What a beautiful album. Again, this is another album I haven't heard before, but I am so glad that I've been able to experience it now. Joni Mitchell's voice is superb, right off the bat I was blown away by her performance and lyricism. The soft piano ballads and jazzy pop tunes are perfectly crafted and emotionally moving. I listened to this album twice, which is something I hadn't done with the previous albums. The song structures remind me of Joanna Newsome, but I think Mitchell does it much better. I felt connected to each story told in the songs, and the way they flowed together made the whole experience engrossing. Favorite track: all of them Least favorite track: none
Finally! A female artist, and it's the legend herself. I really love Joni Mitchell, I find myself torn between thinking she or Bob Dylan is the better songwriter. Hard to argue it's Bob in the face of "Both Sides Now." I haven't listened to this album before, but it's great. It only has one song that I already knew ("Help Me"), but there's plenty of heat here. I really like the exploration of different genres--Joni dips into jazz on some tracks, then more rock/pop on others. It doesn't always suit her, but her voice cuts through anything. It's a great experience overall and held my attention throughout. I'm looking forward to getting more Joni Mitchell albums, especially Blue. Also, if this list listened to my plea for female artists, maybe it will hear me ask to honor Black History Month...maybe some Jimi Hendrix? Aretha Franklin? We'll see what's in store. Favorite tracks: Help Me, People's Parties, Down to You, Twisted. Album art: Simple and sweet. I like the textured look. Nothing too special, but it looks like Joni herself may have painted that picture. That's extremely cool. 4.5/5
Longtemps restée dans l'ombre de son petit-fils Eddy, Joni Mitchell n'en a pour autant pas moins de talent. C'était d'ailleurs prévisible. Je m'explique. Une fois que l'on a compris que Joni était une femme et non un énième gonze, on se doute que l'album sera bon puisque à l'exception de Patti Smith et sa crête iroquoise, aucune représentante de la gente féminine n'a obtenu moins de quatre étoiles de ma part. Et cet album les vaut bien.
A bit meandering and winding in places; middle of the road. Good album for dinner parties.
I really liked her voice, but the songs are a bit too generic and flat. I'm sure the lyrics are meaningful but I couldn't be bothered to pay them any mind because of this.
5/26 Warm, serene, and free. Standout Tracks: Help Me, Free Man in Paris, People's Parties, Car on a Hill, Down To You, Raised on Robbery, Troubled Child
Another high note in a very specific genre (that basically has a one woman sub genre in this particular performer). About perfect, if you like this kind of thing (which I do)
Joni Mitchell y su voz me dan un efecto tranquilizador. Comienzo por ahí porque ahí ya va de gane este disco. Me gusta mucho cómo no parece tener un solo hilo conductor (poco más en los ritmos, melodías que en las letras) pero a la vez sí suena como un conjunto y disfruté cada una de sus canciones. Ya sea por las variaciones internas o por el trabajo con la voz o, en ocasiones, por versos dulzones. Tengo en alta estima a Joni, que además es muy prolífica. Seguro viene el Blue en algún momento (10/10) y no sé si haya otro. Me parece un gran disco pop de los 70. Y bueno, canciones a destacar diría "Free Man in Paris", la canción quizá más uniforme del disco, "Raised on Robbery" por su ritmo alegre y la balada "Down To You" con su suficiente dosis de cursilería y sus cambios y todo. 9.5/10
Her breakthrough of folk, jazz and pop. Her voice is so lilting, but the lyrics are anything but. "Free man in Paris" goes right at the music industry machine. This was "Laurel Canyon" par excellence.
Folk, guitar moving into some jazzy flourishes. She knocks it out the park again. Best Tracks: Court and Spark, Raised on Robbery, Twisted
It’s a testament to how great Joni Mitchell that this can be a perfect album and still not my favorite by her
A masterpiece, simply put. Mixes folk rock, blues and jazz in a placement where they all feel welcome and appreciated. I love the modal mixture, harmonies and the unique integrity of Joni Mitchell's voice. Absolutely fantastic
The sounds on here are incredible! These are the smoothest, most satisfying tracks I've heard since "Blue". I especially love the transition between "Trouble Child" and "Twisted". Both top tier tracks, too.
Once again, I find myself struggling to find words worthy of Joni Mitchell. For me, she is and will always be one of the greatest treasures, one of the greatest gifts, to and from the world of art and creativity. When I focus on her music, as I did for this album for this listen, there is so much to discover and hear, even when I've heard the song countless times before. What a rare and incredible musician on every level. This is a beautiful and fascinating album.
More sublime music from Joni Mitchell, this time with a rock flair. An artist whose work merits repeat listening and will change its meaning over time as you get older and maybe wiser. Superb.
Beautiful lyricism, sparkling melodies, reclusive balladeer. This album is pure Joni Mitchell, dialed up to 11. A wonderful listen, a respite from treating Frankie's illness.
My mom's favorite Joni album. Mine as well. Straight down the middle folk rock Joni. The trademark floating and swirling Joni melodies but this time with more energy Joni. More direct, incisive lyrics from Joni. More compelling jazz Joni. Incredible Joni production in surprising places (end of People's Parties, middle of Car on a Hill). I'd give it an easy 5 but the cringey final scat scat, so instead it's a labored 5. A+
This album hit different. I really, really enjoyed this entire album. It's got that 'timeless classic' sound to it, the light drums, the completely clean guitar tones, the angelic vocals, it's like a female version of Bread (I hope to god an album by Bread comes up on this someday LOL). Not only that, but it also sounds like she may have had a ton of impact on other artists. I can't think of any specific examples off the top of my head, but certain things here and there in some of the songs just sound so familiar, as if you've heard it before, but you've probably just heard a song that was heavily influenced by Joni Mitchell.
This is one of the best albums I’ve ever listened to. Joni Mitchell is one of my favorite artists ever. Help me is such a uniquely beautiful expression of new and true love. The lightness that comes with love and the lightness of the song goes so well together. She is absolutely a gem of a human
2nd Joni Mitchell album I've gotten and this one is a lot more happy and energetic than Blue. Although this album doesn't feel as emotionally intense as Blue, I still enjoyed nearly as much. This album feels exciting and fresh but that can also be its biggest weakness. Sometimes it can feel a little too grandiose. Aside from that, if I had friends over and had to choose a Joni album to put on, it would be this one. Great album!
I was gonna give this only 4 stars but I don't think my mom would ever forgive me if she found out, so I'm rounding up.
‘Court And Spark’ is full of great songs and stunning arrangements by an artist at her peak, with a who’s who of 70s musicians including Joe Sample and Wilton Felder (from the Crusaders) Jose Feliciano, Larry Carlton, David Crosby and Graham Nash (from CSN and CSNY) all dropping by to lend a hand. Even Cheech and Chong provide some backing vocals. While not quite as emotional and intense as say ‘Blue’, ‘Court and Spark’ is still lyrically deep, musically and melodically sweeter than the aforementioned, and more ‘pop’ overall, even with its distinct jazz leanings. It was Joni Mitchell’s commercial high point, and you can really hear why.
Holy crap. Although I like her, I never put this one on because I’d never heard of any of its tracks. I figured it was one of those dud albums that even good artists have. Nope. Maybe my new favorite, might be better than Hejira. The strings, winds and horns in Down to You are jaw-droppingly good. I listened to it three times over.
Joni's jazzy vibes makes this album one of her best. It is difficult to top Blue, but she certainly presents an album that sits on par with her 1971 release
This album is musically interesting. It’s somewhat of a transitional album that combines Joni Mitchell’s folk sensibilities with a jazz foundation. The result is an album that still sounds undeniably like Joni Mitchell but manages to push her sound forward. The lyrics paint real life with profundity and Mitchell’s voice is the perfect carrier for those words.
I love this album. It’s like a warm blanket around my soul. Joni Mitchell’s vocals are perfectly beautiful. The songs are so so nice. Put this album on and everything seems like it will be ok. I haven’t listened to this in decades… a terrible oversight. Hearing the opening chirp of “Free Man In Paris” after such a long hiatus is like being home again. I could listen to this all day. And did.
I very much enjoyed this album and listening experience. I don't really know much on Joni's work other than the popular songs, but I was happy to expand my horizons today.
I loved this album, both the songs I'd known and loved, and the new ones I discovered. I love the ventures into rock, pop, and jazz on this that made me rethink what I thought I knew about Joni Mitchell. In fact I spent a lot of time today learning as much as I could about her. Love.
I went in planning to give it 4 stars to make room for “Blue” to be ranked higher, but that’s only because I forgot how amazing this record was! It’s right there with “Blue,” I’d say.
Holy crap. Although I like her, I never put this one on because I’d never heard of any of its tracks. I figured it was one of those dud albums that even good artists have. Nope. Maybe my new favorite, might be better than Hejira. The strings, winds and horns in Down to You are jaw-droppingly good. I listened to it three times over.
Aaaand she’s a genius! Not exactly one of Joni’s more famous albums and exactly stuffed with hits and bangers but it’s just the genius of it that gets me. The woman invented her own chords for Christs sake!! She spoke openly about never being classically musically trained and she just got her guitar and had a fucking ball! It’s just so fucking beautiful and incredible. Joni forever.
Bis auf Big Yellow Taxi kannte ich natürlich, wie bei so vielen bekannten Namen, nix von ihr. Dieses Album ist eine un-glaubliche Wohltat, alles daran ist richtig. Ich kann mich nur verneigen.
This is definitely an interesting album. I like how she blended folk and jazz and a little bit of rock together. Her lyrics were very memorable and packed a punch. I wouldn't be mad if this came on but I wouldn't seek it out either.
Before listening: I always imagined Joni Mitchell's audience as the Emma Thompson's character from Love Actually. Tragic, hopeless, alone.../ I started it for the second time and starting to like it at "Help me"/ The more folkish a song is the less I like it./ "Help me" and "Raised on Robbery" keeps pulling me back (even tough the second one is pretty folkish, but has good vibes, so I don't care)/ This is definitely not the Joni Mitchel I was expecting, and when reading a bit about her it seems that I could like her later stuff, when she ventured to jazzier stuff, seems like this was kind of a starting point.
Quizá si no hubieran salido dos discos de Joni Mitchell seguiditos podría apreciar más este sin estar en función a comparar con el otro. El disco me gustó mucho, me sonó mucho menos melancólico y adolorido que el anterior, con rolas hasta alegres y que llegaría a considerar (soft)rockeras. Me gustó en especial la última (Twisted) por su onda de jazz.
Joni Mitchell is a true original. Love the blending of genres here, especially the touches of jazz.
In a strange coincidence, before I knew this was the album today I was talking with my Dad about the very first albums he bought - one of them was this one! The songs are creative and interesting. Sometimes I find them impactful, other times I get a bit lost. Much of her craft seems to depend on the lyrics and if I'm not able to follow them I lose interest a little bit. That said, I think there is a lot to unpack here that can't be gleaned from a single listen, and I look forward to coming back to it.
Though twisted is a little out there, the album is sophisticated, engaging and very enjoyable to listen to. Help Me stands out, but i also liked the energy of raised on robbery and the mood of the same situation.
J’adore joni mitchell, c’est une de mes artistes favorites, Blue est un de mes albums preferes mais celui ci est en dessous. Tout de meme trres bon. 4.5
Fantastic production, great songwriting, and lovely vocals. A bit guitar-centric for my liking and the back half was more forgettable, but altogether good. 8
Very nice vibes, reminds me of Diamante. It's not the best Joni Mitchell album I would say though
first blush is that it sounds like a concept album. interested to see where it goes. I really have no idea what to make of this album, will need to listen to it again sometime
Joni Mitchell is someone I don’t think I’ve heard before but I’m sure a song will pop up that I will recognize. Nice to finally have a female artist in the running. It’s been a British sausage fest so far. The album cover is confusing and totally 70’s. I really like her voice, it sounds like Paula Cole a little bit and Danielle Haim a lot (Haim may have even said Joni was one of their role models). Very folksy. Wow, Help Me is really good. I love hearing her go from different octaves or whatever it’s called. She has a lot of range and clearly sounds like she has room to grow into tons of different sounds. I saw she has a million albums so hopefully she was able to experiment throughout the years. This album kind of feels like the Carpenters. Apple Music dares you to try NOT listening to this album a dozen times in a row. While I don’t think I’ll take up their challenge, this is certainly a great album and something I thoroughly enjoyed. I am looking forward to any more Joni that comes up. She weaves both fun and carefree with insecurity and romance (and even some of her Jazz in Twisted).
Yeah, pretty cool - this is Joni's Steely Dan album. Even the cocktail jazz track at the end is hip, for the most part. I still can't quite get along with her voice, but some really inventive music and decent songwriting throughout.
Excellent so gwriting accompanied by a unique voice. All her songs tell a story making these songs a little more meaningful than most. Guitars reflecting the sounds of the time but mostly sound modern. Enjoyed this album and will listen to more from Joni
Bastante agradable. Voz relajante, buena instrumentación. No le pude poner mucha atención a las canciones, pero suenan con buen ritmo. Canción favorita: Car on the hill por lo satisfactorio que suena cuando dice "so much sweeeeetness in the dark". Me siento como en una comedia romántica retro jajaja. Ya ese es mood.
So I guess I'm a big Joni Mitchell fan? Who knew. This album is excellent. There's something so personal and easy listening about Joni's music. Love it Favorite track: Raised on Robbery
A high 8. Love her voice and would probably rate it higher on a relisten, but fell off at towards the end
Move over Lady Gaga, Joni Mitchill has entered the room. Joni would be a tough competitor if she was spinning her vinyl magic today. Pianist, Acoustic Guitarist and Clavinet were just a part of her artistic talents. What a beautiful voice! I loved Help Me” and “Night in Paris”,and “Raised on Robbery”. I rank her in the top 15 most amazing women artists. This album is just a small glimpse of her talent. Have to listen to her sing “Big Yellow Taxi”, Woodstock and “Both Sides Now” She is by far one of the most talented women out there. Her songs are catchy songs or folk songs that weave a web of life and its journeys. You can “parking my lot” any time any day. Well done Jonie
Really like Joni's wandering, folky songwriting. Love the slightly dijointed feeling you get from the way she sings her stories. Like the different guitar tunings too. Lovely memories of Aunty Shirl singing a few of these songs
This album feels like it could be released today and be great. An artist I definitely want to explore more of.
I like Joni while I’m cooking, driving in the car, as background noise while I read. A good companion indeed.
On the whole, this was an enjoyable album, really nice to have on in the background. She's got a lovely voice, I think I'll explore more of her music one day.
This is where Joni Mitchell began her evolution from acoustics to a more rounded out sound.
good album. Not my favorite of Joni's. Court and Spark is the sixth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. It was an immediate commercial and critical success—and remains her most successful album. It reached No. 2 in the United States and No. 1 in Canada and eventually received a double platinum certification by the RIAA, the highest of Mitchell's career. Mitchell spent most of 1973 in the recording studio creating Court and Spark. Mitchell and engineer Henry Lewy called in a number of top L.A. musicians to perform on the album including members of the Crusaders, Tom Scott's L.A. Express, cameos from Robbie Robertson, David Crosby and Graham Nash and even a twist of comedy from Cheech & Chong. In a July 1979 interview with Cameron Crowe for Rolling Stone, Mitchell recounted playing the then-just completed Court & Spark to Bob Dylan, during which he fell asleep.[20] She later suggested that Dylan was probably trying to be "cute" in front of label boss David Geffen, who was also present.
The album on which Joni really developed her voice, vocally and instrumentally. And this was as mainstream pop as she would get. She invented, transcended but also fit right into the mainstream ‘70s singer-songwriter movement.
don't understand the hate, y'all will listen to a fat middle age man named danzig yell about his mother over and over again but this lady giving us her star trek TNG captain's log in song form is not ok for some reason
Coming in as a Joni Mitchell newbie here, but this was MUCH more palpable than Summer Lawns (not a great starting place if you are just getting acclimated). Quite bluntly, this is a beautiful album with fantastic jazz arrangements. I would say that that the backing band, made mostly up by members of The Crusaders and LA Express, are the stars of this album, but Mitchell's songwriting and singing is just magnificent. A great album to kick on for a dinner party or a cozy fireplace. Favorite Songs: Raised by Robbery, Free Man in Paris Least Favorite: The Same Situation - I sort of get lost and disconnected when this song plays.
I like virtually everything about this album - complex jazz-rock songs that could end up boring but due to intriguing rhythmic breaks, sneaky time signature changes, unconventional chord progressions, and of course the added unpredictable melodies of Joni Mitchell's voice the songs keep moving in new directions at all times. What makes this work so well for me is that it's not even remotely all about Joni's voice - this is a collection of A+ level musicians, musicianship, and songwriting. The electric guitar playing (mostly Larry Carlton) is compelling, with elements of slide, country, and rock. But the technical stuff doesn't matter if it's not good, obviously. I don't think you have to be a musician to be intrigued by and in love with this album. Such a short duration (~37 minutes) actually works in its favour as well - you're done before you're ready which is always better than the alternative. I was mildly surprised to find that this was her highest-selling album [as a little kid in the back of the car I do recall hearing "Help Me" on the radio a lot!]; I would have expected "Blue" to be tops - this album was only 3 years removed from Blue and is so very different. I love Blue as well and yet I think I like this even a little more (and perfected in 2 yrs on her "Hejira") - the move into more of a jazzy territory and accompanied by more instrumentation really showcases the unique songwriting talent Joni had. While I don't know if I could say it's an album I'd always consider in my top 25 or whatever, for what it is it is fantastic: a well-produced smooth musical gem that shows off the best of talented early 70s elite of the music business and I'm never not fully taken in by it when I'm listening. 8/10 4 stars
as you may know, im fairly familiar with joni mitchell. from this album i remember and love 'help me' new songs i found that i liked were: - court and spark - car on a hill
Still great storytelling about finding love and finding yourself but more energy and an upgraded musical delivery compated to Hissing of summer lawns. More funk/grooove/rock vibes. Help me, free man in Paris, Raised on Robbery 3.5
Endlich mal wieder was wirklich schönes. Herbie hanckock hat vieles noch besser rübergebracht
Joni Mitchell always has great lyrics, poetic, conversational, confessional, interesting rhyme scheme, even when sometimes a little forced it works with her delivery. This album was filled with fives. But I hated Raised by Robbery and Twisted, the Rockish forced spear of The former and the lame white skit scatting of the latter. Killed the vibe.
Beautiful voice, some great ballads throughout. Don’t know if she’s totally my vibe but no doubt an excellent album.
Never really listened to Joni Mitchell before, but she has an amazing voice! This is a really rich album.
the jazzier stuff (especially the last song) on this is a little cringy to me (i prefer her earlier albums blue and ladies of the canyon) but i still really enjoyed it. her voice is deeper and stronger here and the lyrics are as good as ever
really good! i love joni mitchell, her songwriting is always impeccable and she has one of my favorite voices ever.
4 stars. Was not a fan of Joni Mitchell until I listened to this. Much more interested now
No-one bears - needs- repeated listening like Joni Mitchell. Even if it's on Youtube as she's pulled this from Spotify over the Joe Rogan spat. On first listen the tunes, even the song structure, are difficult to make out. Each listen, as the songs become familiar, gets better and better.
I really enjoyed what I heard here, but especially "Down To You" - God, what a gorgeous track. Overall, combines folk/rock/jazz in a great way. Jazzy enough to make it interesting, but not too jazzy that I lose interest (I am still trying to appreciate jazz more but I can only digest it in small doses for the most part).
People absolutely love and adore Joni for good reasons, and this album is one of them. Dreamy internal monologues, relational observations and hidden conversations meet ambling guitars and early 70s Bacharach & David folk swing. Also, after 34 years, I finally get that reference from "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker". It's never too late.
Album hat einen extrem guten Vibe und schöne Songs. Der letzte, jazzige Track ist komisch aber bisschen wirkt ein bisschen fehl am Platze auf dem Album.
Schönes Album! Also wirklich schön. Mag Blue noch mehr aber das hier hat mir auch sehr gefallen.
War eigentlich schön auch wenn ich den Singsang auf Dauer etwas eintönig finde. Trotzdem sehr beruhigende und angenehme Ausstrahlung. Die Texte sind meistens recht gut und relatable in ihrer melancholischen Stimmung. Der letzte Track war bisschen weirdly out of place. Vermutlich die schlechteste 4 aber 3 ist mir zu wenig
Part folk, part rock, part country, Joni takes her talent in all directions. Sonically, some of this album is very dated, but the showcase here is Mitchell's lyric writing. It's amazing that this period of American music gave us Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan etc… 4/5
Joni be like: brings home the bagel… I like the variety on the album and Car On A Hill is funky
Lovely warm stuff with beautiful writing. I can't say the forays into jazz were a great choice, but her classic singer-songwriter pieces are excellent
Blue is one of my favorite albums ever. In comparison, this one is just so... jaunty? I like it, and this is a good reminder to put it back into rotation as background music while I'm doing other things, but so far I really can't imagine sitting down for an hour and focusing all of my attention on it.
She's one of the great. One point more for her long-life commitment, today leaving Spotify as a protest against no vax podcasts
An excellent album, a very nice departure from her classic folk sound but still retaining her style very well.
I really liked this! I need to give Joni Mitchell a deeper dive, other than surface level songs I enjoy
I do like a bit of Joni. Kinda washed over me on the first listen but gave it another run through and there's some really good stuff here.
Joni Mitchell isn't really my thing. The album absolutely has its moments, but ultimately it didn't hold my interest well 3/5
I liked this better than the other Joni Mitchell albums we've had, but it doesn't do anything transcendent for me. Free Man in Paris was prob my favorite track.
A few of these songs resonated with me, but overall Joni Mitchell is too mellow for my taste.
Ahora si pude disfrutar mejor la voz y sentimiento no como el disco anterior que me tocó en roadtrip, es genial como su voz se mezcla con el ritmo que sea, pasamos del folk hasta el jazz sin ningún problema y suena muy bien. Una sorpresa ver 2 discos del mismo artista tan juntos.
Es interesante que haya (al menos) dos discos de Joni Mitchell en esta lista, y fue afortunado que ambos tocaran tan cerca uno del otro. Me gustó que el álbum tiene varios géneros: no sólo folk, sino también rock y hasta jazz. Saca mucho mejor provecho de su timbre de voz y su versatilidad. Con todo esto, dejo la calificación en tres porque sólo hay un par de canciones que me gustaría escuchar de nuevo (que de hecho ya puse en un playlist). Un par de reflexiones adicionales: - Es desafortunado que Joni no haya sido más famosa. Creo que su selección de canciones no le ayudó. - Esta es otra muestra de que se necesita estar en el mood adecuado para escuchar música nueva. Quisiera regresar a “Blue” y subirle la calificación a tres
This is some easy listening stuff. Quite nice for my morning chores with a coffee! Although it's not something I would listen to again. I preferred Carole King and Bonnie Raitt for this kind of music. The intro is quite boring but it picked up a bit afterwards. I like the instrumentals, and the various different instruments I can hear being used in each song. Some that stand out to me: Help Me, Car on a Hill. Raise on Robbery is more my style. Twisted was a nice bluesy outro to the album.
2.5 | No me emocionó mucho ver a Joni Mitchell de nuevo tan pronto después de que tocara Blue, pensé que me iba a aburrir y que no estaría de humor para escucharla. En eso estaba muy equivocado, el album se siente totalmente distinto al anterior, todo el humor y sentimiento es diferente y no suena igual. Sus letras de nuevo bastante bien escritas, tanto técnica como emocionalmente. A pesar de todo lo anterior, lo que también me pasó es que siento que Blue es un disco muy superior, si bien el ambiente es distinto y en ese caso es un disco muy melancólico y lento, en este caso no se siente esa cohesión del proyecto y la música es bastante olvidable. Su voz es buena, la música es normal y sonoramente este disco SI se siente como para música de fondo en buena parte. Se siente decente pero monotono hasta casi el final cuando empieza a variar un poco metiendo un poco de guitarra medio funk (“Raised on Robbery”) un sonido casi de reggae (“Trouble Child”), o jazz (“Twisted”). Líricamente muy bueno como el anterior, sigo pensando que s una escritora muy buena y de mente ágil, musicalmente estándar tirándole a repetitivo y menos cuajado que Blue, levantando un poco al final. Buen disco pero no al nivel del anterior.
Hey I liked this one better than the other Joni ditty on here! I can’t really explain why, but as a hockey fan I did appreciate the line about having a bit of money riding on the Maple Leafs. Up until about two years ago, that would have been a notoriously bad gamble. Also, where else am I going to get another song that mentions a damn thing about hockey??? FIVE STARS.
It's the lady from Love Actually! Not bad, pretty easy to listen to. It's not my "jam" genre certainly but was a pleasant listening experience. She has a pretty unique voice.
It's one of those "objectively good" albums: well written, well performed, well regarded. But I just don't like folk music that much, and this doesn't stand out to me for that reason.
What made me really fall into Joni’s music, her unique guitar playing, song writing, chord use and singing, was not what I found in this album. Nevertheless, I do find this a good album, well recorded and produced, a strong vocal performance and a good length.
Me ha gustado bastante, sobre todo las dos primeras canciones. Se nota su influencia en muchos artistas posteriores. Escucharé más discos suyos seguro.
I liked this Joni Mitchell better than the other one we listened to, still wish the author didn’t put multiple albums from a single artist on this list
This album sounds very 70's. For a singer-songwriter, has such a full production with lots of backing instrument. Much of it is suitible for a 70's tv theme song. I do love her voice and how she uses it. Just like a lot of rappers she rushes and slows her singing. It adds a lot of interest to her singing and enhances the tempo changes in the songs. Overall the album only has few songs that really stand out.
I could appreciate this album, and all that Joni Mitchell is/was to the soundscape of the singer/songwriter. It wasn’t totally my cup of tea. I enjoyed it, but wouldn’t listen again.
Went by quickly, going round 2 - that being said, not my cup of tea*. I might save it because it would make me look good if I threw this on, say, cooking dinner. *GD the recording quality is exceptional though!
This album was, indeed, easy listening. Joni definitely puts a lot of herself in her lyrics, like an easy listening version of Bruce Springsteen. Anyway, there were a few catchy things happening here and there, but I have trouble believing that this album was transformative or historically relevant.
Didn't dig too deep into this one. Similar style to Carole King, but Joni just doesn't quite have as strong a voice, but she mostly makes up for that with some more interesting melodies and rhythms. She has faster stuff like "Raised on Robbery" which work well with her voice, but there's not enough of it. Would be a four but I'm just not that bothered about her.
An album that deserved more attention than the two (semi) listens I gave it, but I did enjoy this. Help Me and Free Man in Paris were the highlights for me.
I liked the album but didn't get into it as much as I had hoped - might need several listens.
All very nice with a couple of very good songs - will never be a huge fan but appreciate her voice and impact
Really enjoyable, lovely songwriting and arrangements, will definitely revisit. But only one or two standouts on here - lacks belters for me.
Listened to this album a few times. I love Joni Mitchell’s voice, so smooth and rich. It’s a solid album, with quite a mixture of sounds and some of the songs are really bouncy!! Pleasant listening but nothing really grabbed me.
Nous devons des excuses a Joni, qui malgré un nom des plus generiques et un album semblant au premier abord tout ce qu'il y a de plus Dimeresque, nous a proposé une très belle performance. Malheureusement, Joni sera écoutée le même jour que le nouvel album de Laylow, L'etrange histoire de Mr Anderson, ce qui l'eclipse nécessairement du débat public.
23rd June 2021 Listened on the living room speaker while working. I feel like Joni Mitchell demands your attention, you get a flavour if you have it on in the background but detailed listening rewards you. Bright and summery.
I just wasn’t feeling it until Raised on Robbery kicked in. Those last three songs are why I give it 3 stars. Otherwise, it woulda just gotten the ole one-er.
Not a Joni Mitchell fan but this album is fun and jazzy. Basically about how JM fucks.
Quite fun in places, I struggle with the stuff of this age to judge it according to when it was created... so it is a bit average sounding now.
She's a good songwriter, and there are some nice tracks here. Not feeling any strong desire to revisit it though
A little less jazzy (aside from "Twisted") than the other album I've received from her so far ("The Hissing of Summer Lawns"). Still an enjoyable enough listen, just didn't really click with me to where I'm overly fanatical about it. Favorite tracks: "Car on a Hill", "Down to You"
Solid country album, liked the Jazz song Twisted but felt that the 1950s inspired Raised on Robbery song too busy. Would I listen again? No, but would I complain if it was on? No.
People love Joni Mitchell but her music just doesn't do it for me. Very soft easy-listening. I would put her in the same category as Paul Simon. Just very inoffensive, low tempo, background noise. It's not that it's bad, she's definitely talented, just not for me.
Joni has a great voice, and she is a great poet. Great album for folk music. Many of the songs blend, but they are an enjoyable listen.
As a rule I'm not a fan of Joni Mitchell. This is no exception, but "Raised on Robbery" is decent. I can objectively see that it's actually a good album, just not my cup
I respect the hell out of Joni Mitchell. I think I would have rated this lower if I had been blind to the artist. Overall, well done, but not for me.
-"Twisted" has some fun vocal melodies -"Raised on Robbery" is by far the best song. The vocal harmonies, the funky backbeat, the saxophone, it's upbeat catchiness totally separate it from the rest of the album -Rest of the album was fine, but not very exciting
Adesso so da dove arriva gente come weyes blood o lana del rey. Ha la STESSA voce di weyes blood, stessi atteggiamenti anche. Ma l'accompagnamento mi piace di più qua, un che folk, ma anche jazzy. È orecchiabile, ma ne devi avere voglia sembra vagamente ripetitivo.
Ben niet omvergeblazen door dit album, maar ik vind sommige nummers van Joni Mitchell wel fantastisch.
Cool album, got some really nice songs on it and she’s got a great voice. Love some of the lyrics too.
Listened Before? N Good album. I enjoyed the style and substance. There are some great cameos on this one too.
Bis auf den letzten Track ein gutes album! Mag die Mischung von Pop-Aspekten und der Singer-Songwriter Richtung. allerdings gib mir das album nichts wirklich greifbares - keine catchy melodie oder memorable lyrics
Consistently interesting, but a bit of a relic, and behind both Blue and Hissing of Summer Lawns in my book. As good as the writing is, the vocals get a little too talky at times, though she does a lot with a sorta average voice.
Ends on a three-song-or-so run of the most adventurous and light material. The rest is carried along by Mitchell's tone, but far flatter.
I have struggled to get into Joni’s music in the past, and this one too. I think a little to simple and stripped down for me, although there are a few exceptions on this record that caught my ear a little more. 5/10
Sounds quite good. Gonna be 3 or 4 stars from me. The classic one person singing with simple instrumentals that I like
I know Joni Mitchell is widely considered a musical genius. I can see that, but there's something about her voice and the melodies that just don't resonate with me. Setting that aside I did enjoy this album, especially the song Raised on Robbery. 3 stars.
Lovely pop from Joni's early period. Beautiful voice, catchy tunes albeit very "wordy" in places (verbose?). 'Help me" is a treat.
It’s sound was intriguing as she mixed some styles here. Her voice and lyrics are also very good. It’s not my favorite style but I still enjoyed it.
Relaxing, good vocals, but overall the song list was a bit boring and forgettable. No stand out tracks.
I just get Joni Mitchell - it just bores me... maybe needs more concentration that I possess
I'm not sexist. You guys are sexist. Where are the women in this group anyway? Thematically and musically repetitive. Feels like an album that launched a thousand shitty poets. I almost like Free Man in Paris. Not for me.
"in the morning there are lovers in the street"? what? Started very strong, but tapered quickly.
I fell asleep at the wheel, I don't get it. The last song was very different, that caught my ear, but I don't even remember what it was. Won't be going back to check it. I'll bump it to 2 stars, for me almost caring what that last song was.
Reminds me of the Schoolhouse Rock videos. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll never listen to this again - But, I didn’t completely hate it.
Joni Mitchell has a real flowery, pleasant voice, but the flowery language that accompanies it kind of grates at times. It's almost like she's challenging herself to say the simplest shit with as much effort as possible, shoehorning in syllables wherever she can. This would probably be a 3 if the music Mitchell was singing over was a bit more interesting, but then again, the final track's detour—featuring a bizarre cameo by Cheech & Chong of all people—left a pretty sour taste in my mouth. Key Tracks: Down to You, Just Like This Train
I've heard this album a lot growing up, one of my dad's favorites, so there's some nostalgia here. That said, I don't like it.
Joni Mitchell is like a bad Billy Joel. The lyrics of “The Same Situation” made me angry. Having been an influential album 50 years ago is not enough for me. And I’m usually partial to singer/songwriters.
Uhg. I've never gotten Joni Mitchell. I get she's a great song writer and has a fantastic voice, I can hear that in the music. But, the vocal melodies and dissonant harmonies. I can't get past them. I think they're horrible. It's like if someone gave me a poem and I randomly started singing it. That and it's like listening to an hour long tampon commercial. All with the exception of Raised on Robbery. It's the antithesis to the rest of the album. It reminds me a lot of Mama Kin by Aerosmith. Twisted really shows her talent. She sounds like she's doing skat but she's still singing. It's a legit shoopy doo kinda thing.
Oke rustig album, prachtige stem en lekker piano getokkel maar ze laat me wat op mijn honger zitten
October 8, 2021 What I would imagine a Joni Mitchell album is like. I want to like her but I feel ambivalent.
Is it fucked up to give this a two? It's fine. I like Joni. I do. This just didn't do it.
Doesn't really do much for me. 70s singer-songwriter pop just is never going to be my thing I think sadly.
It's fine. Not my style and a bit boring but I didn't hate it. I have nothing against Ms. Mitchell and she seems a fine musician.
Okay, nothing really stands out, but enjoy her observational songwriting and wordplay. Music is all over the place and sometimes seems to have been an after thought thrown together at the last minute by the studio musicians. Raised and Robbery is a good jam, rest wouldn't come back to.
Couldn’t find it on Spotify and in the end not overly mad about it. Deedle deedle deedle
Das gibt mir einfach nichts und ich schaff auch nicht mich nicht drauf einzulassen, kann am Tag liegen, glaube aber eher insgesamt am sehr poppigen Folkansatz :|
Not my vibe tbh, none of the songs are going on playlists, meaning I can put 2 from an album if I choose
L'he agafat amb ganes perquè no coneixia gairebé res d'aquesta cantautora... però he acabat perdent l'interés. La intenció d'afegir elements de jazz al folk és interessant, però al final cap dels temes ha aconseguit cridar-me veritablement l'atenció.
Qué fastidio. Yo sé que hay un consenso mundial, de género y de especie humana en torno al talento maravilloso de Joni Mitchell. No comparto ese consenso. No había escuchado este disco antes y la verdad es que no me había perdido de mucho. Es un hilo de canciones que se siente pesado como una loza, una canción eterna de esta mezcla de folk con jazz marca de la casa que a mí me parece soso, aburrido, cursi, sin ganchos melódicos memorables y arreglos entre brillantes y de pena ajena. Su voz es tan bella como irritante. Si todo lo que pasa musicalmente no fuera tan monótono y falto de gracia podría ponerle atención a las letras que veo que son maravillosas. Lo único que destaco de este disco y que veo que aquí en el album generator nadie notó son los arreglos super interesantes de Car on a hill. Muy locos arreglos, arriesgados. Y ni aún así me gustó la rola. Es como estar viendo una colcha de hilos egipcios secarse.
at its best its female madman-era elton john written by a 14 yo girl who just went through her first breakup standing in for taupin. at its worst it sounds like joni mitchell. boring, repetitive instrumentation. trite, on-the-nose lyrics. i actively hate it. closing track was particularly insulting
I don’t like folky 70’s hippy movement music and therefore I don’t like Joni Mitchell and/or this album. 1 Star
Sorry Joni, I know you are an icon but I couldn't listen to this all the way through. Got about three songs in and ditched it. Dull. Soz.
Nice melodic. Almost actual.
Very nice!