Hejira

I realize Joni Mitchell is highly praised and very influential for a lot of singers and songwriters and singer/songwriters. I just don’t care for her. Maybe I’m missing something, but she bores the tar out of me. But I know she’s talented and all that, so I guess she gets 3 stars.

Good album.

The start of Joni's move from folk-rock to folk-jazz; quite pleasant, but for me nothing stands out.

Moany Mitchell more like. Cheer up love it might never happen It's ok. Her voice is too moany for me but good vibe

whilst i can appreciate the appeal of this album, for me, the ceaseless guitar and never changing vocals were a bit tireless. i often could tell one song from the one that had come before it, and after nearly an hour of this, it became too repetitive. not much else to say about this, and i doubt i would re listen

Tosi lähellä 4

Over the years I have tried to appreciate and enjoy Joni Mitchell mostly because I feel like I should. For whatever reason this album, listening today, was the time I finally got it. Although she will never be my favorite artist, and I likely will not put this album on often. I finally heard her music as the route of so many things that have come sense. Ani DiFranco, Adam from the Counting Crows. and so many more direct to descendants of her style. Also, if you didn’t notice this album features one of the greatest living bass players ever, Jaco Pastorius. There were times I stopped following the lyrics and instead was listening solely to the bass

She has a pleasant voice, but I have no idea what she was talking about, and the songs ran together. I think she might appeal to folks from a particular set of decades.

It’s not my favorite. This is very pretty. She sounds amazing. Production, all of that is excellent. My issue is with the songwriting style that was popular at the time: I’m sitting here and I’m doing this, and now I’m over here doing some other thing… And it’s just an endless meandering list of things scribbled in a journal. Coyote, Song for Sharon and Black Crow have more structure, and are more cohesive, to my ears. 3/5

I am definitely not the target audience for Joni Mitchell and I didn't expect to like this. Probably not something I'd listen to again, but I didn't hate it. I get why people like her so much. Pretty unique songwriting, even if it gets a little repetitive sounding.

Not quite my taste but I really did enjoy the album. Seems like this is something she made later in life but not sure. If so, it shows age hasn’t knee capped her artistic ability.

I can’t deny her talent, I just don’t really like this type of music. Before I started this challenge, I would have thought I’d love this sort of thing. Weird how that works out.

I don't "get" this one but Joni is always good

5/10

It was pretty good, and there were no bad songs, I liked it all, but nothing truly jumped out at me as extra special, so i think 6.75/10 for this one.

First of all, what is that on the road????? I like Joni Mitchell. I think she is an excellent singer-songwriter and I really enjoy her music. There are some solid songs on here. My problem is it's hard for me to pay attention to an entire album of hers. It kind of starts sounding all the same. Some similarly styled instrumentation while she's telling stories while sing-talking.

One of the things I feel like I'm objectively wrong about.... but this just doesn't work for me. I really don't like how it sounds and meanders, I always concentrate more on music than lyrics and I think that's a flaw for this type of music. I'm sorry Joni, I think I have to read her words on their own to really appreciate it. 3 - just cause it feels like the most neutral rating I can give to something I'm sure is good but that just doesn't work for me

Joni Mitchell is very cool, but this album was a little lacklustre

I like Joni but for me this is too jazzy Joni wailing above noise. I prefer the clean songs with beautiful melodies.

It aight -6/10

I don’t know why on earth I gave Blue a 5. I want to love Joni Mitchell but I just don’t. This album was good enough and I enjoy the energy but I think it’s much better as an album than as individual songs. As in I’d prolly skip most of the songs if they popped up on a playlist. Something ab the way her songs flow just don’t do it for me. 7/10

Not bad, I prefer one of her other albums we reviewed that I forgot the name of and am too lazy to lookup. She's good at what she's doing but it's fairly similar throughout her career from what I'm hearing.

It's pleasant, jazzy and well produced. Furry Sings the Blues got me a little. Blue Motel Room had a nice vibe. Joni is talented, but her vocal style just doesn't click for me.

Yea, pretty sweet

+1 for the accompaniment

Moving from a kind of pop sound to something more open.

I've encountered these types of albums before. I find them delightful. It feels more of a diary entry set to music than an album. Thats not a bad thing. The prospect of listening to a series of crafted songs for listening to while on radio, is not this type of album. I feel I can dip into and out of the words and the lyrics, if I want to, or it can wash over me like a comfortable balm. Either way, its a lovely discover, and I gotta say, Canadians rock. Even if it is quiet subdued and quirky melodic poetic-rocking like this. Almost 4 stars, but not quite. 3.

This was tough. Blue is a five star album. Her voice is great, but I found myself getting bored with this one though. Seems kind of aimless, like a strong editor/producer might have helped.

Fine, but nearly as good as the other Mitchell albums that are included on this list. A welcome respite from the over abundance of horrendous electronica on the list though.

01) Coyote - 8,0 02) Amelia - 7,0 03) Furry Sings The Blues - 6,5 04) A Strange Boy - 7,0 05) Hejira - 6,5 06) Song For Sharon - 7,5 07) Black Crow - 7,0 08) Blue Motel Room - 7,0 09) Refuge Of The Road - 6,5 TOTAL: 7,00 (70/100) Current ranking: 149/219 This is great storytelling, but musically I find this boring. I wouldn't even say musically, the music is ok, but the final product, the songs themselves are boring. There is no chorus, no hook, nothing to catch on to. Joni Mitchell definitely deserves to be here, but I still hope there are better albums of hers on this list than this one. If not, then I'm not a fan.

I don't know who this is for, but it's not for me.

Mitchell is one if the great 20th century folk music poets. Her lyrics are often compared to the likes of Nobel prize winner Bob Dylan. 'Hejira' was inspired by her travels across America in the mid-70s and document a time of wandering, drug use, spirituality, and experiences with different lovers. It's refreshing to hear all of that from a woman's perspective, breaking the mold of traditional feminine roles in music and society. Musically, Mitchell moves away from her folk roots here with traces of restless experimentation and subtle jazz influences. Quite a few big name artists have named this one of their all time favorite albums and it's certaining interesting.

Really not sure what to rate this. Felt kind of bored listening to this, definitely solid though.

Ha Joni! Ik word dan altijd enthousiast, omdat er een Joni-hater in ons luisterclubje zit. En dat kan nog wel eens een leuke rating-aantekening opleveren. Of zal dat meevallen dat keer? Want zo gek maakt Joni het deze keer ook weer niet. Ze levert in zijn soort best een goed album. Je moet wel goed geslapen hebben, voordat je het aanzet. Anders red je het niet tot het eind. Daarom is 3 sterren ook wel weer ruim voldoende.

Liked it more than I thought I would.

I actually enjoyed most of this album, it was more accessible than other's I've heard and listened to it all the way through, which is saying something because I normally find it hard to make through most of her albums. The breezy light jazzy sound is fine and I don't mind her voice on this one. I realize she's a Canadian treasure, super influential, important female folk artist, who has all the credentials to be a Hall of Famer, but I still stop short of calling myself a fan.

I like it better than Court and Spark, but not as much as Blue. Musically, it’s all pretty good, chiming guitar and excellent bass work courtesy of Jaco Pastorius. But, this is the Joni Mitchell album that most exposes her biggest failing in my eyes. Her utter and baffling aversion to recognisable melody of any sort. She sounds like she doesn’t write any melodies and just improvises them over her accompaniment. And it’s a shame, because all of the lyrics are quite good. They’d just be better and more memorable if if backed by a strong melody rather than the wavering, uncertain style of melody that Mitchell usually goes for. On the other hand, maybe that’s the point? She’s uncertain about her place in her life, on the road, and she’s reflecting that in her melodies? Perhaps, but she was playing that same shit on Court and Spark, and I can’t think of any reason to justify that thematically

Shoot, my rating didn't take. I had hesitations coming into this album. I remember making fun of my mom with my dad singing Joni Mitchell. It was listenable, but not tremendously enjoyable.

First time listener.. I enjoyed the story telling and easy listening.

Nice sounds

A bit slow.

Fine sange, men lidt for store til min smag..

Not actually that bad. Wasn’t expecting anything and didn’t hate it.

Last Joni on the list?

nostalgic

Decent set of songs

Gave it a couple listens bc it sounds like she was saying a lot and I may have missed something. I just kept zoning out even on the second listen, I really liked Blue but Herija just didn’t click for me, maybe I’m dumb, maybe Joni’s flighty deliver flew right over my head today. 3 stars

Très Midnight Shutdown, j'aime beaucoup. Super voix, cet album a très bien vieilli.

Probably the 5th best Joni album.

Respect for her musicianship and songwriting, still I never could quite connect with her music. A 3 from me for general pleasantness but I don't think I'd spin the whole album again.

Voice beautiful, atmosphere sometimes also catching, lyrics interesting, but still... I can't find it very inspiring

Feels longer than 50 minutes, I don’t think I will be listening to this again. Not bad tho.

6/10 One of those "I can see that it is a very good, maybe even great" albums, but not for me personally Jazzy folk rock, not a lot of melody or hooks - which are important to me - and more focused on poetic, long, storytelling-style lyrics Great voice and guitar work, although the music does all blur into one Best: Song for Sharon

Didn't hate it, love her lyrics and voice. But damn, it was boring. It just didnt come together for me.

I definitely liked this more than hissing lawns. A couple of tracks I actually really liked - Amelia, song for Sharon, blue motel room. But still this is like 3/5.

A true neutral for me. Nothing to dislike, but also nothing that really spoke to me. Coyote feels like a good example of Joni Mitchell's sound, but it's not all that exciting. Legitimately surprised this is here.

Great voice, great writing, glad she's back on Spotify. Not quite as good as "Blue" but still very good. There's something about her voice. 3.5

its weird mix between pop and folk and for that its fine

It was okay, too slow for me though

Furry Sings the Blues

Better than I thought it would be

Very pleasant to listen to.

Not available on Spotify

First time listening to Joni Mitchell intentionally, it was pleasant in the moment I also don’t think I would seek this out in the future

Joni has made better stuff, but this is good. Some amazing jazz and blues turns for this remarkably versatile and talented singer/songwriter. But, this sound isn't mine - for me, it's all pretty much - meh.

Much better than the other Joni’s ones we’ve had. 3.5 really but rounded down to be mean for no reason.

Very chill album. Definitely isn't bad but not much standed out for me. I'm pretty indifferent with it

I'm more familiar with the acoustic sound than this jazzier sound, I like the conversational story telling, need to give the album a few more tries

This is the third Joni Mitchell album on the list so far and the songs on “Hejira” are more languid and stretch out more than the songs on “Blue” or “Court and Spark.” The music feels inspired by the open road and the American west. More than usual for her music, I feel I need to pay a little closer attention to the lyrics or else the songs drift by. The guitars on “Black Crow” are cool. It’s one of the few songs with a driving momentum. This is a nice, mostly gentle album. I'll give it a few more plays to see how it grows on me.

Joni Mitchell twice in a row. Love it. This one feels a little more modern than "Court and Spark", which was just before this one on the list. Probably because of the fretless bass on track 1. "Coyote" is a great starter. I particularly love the groove and unrelenting energy in it. I love this album cover and the technique- I think it's called a double exposure? It's cool and makes an artistic choice to not have so much of her black coat fill up the image. Overall great record. I think I like "Court and Spark" more, and it's hard to not compare when they are so close in proximity on this list.

Love the landscapes that this album conjures up, I love that bass that runs through the album like a river. Love how fully realized of an album this is. I didn’t always love the lyrics though.

Folk. Interesting soft chillmusic. Very 70's

This was ok. I'm not the biggest fan of Joni Mitchell. I don't think her music is bad, but it's not something that I'm usually in the mood to listen to.

Relaxing, easy listening experience 3/5

I just don't know if I'll ever be a Joni Mitchell, even if I really want to?

Joni Mitchell has a lovely voice, her lyrics are thoughtful, and the music is pretty, but I wish there was more variety (in terms of up-tempo vs downtempo, different styles/genres, and mixing up the instruments) because I began to get bored listening to it. The songs, for me, began to blend together. Joni and her guitar, sometimes backed by bass, flutes and some backup singers, but all the songs begin to bend together for me. I prefer "Court and Spark," which has some variety to it.

I wanted to rate this higher because I liked the lyrics/storytelling, and the instrumentals were nice, but the cadence of her singing sort of lost me. I think this is one I need to revisit. 3 for now, but it’s on the cusp of 3.5…

Mi ne povis aŭskulti ĉi tion ĉe Spotify. La albumo ne estas malbona. 3/5

The Music, especially Jaco made this more interesting and enjoyable. we already have like three joni mitchell albums which is way more than needed. Three stars for Jaco and the band. 2 for joni

Not a huge Joni Mitchell fan, but I was pleasantly surprised by this record. I think a lot of it has to do with the instrumentation. I love Joni's guitar tone on here for some reason. And, of course, Jaco's phenomenal bass playing makes the record in my opinion. I believe one of the things holding this record back is Joni's vocal delivery. Not a big fan of the talk-singing that she does. For me, it makes it kinda hard to follow the lyrics.

Different bluesy sound than earlier Joni. Enjoyed it.

Eh, not my favorite.

Not bad. Artsy. Not really for me but I can appreciate it. Trying to decide 3 vs 4 stars..

It's fine, I guess? I listened to the whole album and I'm just not into it. Its not bad, though, its just not for me. 3/5

Avec Mitchell, c’est surtout l’entrelacement de la voix et du texte. J’avais parfois l’impression que la musique avait une vie à part.

Couldn’t listen to this on Spotify

Really good album. The only song I did not enjoy was the title track. There is something dissonant about the way it sounded to me. Minus 1 for the severed penis haha

Gosh, what would we have had if Jaco Pistorius had a long career and didn’t die in a bar fight? His bass lines on this disc are sublime. “There’s something comforting about melancholy” - yup, I see the birth of Lana Del Rey and St Vincent in this album. It’s nice; it’s lovely rainy day music.

Beautiful wordy music with altered tuning guitars, and Jaco Pastorius' warm and round-sounding singing fretless bass. A bit too floaty and indistinct from one song to the next to want to revisit often, but lovely while I was listening to it.

Could see myself listening again.

Interesting

A cozy atmosphere surrounds this album. Really nice, although songs are a bit anonymous

This is the third Joni Mitchell album I've listened to on this list so far. Hope its my last

Not bad, I like her sing talking vibe and some really groovy instrumentals. Points of for not being on spotify

I've never listened to Joni Mitchell on purpose before. I didn't hate it, but probably wouldn't again

This all very same-y. I think it's OK but would like more variety.

Good but not her greatest imho.

The voice is great, the songwriting is occasionally awesome - but the mid-70s production is where this suffers. A bit too polished or trebley, or maybe it's the high bass lines, or something. Nice but not the best Joni on offer.

Some beautiful songs. But also pretty similar, making the whole album a bit boring sometimes.

Joni took her music off of Spotify. Listened on YouTube. More folksy storytelling like Dylan. Smooth and chill for the most part. I really like her voice, but the freewheeling nature of some of the songwriting keeps it from being super memorable.

Went into a wikipedia rabbit hole looking at Saskatoon Canada as I was listening to this. Canada is crazy, there's so much land and I feel like it must be snowy like 75% of the year in 75% of Canada. The fact that there are nightclubs in Saskatoon and that Joni Mitchell used to play in them blew my mind. Decent album but after a while the sound got kind of old to me :(

Niet zo spectaculair

Like an obviously objectively beautiful album, especially the guitar on song for Sharon, but not for me

I like this more than "Blue", but still, there's something about Joni's delivery that rubs me the wrong way. On paper this should be exactly my cup of tea, but in practice, no, I do not like. Fave track - "Hejira" maybe?

I don’t hate it, but I’m not enjoying it. The writing is fantastic as Joni’s always is, but the songs are repetitive and monotonous. Her vocals are completely inoffensive and that’s all. All very meh, to me. 3/5

A calm morning listen. Reminds me of my mom

There is a reason why she sold so many albums. She is smooth enough to tell a story even without a solid voice

Huh. Joni Mitchell makes a Joni Mitchell album. It's about as Joni Mitchell as Joni Mitchell can be. You can hear Pastorius from a mile away. It's a nice combo. Unfortunately, Joni Mitchell is another one of those "tolerate in small doses" artists, and this whole album is too much for me to ingest in a sitting.

Can’t listen due to rogan

This unfortunately was a bit of a miss. Joni Mitchell is iconic, I love Blue and Court And Spark. But this one stays too much in the same style. It feels musically a big uninteresting, doesn’t really go anywhere. But it’s mostly a lyrical story I think. Her voice is good though. 6 out of 10

Not on Spotify

Not bad, but not her greatest work.

I’ve always enjoyed this album. An expansive sound and feel with some great bass playing from Jaco Pastorius. It’s not particularly easy to dip in and out. I think it’s much more of a textured whole album listening experience and surprisingly works well as background music too. A high 3, but not immediate enough for the big 4.

Decent album. Had a good time with the country ones on this list.

Боб Дилан в юбке... такая же нужная музыка

This is the second Joni Mitchell album that I've gotten. This one was alright, the other one is my favorite by far. I'm still looking forward to hearing more of her music. I enjoyed this one enough.

Cool

I'm thinking Joni Mitchell has a beautiful voice but her music is just not my thing

Joni is an excellent story teller, and an exceptional poet. Her music is more than just music, it’s truly and art. I believe this album has songs that take time to digest though.

I need more melodies, Joni. You can ramble some, but you've got to come back and catch me sometime.

My second Joni Mitchell album. Liked it less than Blue which his really grown on me. Could see myself really diving deep into her discography. 3.5/5

Interesting music. More like telling stories over a few instruments doing their own thing. Just OK.

Difícil opinar sobre un disco para el que solo hay una canción en Spotify. Aun así, se nota que es una voz con carácter y que imprime fuerza

This is where Joni kind of loses me. She abandons traditional pop/rock, folk/pop song structures and turns to modern jazz arrangements and chord progressions. And I'm not really down. Often I find it tough to latch onto a musical thread, and if I do the singing often doesn't follow tat thread. I'm sure that her poetic and lyrical talents are there in spades. However the music does not make want to discover them. 3 stars

Didn't particularly grab me this one.

Not on Spotify and I'm not hunting it down

Joni Mitchell is just something special. This entire album feels like being wrapped in a warm blanket and taken on a cozy drive. It is the epitome of sung poetry. I feel like each song is a glance into one of Joni's life experiences, each wrapped in a certain amount of mystery for the listener to unravel. Joni's voice and the way that she sings is incredibly soothing and sweet all throughout. The music gives off a folky, familiar vibe, but not TOO familiar -- it's complex and rich and different in all the right places. I am not super familiar with Joni's discography, but I'm familiar enough with her to know that she deserves spots, multiple, on this project, and this album feels right being here.

Joni on Joni.. 3/5 koska keskiverto miehen nimi heh

Never listened to Joni Mitchell before. Liked the album, bass was superb, Jacob P sliding all over the place.

Joni Mitchell has a liltingly lovely voice but this album felt like a lot of the same to me.

Pop?

Més musical que els seus treballs anteriors, i les cançons viuen per elles mateixes i no només per les seves lletres. Res per embogir, però una grata sorpresa, venint d'una artista que sempre m'ha semblat sobrevalorada

She's nice i guess

I didn't enjoy this one as much as Blue, but I still liked this well enough that I'm not worried about the other Joni Mitchell albums on the list. I can only hope that I still haven't reached the peak of her music. I really adored Blue Motel Room off this album, though, may be my favorite song of hers, just not enough here to raise it to the four star rating.

I enjoyed this - a pretty little collection of stories with mostly really good lyrics and a nice bit of sass. Occasionally gets a bit rambly, and the album is a little bit same-y, so 3/5.

Not available to stream.

Love her voice and the songs really speak.

Aight.

Joni is a classic songwriter, a free spirited bard, and the songs had some great lyrics. “I know, no one's going to show me everything We all come and go unknown Each so deep and superficial Between the forceps and the stone” The album did start to feel repetitive though, even if it was a good jam. Glad I took the time to listen, and probably would do well to spend some more time on her prose, but I don’t currently feel a huge pull to replay.

Different, I'd give it another listen, love the contrast between some of the singing and the bass

Enjoyed

People jizz their pants over Joni Mitchell but I just don't get it. Her voice is amazing but at times her songs seem like the ramblings of a crazy person. Good background music but just a 3 for me

Really lovely album. Not one I knew and the jazz/fretless bass instrumentation great. Just not the songs.

Фолк-джаз-рок который больше фолк и немного джаз. Довольно приятно, классно сведено и ясно понимаешь, что здесь концетрация на голосе и лирике, а музыка очень грамотно дополняет. Бас часть классная, ритм секция слишком классическая для бардовской песни. Тяжело сказать, что понравилось. Было довольно приятно и классно послушать пока колесишь куда-то вдаль, но не слишком зацепило. Буду идти по Теминой системе и поставлю 3

Хм, интересно, альбом был не доступен на споти... но не суть Первый раз услышал имя, услышал песни. Впечатления как от пластинки Сида Баррета: ну, вроде прикольненько, но как-то не особо цепляет. Мне даже много писать про альбом не хочется :( 3/5

Приятно, но в какой-то момент отвлекся. Внимание вернул black crow и последние 2 трека додержали. Хз, не оч мое. Без последних было бы 2, а так 3

More like a 3.5, really enjoyed the instrumentation in a lot of the songs

Not as compelling as the other Folk albums I've listened to

I can tell this is a good album, just hasn’t quite clicked with me yet. One I may come back to at a later point, but for now I can appreciate it is worth it’s place on the list.

Good music but most of it sounds too similar.

I'm glad I listened to this twice. On first listen where I wasn't paying as much attention I felt I didn't appreciate it that much..on second listen I got way more into it. Mostly I love the story telling, tis obscure songs about people or places. I like that it feels distinctly American with the things she describes. Like being followed around by a coyote

Kind of the same as all Joni Mitchell but not bad at all

Excluding the state I'm currently in, which is not the albums fault, it does have its merits.

Nice album although not something I'd listen to loads

Verrassend sfeervolle en fijne muziek. Wat blues, wat jazz, wat country en bluegrass, met vlagen wat ambient-achtig en wat 'spoken word' uit een tijdperk waarin spoken word nog niet bestond. "Coyote", "Furry Sings The Blues" en "A Strange Boy" vind ik best geniaal. Van mij zou ze net iets vaker haar mond mogen houden en de muziek lekker laten doorlopen, maar het is niet gruwelijk storend. Na 5 nummers gaat het album harder over de klippen dan een zachte band op de straten van Bakoe. Het werd onverwacht toch een kleine aanslag op het uithoudingsvermogen. 5/5 voor de eerste helft, 2/5 voor de tweede helft. Ik hou het op 3 sterren.

Interesting

Try as I might, none of her songs ever seem to make any impression on me. Not unpleasant though.

i like joni mitchells hippy folk groove. it feels a bit dusty, but still flows in an endearing way. her poetic language is challenging, silly, interesting. she not half bad.

I have a hard time rating this one. The playing and arrangements are so cool. I love all the guitars on this record and jacos playing is beautiful. I have a lot of respect for Joni but there’s something about her voice that I never really got into. The spoken word kind of poetry singing doesn’t really do it for me.

This is very emotive and evocative and I feel like I am on a meandering journey with her. I do however feel like I’ve ended up nowhere and the meandering was fairly aimless. I love her voice and the songs are beautiful, but what I feel at the end of the album is hollow. There are other Joni songs and albums. I’d rather journey on.

3 Pure folk. I found Joni's style of songwriting interesting, as it seems to be a form of personal storytelling and often lacks any kind of chorus. That being said, while unique, it doesn't necessarily result in overly-interesting music. Most of the songs sound pretty similar if not the same, and while personal, lyrics often feel very surface-level... like she's just describing the itinerary of her day spent in a new town. That isn't the case for all tracks though - the title track in particular I found to be pretty lyrically strong. That all being said, I really didn't hate any of it, and I really enjoyed her voice, so this is probably mid-tier for me. Would be curious to hear more of her music. Favorite songs: Hejira, Coyote, Blue Motel Room

Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Yes, has a western cowboy kinda feel to it, a certain oomph of a redemption arc for the first part, mellows out towards the end Favourite song: Track 4 - A strange Boy

Enjoy her move towards an even jazzier sound, but it kind of just washed over me on first listen. Enchanted by the concept of a road album, and would love to continue to examine this with repeated listens, but the experience is hampered by the fact that she removed her catalog from Spotify...

Definitely not my thing. It's fine, but too straight and cute for my tastes.

Yeah, I'm sorry but I can't get into that album at all. The production is surpringly cold for an album that seemingly wants to show a lot of depth. The fretless bass doesn't help with that. I'm still giving it a 3 because it's Joni and the compositions are mostly good, but I hate how this album sounds.

It's good, but I probably won't return to it.

Not her best at all, hope there's a few more from her in the 1001

It wouldn't be in my top 5 from Joni Mitchell, but it's still enjoyable as she's always doing quality and music with good vibes.

I often wonder why I like Joni Mitchell's music so much; this album goes a long way to explaining it.

This album was kind of boring to me. Basically every song is one note. They don't sound bad, but they don't do much to keep my attention. But this was alright. my favourite song was Song for Sharon.

I think the inclusion of Jaco Pastorius is a big plus on this album and certainly a factor in why it got the nod to be on this list. When folk/soul artists venture into the free-form improvisational space (Tim Buckly/Van Morrison/Joni) I don't like it as much as when they sing catchy songs with memorable choruses. As a side note this LP reminds me of Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks in that she has a song for every past lover.

A more experimental LP from Mitchell which still stays true to her singer-songwriter roots. Not every instrumental sound lands well (the filtery bass sounds especially dated), but they're still a small yet welcome departure from the artist's tried-and-true formula.

Good, but God damn it I hate YouTube music Joni. In this case I found that Joni sounded a bit tired, detracting from her normal performance.

не впечатляет меня Джони(

I enjoy Joni Mitchell and had heard this album had a huge influence on a lot of people. Unfortunately I don't quite get why. She is a super talented songwriter, but the music itself is pretty generic jazzy stylings and didn't strike me as all that inspired. I should like the jazz but it just didn't do anything for me. It sounded like a rock person trying to do jazz and not quite understanding what makes jazz jazz.

This is why I like this little exercise of ours. Before yesterday, I'd never been able to get past the third song of this album, which is a shame because I know it's widely considered one of her best albums and I love Joni. Blue might be my favorite album by anyone. So I've always wanted to like this one, but always turned it off after the first three songs. I don't know why, exactly. Something about the sound and the rambling tunes and her Sprechstimme delivery. But this time around, I kept listening and I'm glad I did. I enjoyed Strange Young Boy and the title track and I just kept liking it more and more from there on. Maybe I've finally cracked the code on this thing. My 3-star rating might seem a little low but I'm hoping this one grows on me. BTW, the Wikipedia article for this album is worth reading. She led (is leading) quite a life. Makes me want to check out a biography of her. (Also, somewhat unrelated, but that article led me down a dark rabbit hole about Jackson Browne and what an abusive shit he was/is. And I wonder how guys like that got away with that for so long.)

I'm so torn on this stuff. I think the arrangements and rambling melodies work amazingly well for something that has no hooks. As non-engaged as I am by every song here, I can't say the songs are bad. Like the last thing we listened to of hers - the unpredictable nature of the tunes are great - breath-of-fresh-air great. But man, they ramble and I can't get into them. Seems like something that if I listened to it nonstop for a week it would click. But like this, I just can't get in the door.

To cite John Mill: this one of Mitchell’s good, but not as good as her others

Never been a big Joni Mitchell fan. Or pop/country fan for that matter. Listened through track 5 “Hejira.” Didn’t really care for it. Not bad—just not my taste. I suppose I’ll finish it. Doesn’t compare to “In Utero” or “No More Shall We Part”—in my humble opinion.

Wish I could enjoy JM. I like singer songwriters. I like (some) jazz. I like some odd voices (N. Young, Hammill) However I can't gel with JM. Frustrating. I can't get along with the tunelines of her vocal delivery and I find the wandering bass very annoying. It all washed over me in a very unsatisfying way. Sorry. 2.75

Wide open melancholy sailing through sound pictures and swirling tones. Pulls down. Don't know if I want to go there. Listening to the lyrics, interesting window to the singer's psyche. I think I prefer the Ladies of The Canyon era. I can appreciate the artistry here, although so far not bringing me to a place that i want to linger for very long.

Even after a few listens, this didn't stand out for me.

Pleasant album, nice songs, but listening to it looks like listening to endless album. As for me, It has to be more mo dynamics.

Not bad but nothing I was truly interested in.

This is my first time listening to a full Joni Mitchell album, and it was really cool to hear as so many of my favourite artists are heavily influenced by her. However, I don't think this album really clicked for me on a first listen, mainly because I'm someone who relies heavily on hooks and melodies in songs in order for them to stick with me afterwards, but the songwriting and instrumentals were really amazing throughout and I'd be happy to revisit it at some point. ((final 4 tracks were my favourites))

Joni Mitchell songs just sound like Joni Mitchell songs.

I don't know how to define "adult contemporary" but I think this is what it sounds like. Beautifully sung story songs that sound like they came from experience. And of course Jaco Pastorius is the man.

Amazing guitar work and storytelling, along with a very interesting and laidback sound. However, I would have liked for the songs to have something change in them here and there, such as a change in tempo or dynamics as they tend to blend in with each other and it makes the album drag on a bit. Nevertheless, Joni is remarkable and underrated in my opinion!

Not on Spotify but presumed ‘I would be okay with this’

Joni is kind of like the female Randy Newman. She just kinda sings about what she sees as she's going around. There is a lovely ethereal quality to this, and I ended up liking it more than I expected, but the lyrics are just ridiculous. Also she looks like a frankenstein on that cover.

I've never been much of a Joni Mitchell fan. I recognize her talent, but her vocal delivery has always rubbed me the wrong way. Having said that, I enjoyed this album more than anything else I've heard from her. 3 stars.

Good album, but not really floating the old ketch at the minute. Must listen with more intensity.

I enjoyed the time of this album and the production. Very crisp, good vocal, warm instrumentals. That bass was a stand out. The only thing that lacked (and I get it was on purpose) were hooks, choruses. It made the tracks blur together.

Good album. Very Joni Mitchell.

Not bad

Bit like Dylan - great songwriting but not good to listen to. No harmonica though, so that's a bonus

I just couldn't focus for a whole song.

Working my way through the albums that weren't available on Spotify when they came up for our group, but they are available now, playing catch up. All I knew about Joni Mitchell was Big Yellow Taxi, so not much to form an opinion on. Most of the songs on the album feel too talky and repetitive, could probably be much shorter, but still I quite liked the overall vibe. Quality listen.

Joni is de ultieme 'rebound'; Het werkt alleen als op hele specifieke momenten, houdt nooit lang stand, maar je kan er soms toch van genieten.

Nou vooruit, Joni krijgt een 3 omdat ze toch wel een prachtige stem heeft en mooie zanglijnen produceert.

Niets op aan te merken, wel op het feit dat zowat elk album van Joni in deze lijst terechtgekomen is. Ik wil diversiteit!

This wasn't available on Spotify, but I found all of the songs on YouTube. Overall this was okay. Folksy and Joni has a good voice. Nothing really grabbed me though.

I wasn't into most of this but I did kinda like Coyote and I really liked A Song for Sharon :) And I can see it is an album maybe I'd enjoy a bit more in a different mood? 3

Folk. Soul. Aburrido.

Fine enough sound. Enjoyed the bass lines

Best Song: Amelia. Something about the lyrics and the subject matter really works here. "Like Icarus ascending / on beautiful and selfish arms". Very hippy aesthetic in the instrumentals as well. Worst Song: A Strange Boy. The story-telling style here begins to deviate into rambling. And some of the lyrics are too on-the-nose (e.g., "drunk on love"). Overall: A wild and uninhibited set of stories that fluctuate between seemingly stream of consciousness to deeper, more poetic observations. The album feels very "free", but at times I wished it had more structure.

Now I find myself in the weird position of reviewing an album that I've owned on vinyl for more than a decade but somehow never listened to. The reason why I've never listened to it is because Joni Mitchell has never "clicked" with me. The reason why I still have it is: 1) so people will think that I am smart and sensitive, and 2) because a lot of people who's musical opinions I respect really like Joni Mitchell. This album continues that trend for me. This album also doesn't click for me, but I can see why people like it. It's interesting, no question. It does not sound like it's tied to one particular time period. I definitely wouldn't say that it's of its time. Mitchell has a well-developed style that sets her apart. It doesn't particularly work for me, but it's also hard for me to dislike it because she is doing something different here and executing her vision well. 3/5

Lyrical songsmith weaving gentle poetic stories of the open road and freedom. Being trapped in a lift with her whilst she did this would be hell on earth.

I can tell it's 'good'; the musical style is rich and exotic and self-assured, Joni's lyrics are always worth listening to, and I'm sure it would reward repeated listens (especially while road-tripping across America). But a chorus or a hook once in a while couldn't hurt, right?

Coyote is a good song. Very laid back album.

Rating: 6/10

Pleasant listening, with some interesting twists here and there

Had no way to listen

I think I've listened to Hejira before because I've seen this album from Joni Mitchell recommended elsewhere. None of the songs sounded familiar, but it's good to hear Mitchell's familiar voice. I don't think that any of the tracks have a traditional verse-chorus, verse-chorus structure. Mitchell has built the tracks around story-telling, but even if I wasn't paying 100% attention to the stories I could enjoy the music as a whole. I'm not sure if I'll remember to come back to this album again, but I enjoyed this visit.

Nice and serene music. I love the dreamy guitar sound, and the nice bass playing. A lot of the songs were a bit slow and long for me. I'm having trouble remembering any of the songs specifically, but the vibe was nice. Wish she hadn't joined the censorship bandwagon and taken her music off Spotify.

Some good songs. Ended up enjoying it more than I expected.

Joni Mitchell nous propose sur cet album une démonstration de comment complétement rater son imitation de Lana del Rey. Tout est absolument raté, aucune émotion n'est transmise. A ne reproduire sous aucun pretexte.

Interesting album. Much more jazzy than previous JM albums I have listened to. Enjoyed it but probably wouldn't listen again. 3.5/5

Quite clearly Joni Mitchell and good as background music. She’s very talented but I wouldn’t want to listen to her exclusively. Can’t criticise so 3*

I get that this is a road album but a fair bit of it landed too far on the meandering side of song structure for me. Unfocused. Though when it hits right as on the title track it’s pretty strong.

Who cares?

Why did Joni opt to have her left hand protruding like a chode from a road on the front cover of this album? What's she trying to say? What's the deeper meaning?

Very chill, but songs were a bit too long for my liking

i grew up listening to joni, and to be honest we never totally clicked. i of course know and love some of her songs but honestly it just gets kind of …boring. i feel bad saying that but it’s a little true. i still enjoyed it, but not spectacular.

1.67

I loved Blue. Still an album I return to. Part & Parcel or Steak & Stein, or whatever it was called was pretty good. Now? This record is almost too Joni Mitchell-y. It's words put in combinations and sequences that my lethargic brain would have no prayer of assembling, which SHOULD be a good thing. I am so very tired of the nomadic gypsy schtick that, even today, permeates the "My primary goal is to to be perceived as intelligent" crowd. You know, like "Can't tie me down, man. Sure, it may look as though I have a deep-seated fear of commitment and everyone discovering me for the fraud I am, so I dress up my pursuit of base human desires as deep and meaningful in order to project an image of confidence and also to deaden the shrieking of my disapproving father's ghost in my mind" That kind of thing. This was another Joni Mitchell album, and the least likeable of the three. 2 GENRE: Mom is taking the divorce well (?)

Sorry Joni. You didn’t grab me.

Very well written. Decent. Found it hard to care about what the fuck she was talking about most of the time though Wouldnt choose to put it on. 2.5

Nice enough but this is on me. I wasn’t in the mood to listen to it. Sorry

I like joni but theres nothing here Ill probably play again.

Not her greatest. Not even good.

I still don't like Joni Mitchell but now I know where the phrase "boom boom pachyderm" came from. 2.5

I never did like Joni Mitchell's music, and this album met my preconceived expectations precisely. She's smart and talented, but every song just feels like too much word salad crammed together. I guess I don't want to listen to songs that force me to pay close attention in order to make sense of them.

BORRRRINNNNGGGGG

--Coyote...it's a solid groove. vocals seem improvisational. too wordy. let the music do the cooking here, Joni --Amelia...again, the music is compelling but her vocals feel random and get in the way --Furry Sings the Blues...instrumentation and the vocals seem very disconnected on this entire LP --A Strange Boy...vocals and instrumentation are more cooperative here --Hejira...maybe her lyrics are super awesome and I'm too dumb to understand them but I consistently find the instrumentation quite compelling and the vocals incredibly annoying --Song for Sharon...pleasant but why is it nine minutes long? --Black Crow...funky bass --Blue Motel Room...this was nice --Refuge of the Roads...I did not enjoy the front half of this LP because it felt like her vocals were actively fighting the instruments. the second half settled into a less antagonistic groove and I enjoyed it a little more

langweilig und weinerlich, nichts für mich

not available on Spotify so I didn't listen. I will say JM is not really my jam. 2/5

A lot of these songs kinda went on and on and felt very similar. There wasn't a ton of super interesting stuff, but this wasn't bad. Liked Songs: "Coyote" , "Amelia" , "A Strange Boy" , and "Refuge of the Roads"

Quite a drag. Nearly a 1 but felt that would have been a tad harsh.

I was bored

лайтовая кантри музыка приятная, но не запоминающаяся прослушал для галочки

If you’ve heard one Joni album, you’ve heard them all. No thanks. I don’t need whiney hippy music I don’t need to judge it as I already know it Lyrically it’s ok Vocally it’s too much to beat Musically it’s ok but can’t be saved. Move on

What if Bob Dylan and Lenord whoever, but girl?

Not for me.

I liked that more than I would ever have guessed. Some of the tracks did seem to ramble on a bit, all one paced. But her voice is great, and the music is beautifully arranged.

wasnt a fan, it was a bit drab and boring

Meh.

I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a Joni Mitchell song that didn’t sound like every song on this album.

You do have to hand it to Joni, it is rare talent to have an amazing voice which portrays great emotion and still make every song sound dull.

I can’t really fathom Joni Mitchell. There is something inherently likeable about her vocals, lyricism, wit and laid back vibe. The only problem is I don’t really like any of the actual songs, literally none of them I thought I’d want to hear again. All a bit puzzling.

3 - BAD

It’s beige. She should’ve been a poet.

Quite liked this. Can imagine a cross-US road trip with this as the soundtrack.

Pretty ok. Decent voice, but kinda boring music. Not my thing. 2.5/5

I had this Joni album before no? What's that? It was a *different* Joni album? Oh my mistake, but it's hard to tell.

I had a hard time getting into this. Mitchell's music here doesn't really have form or structure -- it's almost as if she's reciting poetry over backing tracks... no discernable melody, beat, etc. The musicianship leads to some cool musical moments -- the fretless bass and guitar in the title track got my attention, and the guitar solo in Black Crow was nice. Mitchell's voice is fine, but not particularly memorable for me. I could see how others may appreciate this music, but it's just not for me.

Most children, at some point, discover that poems don't have to rhyme. "Look at me, I'm so clever, I can just put random words together and it's a poem". Similarly, children find out about jazz and realise that songs don't have to have melodies, choruses or hooks. It feels to me like Joni Mitchell never moved past either of these phases. Which is a bit sad as I do like the *concept* of this album, but just not the slightly rambling reality.

Totally Forgettable.

She has nice lyrics, I enjoy reading them and respect her insightfulness. The music feels like pearls before swine. I'm missing something in the jazzy noodling.

Would like a little more variety in her singing.

I just could not get into this at all. It's basically a jazz album, so I guess that's not surprising. The vocals are fine and the musicianship is fine, but the way it all came together did not work for me. 1.7

Did not enjoy, annoying voice

More Joni Mitchell. Yay. More amateur poetry sang over music. There's no chorus, no verses, no structure to the songs at all. It's just stream of consciousness, She just sings whatever comes into her mind. At least coyote had an interesting story. Best song: Coyote

I do have the capacity to imagine why someone would enjoy this album. However, for me this is just terrible. It is musically uninteresting - its not much more than warm ups and background music for Joni Mitchell's awkward spoken word style "singing". And both her delivery and lyrics sound so inauthentic to me. Nothing she says sounds like the world I live in, it all sounds forced and inauthentic. It is self-parody in the extreme - but unintentional. Just terrible stuff all the way around.

Wish I liked her music more.

All the songs kind of sound the same, but they don't sound bad, just a lot like poetry being read out loud.

More self indulgent garbage from Joni Mitchell. The saving grace being the bass of Jaco Pastorius.

Also eh

She has a wonderful voice but the music just doesn’t vibe with me.

Idk just not a fan of the speak singing

Ok not really my thing but a nice singer

Mal se pozno lotevam dons - let's go! Tega albuma ne poznam nič, na splošno sm Joni do zdaj zelo površinsko. "Coyote", prvi komad, mi je bil kul. V tem njenem stilu, ki mi je poznan. Mhm, ja, glavni razlog zakaj površinsko samo poznam Joni, je preprosto to, da mi Joni baš ne potegne. Razen kak komad, mi je načeloma dost a snoozefest. "Furry Sings the Blues" in "A Strange Boy" se še spomnim, da sta se mi dopadla, sicer pa sm bolj čakala, da bo konc.

This is not my world. It's like a spoken word album about being pissed off, but it is quite lyrical. I will need to grow as a listener.

I don’t like her voice

I'm not sure it's really for me. Or maybe I'm just not in the mood. Slow. Fine but not doing much for me.

This was okay. It's very subdued and calm. I couldn't really get into this one very much though. Favourite Tracks(s): Blue Motel Room Least Favourite Track(s): Furry Sings the Blues

Not my favorite Joni

There's much to marvel att the way her words put pictures of places, charachters and situations in your mind. Unfortunately, they're not people, places or situations that interest me. But if you are an wealthy American with nothing to do I'm sure it resonates. Music and vocals OK.

Here's a little secret for you. All Joni Mitchell songs are the exact same. They all are EXACTLY the same as the last. It's all one song (and I'm really tired of it) Best Song: Coyote Rating: 4/10 Stars: 2

Ok

Not for me. I think the music saves this from being a one but not digging her singing style.

There's something off-putting about the way Joni Mitchell alternates between speaking and singing. I just could not get into this album. 2/5

*Not a style I like *Didn't love much of the background music and her sing/talking was not enjoyable

A little slow for my taste

Not bad but not really into folk music

Meh all sounded like 1song

I'm not really one for songs where they just kinda sing-talk over some music (with exceptions) and this is an album full of it. Not for me. Favorite Track: A Strange Boy

I didn't listen to the lyrics which should be the up of this songwriter.

Still pretty monotone and self-important. On part of Hejira, Pastorius’s bass brings urgency and depth that Joni Mitchell hadn’t explored before. That’s where the album works best. But overall, the songs feel loosely built and tend to drift by, which just reminds me that clear, solid song structures usually exist for a good reason.

Day 154 Not my style at all. Highlights Hejira

It was fine.

Yeesh. What a bad album. It appears that Joni doesn't have much outside of her hits. I'll say 1.5, and I will round up to 2 because it wasn't quite bad enough to consider a 1. But what a woof album.

Favorite Tracks: Coyote? Rating: 2.2 Joni's voice is pleasant, I liked the low-key jazzy vibes, and the bass playing throughout is so warm and melodic and sophisticated...that signature Jaco fretless sound. But man this whole thing just ran together into one drowsy, meandering, rambling listen. Maybe I'd feel differently if I had really dug into it with the lyrics in front of me, and perhaps Joni's songwriting/poetry might have blown me away. But that's not typically how I listen to music, I dunno. On the whole, this was unobjectionable but didn't really do much for me. I put on Heavy Weather by Weather Report after this, and enjoyed that listen WAY more.

This album didn’t really connect with me. I don’t think it’s terrible by any means.

I gave her album 'Blue' 2 stars. How is this one supposed to be any better?

Didn't measure up to "Summer Lawns" at all.

this is not the first time i’ve tried listening to this album but i still only like the song amelia. that’s a beautiful song but i still can’t seem to like the rest, which i really really want to

Someone else put it best: this is hippy poetry spoken over music without any real coherence to it. It's like a more pretentious and all together worse Bob Dylan.

Not Joni's best and the only reason why it should be on this list is because before you die you should hear some Jaco Pastorius and Coyote, the first tune on here, can give even civilians some appreciation for his immense talent. If you need help appreciating the magnitude of his contribution to this song, compare this version to the one on the soundtrack to The Last Waltz recorded around the same time - The Band are no slouches, either. But they ain't Jaco. It's not Joni's fault that Jaco was a one-in-a-generation stylist who expanded our collective understanding of the possibilities of his chosen instrument. It's like having Jimi Hendrix or Charlie Parker or Billie Holiday backing you up. But it doesn't help that the songs on this are a little boring. It creates space for Jaco to take over, as he does on Coyote. When I listen to this record, which I have done many times but not recently, I usually listen to the first tune maybe 3 times in a row and then let it continue but get bored with the next tune (Amelia) and soon after start skipping to the other tunes Jaco plays on but before that process finishes I often find myself moving on to other early Jaco recordings where he still can't help but dominate but at least they are playing better tunes, like Pat Matheny's thrilling debut, Bright Size Life. Which is exactly what I am going to do now. Bye!

I think that it took me six weeks to listen to this in its entirety tells the story. I had to restart after: falling asleep (x3), headphones dying, a sudden need to stop listening and vacuum the house, lunch time, and one time I just got bored and wandered off.