Hejira

god that was terrible. I may never get a boner again.

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.

Never listened to Joni before! Ah, I am not enjoying this. At all. It’s like she’s just kinda rhythmically talking and there happens to be music playing on the background. Every song sounds exactly the same to me. Was this good in 1979?

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!

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.

wow - never listened to her and I was blown away. quite a singer songwriter - I get the hype now

This is my desert island album. It's my coming-home album. My traveller's album. It's the jewel at the center of the galaxy. I don't know what caused me, midway through Joni's discography (chronologically) at age 26, to pause at Hejira and go no further. For years. But I'll just say that I've been stuck on this album for years and years now. Don Juan is, in some ways, a more expansive and intense vision of the Hejira sound. Court and Spark has some lovely, lovely songs, and I'd never be mad to put it on. But Hejira? This wormed its way into my brain. For years. Flashy albums are great. I love artists that go for broke, make a statement, pull you along kicking and screaming. But what strikes me about Hejira every time I listen is its quiet confidence and its (frankly) uncomplicated brilliance. It's just: beautiful poetry, set to Joni's utterly entrancing guitar tone that hits its stride in a huge way on this album (it's transformative, here). And some of the best and most forward-thinking session/jazz musicians of the class of 76. Jaco, of course, but... Chuck Findley. Victor Feldman. Larry Carlton. All at their best, but all serving the song. It's what I think of when I think of a truly musical collaboration. The jazz influence is authentic and brilliantly executed, but it's so... loveably Joni. I'm reminded of the Frank Ocean quote to James Blake, working on Frank's record: "You're in my world now." We're in Joni's world, no one else's. Her poetry is just entrancing. I don't know how she keeps getting away with it! Such an honesty, almost an earnestness that's been in her lyrics since she was 19... here, delivered in its most confident and assured form. This really is an album that doesn't have an equal. This new jazz-pop style, with the modulations, the Pat Metheny-esque chorus and phased guitars, the open tunings (very Joni) all seems to have collapsed into elevator music as soon as it was just getting going. I've hunted and pecked for anything, anything that has this kind of sound. And I'm sad to say... it doesn't exist. Beyond a couple of standouts or collaborations, we just get this album. This album is so good, you can almost sit back and miss it. It feels over in a second. Just hypnotic. I'll treasure it for the rest of my life, and it really is my one of one. 5/5

No regrets, Coyote

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.

Kinda jazzy and cool, but minus one for her Spotify stunt.

It was pleasant without being remarkable.

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.

I didnt enjoy this album, although I didnt hate it either. It felt like a crazy lady going off on endless tangents where Im unable to foresee where the music is going. Sometimes this is great, in this case it just felt unnecessarily random and incoherent. Having said that, there were still some songs and certainly some beats that I enjoyed. It was upbeat.

Post your music online you pretentious fuck

Another album not on Spotify. This one also didn't have an album video on Youtube. I watched each song on Youtube with intermittent ads. Canadian folk.

This isn't for me to get. But I don't get this. The music is slushy with no real form. And she isn't singing to the music anyway.

This is definitely one of my favourite Joni albums - it's up there with Blue for me. I love the airy guitar and jazzy bass thought it. The first three songs in particular have a perfect soundscape, like a huge, but cold, open blue sky. Like being on top of a mountain, or looking out the window of a plane. Sounds exactly like the album cover looks in a lot of ways too. Really interesting images and stories in the lyrics. Just a beautiful album overall! Edit: after reading some other reviews, I had to come back and add this. It's not a penis on the cover, it's the wrist of her left hand coming out of her pocket. She's wearing a thin bracelet and has a prominent vein. Y'all need Jesus

Glad I’ve finally listened to this properly; I need more time, as the lyrics have the density of poetry, and must settle. This is as close as I’ve heard in record to the Beat ideal, a series of glimpses and startling images combined for revelatory effect. Mitchell appears to have given Pastorious the record and just said, please bass all over this, and the result is glorious, gives the record the feel of rolling on waves or undulating tarmac.

Oooh yes, my favorite Joni album! "Coyote", "Amelia", "A Strange Boy", Jaco Pastorius' slick sticky bass lines and the finest example of a very long song that I wish had another 20 verses (eat it Dylan!) - the incredible "Song For Sharon". Just wow. Imagine seeing (or being involved with) the Rolling Thunder Revue! Easy 10

I **almost** gave this a 4 purely because I was comparing it to Blue, which is perfect. But then I realized I have no notes for this album and it really is a 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!

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.

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

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.

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.

She has removed her stuff from Spotify

Elegant, folky, rocky and wry.

she's just a queen.

Perfect to me.

Joni

4.5/5. This def feels like an essential Joni album, and I think it’s gonna grow on me more

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.

Mitchell's voice is never not beautiful and the arrangements always complement her so perfectly. It's not 'Blue' but very few albums come close to that.

I recognize Joni’s contributions to music and the era in which she emerged. Her voice is lovely and her storytelling is impeccable. Musically, this is just not pleasing to me. It’s like she and her band are on two different pages. Shes just sing-talking, and the band is just jamming behind her. Like Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell is important to a generation; just not MY generation.

On a roll with artists I actually know.

Hejira is a pretty good album. This album definitely does have a lot of the typical Joni Mitchell staples that you would expect from her. It has lyrics that are more like poetry and i think that is easily the best part about this album as it really does show what Joni is capable of and she does tell some great stories here. The music here is also alright, some pretty good sounding stuff but i do feel it doesn't go all the way and isn't as memorable due to it just not having enough elements to keep it interesting and to set it apart from it's cotemporaries. Its a good album, i just feel that it is not the best that it could have been. Best Song: Black Crow Worst Song: Coyote

The last of the four Joni Mitchell albums on this list. I still have the same problems with it as I did with her previous work, the songs just don't stick with me even if in theory I should love this. Anyway, this one sounds a bit artsy-er than the other ones, with less conventional song structures and even jazzier elements. Key tracks: Coyote Black Crow

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

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

If I realized one thing through this exercise is that Joni Mitchell is like nails on a chalkboard for me. This felt like pretentious hippy poetry and every time she came in I wanted to punch something like Randy needed to punch Brennan in Step Brothers.

When I was younger I hated olives and also Joni Mitchell. Now that I’m older, I absolutely love olives and at least like this album quite a bit. Sure seems like she was boning a lot back then. Makes me sad I wasn’t around for the 60s and 70s, though if I’m honest, I probably would have been a square then too.

This issue with this app is that sometimes a day isn't enough to take in the albums. This is one such case. On first listen it's a strong three or four star record, but the more time you spend with it the more you get from it. I love her early albums of course, but this is a masterpiece. Heavy, floating, ambiguous. Classic indefinable Jonie, on another level - it's an incredible mix of the greatest folk player with jazz giants. Nevermind Portrait of Tracy, this is Jaco's most sublime playing. Lary Carlton complimenting everything so perfectly too. A truly beautiful record.

Witchy ahh 🔥

Heavenly. That bass tone makes me feel things.

The first Muslim community.

Like a cool breeze on a summer day ❤️

Hejira marks the moment where Joni Mitchell completed her transformation from an easy to pin down ingenue of soon-to-be burned down iconoclasts to an abstract road warrior hardened and wizened by what was in front of and around her. Completing what was started with The Hissing of Summer Lawns, Hejira is Joni's finest hour as the jazz influence makes its presence felt and the lyrics take on a hazy, albeit contained stance verging on rambling yet memorable. This is a steep mountain to climb and it is not a surprise that many have tried to emulate its footprint in the years since.

So so good wow

Wow. While I've enjoyed, I've never been overly impressed with Joni Mitchell outside of Blue, but this was outstanding. Totally blew me away. "Coyote" and "Amelia" are possibly Joni's best songs, but every track on this album was fantastic. Totally brilliant, and I loved the mood of the album. I'll be listening to this a lot.

This is incredible. Amazing singing, beautiful instrumentation (love the fretless bass) and incredible songs. It just delivers with this incredible weight. Awesome.

This album is one of my favourites by Joni Mitchell (which is saying a lot) after only maybe Blue, and it contains “Coyote”, which is one of my all-time favourite songs. The way in which she sings that first verse is just…inimitable. A truly beautiful album that never fails to make me cry.

you either love Jaco or not I guess. The chords and lyrics are ace. It's a masterwork

I've heard of Joni Mitchell before but never heard a song of hers. I just know that she's a legend. It's definitely a grower of an album, and it will take multiple listens to fully appreciate it but after only two spins, I already love it. It's a collection of some of the loveliest songs sung by someone with one of the loveliest voices I've heard. The title track has a slight south Asian tinge to it which sounds great. An immediate standout would have to be the epic 'Song For Sharon'. It's gorgeously haunting. The bass throughout the album is a highlight but on 'Black Crow' it's so so good, it oozes cool, coupled with the equally good guitar riff and solo towards the end of this slightly heavier sounding track. There's not exactly a typical structure to the songs and I love how loose and open they are. Albums like this are the reason I started this challenge. Great from start to finish.

joni is a gem and legend.

Not Joni’s greatest but it’s Joni so it’s great.

I've always loved Joni's songs. On this album, I really appreciate the music, the texture of the guitars, especially. There is a warm depth of the music that I really love. 4.5/5

My favorite Joni Mitchell album. A sprawling exposition of 1970s feminity and self-identity.

We have crappy, snowy weather today in Colorado. And what a great album to listen to in such conditions, staying warm by the fire and away from the cold. While I love Joni’s earlier work, this was more of a challenging listen. And I mean that in a good way; you just don’t get the lovely nuances in the instrumentation and chord progressions, which are typical Joni. Like a lot of music that demands deeper focus and attention. She doesn’t disappoint, especially in the writing, but it’s the band that gives this a cohesive vibe. Having said that, it’s that necessary deeper listening that goes against the idea of a 1001 albums challenge with one new album coming at you every day, that makes this one a harder than usual case. I’m rating it a 3 of 5 stars today, but I get the sense it’ll provide rewards for me if I revisit it regularly. My favorite cuts are “Coyote”, “Furry Sings the Blues”, “Hejira”, “Song for Sharon”, “Blue Motel Room” and “Refuge of the Roads”. My copy is from the Asylum Albums (1976-1980) box set released last year from Rhino Records, a great way to get an overview of her later work. < EDIT > Yup, it’s said that this album is a grower and damn if that experience didn’t happen for me. I listened again as if it was calling me to reconsider its merits, and I gave a focused listen with no distractions and I fell in love as if the universe was opened up to me. Not only a five star album, but a stone cold classic.

Sometimes albums I listen to in the morning decide my playlist for the day on Pandora. I enjoyed listening to this album, plus the music that Pandora connected to it. A wonderful day of inspiration.

Stunning production and the usual heartfelt lyrics that we've come to expect from Joni. When testing new audio equipment, this is one of my go to albums.

Take the jazzy parts of summer lawns and give the songs a rock edge. Joni Mitchell is seemingly the queen singer/songwriter, flexing her stylistic range with each album throughout the '70s. Hejira is simply fantastic, taking everything she's learned to date and perfecting it to a fine point. It's a haze of memories and introspection, with the road guiding Mitchell to be the woman she is today. The mark of a great songwriter is someone who truly knows themself, being able to weave stories from their own life and emotions. It's beautiful, in a word.

I think I liked this even more than I liked Blue. Amazing bass playing from Jaco Pastorius, who really brings that extra something to the tracks he is on.

over the past couple of years I have really fallen in love with Joni Mitchell's music and although this is the first time I've listened to this record, in particular, I can say this falls right in line with everything else. this album lives at the crossroads of folk, country, and jazz, and it is such a comfortable position there. this album is so cozy even though at the same time it feels like a road trip album. there's a longing that exists in a lot of Joni's music that is also ever present. here. her songwriting and her melodies are top notch as always, and I love the expanded jazziness exhibited here. just a great album through and through!

Insanely good!! Loved it and will listen again!

This is a great album and is definitely growing on me. It’s in between folky and jazzy. Gonna do a 4.5 because I can tell there’s more there.

Joni Mitchell versteht ihr Handwerk mit viel Seele und Herz. Beeindruckend was die Grand Dame abliefert. Ihre Kreativität ist unerschöpflich. Top!

Not a Joni album that I reach for that often but a really great one that demonstrates an evolution of her sound.

Absolute masterpiece. One of the greatest albums ever made. Whilst Blue will always have a special place in my heart, Hejira is probably the pinnacle of Joni's work.

Super

"I see something of myself in everyone." <3

A fabulous record from my collection

Nice riffs, beautiful emotion, interesting songwriting

Without this album I probably would not have invested as much time checking out Joni Mitchell's discography as I have done, starting with her continuation on the more jazzy path with Don Juan's Reckless Daughter. Especially Larry Carlton and Jaco Pastorius give Hejira a unique sound that combines so well with Mitchell's songwriting and vocal performance. And then on top of that you have Amelia, probably my favourite Joni Mitchell song ever. Top end five stars for me.

What a fantastic album. An easy 5 in my book.

Fantastic entry in Joni's storied catalogue. Absolute masterclass in songwriting and arrangement from start to finish. Murderer's row of session musicians.

5/5 The music seems to be simply a vessel to take on Mitchell's poetry on the opener Coyote, like much of Dylan. But it is great writing. Amelia is more melodic, and so beautifully constructed. Then Furry Sings the Blues is a pleasant and evocative if not groundbreaking tune. A Strange Boy is pretty similarly good too, and after that the title track is really packed full of emotion. Such a good tune. Song for Sharon is an amazing groove, and Mitchell's performance is fantastic. It's actually just one of the best things I've ever heard. Black Crow is such a welcome change of pace, full of life and energy. It's a brilliant track before Blue Motel Room is a relaxing, laid-back love song. The closer is great to wrap up the whole concept of travelling and feeling unsettled. In summary, Mitchell proves that she is one of the greatest lyricists and vocalists of all time. The high points are so good, and these exceptional peaks are scattered across the album, which has a cohesive, consistent feel. Coyote 4/5 Amelia 5/5 Furry Sings the Blues 4/5 A Strange Boy 3.5/5 (LEAST FAV) Hejira 5/5 Song for Sharon 5/5 (FAV) Black Crow 5/5 Blue Motel Room 4.5/5 Refuge of the Roads 4/5

Oh boy - its such a unique soundscape that is a pleasure to listen to for 50 minutes

Pure poetry absolutely beautiful from start to finish

This album - all about moving from place to place, person to person - is itself transportive. From the opening chords of Coyote you are taken to a world that is uniquely Joni Mitchell. This was my entry into Joni and continues to be my favorite. Listening now I feel like this is music outside of genre - not exactly folk or jazz or rock - it's just music. Musical portraits expertly drawn one of one.

'Coyote' sets the tone. Story telling , folk yet with that west coast feel throughout. Lauren Canyon personified.

Joni Mitchell is a rare human. If you listen to her lyrics you realize that she is putting herself out there, open, vulnerable, and raw. That is (to me) so lacking today. That kind of intimacy is precious. I am probably so very different than her in so many ways that AI would not put us on the same matrix. Yet I feel her lyrics, they are my feelings in many ways. Sometimes paradoxical, like some may hear the words but not understand what she is saying. Some see her as sad or melancholy, I see her strength and humanity. I think there is a lesson here; in vulnerability comes strength. Words can be twisted and poisoned but truth is steadfast. Also this is a GREAT road album.

4.7 - Like a female version of Paul Simon in places. Fantastic album, looking forward to more from Joni

(Finally) instrumentation to match Mitchell’s wandering vocal style. Tales of hitchiking across state lines, road houses and gas stations, truckers and coffee, fleapit motels, and barroom brawls. A souls journey, grit yielding pearl.

Her best album

oh joni mitchell my canadian queen....

😭😭😭mega smuk

Another one I listen to all the time

Great guitar folk

Yea, this sounds amazing. Awesome folky instrumentals with great vocals and amazing storytelling.

I had to give this one a few goes through with the good headphones. It's a fantastic record. The minimalistic sound and the poetry in her lyrics are just perfect.

Everyone gives Joni Mitchell credit as a singer/songwriter and as an instrumental innovator, but what people rarely mention is her ability to craft a really decent concept album. She did it with “Blue” and she does it again on “Hejira.” It’s all about roads and traveling and the hard wisdom gained from the journey. Plus is enters new musical territory with a jazzier feel married to a Pop sensibility, something of an echo of “Court and Spark” but matured. Another in a collector’s deck of classics.

Are you trying to make me cry? I shouldn't be listening to this while trying to get work done. I should be in a bubble bath, sipping a pinot noir. Honestly, the first time I heard this one was because I had just learned about Jaco and found out he played bass for a string of Joni records, so I drew a bath - probably my first since childhood - drank a bottle of red wine, let it all wash over me, and cried. Nothing about me should like Joni Mitchell, especially because she's the epitome of what my mom would listen to, whose taste in music I've often been skeptical of, but had she ever listened to THIS Joni, I might've never thought that. Easily 5/5. This is artistic genius.

I really enjoyed this!!

The only song I knew from this album was Coyote. This is a tremendous collection of folk jazz epics about travellin' and gettin' some strange. Way to go, Joni.

Joni's greatest achievement.

Falling in love with an album that’s not on streaming is just the worst feeling. And the last time I remember wanting an album to be on streaming so badly was when I heard Exmilitary for the first time. But that album doesn’t hold a candle to this. I appreciated The Hissing of Summer Lawns. But maybe I don’t remember it sounding very similar to this. I thought of it more as a Steely Dan inspired singer-songwriter record. But if it did, then I was sorely mistaken in my score. Because holy shit. This is one of the most stellar pieces of music I have heard in a long time. If it isn’t obvious by the many albums I have given high scores to, I love jazz. And I love all things inspired by jazz. So the combination of her traditional folk sound with more progressive jazz elements is a match made in heaven. Joni just has a voice that speaks to my heart. She’s like a female Neil Young. I just can’t deny how warm and fuzzy their voices make me feel. And her uniquely creative style of lyricism makes for a handful of delightful moments. I was also really blown away by how elegant the production is. This album probably has some of my favorite guitar tones and textures I’ve ever heard. Those, put together with the very deep and full bass sound, creates this beautifully layered sound profile. I will admit that I’m guilty of not listening to the albums I say I love as much as I should. But this is one that I immediately wanted to put back on and dig into once it was over. I could also see myself falling asleep to this in the future, because it’s really relaxing. Rating: 10/10!

Seems addictice

Very original road trip inspired lyrics over jazz influenced pop, with some craZy ass bass lines from Jacob. Yeah, this deserves a few listens for it to really be appreciated.

this is one of my favorite albums ever

Didn't know some artists took their music off of Spotify. Joni Mitchell is always a win. One of the best female voices IMO.