View Author
Tue Dec 14 2021
4
Joni Mitchell wrote the songs for "Hejira" all over America in the mid 1970s, travelling partly toward another show and partly in pursuit of pleasure. It's her "road" album, and the context of rambling travel perfectly suits both her writing style and the lyrical themes. Snapshots of old towns, lost lovers, fleeting moments and passing thoughts all slip in and out of view, relayed in startling detail and breathtaking lyricism.
Mitchell also uses her restless travelling as an opportunity for self-evaluation, using the magnificent epic "Song for Sharon" to ask exactly where she's headed.
Some favourite lyrics? Where to begin...
"A prisoner of the white lines on the freeway"... what a way to subvert the cliché of the "open road".
Later, aeroplane vapour trails- images of escape and freedom- are compared to a hexagram of the heavens, strings on a guitar, and finally false alarms.
"We're only particles of change I know, I know
Orbiting around the sun
But how can I have that point of view
When I'm always bound and tied to someone"
And the whole last verse of Refuge on the Roads- just listen to it.
What an artist. They're such beautiful words, and I'm so glad I gave this multiple listens because it took a while for them to start standing out.
This is even more the case with the music: sophisticated, dense, jazz-influenced... it's certainly beyond "Blue". The beauty of each song has been slowly revealing itself over the last few days, unravelling delicately on each repeated listen. The vibraphone and sustained guitar in the gorgeous "Amelia", "Hejira"'s "strains of Benny Goodman" being evoked by a distant clarinet; the fretless bass work throughout. There's so much to get lost in and I'm still in the process of doing so after listening six or seven times over the last two days. For now, all I can say is that it sounds like a restless spirit at the height of her powers, carving timeless words into the roads of America.
👍
View Author
Sun Feb 06 2022
4
I was a fan of Joni Mitchell from the get go, back when she was sweetly singing good morning to Morgantown and such. But there was always a dark blue current moving underneath the surface of this petite woman, even then. 'Hejira' seems to have dug the well to that subterranean river.
Musically, its gorgeously haunting. (Her cover art represents the same, visually.) Gone, are the gently sustained notes of the piano, replaced with ringing guitars, marvelously odd melodies and chord structures. Joni Jazz, which is not really jazz at all, but something else entirely. Nothing that can be exactly pinned down, mind you. Fitting for Joni’s (nomadic) lifestyle, (moody) temperament, (troubled) spirituality.
1976 found a lot of Joni’s 60’s comrades suffering under the excess of drugs like cocaine, which combined with her rolling and thundering along with Dylan’s infamous review for a while couldn’t help but further darken the gathering of Joni’s latent storm clouds. The opening song has her already confessing that she’s a prisoner of the white lines on the freeway, and not really fit for healthy companionship; that said, he’s only a randy coyote anyway, so fuck it! With some ‘Strange Boy, she gets ‘… high on travel, drunk on alcohol, and on love, the strongest poison and medicine of all.’ But it’s the title track that really seems to sum up who Joni Mitchell was at this time in her life, both professionally and personally (I would guess she doesn’t draw a distinction between the two): ‘There’s comfort in melancholy when there’s no need to explain. It’s just as natural as the weather in this moody sky today.’ And, ‘I’m porous with travel fever. But, you know, I’m so glad to be on my own. Still somehow the slightest touch of a stranger can set up trembling in my bones.’
The hejira that Joni mostly seems to be attempting is the one from herself. And that reminds me of that quote that says something to the effect of: wherever you go, there you are. I didn’t know this myself in 1976, entering into my senior year of high school, and suffered accordingly for years. I’m finally learning that one can be moody and prone to blue while nurturing an inner spirit of gratitude and even joy as well. Not to be too simplistic, but to a certain extent, it is a choice. Just like my choice to be careful with this recording, reserving it only for days when I have optimum emotional/spiritual health and clarity.
👍
View Author
Thu Feb 03 2022
5
wow - never listened to her and I was blown away. quite a singer songwriter - I get the hype now
👍
View Author
Tue Feb 15 2022
5
No regrets, Coyote
👍
View Author
Thu Sep 08 2022
5
Full disclosure, this is my favorite Joni Mitchell album. Haven't listened to it in a while, and never noticed the penis on the album cover before. Learning something new all the time.
"Coyote" is such a great opening track. Lyrically, it is just fantastic storytelling, the bass tone and playing set the expectations for the musicality of this ensemble. I love it.
"Amelia" has such a sense of longing. Mitchell has a gift for putting pain to melody. And on this album, it's the perfect lyrical blend — high-minded poetic construction that tells rich, beautiful stories.
Whether Mitchell set out to create a concept album, I don't know, but there's something so cohesive about these songs, like we're spending a week on the road with her and the band. Quiet moments crossing the middle of the country. This album just transports me.
I can listen to Jaco play like this all day. He's a master on the bass. And then comes "Black Crow," which is a clinic on how to be the coolest motherfucker on an instrument possible. Seriously.
I get that this may not be her most accessible album, but it's brilliant.
Road dick!
👍
View Author
Mon Dec 13 2021
5
I listened to this one on a solo midnight bus ride from Los Angeles to Snata Barbara. I own this album, it's one I've listened to a hundred times but never like this and it finally dawned on me that this is a solitaire album.
The music is incredibly complex, as is the musicianship. Tunings. Chords. Progressions. None of which are predictable or even easily accessible. Which makes it reveal more and more on every listen.
It's a long way from Blue, a record only ~5 years in the past. This is an electric jazzy record. It might not be everyone's cup of tea but it's right up my alley - mysterious and haunting. Don't listen to this album just once. Give it a few runs and all the way through each time (although the clear highlight is "Amelia").
Slam dunk 5 stars: 10/10. One of my alltime favourite albums by anyone.
👍
View Author
Mon Jan 31 2022
5
4.5/5. This def feels like an essential Joni album, and I think it’s gonna grow on me more
👍
View Author
Thu Jun 30 2022
5
She has removed her stuff from Spotify
👍
View Author
Mon Jul 25 2022
5
Beautiful. I've never listened to Mitchell before, and today I saw footage of Mitchell playing "Both Sides Now" at the Newport Folk Festival with Brandi Carlile which is one of the poignant performances I have ever seen. I usually hate music that comes out of folk, probably too much of it is blues based, but her music is refreshing with her alternate tunings and strong writing about the experience of girls and women. Now I will continue to dive into her catalog.
👍
View Author
Thu Sep 08 2022
5
I was 55 years old when I realized that this album I've listened to hundreds of times has a penis on it! WTF? I guess you can chalk that up to CD vs LP? Or maybe because I was so mesmerized by Joni's beauty that my eyes never left those cheekbones except to glance down at how she holds her cigarette with her pinky in such a delicate position.
I listened to this album on CD (as opposed to Spotify) and as my husband suggested, my good headphones with a CD was the complete aural experience. What fun to hear Joni's whispers on Furry Sings the Blues!
I'm a lyrics bitch over the music and this time round some hit harder:
"I do accept the changes
at least better than I used to do."
"I looked at my haggard face in the bathroom light"
"I met a friend of spirit"
"I well up with affection
Thinking back down the roads to then"
It feels so trite to attempt a review of any Joni Mitchell album (as well as Jacko's contributions). So I won't.
This one is most definitely an 11.
👍
View Author
Sat Sep 17 2022
5
I love a whole lot of the art Joni Mitchell has shared with the world, and this album is high up there in her work that I love most. The jazz influence, Jaco Pastorius' contributions, Larry Carlton's presence, and so on. She always composes brilliantly and is one of the finest lyricists. What an ear for harmony and her sense of melody is intricate and intriguing. Of course, her vocal performances are spectacular and she is quite underrated as a guitarist.
Some truly beautiful and emotional stuff here. Brilliant.
👍
View Author
Tue Nov 29 2022
5
Love this record. Joni has made some of the most beautiful and unique music. Her voice and her phrasing, the songwriting- all are so good. I love how loose and open the folky/ jazzy vibe of all these songs are. The music really breathes and flows and goes on a journey in a way you don’t really hear in pop music. It totally feels like a road trip. I love Jaco’s bass playing on her records. It’s so melodic and his tone is so voicelike. It’s so different from what any other bass player would think of playing. It’s like he’s supporting her and singing a duet at the same time. They really perfected this sound on Mingus. Also, worth noting some really beautiful guitar playing by Larry Carlton, I like all the swelly stuff on Amelia. Kudos to her for taking her music off of Spotify, first album I’ve bought in a long time.
5
👍
View Author
Tue Feb 08 2022
3
Kinda jazzy and cool, but minus one for her Spotify stunt.
👍
View Author
Wed Aug 24 2022
3
Liked the concept, storytelling
Joni has a great voice of course, and a few tracks had some great baselines from jaco pastorius
Still didn’t stand out as especially fantastic as a whole
👍
View Author
Fri Aug 26 2022
3
Thick bots, fresh tops
Like a gentle rain, just let it wash over you
Lyrically a mouthful, alot to digest. 3/5
4/5 if she just shut up and let the music shine
👍
View Author
Wed Dec 29 2021
2
there were like two good tracks on this and they were both ones with jaco and the guy who played guitar on a lot of steely dan shit. joni seems completely unnecessary here.
👍
View Author
Thu Jan 27 2022
2
It was pleasant without being remarkable.
👍
View Author
Tue Jan 17 2023
1
god that was terrible. I may never get a boner again.
👍
View Author
Sat Feb 12 2022
5
Joni
👍
View Author
Tue Mar 01 2022
5
Perfect to me.
👍
View Author
Fri Mar 11 2022
5
she's just a queen.
👍
View Author
Wed Jun 22 2022
5
Elegant, folky, rocky and wry.
👍
View Author
Tue Jul 19 2022
5
Jazzy!
👍
View Author
Mon Jul 25 2022
5
LINDA PERFEITA MARAVILHOSA
👍
View Author
Sat Jul 30 2022
5
cool
👍
View Author
Sat Aug 27 2022
5
Wonderful. Loved it. Never heard it before
👍
View Author
Tue Sep 20 2022
5
Coyote is one of the most vivid experiences in the history of music, a must-listen to
The rest of the songs were absolutely splendid, the atmosphere felt a bit dull at times but almost every Joni album is a 5
👍
View Author
Thu Sep 22 2022
5
perfect album. favorites: coyote, amelia, hejira, blue motel room, refuge of the roads
👍
View Author
Fri Sep 23 2022
5
Sublime!
👍
View Author
Mon Oct 03 2022
5
The 1,001 randomizer granted me my wish for more 1970's Joni Mitchell rather quickly. "Hejira" is the eighth studio album from Joni Mitchell. The album was written during a series of three road trips in 1975-1976 including one as a member of Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue. The music is jazz-inspired and the best descriptor I saw was jazz-pop; she had distanced her music from what I would classify as folk. Many of these sprawling songs are about severed relationship including one of hers with drummer John Guerin. The music is guitar-driven, acoustic and electric, (as opposed to a piano). Joni also met fretless electronic bass player Jaco Pastorius during the writing and recording and he adds just great playing and a jazzy atmophere on four of the songs. Hejira is a transliteration of the Arabic word Heira or Hijra referring to the migration of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina; Joni used it to reference/describe "running away with honor."
"Coyote" starts things off with guitar, percussion and Jaco's subtle bass. Great free-flowing lyrics. It's about a one-night stand with a ladies man; many say it's about Sam Shepard whom Joni had a fling with. One of my favorite Joni songs. "Amelia" is a slower song. Electric guitar. Vibraphone. A beautiful and sad song. It was inspired by her break-up to drummer John Guerin in the desert. Imageries of airplanes in the desert and Amelia Earhart disappearing. Another great and melancholy song is "Hejira" which Joni said was her toughest song to write. It accounts her reasons for leaving Guerin. Jaco's bass adds to the atmosphere.
"Songs for Sharon" begins side two and it's about a woman deciding between freedom and her marriage. Allusions to Joni's break-up and road trips. "Black Crow" almost sounds like a fusion; the electric guitar reminds me of the Woodstock era which is justaposed with a clarinet and Jaco's bass adding a jazzy element. Great song! "Refuge of the Roads" finishes things in sprawling fashion with a song about Joni's trip to a Buddhist meditation which she attributes to helping kick a cocaine addiction which she was battling during the recording and writing of this album.
This is an excellent album. It seemed very personal and autobiographical. The emotion carries through. It just added to my quest for re-visiting all of 1970's Joni Mitchell.
👍
View Author
Tue Oct 18 2022
5
Joni Mitchell is an acquired taste, generally speaking, but I'm sure glad I acquired said taste for such extraordinary music. I think *Hejira* is probably my favorite record of hers, along with the poppier *Court And Speak*. I even prefer those two records to her earlier classic albums on the Reprise label, including the all-time great *Blue*.
*Hejira* is the one record where she burned all her ships behind her so as to fully embrace that jazzy, sophisticated sound she would never completely forget in the rest of her carreer. Jaco Pastorius' fretless bass does wonders on it, but the guitar parts are insane too. Yet what seals the deal in it is what Joni's voice is accomplishing here. Her vocal lines are incredible, and the lyrics exploring that theme of finding yourself while on the road are driven and focused, as many other reviewers already pointed here. Brilliant literary writing all around.
What struck me as I read some of those reviews is how laudatory the four-star ones were--actually suggesting a 5/5 grade instead. I'm pretty sure those Joni fans couldn't bring themselves to bring that higher grade because of the "experimental" nature of this record, and the fact that it is not *Blue*. But the two should *at least* be considered as equal in their overall quality. Both are masterpieces exploring the American psyche, and this in moving and sensitive ways no other record had attempted to reach before.
To sum it up, *Hejira* is not merely an "experimental" album, it's an album with a lot of heart and intelligence in it. 5 stars is the least I can give for it.
Number of albums left to review: 765
Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 118
Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 57
Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 60
👍
View Author
Wed Oct 19 2022
5
Amazing record! Shame it's no longer on Spotify, but still great.
👍
View Author
Wed Nov 16 2022
5
Wonderful record all the way around – unhurried, mellow, contemplative – exactly like a great road trip (surely just a coincidence). The guitar playing is excellent – who knew Joni had such axe chops but Jaco's name should be on the masthead, too. Speaking personally, this feels like peak Joni: "We got high on travel / And we got drunk on alcohol / And on love, the strongest poison and medicine of all." First two cuts are most engaging and the last a beautiful closer.
👍
View Author
Mon Nov 28 2022
5
Best album ever
👍
View Author
Sun Dec 04 2022
5
Certamente é uma obra-prima para ser continuamente revisitada.
👍
View Author
Sun Dec 18 2022
5
wow, such power, such incredible writing
👍
View Author
Tue Dec 20 2022
5
Beautiful album.
👍
View Author
Thu Dec 29 2022
5
I literally never listen to this kind of stuff, but this went really hard.
👍
View Author
Thu Jan 26 2023
5
The apex of Joni Mitchell's adventures into "Folk-Jazz" yields a wonderfully groovy album with long, winding songs about travels and tyrsts, all overdubbed by the masterful fretless bass of Jaco Pastorius. A great album shrouded in the haze of lounge cigarette smoke, coupled with the moodiness of someone who's traveled there and back again.
Standout Songs:
"Coyote"
"Furry Sings the Blues"
"Song for Sharon"
👍
View Author
Sat Jan 28 2023
5
What a stunning record by Joni Mitchell, the artwork alone makes me long for a road trip, far away from home. Hejira falls right in between pop songs and some more jazz structures, so that it remains nice and relaxed listening/musing music.
This album is especially amazing with the combination of all these songs, written for guitar, with bass, vocal and guitar.
After all the (deserved) praise for Jaco Pastorius, I would like to point out that he is not the only bassist on this album. Max Bennett and Chuck Domanico also leave their mark on the songs they play on.
Hejira is therefore perhaps the highlight of Joni's impressive discography for me, a beautiful album!
👍
View Author
Sat Feb 11 2023
5
Once again, I will be unable to be impartial about Joni. She's fantastic, and this is another one of my favorites of hers. Songs like "Amelia" and "Coyote" have so much feeling to them. Her jazz influences continue to be more strongly felt than on her past works, maintaining the trajectory that she had been on, and due in no small part to Jaco Pastorius' fretless bass playing. This is maybe her last "perfect" album, but it's a perfect closer to an incredible run.
👍
View Author
Mon Feb 13 2023
5
Perfect to me.
👍
View Author
Thu Feb 16 2023
5
Such a lovely album from such a lovely woman. The songs have long, descriptive narratives that create such vivid images of their subjects. Just what I would want on a road trip with Joni Mitchell.
👍
View Author
Thu Feb 16 2023
5
Another gem from Joni Mitchell. We are truly blessed.
👍
View Author
Thu Feb 16 2023
5
I think this kind of meandering jazzy song structure would not work for me, in general. However, the instrumentation was very nice and Joni's voice just had me from the first note. I kind of felt uneasy at times, but each time the album ended, I wanted to start it again.
👍
View Author
Fri Feb 24 2023
5
Primer disco que no tengo dudas que es perfecto 10/10. Desde las letras, las melodias, todo es espectacularmente perfecto. No aburre, no cansa, no me pasó como en Blue que algunos temas rozaban lo monótono pero se veían salvados por la voz y las letras de Joni. Este caso es excelente, el mejor que he escuchado de ella.
👍
View Author
Tue Feb 28 2023
5
Powerful lyrics that truly make me feel like I was on the road with her
Props to the other reviewers that pointed out the road head on the cover because I never would have noticed
Can't wait for the generator to flip me some more Joni
5/5
👍
View Author
Wed Mar 01 2023
5
Goodness me another obvious and unavoidable five star. A thing of undisputed beauty.
👍
View Author
Mon Mar 13 2023
5
Those jangly guitars got me, man.
👍
View Author
Sat Mar 18 2023
5
This album shows Joni at the peak of her creativity and is especially through the collaboration with Jaco Pastorius simply unique.
👍
View Author
Tue Mar 28 2023
5
A year ago, I hadn’t heard any Joni Mitchell. Today, when seeing that I was generated this album, I felt excited. I loved Court and Spark, and I loved Blue, so I have high hopes for Hejira.
Songs I already knew: none
Favourites: Coyote, Amelia
I love the storytelling on this album. Most music that I tend to listen to might tend to have lyrics more about an idea or a feeling, whereas here we have music that pints a picture and tells a story. It’s a staple of folk music, and something I never expected that I would feel so drawn to. As usual, the vocals are the perfection that I’ve come to expect. I did want to also mention the bass playing on this album. It’s fairly simple, but complex enough to stay interesting, and very complimentary to the music in general. Overall, another fantastic album by Joni Mitchell that I enjoyed a lot.
👍
View Author
Wed Mar 29 2023
5
Beautiful
👍
View Author
Thu Mar 30 2023
5
Legit this album is everything, it is perfection
👍
View Author
Tue Apr 11 2023
5
When reviewing Blue earlier on this list I called Mitchell one of the, if not the, greatest songwriters of the 60’s and 70’s.
Maybe ever?
I was right then and after Hejira I still am.
Other than Joni Mitchell herself that fretless bass is the true winner of this entire album. What a sound!
👍
View Author
Tue Apr 11 2023
5
Hejira is Joni Mitchell in constant change and constantly moving. It's folk in the backseat of a car, progessive poprock on a plane, and jazzy fretless bass on a train. Always while looking up and realizing that the clouds and the world around her are moving much faster.
Hejira somehow creates even more vivid mental imagery than the masterpiece Blue, and Mitchell constantly seems to be in complete control of not only her own voice but the expressions of a dozen genres.
Everything comes together when she momentarily directs her melancholic gaze backwards in time on the phenomenal 'Furry Sings the Blues'. This is what every singer/songwriter should aspire to be.
👍
View Author
Tue May 16 2023
5
At the very least this is my 2nd or maybe 3rd favorite Joni Mitchell album.
👍
View Author
Tue May 16 2023
5
An important and exciting transition point in Joni Mitchell's career. I love hearing her experiment with these kinds of arrangements where everything feels so open but still remains grounded by her songwriting.
👍
View Author
Fri May 26 2023
5
Joni is a legend and this is one of her best. 10/10
👍
View Author
Thu Jun 29 2023
5
Of course, a wonderful record. If I had my way, I’d meet Joni Mitchell in a cafe on the road (always the road). We’d have a torrid love affair with a lot of conversation and mid-afternoon wine at cafes and then we’d part and she’d stay on the road and it would be my deepest wish that our brief time together be memorialized in a single phrase on a Joni album as great as this.
👍
View Author
Fri Jun 30 2023
5
pretty nice
👍
View Author
Sat Jul 01 2023
5
10/10
Some of Joni Mitchell’s best work
absolutely breathtaking
👍
View Author
Fri Jul 14 2023
5
Everything by Joni Mitchell is 5 Stars. She's the fame Bob Dylan.
👍
View Author
Mon Aug 21 2023
5
This is a 5 star Joni album that stands up there with “The Hissing of Summer Lawns” and “Blue”.
👍
View Author
Sat Sep 09 2023
5
The third album from Joni Mitchell's 1974-1976 period. Like Court and Spark', and 'The Hissing of Summer Lawns' it is jazz, blues and folk infused, lyrically dense, and excellent.
This record may be the best of the three. It is characterised by long, meandering, chilled, songs. They tell stories of the road, on which they were written. Despite being long and verbose, Mitchell's voice makes them constantly lovely and never boring. Every so often a lyric will jump out and plant an image in your brain. Here are two examples:
From Refuge of the Road:
"In a highway service station
Over the month of June
Was a photograph of the earth
Taken coming back from the moon
And you couldn't see a city
On that marbled bowling ball
Or a forest or a highway
Or me here, least of all"
From Blue Motel Room:
"You and me, we're like America and Russia
We're always keeping score
We're always balancing the power
And that can get to be a cold cold war
We're going to have to hold ourselves a peace talk
In some neutral cafe
You lay down your sneaking round the town, honey
And I'll lay down the highway"
A quality album.
Rating: 4.5/5
Playlist track: Coyote
Date listened: 08/09/23
👍
View Author
Fri Sep 29 2023
5
Very interesting how this reminds me of Sting and Red House Painters at the same time.
I've never really listened to Joni Mitchell before and I really dug this. Everything feels carefully calculated yet effortless as the instruments weave around her voice with an unusual quality. The inclusion of Jaco Pastorius was a perfect touch.
👍
View Author
Tue Oct 31 2023
5
What a run of albums led to this. One of her most enigmatic, but seductive albums. Everything comes together on the final track which one of my very favourite of hers.
👍
View Author
Thu Nov 23 2023
5
This album was much better than the other one of hers that I've had so far (The Hissing of Summer Lawns).
Favourite songs: Black Crow, Furry Sings the Blues, A Strange Boy, Song for Sharon, Blue Motel Room, Refuge of the Roads, Amelia, Coyote
Least favourite songs: Hejira
5/5
👍
View Author
Wed Nov 29 2023
5
Until now I've only heard Joni's Blue and Ladies of the Canyon, both of which I adore. Hejira is definitely different from those albums' guitar- and piano-driven sounds and I LOVE IT TOO. Joni's vocals and lyrics are just so so singular and special. No skips. I can't wait to put this on my regular rotation.
Would I revisit this album? Absolutely!!
👍
View Author
Fri Dec 17 2021
4
Dec 16 2021. Album #1. Calming and great storytelling in lyrics but feels dissonant with current life.
👍
View Author
Thu Jan 13 2022
4
Ah Joni, a Canadian national treasure! Always a pleasure listening to her. She's a powerful storyteller and wonderful musician.
👍
View Author
Mon Jan 17 2022
4
Joni Mitchell on a quest for love, meaning and the next bingo game. Here is an insightful "modern" review of the songstress by Rob Moura.
https://www.popmatters.com/joni-mitchell-hejira-atr4
👍
View Author
Fri Jan 21 2022
4
Relaxed hippy sound
👍
View Author
Mon Jan 24 2022
4
Absolutely gorgeous album lyrically. Complex and nuanced. Musically it sure isn't straight ahead pop. Jazzy with complex melodies that are not always accessible. Favourite song; Coyote. 4 🌟
👍
View Author
Wed Jan 26 2022
4
‘Hejira’ is a bit less immediate than some of Joni Mitchell’s other work. It has a restless nature in sound and storytelling, with complex chords and strong jazz overtones. It’s a slow burn, but it’s also possibly her most rewarding album.
👍
View Author
Mon Jan 31 2022
4
This was a really beautiful album, with some incredible vocal work.
👍
View Author
Mon Jan 31 2022
4
Joni slowly but surely found her inner sophisticated lounge singer. It's a folk jazz album. Deal with it (8/10)
FT: Coyote
👍
View Author
Mon Jan 31 2022
4
Hejira is an album of explorations. Joni Mitchell created big lyrics for long songs, just like the road trips that inspired the record. The jazzy feeling of the album makes every listening an oportunity to discover something new. Tracks like "Coyote", "Furry Sings the Blues" and "Song for Sharon" becomes prettier every time you listen to them.
👍
View Author
Sun Feb 06 2022
4
Folk raro... envolvente.
👍
View Author
Sat Feb 12 2022
4
Cet album extrêmement mystérieux a très vite attisé ma curiosité et s'est soldé par une découverte assez surprenante.
Le point de départ de tout ceci est la non-disponibilité de cet album sur l'application Spotify, qui nous amène très vite sur une autre application : YouTube.
L'album y figure bel et bien sous forme d'une playlist. Chaque morceau du projet est décrit dans l'onglet prévu à cet effet de la même façon : « Provided to YouTube by Rhino ». Très intrigant n'est-ce pas ?
Après de longues recherches, voici ce que j'ai trouvé : le dénommé Rhino est en réalité un véritable rhinocéros blanc et possède l'intégralité des droits de la discographie de Joni Mitchell.
Une fois tous ces faits vérifiés par deux fois, j'appelai donc Robert pour l'alerter sur la situation de la chanteuse. En quelques coups de fil, celui-ci parvint à faire capturer le rhino et à organiser sa réintroduction dans une réserve naturelle ougandaise.
👍
View Author
Sun Feb 13 2022
4
There's not much folky jazzy goodness that's not here. An excellent road album. Jaco does his thing and at times shines out. The cores of the songs are dead simple classic, though: Voice, guitar, the language of the West.
👍
View Author
Fri Feb 18 2022
4
I love Joni Mitchell. I need to listen to more of her work, but I love her.
👍
View Author
Thu Mar 31 2022
4
This is such an improvement over "Blue" This one is a keeper.
👍
View Author
Fri Apr 08 2022
4
Gives dreamy vibes, that kind of sleepy awakeness of lying on the couch on a Sunday while trying to read a book. Enjoyed it and would probably listen again.
👍
View Author
Fri Apr 22 2022
4
joni pucette remets les albums sur spotify je t’en prie
👍
View Author
Sat May 21 2022
4
I didn't know Joni Mitchell did sophi-pop a decade before it was a thing. Reminds me of a lot of indie folk from the area, especially Tim Buckley and Nick Drake. Guitars envelop you, and there are jazz and country influences to relax you. All songs start with Joni in some random setting in the country taking in the sights, feels like a drive on Route 66, although Memphis is a bit off the beaten path. Few complaints, maybe a little long overall but the songs were fine. Excellent songwriting, voice, and fitting instrumentals.
Favorites: Coyote, Hejira, Song for Sharon
👍
View Author
Thu May 26 2022
4
Absolutely love Joni Mitchell - Coyote is in my all time top 10 and Amelia isn't far behind.
👍
View Author
Mon May 30 2022
4
listened to before
great work
👍
View Author
Thu Jun 02 2022
4
WOW! A beautiful album, with stunning vocals. Tired from travelling, so this will be short, but truly I loved this. Loved the bass so much, didn't know Jaco was on this album until I looked into it more, and he really added a lot on the songs he played in. Anyways, stellar STELLAR album. Favorite song was probably Black Crow.
👍
View Author
Mon Jun 06 2022
4
This is the follow-up to my favorite Joni Mitchell record "Hissing of Summer Lawns." It sounds a lot like that record, only the bass is more prominent (Jaco plays on this one). I'm not a huge fan of the overwrought fretless bass work. But, that's Jaco. And, it isn't enough of a distraction to diminish this record for me. And and, for most people I realize Jaco is an asset here.
I just gotta say that Joni's mid-70s run of records is criminally underrated. I could take or leave the early folk stuff (sorry), but this era is her finest.
👍
View Author
Sat Jun 11 2022
4
J'adore joni mitchell, un bon album mais pas extra comme d'autres du memem artiste 4
👍
View Author
Mon Jun 13 2022
4
Classic Mitchell
👍
View Author
Tue Jun 14 2022
4
Really cool guitar tones on this one. Blue Motel Room is a sweet low swung song. totally worth a revisit.
👍
View Author
Mon Jun 20 2022
4
I'm not sure who is playing that guitar, but there is a lot of emotions behind those strings
👍
View Author
Thu Jul 14 2022
4
In love with the lyricism on "Furry Sings the Blues", and "Refuge of the Roads" is pretty dang groovy!
👍
View Author
Fri Jul 15 2022
4
This album very much felt like a natural progression for Joni: as time does by, she (had to?) evolve a bit away from the stripped down, guitar-only music and this album proved that she could pull it off as well. A overall enjoyable album full of nice songs that maybe have a bit less storytelling quality but make it up with ncie but subtle background arrangements
👍
View Author
Mon Jul 18 2022
4
Tydzien powtarzanych artystow, tym razem kolejny krazek od Joni Mitchell, Hejira bedaca jej osmym studyjnym albumem z 76, tak jak poprzedni pick jest to solidnie napisane i zaspiewane, czuc ze jest to material artystki ktora stara sie wyrzucic na papier swoje przezycia, a nie wyciskane na sile sztampowe zawodzenia byle by sie dobrze sluchalo, a przeciez najlepiej slucha sie czegos za czym artysta naprawde stoi i tym zyje, w tym przypadku motywami przewodnimi sa doswiadczenia z podrozowania lub zycia w podrozy, bo taki tryb zycia prowadzila w latach 70 pani Joni, ale nie bedzie jedynie o celach podrozy a raczej o drodze i rzeczach oraz ludziach przy niej spotkanych, a jak spotkania to musza byc rowniez rozstania, no i walenie po kablach, instrumentalnie jest to folkowy rock z influencjalmi jazzowymi w zaleznosci od utworu, w nagrania bylo zangazowanych bylo 10 muzykow sesyjnych, na uwage zasluguja zwlaszcza Jaco Pastorius na basie oraz Larry Carlton ktory gral gitarki elektrokowe oraz akustykowe, w zalenosci od tego na czym szarpala pani Mitchell, calosc sklada sie z 9 trakow na 52 minutach, o ile poprzedni album od niej urzekl mnie wokalnie i przyjemnymi dla ucha instrumentalami, tak ten robi to jeszcze lepiej, a dodatkowo trafia lirycznie w moja wagabondowa dusze, na plejke spotifajowa nie dodam nic, bo pani Joni zaraz obok Neila Younga wycofala swoja dyskografie, gdy dodali podkasty tego buca do biblioteki serwisu, ale chyba najbardziej zapadajacymi w pamiec trakami beda dla mnie openingowy coyote, z ktorego sampel slyszalem w jakims muryznskim traku oraz a strange boy
👍
View Author
Tue Jul 19 2022
4
Very soothing listen. Mitchell is an excellent songwriter and I know I'll be back for more. I might need a couple more listens of this to get a better grasp on it, but unfortunately YouTube is not my preferred way to listen to music...
👍
View Author
Tue Jul 19 2022
4
Love the guitar tone and the bass playing especially on this one.
👍
View Author
Fri Jul 22 2022
4
Another stunning album from Joni Mitchell. If less catchy then Blue or Court and Spark, this is still an exhibition of the songwriter’s craft. Beautiful singing, gorgeous guitar work, poetic and evocative, it’s is a delight to hear the artist create works like this.
👍
View Author
Tue Aug 09 2022
4
Interesting concept from Joni that speaks for itself. I mean, it's Joni Mitchell. This album gets bonus points for having Jaco Pastorius on some of the tracks.
While not her more familiar work, definitely a must listen.
4/5.
👍