Blue

I now understand women

What have I done to deserve two Joni Mitchell albums in three days? Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.

I feel so voyeuristic listening to this album. I feel like I'm looking at her through a one-way mirror, the lyrics a very personal reflection of her situation and the instrumentation perfectly complementing it. A masterpiece of emotion. And her voice, my god.

i know some songs from this album but omg didn't know the whole album is THIS good!

This is like being asked to review the Sistine Chapel. Where to begin. It took me some years to get in the rhythm of Joni Mitchell's music. Thankfully I stuck in there because her music is an indescribable gift. Blue in particular is an album I come back to frequently. Listening to Blue is like reading someone else's diary. It feels very personal, so intimate, so much so that you feel a little like you shouldn't have that kind of access to another person's thoughts. Mitchell’s lyrics are pure poetry. Her turns of phrase are stunning. "I could drink a case of you and still be on my feet" is a line that I think about a lot. It’s simple, but incredibly elegant, evoking all our own feelings and memories of being exuberantly, drunkenly lost in a love, regardless of the cost. The songs are a journey between those exuberant feelings to less pleasant feelings like melancholy, loneliness, disillusionment, loss. She revels in those emotions and displays them for us like jewels. Let's also not sleep on the quality of the music itself. The arrangements are simple, delicately rendered, but incredibly moving. Mitchell's piano and guitar work is a thing of beauty. Her accompanying musicians (James Taylor, Stephen Stills and Pete Kleinow) add great depth and texture to the work. Kleinow’s pedal steel guitar on “California” and especially “This Flight Tonight” is a delight. Mitchell’s vocal is so unique, it’s an instrument in itself. It’s angelically pretty, but she’s not afraid to bend her voice as it suits her, into some unexpected places. A lot of artists get compared to Joni Mitchell, but there’s really no one like her. I could say much more, but it would somehow never be enough. I could drink a case of this and still be on my feet. Fave Songs: A Case of You, River, California, This Flight Tonight, All I Want, Blue

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

Very beautiful and heartfelt. She has a very distinct voice and guitar playing style that I think I'll be obsessed with for the rest of my life. This Aussie gives an album they've never listened to before five rounds of backyard cricket with your mates out of five.

Blue by Joni Mitchell (1971) One must set aside the admittedly fascinating backdrop to this album and assess it on its own merits. Having done that, one must conclude that this is simply one of the greatest albums of all time. Top ten. Easily. Best thing to ever come from a Canadian recording artist. It puts the ‘class’ in ‘classic’. Why did Blue chart better in the UK than in the USA in 1971? Because in 1971 the British still had better taste and sense than we Americans. How things change. Delightfully poetic lyrics, unsurpassed vocal performance, masterful acoustic guitar/piano arrangement and execution, superbly crafted and unexpected melodies all characterize this superlative record. It all comes from the mind and heart of one person—Joni Mitchell. And if one needs to add instrumental color (“Carey”), one might as well get it from James Taylor and Stephen Stills. The poetics harness the rhythms with authority and without awkwardness. And the album is sprinkled with hugely entertaining metaphors and word pictures. The warm chord behind the lyric “warm chord” (second verse of “My Old Man”) exemplifies the perfection of synthesis between poetry and music. Likewise, pay careful attention to the music behind these powerfully poetic lines: “I could drink a case of you and still be on my feet” “I want to get up and jive . . . wreck my stockings in some jukebox dive” “I want to shampoo you” “But when he's gone/Me and them lonesome blues collide/The bed's too big/The frying pan's too wide” “Just a little green/Like the nights when the Northern lights perform” Listen to this record after waking from a bad dream. It will cure you. And Joni Mitchell’s skill on acoustic guitar is so sublime that it discourages amateurs and shames professionals. The delicacy and precision of her finger picking is flawless. And her piano attack and sustain are extraordinarily sensitive. Why don’t people hum these tunes? Because they’re beautifully unhummable. Nobody can do these melodies. Joni Mitchell composes music for precisely her voice alone. She never attempts to exceed her considerable range (even on the exquisitely delicate ending of “California”). She has one of the most recognizable voices in the history of recorded music. Her tone and pitch are endearingly winsome and precise. And she appreciates the importance of the initial consonant for both rhythm and diction. Listening in anticipation during the approach to one of her impossible intervals is like watching Simone Biles sprint toward the vaulting horse. You know what’s coming, yet you’re still dazzled. Why is the song “California” not the official anthem of the Golden State? Because nobody but Joni Mitchell can sing it. Her song “River”, with its regret, longing, introspection, the “Jingle Bells” theme in both the intro and outro, and the deft croak on the final sung note, is simply brilliant. Graham Nash must have shed more than one tear (for reasons we set aside in the first paragraph, but I digress). “River” is a song that should replace Mariah Carey’s nauseatingly ubiquitous “All I Want For Christmas Is You” as the secular pop Xmas carol du jour. But it won’t. We’re so unworthy. What do Barbra Streisand, Céline Dion, Diana Ross, Janis Ian, Roberta Flack, Cyndi Lauper, Loreena McKennitt, and Kenny Rankin all have in common? They all wish they could sing as well as Joni Mitchell. I needed this one. 5/5

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

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

I try and like this album every few years. It's still a 1 even with the creeping familiarity.

As soon as I pressed play on this album, a man materialized in my room. I immediately understood him to be my husband whom I loved very much. He promptly left me and broke my heart. Just the way Joni intended. 10/10

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

Amazing collection of songs. I loved this album. Joni’s lyrics straight from her soul, her remarkable singing voice and unique guitar playing make me very excited to listen to more Joni!

Not on Spotify which doesn't help. Sadly this album does nothing for me, obviously it's a classic that's loved so it must be me but for whatever reason I find it like listening to paint dry - not unpleasant but nothing of interest to me

Without question one of the all time great albums. Brilliant in 1971 and just as brilliant and timeless now. Joni is a brilliant writer and musician - perhaps my favorite artist, if I had to choose.

Bony Joni and I used to clean toilets together for £4 a day. She used to lick them clean, the dirty little scrubber. She wrote this record about me. She repulses me, but I can't help but love the horrible bitch.

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

Wow. I knew this would be good but it completely exceeded my expectations. One of the most beautiful albums I've ever heard. It honestly moved me to tears

Going in, not super thrilled as I haven't been a huge fan of Joni Mitchell. I don't recognize any songs on the tracklist so let's see if this one changes my mind. Ok yeah, still not a fan. I did learn a quick formula for Joni Mitchell though. Is she playing a guitar? It's going to be a bit more upbeat and half-decent. Is she playing a piano? Prepare to be bummed out.

I... just don’t get the whole Joni Mitchell thing. Some of her songs are great (River, A Case of You), but her voice on songs like My Old Man makes me want to scream.

I wish I had words to convey how much I love and admire this artist and her extraordinary creations. Everything: songwriting, her poetry of lyrics, musicality, composition, performance (studio and live), originality, expression, timelessness,...I could go on and on. I hope anyone who loves music gets the chance to explore her catalog. Just incredible. (5 stars seems waaaay to low for this one.)

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

I don't like this genre of music, generally. That being said, I didn't hate this, and I can see why it made the list. There were a few times where she started a melodic progression that sounded like it was really going to resonate with me, but every time she went in a direction that I didn't find so compelling. My personal enjoyment: 1.5/5 Did it belong on this list: 4/5

Didn’t really know any Joni Mitchell songs other than “Big Yellow Taxi” and couldn’t say I was a fan…..after listening to this album can’t say that has changed

I almost believe this site is watching my every move. This is album #11 of my 1001+ album journey. Of the first 3, Fred Neil's record, and TWO Bob Dylan Albums.... its like they want me to fall in love with folk music. One of those was Blood on the tracks. Ironically, Pitchfork cited that "Blue is like a companion to Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks—a confessional album very much of its time that endures on the strength of fantastic melodies and musical simplicity." It's as if fate wanted me to listen to this. Well jokes on them, I've listened to this numerous times. Just thought this was a funny story to tell. Most obvious 5/5 album of all time

Blue, eh? Not sure I've heard this one before... But seriously, I feel envious of anyone who is hearing this for the first time; what a treat! I find it hard to find anything meaningful to say about this album that hasn't already been said a million times. If you were to pick a Top Ten Albums of All Time list, this would have to be on it. I note that the My Favourite Album podcast has effectively banned people from picking Blue, having already done five episodes on it. It is hard to over-praise the songwriting here. The album is full of absolute classics, and this is a masterclass of confessional songwriting. The melodies are light and full of movement, and harmonic twists that seem so natural and yet surprise me every time I hear them (My Old Man is a particularly good example). The playing is airy and open and always tasteful. The lyrics are poetic and surprising, but often simple and straightforward, and always honest. I love this quote from Joni herself: "The Blue album, there's hardly a dishonest note in the vocals. At that period of my life, I had no personal defenses. I felt like a cellophane wrapper on a pack of cigarettes. I felt like I had absolutely no secrets from the world and I couldn't pretend in my life to be strong. Or to be happy. But the advantage of it in the music was that there were no defenses there either." Pitchfork described this as "possibly the most gutting break-up album ever made", but a lot of it is light and playful, with moments of joy. I think makes this the most _human_ break-up album ever made. I've been listening to this album on-and-off for my whole adult life, and it always feels fresh and surprising and warm and human and real and complex and simple and heavy and just... everything. There is an argument to be made that this is the best album of popular music ever made. Often imitated, never equaled. Eleventy billion and out of 5

An absolute masterpiece of writing and production. To imagine one person producing this in any amount of time is incredible. Gorgeous songs all the way through, perfectly rendered in a minimal and yet impactful way.

There aren’t enough superlatives to give this wonderful album. Joni Mitchell, the original confessional singer songwriter, possesses an exquisite voice and beautiful playing style. This is an album to get lost in and absorbed by. Influential and staggering, Blue is not just one of the greatest albums of the 20th century, it is one of the century’s greatest works of art.

Thought one track sounded like Jingle Bells, then realised that it was a track with a Christmas theme! All very Joni Mitchell. What's not to like? Very pleasant and easy listening. Loved it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bad

Not a fan

I've seen this record in many greatest of all time lists... Why the hell?

I'm sorry - but I can't stand her high voice. And there is not a single song on this album to hook me. No pleasure to listen to this one for me. 1,5

She just can't hit those high notes

10/10, I mean it’s Joni Mitchell, do we really need to say anything else?

Normally, when music critics unanimously agree that an album is one of the greatest albums of all time, it ends up being somewhere between okay and great, but not greatest of all time material. Abbey Road is great, The Dark Side of the Moon is great, Rumours is great, but they don't really come to mind when I think "perfect albums." This thing, on the other hand, is perfect. It's just so damn emotional the whole time. Every song on the album is full of feeling, regardless of that that feeling is, and it really goes through a range of feelings, really complex and hard to write down feelings at that. The best part is that she makes it so captivating. Her voice has this quality that draws all of the songs what she's saying. I feel like I said that horribly but I don't know how to say what I'm saying. Anyways, this album really does go beyond incredible, or what incredible even could be. For once, the critics were right.

And to think Emma Thompson was disappointed to receive an album by such a top draw singer song writer. Simpsons: Yes

Blue might be the most personally meaningful album of my life. The first time I listened all the way through I was in a similar place as Joni Mitchell was when she wrote it. Her music was off Spotify so I listened on vinyl. Carey made me feel so hopeful that new love was possible at that time. Through the years and countless listens different songs have become my favorites and then old favorites. Her songwriting is insane and her compositions are unlike any else. Truly one of the best albums of all time. Blue is a masterpiece!

Truly exceptional album. I loved everything about it from the nice movement between piano and guitar between songs to the poetry that is the lyrics of these songs. All of it underpinned with a beautiful voice. I’d give this 6 stars if I could. Favorite tracks: My Old Man, Blue, A Case of You

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

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

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

I haven't got time to write everything I would say about this one, but to me it's peak Joni. Everything seems to have come to gether to make a perfect album. Happy, sad, reflective, and derisive songs sit shoulder to shoulder quite comfortably. 'A Case of You' and 'The Last Time I saw Richard' probably deserve health warnings for their ability to put a lump in your throat. Also her use of various stringed instruments and piano definitely sets her apart from the typical 6-string strumming of some of the more popular folk-influenced acts of the time. Heartbreak and disillusion never soounded more perfect and original.

Oh brother, didn't take much more than two weeks to get to our next instant five-star album for me. Joni Mitchell, where do I begin? We've had a few albums from her on this list already, and they're albums that I hadn't heard prior but think are great. This one, though, I know very well. There was a period a few years back where I was getting really into classic songwriters, Bob Dylan in particular. And I was fairly sure that Dylan was the GOAT, maybe the best American songwriter. But I kept seeing Joni Mitchell's name, and when I eventually listened to Blue, I was floored. Not only is her songwriting arguably on par with Dylan (maybe more focused on building a mood than telling a story, but damn if she doesn't cut to the core in the same way), but her voice is amazing and so singular. It's so funny that discussion of Bob Dylan seems to always include the caveat "yeah, his voice isn't great..." meanwhile with Joni no caveat necessary! She's got this unique, country lilt (I would've guessed Appalachian as her vibe, but she's Canadian), and it can turn on you from comforting to piercing in the blink of an eye. This album is stripped down to essentials only - Joni's words and voice, and a selection of acoustic instruments (guitar, dulcimer, piano). Who cares what the rest of the rock world was doing at the time, Joni captivated them all. Easy to see why so many rock legends were obsessed with her, she was just dialed into a utopian, unobtainable frequency. I adore this album, there are plenty of brilliant songs. Her writing is riddled with gems that may not trip you instantly, but they stick around ("You said love is touching souls, surely you touched mine 'cause part of you pours out of me in these lines from time to time. You're in my blood like holy wine, and you taste so bitter and so sweet. I could drink a case of you darling, and still I'd be on my feet."). Seriously, pick any song on this album, pull it up on youtube, and see how far you don't have to scroll to find someone claiming it's the greatest song ever written. There's just no criticism I can make about this, even the songs that didn't jump out and grab me the first few times I heard this have become comforting. One of the very best. Favorite tracks: I really do like them all, but the biggest for me are Carey, California, Case of You, Little Green, All I Want. Album art: A picture of Joni's face, and guess what? It's blue. Incredibly simple cover art, but what more do you need for an album this powerful? This one's iconic at this point, no question. No frills, no pretense, no nothing. 5/5

This was the first Joni I ever heard, introduced to me by an aging hippie whose musical tastes have shaped my own over the years. It has lived at the top of my list ever since. Joni’s singing voice is unique and not necessarily for everyone, but there is no denying the power and influence of her songwriting voice. I don’t think you will find a female recording artist who doesn’t list Joni as an inspiration in some way. One of the original singer/songwriters, her unique folk tunings and feminine perspectives make this album a cornerstone of folk/pop history. I’d be hard pressed to pick a favorite song from Blue, though some resonate more for me than others: All I Want, A Case of You & Carey hit the hardest for me. The bittersweet, almost anti-holiday River evokes a deep & melancholy longing that haunts me. And the title track is a perfect expression of the sadness of a painful loss.

Having never really heard much of Joni Mitchell's work up to this point in my life, I found 'Blue' to be quite a revelation. Sparse and delicate, this is real heart on your sleeve stuff and it's also very beautiful, painfully so.

A bit like Dylan, you kinda know what you’re gonna get with Joni. Only real difference is Joni has a good voice, and doesn’t own a harmonica. 

 And unlike Dylan, this doesn’t disappoint

This was my favorite and, in my opinion, the best composed of the three Joni albums I’ve had so far. “River” might be one of the greatest songs of all time. Per usual, I get a little fatigued by the jazzy singing. It lilts in a way that I disengage from, beautiful as it is.

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

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

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

While doing this list, I've learned that I don't really care much about music that focuses on its lyrical content, and singer-songwriter is the genre that does that the most. This album is fine, but a lot of the songs all sound the same, and I find it a little boring. I know this is my problem not the albums but this is also my rating. High 3.

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

Nr. 153/1001 All I Want 4/5 My Old Man 2/5 Little Green 3/5 Carey 3/5 Blue 3/5 California 3/5 This Flight Tonight 2/5 River 3/5 A Case Of You 2/5 The Last Time I Saw Richard 2/5 Average: 2,7 I don't like her high-pitched voice. And she uses that a lot.

Not the biggest fan of female singers and this album is quite slow. It's okay as background music, maybe as music over a sombre photo slide. Depressing af. Okay it gets less depressing as it goes on - almost country esque

Feel like I should like this but I just don’t

The lyrics are great, the voice is great, the emotional impact is great, but is it one 36 minute song?

I don't think Joni Mitchell understood melody. Just took a shotgun approach to these high notes. I'm predisposed to liking a pleasant voice and an acoustic guitar, but this was not it.

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

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

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

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

Another in the list of "I can kinda see why it's significant without really doing anything for me personally Clive" (plus Nazareth did it better)

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

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

Turned off at track 6. I am the same age now that Ms. Mitchell was when she recorded this project, and I couldn't feel like I relate less to another human being than I do to her and this album listening to it in this present moment. A bunch of free verse, strummy bullshit with lyrics that sound like they were written by a teenager with their head in the clouds; more aptly a woman with little discretion and even less shame living in a free love fantasy world. Absolute dogshit.

It's just so, so dull.

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

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

Een krijsende kat klinkt nog beter

This was a beautiful album. I listened to it twice. Joni Mitchell has a lovely, expressive voice. Musically the songs were simple and complex at the same time.

Oh my goodness peakkkk. I love this album but already heard it. Review: I listened to this album a while back but didn’t get too far and didn’t really like it but I listened recently and this album is amazing! I love her amazing vocals over super fun songs with amazing guitar! This is a top 10 album in my opinion!

5 stars no notes, this is simply the best album ever put to tape. and its not even close. The music, the lyrics, and that voice. that VOICE. it makes me feel everything.

Many of my all-time favorite LPs (Ocean Eyes by Owl City, Immersion by Pendulum, Everything by Lido, vertigo by EDEN, etc.) have blue color schemes, so its a funny coincidence that I’m giving my first five to yet another “blue album” that is literally named Blue! One of my biggest hopes for this challenge was that the first album I’d give five stars to would be an album that I hadn’t heard before. Now 100+ albums deep into this thing, that hope was definitely starting to fade – I was kinda just waiting for a personal favorite from Justice or Kendrick Lamar to show up so I could finally get it out of the way. My expectations for Blue were fairly high, but it easily cleared them! Not because it’s some crazy, conceptual, deconstructed art-folk album, but because it’s just one great song after another. I love that it’s fairly short, uncomplicated and never loses its emphasis on Mitchell’s excellent vocals & songwriting. While Blue isn’t my “thing” in the same way that albums like Music for the Masses or Ray of Light or I Should Coco have been, it’s the first Book Album where almost nothing it could have done differently would have made me like it more – it’s simply perfect. Highlights: ALL OF ‘EM

Wonderful album, an easy 5, taught many cold English hearts how to love

wow

I was early 20s when I bought this, influenced then as I still am now, by lists of top-whatever albums. In truth, at that time, this should in no way have appealed to me as it clashed quite dramatically with the aesthetic of my contemporary listening. However, it was the same music journalists who were at the time championing my favourite cool new bands-du-jour that were also making lists of 60s/70s/80s albums which deserved my attention. When I could afford it, I duly invested in selections of this “ancient” music and to be fair, I rarely bought anything that disappointed me. This was good news because my shocking lack of funds would have really felt the sting of bad purchase. To give myself a little credit, I have always had decent instincts when it comes to reviews, album covers or hearing just a single song and figuring out if any particular artist is likely to be for me. I expect it was only reading that made me have any interest in Blue because I would likely only have ever heard “Big Yellow Taxi” and as Joni Mitchell album sleeves go, Blue is rather underwhelming. Bearing all that in mind, there was still little about this album to suggest that it would be a winner for me. Nevertheless, I basically fell for it right away. I look at that situation now and presume the quality, the raw emotion, the honesty were all speaking to me directly regardless of the style and presentation of the music. My taste in music has dramatically broadened over the years making it less odd that I embrace the Joni vibe, but also the fullness of the heft these songs carry has revealed itself to me more and more. Listening today I feel a greater connection than I have on any of the previous decades of listens. That an album can continue to deliver over such extended exposure is an astonishing tribute. I’m writing reviews during this 1001 project apologising when albums have slightly lost their edge from years of personal overexposure, but no such issues with Blue. Maximum score. Thank you Joni.

Haunting vocals, often at odds with the content of the lyrics. Incredible voice and story telling

Classic

I have heard of Joni Mitchell before but I haven't listened to her actively or sought her music out. A really pleasant voice to listen to and the album is a very easy listen. An artist and songs that I will definitely listen to again in the future.

Classic. Brilliant. Every song

Everyone was right. Was sure I wouldn’t like Joni Mitchell’s music that much, folk is not really my genre, but it really is beautiful. ‘River’ made me cry. ‘California’ ‘All I want’ really great. Amazing album.

4.5

I really wanted to stand back from this one a bit - it’s one of those archetypal ’classic albums’ that appears in every list, to the point that you wonder if there some kind of conspiracy at play. How good can a record be? It’s surely now a habit now to call Blue a great album. It’s just a record. I didn’t want to call it great just because everyone says it’s great and therefore, it’s great. So I planned to pull a few bits off of it - I was going to have a stab at the occasional tendency for over-singing, like for example on My Old Man where Mitchell’s stretching the vocal cords into warbler mode but really, how could it be sung any differently? How could these songs be presented in any other way? This is perfection. A brilliant, brilliant record. Every second is pitch-perfect. A masterclass record.

Incredible! this album feels like thinking about your warm bed at home on the first night of a long journey. it ACHES.

Hell yeah Joni Mitchell.

143 Aunque hay algunos momentos en que no me llamaba mucho la atención, de verdad que es un disco hermoso y entiendo por qué está en esta lista. Escucho tanto de ella en tantos referentes posteriores que me encantan. Conocía sólo un par de canciones por ser parte de bandas sonoras de películas (Practical magic), y porque Sophie Madeleine le hizo un cover una vez, nada más.

One of the all time greats. Perhaps not my favorite Joni album but certainly the core text. Lots of memories of specific people, times and places associated with this for me. Required listening for anyone in their 20’s, it speaks to passion, longing and regret better than anything else, and lowers your blood pressure while doing so. On this listen, was struck by Joni’s unique combination of lyricism and melody- the tunes never leave your head, but if you try to sing it yourself you end up with endless 6-car-pileups on the freeway. Several songs on this would be the greatest, most moving song anyone else ever wrote. Also worth noting that my vinyl copy of this album is one of the best sounding records I own, much, much better than how it sounds on streaming. One quibble- the final track on the album has never really done it for me. I recognize the need for a chaser after ‘case of you’ but i have never been able to fully digest ‘the last time i saw Richard’.

The generator is playing no games today. What an outstanding album this is! Beautiful, minimalist song-writing and melodies. Heart-breaking lyrics. What's not to love?

10/5

Like a Bob Dylan. Very poetic and some odd vocal choices.

Excellent album. Joni at her peak. The others that have come up were okay to good but this one shines

Sensational