about Joni without mentioning CONTROL. That being said the space between a 3 and 4 for me are how captivating the songs were and none of these are captivating so there you go. Highlight: This Flight Tonight

Mig langaði til að fíla þetta meira

Yeah was alright. No repeat value worthy songs, but she’s alright if you like that

Qué bonita puede ser la tristeza

Me gusta lo orgánico del disco, una voz buenisima, lindas melodías, sin embargo no el disco es si no es para mi. El nombre del disco lo representa completamente

its nice and very influential but to be honest I do not gaf about joni mitchell shes not my style #tbh. ill rate it 3 for the historical significance

I’ll admit, on the first pass, I really didn’t get this album. I felt mostly confused, like I was waiting for a climax that never arrived. However, after a re-listen, I’ve realized it’s actually not that bad—it just requires a very different mindset than I originally brought to it. Joni’s voice is delicate and the acoustic arrangements are definitely pretty. While the songs initially felt like half-formed texts, I’m starting to see how they actually connect. There is a subtle emotion there; it’s just not shouted at you. The melodies are definitely unconventional and take a moment to reveal themselves, but they aren't as aimless as I first thought. It "floats," but it’s starting to feel more like an intentional atmosphere than just a lack of direction. I can see now why people call this a masterpiece of vulnerability. What I first called "poetry exercises" I now see as a very raw, stripped-back way of writing. The lyrics are still a bit abstract, but they moved me more this time around once I stopped looking for "real" traditional song structures. I still respect her talent, but now I can say there’s actually something here to enjoy. It’s a record that benefits from a second look, and I’m glad I gave it one. It’s no longer a "one and done" for me.

Quite a lovely album. I wasn't a fan of the previous Joni album I had but this was a definite improvement. Some really gorgeous songs with River being the standout. Jonis voice really shines on this record, and the highs are really high, but at times the warbling gets a little much. A solid 3.5/5.

bit boring

Algunos muy buenos temas, no se si soy tan enfermo del folk yankee

Meh

Muy chill,medio country. Me agradaron algunos temas. El guitarrista cumple el mismo día que yo!

Good, but not too exciting

Mostly just guitar and her voice and pretty basic

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."

blueueueue

Not her best

It …… kewl

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

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.

Not really my thing personally.

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.

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.

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

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

Notables: - California - River

Extremely important singer/songwriter.

3,5/5

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.

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.

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...

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.

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

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.

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.

Bueno! muy agradable de escuchar

She's heartbreaking here. This is a beautiful work

Love Joni

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."

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 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

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.

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.

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.

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.

mu bonico, pero me quedo con Big Yellow Taxi

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

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

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

It's okay.

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

Beautiful album.

Ett väldigt Joni Mitchell album. Skön melankolisk kvällslyssning!

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

It is not my taste but nonetheless its good

I think this may be my favorite Joni Mitchell album.

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

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.

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

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

Lovely. 3.5

Vackert!

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 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 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.

Very Disney princess vibes. Not bad though.

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.

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

5 - AVERAGE