Hejira

I have a problem with Joni’s delivery. Too flute-y, too lacking in edge or wry winks - even though I’ve heard that (rarely) on other albums. Here, on a first listen, I can tell the strong lyricism is there, but her affect rubs me the wrong way, and I was glad when it was over.

Too one note, a bit of a headache

Far too long and lyrical to really get into today, did kind of enjoy it though

I respect Joni Mitchell. The last album of hers I got had a surprise or two that made me respect her more. I still don't feel like listening to her. This was also fine, and not for me. .

Wasn’t really feeling this one.

Highlight of this album is Jaco’s bass playing but I will never be a fan of Joni’s lamentations.

I can see how some people have a connection to this album. But i do not unfortunately.

This sounds like she recorded her vocals and then they just layered some production that doesn't match underneath.

All songs sound kinda the same. If you love Joni, that's a good thing. I am not, though.

Joni Mitchell me suele costar un poco de trabajo y Hejira es, creo, su disco con el que más he batallado. No está mal, ni de lejos creo que no sea buena música, solo que yo la siento un tanto densa. No para mí.

I feel bad but I just don't get her. She's so boring to me. I know that's a me issue but it's the truth. 4/10

I know that I’m supposed to like Joni Mitchell but I just couldn’t get along with this album. Perhaps the lyrics are more meaningful than the tune but just found it all rather bland.

Didn't really vibe with it sadly

I have 2 Joni Mitchell albums-- Blue and Court and Spark. I look forward to hearing them on this site. Hejira was not my favorite.

Still not a Joni Mitchell fan

This was produced pretty well and the instrumentals were decent to good across many of the tracks, but the big downside is that her vocals just did not match with those in the slightest. The way she did a half talking half singing/ rambling style just didn't work for me and made it more annoying to listen to as it felt all so off beat. 2/5

5/10. Realmente no puedo valorar este disco más abajo porque reconozco la significancia de Joni Mitchell en la música, así como las buenas armonías y melodías de las canciones. Sin embargo, no logro conectar con esta música, ya lo he intentado previamente, pero para mí no llega a transmitir nada sentimental, o algo que pueda apreciar fuera de la monotonía de la cuasi perfección que generan los instrumentos en cada tema.

I like some Joni Mitchell songs, but I thought this was incredibly boring. Nothing stood out to me.

never really was a fan of vocal storytelling, good for background ambience. not a bad album, good tracks here and there, but it's not for me.

The music wasn't bad I just didn't really care for it.

It's not a bad album, it's just not for me

This whole album settles uneasily on my brain; these unfamiliar rhythms and chord changes disturb me a lot. In gives me the same feeling of "this has the components of musicality, yet my brain does not accept this as music" as Stephen Sondheim operas.

Being a dude means I am not the target demographic of this album. Otherwise the instrumentals are ok if a little repetitive, but that makes sense when the lyrics are more of metaphorical spoken words. That said, I can hear reflections of this in later artists like Sheryl Crow.

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"

The Good: A Joni Mitchell album The Bad: That is wasn’t the same experience as the other JM album I had to listen to on this list The Ugly: Trying to decipher what the hell Hejira stands for.. Hear Ji? Is JM dyslexic? Right. Done. Stick the fork in me… I don’t believe I need to listen to another JM via this list, and that’s fine by me at this moment. Really really really wanted to enjoy it… but couldn’t 2*

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.

You dort of know exactly what you're going to get from Joni. She has a great voice and sings very visual story songs, which are very pleasant. I don't mind listening to any of her songs, but I do struggle with an entire album. I can appreciate its quality, but it's just not my thing. Going to give this a 2.

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.

Ni fu ni fa

I'm going to blaspheme here, but i dont het the hype. This album is slightly better than previous as her voice seens to have matured and lost some of its reediness But the tunes and lyrics are still just bog standard.

This isn’t for me but I can see the appeal

Not terrible but a little too talky folk music for my taste.

It's good... I think

Moody and atmospheric. Just not my mood and not my atmosphere.

I know that Joni is revered, but I just didn't care for this album. There are some interesting parts to this, but too often I would start to like a song and it would change tact towards a direction that wasn't nearly as good. Beyond this, while Joni's voice is excellent, the lack of a melodic approach hurt many of these tracks. It was just all over the place for me.

Why so much talk of planes? I'm just bored of Joni. I like Blue, isnt that enough?

Sometimes I wonder if I was too unfair towards Joni Mitchell and 'Court & Spark', the first album of hers my group got. I mean, I'm very certain I didn't engage with it **at all**, so, yeah, I probably was. But I still hafta wonder: why? Did it just catch me on a bad day? Was I just not in the mood for it? Would I've liked this record even if I had been in the mood? Would it have mattered at all? And in the meantime Joni's name has become one of **the** ones I bring up when I express my issues with 60's/70's folkie singer songwriters. I don't even bring up Bob Dylan's name anymore, and he's most people's poster child for it. So here I am, then, with the second Joni Mitchell album on this list — my second chance to try and be fair to her. I know for a fact I'm in a much better mood than I was the last time, for one. And while I haven't gotten **that** much better at deciphering poetic lyrics (my AuDHD strikes again), I've come to realize, it's not about getting the "exact" meaning. As long as I can pull some kind of feeling out of what's being said, that's all that matters. (Though, just in case, I **did** look up all the song meanings ahead of time anyway.) I'm much better equipped to deal with Joni's music this time. This album, as I've read, is Joni's "therapeutic road record." Apparently she'd been travelling a lot prior to recording, and so these songs basically amount to a scattered travelog of where she'd been and all of the feelings she'd been feeling. Y'know, jus' gettin' it all down and out on record. So, y'know, it's a little bit of a "lore drop" album, and I've found lately I'm not too much a fan of those ... but this thing came out in the 70's, so it's not like we're supposed to listen to this like 'The Tortured Poets Department', huh? And I think it's fitting that this is Joni's "roadtrip record," 'coz I ended up feeling the same way about this record like I do most roadtrips: namely, they're long and boring and, gawd, I wish we'd get there already. Look, I really tried here, but I found this album to be such an absolute slog. I read along with the lyrics, and there is just something about the way Joni writes them that puts me to sleep. Like, sure, there are one or two neat turns of phrases here and then — I'll grant her that much. For the most part, however, they're verbose in a way I simply don't enjoy. If I hadn't read what these songs meant, I doubt I'd be able to parse them. Seriously, if you didn't know, what would **you** think "Amelia" is about? And even putting aside "understanding" the lyrics and trying to pull a feeling, I didn't get anything from 'em either. I don't wanna ask her to write simpler because I'm a big dummy who doesn't get it, but seriously now. The actual music on this thing sure didn't help. The big point I always make when I express my issue with 60's/70's folkie singer-songwriters is that the music is only there as a necessity. They don't wanna just be poets, so they toss together **just** enough of a backing so it can count as music and they can count as songwriters. I've never felt that more than here on this album. There's a lot more going on than the simple acoustic guitar plink-plonking you'd expect from these kind of people, but it only amounts to a whole lotta gawdamm **nothing**. Sure, sure, there's blues and jazz influences, and that's cool and all, but I don't **care**. It's atmospheric and spacey and structureless in a way where I just can't even begin to care about it. While listening to this album I tried to get into the mood by putting on some footage of someone driving from Calgary to Edmonton. It'd been filmed on a particularly grey and cloudy day. And, y'know, it'd be one thing if it was raining, at least. You'd at least get to enjoy the water droplets bouncing off the windshield and the rhythmic swish of the wipers. Nope — it was just grey. And boring. And long. And unlike a regular roadtrip, I don't even have the music I actually enjoy to keep me company. That's about how this album turned out for me, in short. "Prisoner of the white lines" indeed. And I'll say it again: I **really tried** here. I don't want it to come across like I just don't get what she's doing. I do, I absolutely do — and that's the issue. Because I **don't** like what she's doing. I mean, for sure, I've heard worse, and I **want** to give her some kind of benefit. But ... I'unno. I just wouldn't be too surprised if by the time I finish another one of her albums suddenly I'm not as inclined to be kind. For your sake, Joni, I'm hoping that's not the case ... this road trip with you could be a whole heck of a lot better, though. Just sayin'.

Some nice instrumentals, but the vocal parts sound like they’re just being made up as they go. Very undefined melodies. Every song sounds the same.

This is, I think the third Joni Mitchell album I've gotten in the generator and I'm at less than 200 albums so far. For the most part these albums don't diverge too much from each other and I wasn't in a great headspace to listen to it. That being said, this album feels like it goes nowhere. I was barely perceiving when one song ended and another started. Joni Mitchell seems to write lyrics like she's going to do some spoken word but then at the last minute decides to sing it. It's just a flurry of probably personal and unrelatable statements. Not that that is an invalid approach but it doesn't resonate with me

not for me but appreciate

Too whiny

2 out of 5 70 folk rock. Nice slow pace songe

Previously rated: #176 - Court And Spark (3/5) #266 - The Hissing Of Summer Lawns (3/5) #938 - Blue (2/5) ************************************************* Album #953 I recently had her most famous album, Blue, and I just didn't care for it. This one is about the same. Dull folk singer songwriter storytelling for 52 long minutes. Best track: Coyote

This woman is singing long tales about some stuff that I couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to. The only thing I liked about it was it gave me the vibe of a dark bar with an amateur band playing while dancing with someone like in the movies, but even then I would prefer it to be background music rather than actively listen to it.

Again her vocals don't convince me at all. Instrumentally nothing remarkable. Some might call this album atmospheric but I find it quite boring. Really can't see a reason for so many Joni Mitchell albums on this list! 1,5

I don't get the hype behind Joni Mitchell. The music is well produced, the songs have an interesting structure, and Joni has a wonderful voice with an emotive pen to go with it. But the music doesn't speak to me at all? It may be criminal to give this a 2 but oh well. It's not unlistenable like some of the other albums I have gotten.

Doesn’t quite standout like the other Joni albums. 2.5/5

It hurts me as a Canadian to say this but Joni Mitchell doesn’t do anything for me.

2.5 maybe

Joni did black face on stage when she performed Furry Has The Blues.

I can't explain why but Joni Mitchell always sounds like she's making up the song and lyrics while recording it

Ikke min greie i det hele tatt 🙃

Merker at jeg generelt sett er veldig lite fan av folk som bare maser over noe bakgrunnsmusikk så første låten her ga meg en ganske dårlig inngang. Tok seg litt opp etter det, men ikke helt min greie. Kan være jeg ikke hørte hele (:

Jeg kan egentlig godt li' Joni Mitchell, men jeg synes Hejira falder en smule fladt.

This one becomes a bit to navel-gazing for me. I get the concept, but it doesn't really work for me very well. Standouts A Strange Boy 2/5

Objectively, this probably isn’t that bad, but subjectively, I kind of hate it. Also, that isn’t a penis- it’s her wrist.

Every Joni Mitchell album is just a vehicle for poetry. The music always seems like a secondary choice.

This would probably be great live in a coffee shop. Kinda boring in the car. Favorite song: n/a

Pleasant.

Someday I hope I get Joni but I think most people love her story and lyrics.

How come her name sounds so familiar. I'm not really into this. May not listen to the whole thing. 2 stars

Joni has about 3 songs that I love, but none are on this album. I didn't find anything that really resonated with me from this album experience. The instrumentation was lively folk and the poetry was pretty crisp, but it didn't feel cohesive and there was so much noise to digest without much harmony — this killed any easy-listening factor for me, while not being technically impressive enough to catch my attention.

It was a nice album, nothing more. It feels like the singer intentionally hits notes that don’t feel like they belong after certain notes (not that I’m some musical genius). It was jazzy, but not exactly, though still nice. Maybe I just need a few more listens to the album. Top track I liked: Coyote.

Sounded like a female Bob Dylan, but without the good backing music.

I think this style of music is just not my thing. Favourite Song: Blue Motel Road

one of those albums that sits between 2-3, its not bad but its just not great nor something id want to listen to again.

I keep trying to enjoy Joni Mitchell but I always find my mind wandering when I listen to her. And then realize I’m four songs into the album and can’t remember anything about it.

fav: Amelia

2 Stars (5/15)

I feel Missy Higgins album "The Sounds of White" would be a suitable replacement for this.

It lacks and feels outdated

A bit jazzier than her other albums I've heard but the instrumental parts are still very minimalist and delicate. I still have the same issues with her unpredictable vocal delivery not matching up with the music and randomly changing in tempo.

Fine I guess, reminds me of the folk Paul Simon did on his self titled album 2.5

Nicht meins, zu weinerisch und es fehlt das gewisse etwas. Packt mich nicht

I like Joni Mitchell a lot and I know how highly regarded this record is, but I struggle with it - there's some great songwriting but it just doesn't grab my attention. It seems quite rambling and there are no melodies I can engage with - maybe that's the jazz influence, and I just need to keep at it and let it click into place. I probably won't though - I'll put Court and Spark on instead.

I thought it was , didn’t really do much to me 18$ went up in smoke is a good line , nothing else to say. Bit boring

idk i gave up on it good first song tho

Look. Not big on folk.

Not for me

I don't like Joni

not bad

I didn’t like this. Too stream of consciousness for me. No hooks no choruses just words

Not for me.

Talented in her own way but I would never listen to this.

Meh 2/5

#642. Nope 2/5: stop

Boring.

Meh. I don’t get this at all? Are these songs?

Not really memorable in my opinion, song writing not as captivating as blue, maybe a little insulting to say but kinda feels like background music

Joni Mitchell is a tremendous musician but this album isn’t for me.

This was much worse than I expected. The other Mitchell album I had to listen to here was okay-ish, but this was just someone telling stories over the background of some droning music. Everything's somehow the same and then not. At least it wasn't really disgusting.

I want to like this so badly but I just can’t get into her style of singing. I love the lyrics she writes and the vivid imagery but her voice just wears on me. Second half is better than first half.

The music is pretty great, just not in love with the stream of consciousness lyrics. 2/5

She succeeded in creating the most boring album of all time. This was excruciating.

Each song was less of a song and more of a ballad. It got exhausting after a while.

At the end of the day, I'm just not a fan. I get why people would like her, just not me.

i don't know how some people (anna) can listen to an entire joni mitchell album without going crazy 2-/5

Not a fan. Jazzy though.

Led Zeppelin said it best, "Ramble On".

Zapadnjacima treba zabraniti da pjevaju dosadni tzv. folk. Jaco je ubjedljivo najbolji dio ovog albuma.

Still don't get it.

Zzzzzzzzz

det här var för trist

4/10 I liked the first song and Im pretty sure theres some good lyricism on the album, but the songs are soo boring and the more it dragged on the more I wanted it to stop. No matter how good an album is in theory, if I spent half of it looking at the time wishing for it to end thats just not a good sign. Highlights: Coyote

Fairly boring. 1 time listen

I just don’t like her voice. Nails on chalkboard

I’m not really sure what to say about this album. It’s not bad but it is also not my type of music. The instrumentation is top notch but it’s very jazzy and slow. Lots of mood music. I’ve never been a Joni Mitchell fan but the lyrics are great. I just don’t know how I feel about the overall album. I guess it was good but it’s unlikely I would listen again. Best songs are “Coyote” and “Black Crow”.

I was over half way through the album when I realized I couldn't recall a single lyric or note from what I had already heard. At no point was I wanting to stop listening, but also at no point did I want to listen closer. It was just. . . forgettable. At least up until "Blue Motel Room". The lyrics in that one were so cringe inducing. "Hanging on your boom boom pachyderm"? "tell them you've got Gerrrrman measles"? Yeah, this one's not for me.

So ... can we just talk about Jaco Pastorius.

It was ok, not my fave artist or voice

Meh. Nice background but not my thing. Cozy fall/winter feel, but nothing special for me.

Just don’t care for her style or sound. Easily could be a 1 for me.

Another Joni Mitchell album. This one was probably my least favorite of the 3 I've heard. I am not a big Joni fan, and this album had a lot of stylistic choices that I dont enjoy: breathy si g-talking, vocals that dont match the instruments, and rambling lyrics. Overall- not bad, but not for me

I mean. I guess it's fine. It's still Joni and her lovely voice, but I don't think I'd ever really be in the mood to put this on over something else by her.

Just......didn't do much for me. I do like some Joni Mitchell songs, and a great laid back vibe for background, but......nothing really stood out.

..

Normally I'd rather to a chalkboard being scratched for an hour than a Joni Mitchell album, but this one was an unexpected surprise, mostly thanks to the superb bass playing. Of course it was Jaco Pastorius! Best song is Black Crow.

Seriously, what is the difference between this and your single aunt showing you slides from her summer trip over any generic Starbucks coffee house CD while going into far too much detail on the strange men she slept with along the way. Just like the slides it just goes on and on and on. This is wildly self indulgent.

Monotonous Guitar and everything same sound every track. Zzz 🤤 🧟‍♀️

I can imagine myself sitting in a sunny coffee shop listening to Joni sing these songs, and wishing she would stop. All the songs are the same in that it amounts to her sorta flowy washy guitar chords while she sings her poetry. The rhythms are lacking. The melodies are not catchy. Harmonies are non-existent. I didn't really care for this. It was kinda weird... and not in good ways.

Rating: 4/10 Very boring. The lack of choruses takes its toll on the album very quickly.

coyote- i dont really know what to make of this. i feel like i just went to my aunts house and shes in the backyard singing and dancing while naked. 5 amelia- stop it. 3 furry sings the blues- you got a furry to sing the blues? 4. NOT THE HARMONICA. hes missing a leg??? a strange boy- 4 hejira- 3 song for sharon- THIS IS EIGHT FUCKING MINUTES?? black crow- 4 blue motel room- refuge of the roads- joni, this sucks

I think she wrote a book of short stories but needed an album so she just kind of sang the stories. These songs are meandering. It’s good storytelling but it did not need to be set to music.

It was ok, but probably not returning to it anytime soon

Already had Hissing of Summer Lawns, and I feel similarly about Hejira. Nice enough background music and the bass is cool, but the rambling / free-form structure doesn't grab me. The songs feel like they don't go anywhere and nothing is particularly memorable on this record. Please add a hook or two Joni..

All the songs sound the same.

Flatter than expected. Did nothing.

I’ve been guilty of enjoying the occasional singer/songwriter, but I simply hate the watch show phrases her lines when signing. Halfway into the last song I got so annoyed that I has to turn it off. Not an album for me

Joni has an incredible knack of singing in a way that makes it seem like she's unfamiliar with her own songs or lyrics. It's like listening to someone fumble through a song they're not familiar with on karaoke- with almost every song following the same, inane pattern. Squeeze a load of out-of-rhythm syllables into the middle of a line, then drone out the last word. The songs were filled with pointless metaphors, excessive and hollow imagery- more often than not about roads and highways. She should have taken a different career path, something that gets her closer to those highways.. like a taxi driver, or roadkill.. then maybe she'd have satiated her obvious tarmac fetish. Basically it was poncey horseshit. The sort of music you'd expect to hear from a single, middle aged beret clad woman, that writes her music in Starbucks.. when she's not busy telling people she an "artist".. who paints poetry with her lyrics.. when actually what she does is force her friends and family to buy her shit, homemade CDs, and refuses to go and get a proper job because she's an infantile, workshy ponce. Take your beret and your matcha green tea squirrels milk macchiato and fuck off.

I first became aware of Joni Mitchell when my mom used to listen to Blue and chain smoke Silk Cut in the kitchen, and stare off into the distance thinking about her youth, whilst also effortlessly caning our Cadburys selection boxes (yes it's always Christmas in this memory). For this reason, I've always disliked Joni. What was she doing to my mom? and why would anyone want this for themselves? Also, I cannot stress enough how much I fucking hate that bit in Big Yellow Taxi when she laughs at the funny voices she just did. AND SHE FUCKING DOES IT AGAIN ON FURRY SINGS THE BLUES! I'll give it a 2 because I know that objectively it's not shit, but I find very little to enjoy on any of her records. If she comes up again, this is getting copy and pasted.

her voice so grating im forever joni hater

It’s not for me, lads.

Idk but Joni Mitchell... They Say its her best album which tells me that there's not much more to expect from here discography. Good songwriting i give her that! but it is so fast a drag for me

It is the fourth Joni Mitchell album on the 1001 list. I don't have anything more to say after the first 3.

Initial reaction to the album reveal: I am 49 years old. Prior to beginning this project, my entire exposure to Joni Mitchell is the line in Janet Jackson's Got Til It's Gone when Q-Tip says, "Joni Mitchell never lies." Based on the albums of hers I've heard during the last year of this project, I wish that were still my entire Joni Mitchell experience. It's probably the best one of hers I've heard so far. It's still droning and tedious. I sincerely hope there aren't any more Joni Mitchell albums.

2,5

i didn’t like it

Not really music I enjoy but can appreciate why some people might like it

No reason to ever listen to this one again

Listened but didn’t hear.

Too many words. Always.

Way to boring. I couldn't even get through it

Not my vibe today. Might need to give it a second chance

meh

Road trippi-musaksi aika junnaavaa ja melankolistakin. Ehkä se oli sitten sellaista naisena matkustaa 70-luvulla. Ei oikein saanut kiksejä vaikka kivutonta kuultavaa.

Tylsä ja meni ohi vaivihkaa

Ok so I know Joni Mitchell is like one of the classic musicians of all time but I just think this is kind of boring. I mean it's not bad, I just would never listen to this on my own. I can't really point out anything that stands out to me, good or bad. It's boring at best but a little irritating at worst. Also, is that a penis coming out of the road on the cover? What the hell is up with that? This is my first album from her on this list, I would imagine that Blue is probably on here too, but it would be weird if this was the one album of hers that they picked for this... 2/5.

Have a lot of respect for Joni, but her music is really not my style.

I'm not a huge Joni Mitchell fan. This all kind of ran together for me. I think if I were really listening and reading the lyrics with it it would have spoken more to me. If i'ts just on in the background it's sort of bland. I couldn't tell where one song stopped and another started.

It was pleasant without being remarkable.

Bah. noodly and waily - definitely not Joni Mitchell's best. She warbles throughout the songs, and when finally she actually start singing, it's a 7 minute slog in the shape of song for Sharon. Boring.

I know Joni is beloved but I cannot for the life of me get into it.

het begint redelijk maar ook redelijk rap tegen te staan... niet voor mij

Not for me dog

вообще не оставило никаких эмоций. я гей

I know it was critically acclaimed, but definitely didn't enjoy the tracks as much as her earlier work.

This one felt like a step back musically compared to some of her prior albums I've heard from this list.

the best part of this album was Jaco. 51 minutes is too much joni mitchell for a single sitting

Poetic deluge A voice falling fast down stairs Wisped away by wind

every song sounded the same

Bit annoying

I do feel bad only giving this a 2 because her voice is 5/5 but I don’t like the songs at all

She’s just not for me.

It’s clear that this album, conceived on the road amid multiple lovers and new experiences, truly reflects its origins. While this genre doesn't resonate with me as much as others, the authenticity shines through.

Album 484 of 1001 Joni Mitchell - Hejira Rating : 2.5 / 5 She has just never really resonated with me. Never got the hype. "Blue Hotel Room" stood out for me.

Not too bad, just a bit meh of an album. Nothing too exciting, but it's a decent album just for leaving in the background.

Her song writing really emphasizes lyric above all else, the songs never resolve into a clear form, instead meandering from verse to verse with some nice melodic phrases but not enough repetition to anchor them as compositions. Combined with the very consistent instrumentation, it means the album sounds very monotonous and samey over the course of 50 minutes - all blurring together a bit. Her voice is expressive and emotive, really chewing over and delivering the verses, but has a thin warbly timbre that always feels underwhelming. The music itself is a washed out jazzy folk where the signature sound is the whoompy fretless bass cast against the bright acoustic guitar. Lots of open extended chords that defy resolution and keep everything open and ethereal and very heady.

well it was definitely something

why is this causing me actual stress to listen to and not in the fun way this feels pretentious without having the authority to be?? like its not musically complex or interesting enough to be weird which just makes it kinda.. annoying..? it feels crazy to say that but mannnn this was so disappointing so shocked that i didn't like this that much because i love folk of this style but i think if it was more guitar centric (like also if the guitar parts were actually interesting too!) i would enjoy it more 😔 as with most singer-songwriters, i appreciate the point of the album, and how inspired it is, but i feel often when lyrics are at the forefront of the project, it is so lost on me because i do not fixate on them as much as the music i want to be able to grasp the general idea of what the singer is trying to convey through the music and have the lyrics support that and build the song further in every listen, like new little slices of information that make the track more enjoyable and exciting every time its heard, but i do not get this off a single track on this album, the music itself feels so generic and doesn't give me a single indication of the mood of the song though i LOVE the tone of Joni Mitchell's voice, i am a bit sour on the rambly, formless delivery on this album, i understand WHY, i just don't particularly enjoy it Hejira was a highlight track that I actually enjoyed quite a bit, but it definitely doesn't save the rest of the album :( also, "Song for Sharon"????????? More like LONG for Sharon! EIGHT AND A HALF MINUTES??????? ITS FINE WHEN PINK FLOYD DOES IT BUT OHHHHHH MY GODDDDDD PLEASEEE STOP MAKING RIDICULOUSLY LONG SONGS WHEN YOU DON'T NEED IT TO EXECUTE THE CREATIVE VISION, YOU'VE JUST GIVEN ME 5 MORE MINUTES OF THE SAME IDEA???? between 2/5 and 2.5/5

All this lady’s music sounds the same. Honestly if you took away the gaps this could have been one long song since each song follows the same exact format without fail. Her voice is fine but she really is just rambling and describing things she “sees”. 4/10

4/10 - It was equally as mid as the other album but there was not a song I already knew. Plus I did not enjoy her switching between the singing and talking in one of the songs.

I like an occasional song by her, and I appreciate her place in the era but I wouldn’t listen to it on purpose.

Too monotonous for me to enjoy. I really liked one of the songs, but I have no idea what was the title.

Her voice is beautiful but the songs are boring for me.

I still just can’t get to grips with Joni Mitchell. I understand her talent, but it still just doesn’t feel like good song composition to me.

Kinda slow and rambling for my tastes.

could i write poetry to this? n

Never cared for this one

2 not really my thing. Nothing is really a song just a story with music

I took a plane to a taxi and a taxi to a train. Oh man. I grew up steeped in Mitchell, including this album many times. It's emblematic of her voice and poetic style, but not her best album by a few.

A Joni Mitchell 3-in-1 review to catch up… Joni Mitchell sadly doesn’t really do it for me. When her songs are upbeat and fast-paced, they are tolerable, but when they are slow they put me to sleep. The album “Blue” keeps the pace, but has Mitchell too often suddenly and sharply pushing her voice too high. She’s got a great voice actually, but that is not playing to its strengths. “All I Want” and “River” are deserved timeless hits, though. The album “Court and Spark” has less jarring highs, but too slow of a pace.” “Hejira” was the most forgettable of the three. We still have one more Joni to go. We’ll see if “The Hissing of Summer Lawns” grabs me any more.

I listened to this laying in bed at the end of the weekend. Appropriate because the album is sleep inducing. Coyote started it off well and then everything went down from there. The jazz musicians’ influence does not help either. I also correctly guessed that Joni was way into cocaine based on the album photo. While she had been cured of her cocaine addiction during her solo road trip back to LA, the effects lingered facially for this cover.

Meer gesinger-songwrite van onze Joni. Weinig dat opvalt of de aandacht vraagt, ik vind het verder wel prettig luisteren, al schijnt het dat dat niet voor iedereen geldt.

Iedereen kent mijn haat-haat verhouding met Joni inmiddels. En oh man, ze begint gelijk het eerste nummer al met Joni zijn. Expres uit de maat zingpraten. Hoe lang zou het duren voordat ze gaat goochelen met haar stem? Track 2 is nog wel te doen, ze houdt het ingetogen en het wordt begeleid met een galmend gitaartje en wat piano en strijkers. Het belerende boomertoontje waarmee ze haar verhalen vertelt, stoort nog wel natuurlijk. Die zelfingenomen bakkes op de hoes helpt daar ook niet bij. Wat vindt ze zichzelf toch goed. Zolang ze alles ingetogen houdt, is het redelijk te pruimen. Wat relaxte bluesy muziek op de achtergrond helpt daar zeker bij. De eerste 5 nummers houdt ze het daarbij. Ik ben gewaarschuwd dat we hierna alsnog de volledige Joni experience krijgen, dus ik zet me al schrap voor de nagels over het krijtbord. Het valt me nog mee. Ze laat het gegil als een krolse kat met haar kopstem grotendeels achterwege. En de bluesy achtergrond blijft. Dus ik kan het zowaar uitzitten. Ik zal het echter nooit uit vrije wil opzetten.

What is that sticking out of her pocket on the cover sleeve? Anyhow. Joni Mitchell. Can you recall more than one of her hits? Me neither. This is B O R I N G and indulgent. Take your pocket cock, old lady and never darken my earphones again!

I fell asleep listening to this It's a shame this album was so bad because the background music is good, and she has a lovely voice But it feels like she's singing a different tune to the song. And by singing I mean talking over 2 ⭐️

- a pleasant listen, but pretty boring tbh - her voice is nice at least

- good storyteller - female Leonard Cohen, but better - enjoyable style for a song or two but not a whole album

Okay. Structureless and freeform if that's your thing. Isn't mine

hated Joni’s vocals, ended up overshadowing the intriguing concept and amazing instrumentals, as well as the solid storytelling

Nicht meine Richtung

Tiene raíces muy norteamericanas, a mi me parece un plomo

Great voice

Not bad but didn’t grab me. A little monotone.

Couple of good songs, mostly have Jaco on bass. However, this was a tough listen for me, lost a lot of interest once the songs got to be over 5 minutes.

Not for me

Folk, Jazz, 1976 -> 2

The album is lyrically dense but her vocal performance is detached from the music, and perhaps that is the emotion she is trying to convey, but I was having difficulty emotionally relating to it, and therefore did not enjoy it much. I think the arrangements could have benefited from also exploring dynamics to keep from feeling quite so similar to one another. I prefer a different album of hers than this one. Also, apropros of nothing, I am aware that it is just the image of Joni's wrist and upper hand bleeding through the cover image, but it really looks like a penis on the cover and I'm having trouble unseeing it. It is unclear to me whether that was intentional or not.

They all sucked, she sounds good sometimes? But mostly it sounds like she’s trying too hard. Instruments are weird too idk what was going on. Lyrics no good Favorite: Furry sings the blue Least favorite: Hejira, Song for Sharon 2.6/5

I never had Joni on the list of most overrated artists of all time but maybe I should have. While vocals on Hejira are as great or as bad as some of her other albums but everything is so bland, it’s borderline offensive 3.9/10

This is just background music for me. I can appreciate the musicality of the tracks, but I just find them long and boring.

Love Joni Mitchell's voice but this album was more stories to backing music. She never really pushed her vocals like on the previous album, and the few times she sang properly just made it clear what the rest of the album was lacking. The stories suffered from the same issues as other indie storyteller songs, a lot of specific places names and discussing a conversation back and forth but strip all that back and its just vague chat about love. Some of the music was pleasant and I think Joni is great but this album didn't do it for me.

Good voice and good writing but I really switched off. Preferred her earlier stuff, even though I recognise this is a good album.

This was a lot more jazzy than I was expecting. It was still quite folksy though. It didn't fill with me joy, but I didn't feel the need to rip my ears off either. I went with 2 stars but it's probably closer to 2.5 stars (definitely not 3 though). No one reads these reviews anyway, so why the hell am I explaining myself.

Like fingernails on the chalkboard.

yeah lets see the next album.

This album kind of pours over you. It doesn’t really have enough of a punch to grab me. When I do happen to pay attention to what’s happening I find beautiful singing and descriptive and dancing lyrics. There is also an active bass line that is fantastic, but not in the texture I like.

listened 2x. not a big fan. 1.6/5

Se me ha hecho largo. Un poco repetitivo.

Still unable to resonate emotionally with Joni Mitchell

Gear: Focal Clear (ZMFed) Mix: herrlich detailreich und unbeschwert. Bass spielt besonders jazzig daher Musik: Die dichten Lyrics wollen erstmal interpretiert werden - lädt zum bewussten (Wieder-)Hören ein. Dadurch aber nichts für jede Stimmung und zwischendurch. Gesamtes Album aber doch nicht am Stück geschafft. Sorry. Wertung: 2-3/5

It’s very “writerly” and more than a little self-indulgent. Jazzy and poppy in the most boring way possible.

This is what you get when you prioritize lyrics over everything else in a song. I guess it's not terrible but I did not enjoy this and it was a chore to get through.

I don't think I like Joni Mitchell, but I guess I won't know what I've got till it's gone.

Doesn't have a bad voice but I found a lot of the music compilation incredibly annoying. Singing and then talking just isn't doing it for me.

I just don’t get it with Joni Mitchell. Her music leaves me completely cold. 5,6, 8 minutes at a time and they just meander on interchangeably, getting nowhere. 2 stars because I recognise some decent musicianship in there (hello Jaco Pastorius) and she would make a good poet or short story writer

Not for me

I admit, I just don't get Joni Mitchell. I like reading her lyrics, I like the music the musicians play, but put it all together with her singing and I just don't like it that much. I wish her singing was more connected to the music instead of doing its own thing

I need a full blown ACDC immersion to cleanse me of this pretentious intellectualism.

A bit wordy and just not my thing.

Not available on Spotify. Listened to title track on youtube.

The first Joni album this generator gave me was "Blue", so it has kind of ruined every other album by her for me, because nothing could ever live up to that one. This is still fine, but probably the weakest one by her that I've had so far. Listening to music on Youtube also makes me connect with it less for some reason. Put yer shit back on Spotify, the jig is up. Same with Neil. And the Cardiacs.

not my cup of tea

Taustoissa ei ole mitään mielenkiintoista, ei vaikka kuinka yrittäisi erotella niiden kerroksia. Laulussa on toki ääni on tosi kiehtova, toivoisin vain että Jonilla olisi muutakin kerrottavaa kuin Boheemin Naisen Elämä.

I can understand the musicality, and I’m sure the speak singing was chic and refreshing at the time, but in the current context it feels lazy and unfortunately reminds me of Coleen Ballinger/millenial women with Ukuleles. Was not a fan

I can’t seem to connect with Joni’s music and it was no different here. For me it sounds like a rambling of a slightly unhinged and neurotic woman.

I didn't vibe with album very much. Probably the coolest part is the bass, but that's because of Jaco Pastorius. I read that she was on the road when she wrote this and someone said her rambling vocals made sense with that in mind, but honestly none of the melody was very interesting to me. There really wasn't much dynamics happening with the instrumentals making this album just feel boring in general Favorite Track: Coyote Least Favoite track: Furry Sings the Blues (that name did not age well)