Last week I bought my first Joni Mitchell album, Blue. I've been listening to it for a week and am simply amazed at Mitchell's songwriting, vocal range, melodies,....I could go on and on. There are no songs being written or sung like this today. Mitchell has the ability to paint pictures of her journeys through life that intrigue and fascinate us. (Nearly every one of these songs contains mention of a color...not an accident, I think.) Plus the songs are simply a joy to listen to. I used to be turned off by Mitchell's singing and vocal mannerisms. I'll admit that at first, Mitchell's voice was like fingernails on a chalkboard, but in not much time her voice becomes comfortable and welcome. Her vocal range is very impressive. I am anxious to hear some of her more recent work to see how her voice has held up since this album was released nearly 30 years ago. For me, Blue is gold.

67 of 72 found the following review helpful:


Quintessential Mitchell at her best, if not most famous  Jun 29, 2005 By B. Marold "Bruce W. Marold"
`Blue' is Joni Mitchell's fourth album, first released in June, 1971, after the seminal and deservedly famous previous album, `Ladies of the Canyon'. Listening to `Blue' now, after 35 years, I am surprised that there is not a single memorable song on the whole album, compared to the five or more major anthems of the generation on the previous recording.

And yet, everything which is so strong and so good about Joni Mitchell's songwriting is on this album, in spades. Contrary to the title's inclination, most of the album seems to be more about times and places than it is about colors or moods.

The single strongest aspect of Mitchell's songwriting is her ability to evoke a mood by a great use of little details. Listening to the song `Carey' makes you look forward to spending some time at a place called the Mermaid café on some beach on the Riviera with the warm winds blowing in from Africa, as I contemplate going to Amsterdam or Rome.

Blue should not be the first Joni Mitchell album you should buy, but it should be near the top of your list. The album also gives you the sense that you may want to bypass all the `Best of' collections and stick to simply collecting all the original releases, as you really don't want to miss any of Ms. Mitchell's great little three minute dramas.

35 of 37 found the following review helpful:


Blue Is An Album For The Ages  Jun 11, 1999
Blue was created by Joni Mitchell as her earlier phase was reaching its highest heights and before she turned towards a more jazz-influenced style (which produced the brilliant The Hissing Of Summer Lawns). It represents the absolute best of the "Singer-Songwriter" era of music of the late sixties and very early seventies.

Being a dude stumbling hopelessly into 40's and middle age, I'm gonna have a special fondness for this era despite the fact I also loved the late 70's punk era, the early 90's grunge era, and everything else that comes along like a fresh wave of energy, wiping everything clean and resetting all the popular music balance controls to the center detent. Each era seems to contain a few defining works that radiate strength, purity, passion and deep and wonderful ideas. Blue is one of those indelible moments. Joni Mitchell's undeniable original talent has secured her place in popular music history without question. Her impact on nearly anyone with ears, heart and mind to listen is unquestionable - like anything that powerful, her music lives on today and won't die. Something that strong can't die.

I often suffer from a tendency to try to analyze why a particular piece of music and lyrics is either powerful or pathetically weak - sort of like watching a movie and thinking about the camera motion, the cuts, the decisions the director made. But with the best and truest stuff -- the Bluest stuff -- I find I can't do that... the brilliance weakens me; talks to me in places I can't quite define. You can get that from Bach and from Coltrane, for example, and you will get that from Joni Mitchell on this breathtaking, irreplaceable album.

24 of 24 found the following review helpful:


Stunning, Definite, Essential - Take Your Pick  Dec 11, 2003 By Gary Popovich "Retired Banjo Picker"
Joni Mitchell has explored virtually every musical and emotional nook and cranny during her lengthy and distinguished career - but "Blue" stands apart as her greatest acheivement. While instrumentally spare, the lyrics and melodies that comprise "Blue" are uncommonly rich, somethow grabbing one's attention immediately while revealing even more upon repeated listening.

Listen to the title song, a love lament (apparently targeted at James Taylor, her then-boyfriend) that at first glance doesn't seem to have a structure, but somehow resonates long afterwards. "River" is more than just a breakup song, with its Christmas imagery starkly juxtaposed against Mitchell's angst. At the same time, Joni can be downright playful - "California" makes me grin from ear to ear every time I hear it (cool pedal steel work by the legendary Sneaky Pete) and even "Carey" (featuring Steve Stills's loping bass line) still stands up despite its heavy radio play in 1971.

"Blue" is (I believe) the best possible starting point in exploring Joni Mitchell's career, as it catches her blurring the line among pop, folk and jazz genres, breaking out of the hippie/folkie mold, and becoming an artistic force who would influence many for years to come.

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