The Hissing Of Summer Lawns

It’s just not for me this kind of turgid stuff

I'm trying to be kind. this is one of those records that I respect more than I enjoy. I can hear the craft and innovation, but my ears never quite settle into it, so I end up appreciating it intellectually more than emotionally.

Lots of variety on this. Fretless bass, moog and sampling (1975!), jazz. Not my jam. She's an icon and has such a characteristic voice, but I think some of the things that make her great are things that I just don't often connect with in music like the lyrics. Maybe if I sat down with a lyric sheet and listened to it, but maybe just not my jam.

I liked this quite a bit.

Track 1 - 3.5 Track 2 - 3.5 Track 3 - 3.5 Track 4 - 3.5 Track 5 - 4 Track 6 - 3.5 Track 7 - 3 Track 8 - 3 Track 9 - 4 Track 10 - 3

i wish i liked it more, bc it's joni mitchell and i want to be cool and like joni mitchell. but it was lovely

While it is interesting and full of good songs, the use of the N word and the song The Boho Dance really bothered me. I'm aware of the "it's from a different time rhetoric", same as the "context" of use here, none of that comforts me today, none of that makes it ok for me. Cause I'm also well aware of her prowess as a songwriter, and therefore that there are many words she could have used. I don't want or need to listen to that before I die. That is devastating, cause it's otherwise lovely, experimental work from Joni. I dont think one song should mean we throw away the whole album or the entire oeuvre of an artist, but I can't ignore the shadow that it does cast on this record and her either. I considered the one. I decided to go for balance because I do want to be consistent and there are a number of records that are offensive on here, that I have penalised but not outright canned, but I don't feel great about it.

I had mixed feelings about this album. It started off promisingly with "In France They Kiss on Main Street," which combined Joni Mitchell's familiar folk vocals with jazzy instrumentation. It reminded me of something you'd hear on the soundtrack of a late-'70s comedy-drama. Unfortunately, the rest of the album didn't quite live up to that promising start. "The Jungle Line" didn't work for me because the instrumentation and vocals didn't seem to complement each other. Other songs, like "Edith and the Kingpin" and "Sweet Bird," were pleasant enough but ultimately boring. One highlight was the "Centerpiece" portion of "Harry's House," where the pace finally changed and Joni's vocals really suited the jazz arrangement. I also enjoyed the a cappella opening of "Shadows and Light," which had an almost futuristic, synthesizer-like sound that seemed ahead of its time for 1975. I love jazz, and I appreciate what Joni was trying to accomplish here. However, too many songs lacked the variety, energy, and memorable melodies that keep me engaged. Nothing was particularly awful, but very little stood out either. 3/5 stars. An interesting album that I respect more than I enjoy. I'm glad I experienced it, but I wouldn't add it to my vinyl collection.

Some good bits, some where the experiments didn't quite land (The Jungle Line?). Nothing in this jumped out like from Blue.

God I love her. The second song was a miss but overall great album

"She was a Joni MItchell Girl. He was a Steely Dan Boy" I only recently (~6 months ago) started listening to Joni MItchell and man, I've really enjoyed it. The vocals and song lyrics are great, the instrumentation is sublime. I tend to lean more towards the jazzier performances but the folk is much appreciated. I haven't rated Court and Spark yet so I don't want to say which one I like more until I make it through it. But this album by itself is really good, so good I listened to it twice in the last 24 hours. Favorite(s): Shades of Scarlett Conquering Least: Maybe Jungle line? 4.5/5

Fav: Edith and the Kingpin, Harry's House/Centerpiece L: Shadows and Light 4 It's interesting we got Court and Spark only a few ago. I think I prefer that album; it's a bit more consistent for me. After listening to Court and Spark, most of the changes I thought it could use showed up in this one and I guess I was wrong in my diagnosis. Cover: 2 I think I get what it's going for, but it's just really ugly Name: 3.5 Cool Minecraft Parody: The Hissing of Creeper Caves

I don’t know what it is about her but she is just so soothing to listen to. I really liked this album except for “The jungle line”. After quite a stressful day this was just the perfect album, I also have never listened to a Joni Mitchell album before but I definitely will again

Very good album. The lyrics are very interesting (not surprisingly and as expected from Joni Mitchell). As for the music, I really like the folk and jazz fusion, whereas I'm not a big fan of the more experimental tracks (even if they provide a nice sound change). I enjoyed most of the songs: "Edith and the Kingpin" (probably my favourite track of this album), "Don't Interrupt the Sorrow", "Shades of Scarlett Conquering", "The Hissing of Summer Lawns", "The Boho Dance" or "Harry's House/Centerpiece". For me, this is between 3 and 4 stars, but more in the range of 4 stars.

Such a cool and creative album

Didn’t know Joni was experimental like that- a few misses tho

I have a lot of respect for Joni Mitchell, but I probably wouldn't listen again

This album demands multiple listens. What she has done with this album is quite remarkable.

Beautiful music. What a genius Joni Mitchell is.

Third Joni album and I'm not a fan. I think it's her voice or how she arranges her poetry. It just fails me.

Interesting smooth jazz album. Really surprised me! 3.5 rounded to 4

Not my favorite Joni.

Beautiful as always.

It took til “Don’t interrupt the sorrow” for me to get in to this but then it really struck a chord with me. Joni Mitchell’s voice is really excellent and soothing and once the timing of her words settled in I was hooked. The progressions and instrumentation of the remaining tracks are really excellent and she hits these wonderful minor keys so well. If it wasn’t for the first three tracks which I found jumbled and out of time, this would be a five.

Deuxième album de Joni Mitchell, j'avais totalement oublié son existence jusqu'à-ce que je vois sa tête en faisant quelques recherches. Pas de Jaco Pastorius à la basse, cette fois-ci et c'est bien dommage, j'avais bien aimé la basse sur Hejira. Enfin bref, comme pour l'album sur lequel j'étais tombé la dernière fois, ça ne m'accroche pas plus que ça, même si je ne peux que reconnaître que la musique est travaillée, un chouïa bizarre de temps en temps (dans le bon sens du terme) et on a droit à des influences jazz franchement pas désagréables. Donc comme la dernière fois : un album auquel je n'accroche pas personnellement, mais je ne peux que reconnaître ses qualités et je comprends tout à fait qu'on puisse être fan.

Mycket behagligt

Lite intressant och fint men inget som riktigt träffade mer än så.

Jodå, rätt fint.

7.5/10

gut

Mit Joni werd ich nicht mehr warm. Klingt alles gleich seicht und langweilig.

Vierte (und letzte) Album von der alten. Reicht dann auch

Unbelievable. What a talent, what a voice. Not even her best album. Unreal

Hugljúf og falleg plata hjá Joni. Hún var alveg með soundið á hreinu. Falleg rödd líka.

Voice isn’t for me

Not my favourite album of hers, but an interesting insight into her creative process.

This was really interesting and unusual, completely not what I thought her music would sound like, overall pretty good at 4 stars.

This is practically prog-Pop, but not in the usual 1975 definition of prog from that time. There are no solos, no 5 minutes intros, no odd-time ostinatos. Everything here serves the song. There is a definite jazz influence here, but more so in the harmonies than instrumentation or feel. Overall, this was more interesting to me than "Blue" which came through a while back. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Una cumbre de sofisticación, audacia vanguardista y madurez lírica que ha envejecido bien como una de las obras más lúcidas e influyentes en la evolución del art-pop y el jazz contemporáneo. En el plano de diseño formal, la producción alcanza un entretejido que da claridad absoluta a una arquitectura sónica compleja y adelantada a su tiempo: la inserción pionera de grabaciones de campo con tambores de Burundi, los sintetizadores Moog y ARP, las sutiles secciones de metales y el virtuosismo armónico del ensamble respiran con una definición espacial impecable, donde cada arreglo ocupa un lugar milimétrico. Joni Mitchell lidera el viaje con una fuerza y calidez interpretativa que transmiten una incontestable autenticidad, imponiendo una autoridad superior al despojarse del confesionalismo complaciente para adoptar el rol de una cronista social implacable. Desde la vibrante energía rítmica de "In France They Kiss on Main Street" y la audacia polirrítmica de "The Jungle Line", hasta la asfixia dorada del tema homónimo "The Hissing of Summer Lawns" y la elegancia sombría de "Edith and the Kingpin", el álbum se consolida como un documento conmovedor, crudo y real que opera como un penetrante y sutil llamado a la conciencia sobre el materialismo deshumanizante, las prisiones afectivas y el vacío espiritual de la vida acomodada. Gracias a su pulso orgánico y a su atmósfera de refinamiento acústico, la obra mantiene una constante sensación de paz y fluidez apta para múltiples usos, destacando como un catalizador ideal para el trabajo creativo, la conducción atenta o para sumergirse en una honda reflexión solitaria.

Eh

Her voice is so relaxing I would like her to sing all of the albums on this list

If you like any song you're in luck, because they are indistinguishable.

beautiful music and lyrics, i need to sit down again and listen more focused

This isn't a bad album, it is varied and Jono has a good voice. But, it has not grabbed me in any way. If I have to pick a song, i'll pick Centrepiece.

Much like the other album of hers on this list that I listened to, the instrumentals were pretty cool and interesting but her voice just ruined it for me. 2/5

I didn't really care for this. Last week I had hejira, which felt like a better album. Not being a native English speaker really hampers the appreciation probably

Its okay, kind of chill, jazzy folky pop. Nothing special, breezy, enjoyable enough.

7/10

6/10

there's better joni mitchell imo

Moj tretji Joni album! Enega sm slabo ocenila, en je pa dobil 5, če se prav spomnim. Tko da, bomo vidl. Začetek ("In France They Kiss on Main Street") mi je obetaven. Hmmmmm. I guess nism the biggest Joni fan. (Razen album Court and Spark, do zdaj.) Kljub temu, da je nek exploration žanrov, se mi še zmer zdi, da je kinda vse isto. Ni mi blo safr poslušat, ampak ni mi pa kj ful izstopal.

Someone there really likes joni haha

Also nice

Sometimes u piss me off joni mitchell

Really enjoyed it, especially the jazz aspects. Not something I would have imagined myself gravitating towards. Faves: Edith and the Kingpin, Title Track, Harry's House Rating: 8.0/10

This doesn’t do it for me…the jungle line really threw me off and I never recovered

Not at all the style I was thinking it would be. It was good, but some of the sounds were jarring based on what I knew about Joni Mitchell going in.

It's alright, not my fave of her albums and no stand out tunes for me

I have always liked her voice but I think that because I have tended to hear the same few songs lots of times, I have probably been a bit dismissive. This was actually far better than I expected, more musically interesting than I assumed it might be.

kind of boring, few solid tracks

The Hissing Of Summer Lawns Joni Mitchell 1975 Genres: Folk, Jazz Styles: Singer Songwriter, Folk Rock, Acoustic, Fusion, Contemporary Jazz 1. In France They Kiss on Main Street (★★★★☆) -Contexto: Tema de apertura, con aire jazz-rock. Habla del despertar sexual y la adolescencia de clase media en un pueblo chico durante los años 50, en paralelo a la explosión del rock & roll. Fue el único single del álbum. 2. The Jungle Line (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Construida sobre un loop de percusión de los Warrior Drums of Burundi. La letra rinde homenaje a la pintura de Henri Rousseau, mezclando esa imaginería "primitiva" con la vida urbana moderna, la industria musical y la cultura de las drogas. Mitchell contó después que al escribirla sentía que canalizaba a un poeta negro hablando de Harlem, contraponiendo lo primitivo con la maquinaria industrial moderna. 3. Edith and the Kingpin (★★⯨☆☆) -Contexto: Relato en clave jazz sobre la llegada de una nueva mujer (la "moll", la pareja) de un gángster a la ciudad donde él manda. 4. Don't Interrupt the Sorrow (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Base de guitarra acústica y letra de flujo de conciencia. Habla de mujeres plantándose frente al dominio masculino y afirmando su propia existencia como individuas, con imaginería mítica (referencias al Edén, lo femenino como fuerza que se levanta). 5. Shades of Scarlett Conquering (★★⯨☆☆) -Contexto: Pieza orquestal sobre una "belle" sureña moderna que arma su vida y su imagen a partir del estereotipo de Scarlett O'Hara, de "Lo que el viento se llevó". 6. The Hissing of Summer Lawns (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Tema que abre el lado B y le da nombre al disco. Retrata a una mujer que decide quedarse en un matrimonio donde es tratada como una posesión más dentro del patrimonio de su marido. 7. The Boho Dance (★★⯨☆☆) -Contexto: Comentario irónico sobre quienes acusan a los artistas de "vender" su integridad al buscar éxito comercial, con guiño a "The Painted Word" de Tom Wolfe. Se lee también como respuesta de la propia Mitchell a quienes le hicieron ese reproche a ella. 8. Harry's House / Centerpiece (★★★⯨☆) -Contexto: Habla de un matrimonio que se cae a pedazos como ejemplo de la soledad de la vida moderna, y en la segunda mitad cita el standard de jazz "Centerpiece" (de Harry "Sweets" Edison y Jon Hendricks). 9. Sweet Bird (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Tema acústico más despojado, vuelta parcial al estilo "confesional" de sus primeros discos. Trata sobre la pérdida de la belleza y el poder que viene con la edad; el título parece dialogar con "Sweet Bird of Youth" de Tennessee Williams. 10. Shadows and Light (★★⯨☆☆) -Contexto: Cierre del álbum, construido a puro overdub de voces sobre un ARP String Machine, con estructura casi de himno. Es una meditación filosófica sobre la dualidad humana: ceguera y visión, crueldad y placer, lo correcto y lo incorrecto, apuntando también a la hipocresía política y la rigidez moral/religiosa. -TOTAL = ★★⯨☆☆ (2,95) -Debería ser un 3, pero no me generó nada, mucho menos consistencia en la calidad. Para mí es un 2.

Perfectly fine. Maybe a little boring. 3.0

3.6/5.

Not really into all the weird jazzy stuff here.

Another Joni album, so can expect an unique and challenging listening experience. Listened once in the morning, which of course might not be enough to appreciate her work fully but so far I'm leaning to, as before, to 3 stars.

Lyricism and talent. A little soft and one sided, but saved by the creativity.

Mellow. Good to chill out to.

suprised me

Why does “Blue” always get all the praise? I liked this much better!

Joni Mitchell dans un style plus pop et dynamique, vraiment cool

C’était mieux que ses autres albums mais bon… on peut écouter autre chose maintenant ? On en a eu 3-4 en très peu de temps

Assez sympa

Not my favorite by hers but still solid

My only exposure to Joni Mitchell before this was the plot point in Love Actually. Listening to this album made me think if this is the kinda music his wife is playing around the house, then I kinda understand why Alan Rickman was tempted by the flirty secretary. Joni has a really nice voice, and the music on most of the tracks is pretty good, but Jesus the vocals are full of rambling nonsense and alot of times don't feel like the even fit the music. All the elements are here, but the final product just doesn't do it for me. 2.25* rounded down to 2*

Joni Mitchell is very talented and her music unique and interesting. The melodies and vocals have a very free-flowing, almost improvisational quality to them, not unlike rap in a way. I’ve listened to her Blue album before. This one had a much jazzier element to it. As such, there was a lot going on in the background to keep your ears busy. I know Joni is revered so I feel a little bad only giving her a 3, but none of the songs had a strong hook for me or a memorable chorus that kept me thinking about them later on, although I think that’s just her style and actually what she is going for to an extent. I don’t really see myself putting these songs in rotation which is kind of requisite to get a 4 or 5. Listening to this music is like going on a beautiful hike, with lots of cool scenery but no big waterfalls or grand vistas along the way. I enjoyed it, yes, but I’m not necessarily going to make it a point to come back and do this exact trail again.

Two things that I love are Joni Mitchell and electronica. However, I'm not loving the two together. Like Chocolate Ice Cream and Ribeye Steak these two do not go well mixed. Luckily not all songs have heavy electronica use. This is a good album overall with outstanding vocals and interesting lyrics.

I like this, but I like her more famous songs more.

They’re calling it steely danielle Seriously though this album is really good, very similar style to Steely Dan and just as intelligent in its composition

This was a great surprise! This is kinda a concept album, the hissing is allover the lyrics in all songs and in the instrumentalbas well, and it serves well to show the unquiet feeling that many seem to mask. The isntrumental here is quite adventurous, I really love how jungle uses kind of drums and how Joni seems to whisper and repeat the problem of some characters (darkness). In order to listen to this allbum, I did the right thing of listening and reading the lyrics- the right choice cause then I could see the complexity of the characters and how well is Joni delivery on certain words. Her poetry shines, and I really do love her word choices. Now waiting for Blue and any other albuns of her in this list. 4/5

3/5 colorful songs

I don't hate Joni Mitchell's music, it just isn't for me. This album isn't her best or worst. It's just ok.

I just listened to it, as everyone raves about it. I can't still dont love it, it's okay. The music is melodious, but the melodies don't reach me. Too much meandering.

Great song writer and appreciate her talent but not my favorite group of songs.

Easy listening - some great melodies. Think this would be some nice mountain driving music, or just relaxing while watching the clouds go by.

Something about Joni Mitchell is just perfect for an overcast chilly September morning. No huge hits, but the composition kept me engaged and interested, as does Joni's incredible vocals. I hope we get one or two more of her albums.

I'm between a 3 and a 4 on this one. There are no memorable songs, but an entire album of Joni Mitchell is just so pleasing. I could listen to her voice all day long.

She has quite the poetic power and backs it up with some finely played music, it’s actually really cool to hear her clearly improve on both these crafts throughout her career. Makes it hard to hate on her for the whole blackface thing

To old school for me I don't really like that type of western old music dont even know whether to class it as pop or country or blue

Nice relaxing music

not my tempo

This is a Sunday afternoon kind of album. Not to get too excited about but very pleasant. She has a lovely voice but some of the arrangements are a bit too obtuse at times.

Still a gentle listen but not top Joni on here

As. A fan of singer songwriter I should like Joni more than I do. I can appreciate the sophistication of her arrangement, in this instance the mild jazz influences. But there is something in her delivery; the stories she tells, the long linear method or just her delivery, ie her voice that just leaves me somewhat cold. I never feel invested in her songs or music. Tried but just don’t 3 Star

La verdad no conecté con la música, pero me parece que tiene una voz increíble

i don't get this at all. joni mitchell is the quintessential "weird old hippie" music to me

OK - this is actually pretty awesome and an album I certainly did not expect to love as much as I did. My Joni Mitchell knowledge is mostly Blue and Court and Spark, but this is so interesting and experimental in ways that are pretty different from those earlier records. I'd daresay this is almost prog-like in parts? She has a gift for writing really interesting vocal melodies and there's also some very cool instrumentation in many of these songs, with odd and unexpected chord changes. The vibe on songs like Harry's House is just so laid back and cool with the muted trumpet before going fully jazz midway through. But The Jungle Line is the one that really floored me here - it almost sounds like something Bjork or Tune-yards would have come up with, with the distorted tribal drum sample. Lyrics are a bit stream of consciousness but paint pictures and little vignettes of everyday life in New York. Great album and happy to have found it.

Quando tentei ouvir no carro não estava a gostar, há qualquer coisa no tom da voz que já com o outro álbum dela não dá para ter como música de fundo. Mas depois na segunda tentativa a ouvir com atenção gostei do jazz

Wayyy too dense for a first listen, even my second was sorely needed, and definitely glad I did as the jazzy aspects start to make a lot more sense, while the lyrics entirely escape me beyond vaguely memorable lines I reckon she was feeling maybe 5/10 black on this one whereas she was feeling 10/10 blue when she made Blue. If she shows up again I'll be sure to update

Bit rambly ngl, not sure Joni needs 3 albums on here 2.5

meh