Listening to.......

[Jules Gray]

It's always been Blue for me, but I respect other choices.

Jules

[Alan2]

Uncut are claiming this month Heijra is Joni's finest album, they're wrong it's Hissing Of Summer Lawns (I also have a soft spot for that double live album Sound And Sight?).

Shadows and Light.
Hissing and Shadows were my entry point to Joni...and also Jaco and and Pat Metheny.
I went backwards from there, and then forwards up to Don Juan's.
Before moving onto Mingus, I wanted to listen to his own stuff first, so I bought a classic albums set, but have yet to get round to listening to it.
I have a couple of later tracks on Hits and Dreamland.

I'd say....ALL of Joni's albums are her best.

I agree.  There isn't  a bad Joni album out there, although Don Juan's Reckless Daughter comes under critical fire sometimes.

I'm awaiting the new vinyl box comprising Hejira onwards. There are a couple of these I don't have on LP.

Interesting that Don Juan will be in  a redesigned sleeve. The original had Joni in blackface, which they worry will upset some folks nowadays.

[wayne stote]

I like Joni's first three albums but she moved away from my sort of thing after that.

[Nick Reg]

I like Joni's first three albums but she moved away from my sort of thing after that.

Same for me. I can appreciate how well made they are but wouldnt listen to most of them out of choice.

[Jules Gray]

I like Joni's first three albums but she moved away from my sort of thing after that.

But Blue was her fourth. Surely you don't consider that one an outlier?

Jules

[dog-nap (Ian)]

There is a jazzy tribute band called ‘Hejira’, which is touring at the moment.  They sound rather good – I am going to see them next month.  Not hard to guess what their favourite album is…

[wayne stote]

I like Joni's first three albums but she moved away from my sort of thing after that.

Same for me. I can appreciate how well made they are but wouldnt listen to most of them out of choice.

Yes, exactly.

[wayne stote]

I like Joni's first three albums but she moved away from my sort of thing after that.

But Blue was her fourth. Surely you don't consider that one an outlier?

Jules

I'm not overly keen Blue although I'm aware it's supposed to be a classic.

[wayne stote]

There is a jazzy tribute band called ‘Hejira’, which is touring at the moment.  They sound rather good – I am going to see them next month.  Not hard to guess what their favourite album is…

Welsh acoustic duo, Zervas & Pepper are currently getting plaudits for their Joni Mitchell show. They are excellent when they do their own material so I imagine if Joni is your bag, it would be an entertaining night out.

[davidmjs]

I like Joni's first three albums but she moved away from my sort of thing after that.

But Blue was her fourth. Surely you don't consider that one an outlier?

Jules

I'm not overly keen Blue although I'm aware it's supposed to be a classic.

I find it quite bizarre that anybody could like the first three albums but be not overly keen on the fourth.  It's almost literally the conclusion (most would say zenith) of that particular body of work.

[Nick Reg]

I like Joni's first three albums but she moved away from my sort of thing after that.

But Blue was her fourth. Surely you don't consider that one an outlier?

Jules

I'm not overly keen Blue although I'm aware it's supposed to be a classic.

I find it quite bizarre that anybody could like the first three albums but be not overly keen on the fourth.  It's almost literally the conclusion (most would say zenith) of that particular body of work.

Yes I think I strayed a little later than the third album but not by much. It was along time ago!

[Will S]

Joni Mitchell is one of those artists who has never really appeared on my radar. I know some of her songs from cover versions, and obviously lots of people laud her to the skies, but for some reason I have never felt any desire to explore further.

[Alan2]

Joni Mitchell is one of those artists who has never really appeared on my radar. I know some of her songs from cover versions, and obviously lots of people laud her to the skies, but for some reason I have never felt any desire to explore further.

There are a few good Joni compilations available if you feel you want to experiment.  

[ColinB]

Just back from holidays in Scotland and MrsB had downloaded the 6 episodes of Legend - The Joni Mitchell Story so we listened to that in the car. I hadn't heard about her Mingus project but feel I should give it a listen what with the likes of Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter having played on it.

Having mainly only listened to her early records I feel ready to explore her more jazzy releases but think I'll avoid the 80s ones with the synths and drums machines. Makes me think of CSN's Live It Up. That awful artwork on the cover should have warned me to stay well clear of it though to be fair I think there are one of two ok tracks on it.

[Ian_]

 For what it's worth, I think that 'Blue' is a miraculous thing...

 I'm doing a bit of a folk-rock(ish) tour of Bandcamp recommendations: The Bures Band have a sort of twangy Cosmic Americana thing going on, but remind me of 'Help yourself' more than anything

 
https://theburesband.bandcamp.com/track/green-town



 The Color Green do a sort of psych-pop-baroque-folk    which I think is not dissimilar to recent music by The Coral

https://colorgreen.bandcamp.com/track/fool-s-parade

Well, you might like it  

[davidmjs]

Just back from holidays in Scotland and MrsB had downloaded the 6 episodes of Legend - The Joni Mitchell Story so we listened to that in the car. I hadn't heard about her Mingus project but feel I should give it a listen what with the likes of Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter having played on it.

Having mainly only listened to her early records I feel ready to explore her more jazzy releases but think I'll avoid the 80s ones with the synths and drums machines. Makes me think of CSN's Live It Up. That awful artwork on the cover should have warned me to stay well clear of it though to be fair I think there are one of two ok tracks on it.

There were some hideous 'CSNY' albums around then...CSNY's American Dream, Stills' Right by You, Nash's Innocent Eyes, Neil's Landing on Water etc etc etc.  Ghastly, with the odd nice song drowning in over production and nasty keyboards...

[ColinB]

There were some hideous 'CSNY' albums around then...CSNY's American Dream, Stills' Right by You, Nash's Innocent Eyes, Neil's Landing on Water etc etc etc.  Ghastly, with the odd nice song drowning in over production and nasty keyboards...

American Dream was one of those albums you desperately wanted to like because it was the four of them back together after Crosby's time in prison but you came to realise that it was impossible for them to recapture the magic of Deja Vu and accept it for what it was. But the one standout track for me was Crosby's Compass.

[davidmjs]

There were some hideous 'CSNY' albums around then...CSNY's American Dream, Stills' Right by You, Nash's Innocent Eyes, Neil's Landing on Water etc etc etc.  Ghastly, with the odd nice song drowning in over production and nasty keyboards...

American Dream was one of those albums you desperately wanted to like because it was the four of them back together after Crosby's time in prison but you came to realise that it was impossible for them to recapture the magic of Deja Vu and accept it for what it was. But the one standout track for me was Crosby's Compass.

Yes to all of that.  It is my greatest regret that I never saw CSNY in the same 'room' together.  Seen all the component parts many times but never the mothership.  I realise it may not have been their greatest moment but CSNY at Wembley in '74 (with a stellar supporting cast) is probably the one UK gig I'd wish to have been able to get to.  Sadly, at 7, it was never to be...

[GubGub (Al)]

My gateway to Joni was In France They Kiss On Main Street, played by, I think Richard Skinner on his evening Radio 1 show around 1980. From there I inevitably went to The Hissing Of Summer Lawns which proved to be a great starting point because from that portal nearly everything else is more accessible. Because of the timing I actually went forward from there before I went backwards so I love Wild Things Run Fast and Dog Eat Dog (Chalk Marks In A Rainstorm not so much) which is, I know,  a minority opinion. And the run of albums from Night Ride Home onwards is pretty great.

Ultimately though I am with Jules, Blue is the pinnacle among pinnacles but not by much. On any given day I might also pick Ladies Of The Canyon, Court & Spark or Hejira. I wish I could get hold of the recent Quadio set but it is madly expensive in the UK if you can get it at all.

[Jules Gray]

I find it quite bizarre that anybody could like the first three albums but be not overly keen on the fourth.  It's almost literally the conclusion (most would say zenith) of that particular body of work.

Exactly this.

Jules