Clouds (1969) : This album is a lot like Song to a Seagull, because it is just Joni and her guitar. Except for "Chelsea Morning," it's basically all slow acoustic songs. Just because this album is similar to the first one, doesn't mean it wasn't good. "I Don't Know Where I Stand" is one of the most beautiful songs I've heard..along with "Tin Angel" and, of course, "Both Sides, Now." The guitar work on "Roses Blue" was a prelude to some of the stuff Ani Difranco did on her earlier albums. Rating: 7
Ladies of the Canyon (1970): Another excellent album. (of course, all of her albums are excellent..) Anyways, Ladies of the Canyon is one of the most popular records she's done because of the hit songs it has; the last three tracks, "Big Yellow Taxi," "Woodstock" and "The Circle Game," are three of her most well-known songs. The rest of the album is awesome: "For Free" is still one of my favorites, along with "Rainy Night House" and "Morning Morgantown." Out of all my Joni albums, I listen to Ladies of the Canyon to hear her voice at its most clear and beautiful. It would be hard to find any other singer who puts so much passion into their work as Joni did on this record. Musically, it takes what she did with Song to a Seagull and Clouds to new heights. Even though a lot of the subject matter may be depressing, this is a happier record than the first two. It's inspiring to listen to. Rating: 8
For the Roses (1972): You can begin to hear Joni's musical evolution on this one. Quite simply, this is an AMAZING album. The fact that it came just one year after Blue makes For the Roses all the more compelling. It's easy to hear her experimenting more on this record - check out the live band on "Blonde in the Bleachers," the use of the sax throughout the album and Joni's expressive, more emotional singing. This is all good, from start to finish. "Woman of Heart and Mind" and "Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire" give me chills every time I hear it...the acoustics on both of these songs sound better than anything on Blue. As you can tell, I love this album, and I honestly think it is one of her best. Get this one NOW. Rating: 9.5
Court and Spark (1974): This is the album that further established Joni as a star in the public's eyes. "Help Me" was one of her biggest hits, and "People's Parties" became one of her trademark songs. Court and Spark is a stellar piece of work, because it was the beginning of a new point in Joni's music. She was experimenting more with a full band, but still stayed true to her over-all style. Her songwriting also seemed to reach a new level with this album, especially on "Same Situation," "Car on a Hill" and the title track. One of the classics. Rating: 9.5
Miles of Aisles (1974): A live album, with Joni performing many of her most popular songs ("Big Yellow Taxi," "Woodstock," "The Circle Game,") along with fan favorites like "Cactus Tree" and "(Real Good) For Free." Though a lot of her acoustic songs are on here, this album came at a time of musicall evolution for Joni, as she was just beginning to shun the tired "folk" label that had followed her music. Miles of Aisles wasn't a perfect performance, but it was a really good show, especially for those of us who have never seen her live. Rating: 7.5
The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975): Rolling Stone Magazine called this record the worst album of the year when it came out. I think the press was so negative towards this record because not many people understood it. I'm not going to pretend that I did, either, but it was true that The Hissing of Summer Lawns was a little hard to swallow because it was harder to relate to what Joni was talking about. But I do like this album a lot. The haunting "Shadows and Light" and "Sweet Bird" are just as effective as poems. Musically, The Hissing of Summer Lawns is a lush, musical landscape that often times touches on jazz and rhythm and blues. This is an excellent album, but a lot of people will say that it's not any good because it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. I like it for that reason. Rating: 8
Hejira (1976) :This is defenetely one of my favorite Joni albums. It is a beautiful, sparse and haunting portrayal of life on the road, from the perspective of a confessional songwriter and poet. Musically, Hejira has longer, more in-depth songs than any other album. Also, by this time in Joni's career, she favored a sound that was more influenced by jazz than folk. The lyrics to this album are amazing. "Amelia" gives me chills every time I hear it. The same could be said for "Black Crow" and "Furry Sings the Blues." Hejira is simply a brilliant album. It takes a little time to scratch the surface of it, but once you do, there's no denying how powerful it is. Rating: 9
Don Juan's Reckless Daughter (1977): By this time, I imagine a lot of Joni fans were beginning to think she was crazy. Don Juan's Reckless Daughter pushes the boundaries of popular music to its fullest extent. Listening to some of the albums that were out at the same time is proof of that. Joni's affinity for African and classical music is showcased on this album, along with the trademark sound that was on Hejira. At first Don Juan might seem a little dry compared to her other stuff, but in the end it is one of her most daring and satisfying albums. Some of the best songs on here are the wonderful "Jericho," "Cotton Avenue" and the title track. Ultimately, this album takes Hejiraa step further, with more interesting results.Rating: 7.5
Mingus (1979): Mingus is an album Joni did with jazz legend Charles Mingus. She had to finish the songs after his death, and the album turned out to be a fitting tribute to his genius. The little interludes, like "Happy Birthday 1975" and "Funeral," tie everything together. This is a vocal jazz album in its purest since: Joni displays another aspect to her talent by doing songs like "A Chair in the Sky" that would not sound out of place on a traditional jazz album. Although Mingus died before the album was finished, Mingus is not a somber record. Their are a lot of fun moments to balance the album out. Mingus makes me wish Joni would have done more solo jazz albums, because her voice and style of singing fits that genre perfectly. Rating: 7.5
Shadows and Light (1980): Another live album. I like this better than Miles of Aisles because Joni performed many of my favorite songs from the Hissing, Hejira and Mingus albums - which contain some of her most creative material . On stage, the songs are just as powerful. Her band for this album featured Pat Methany and Jaco Pastorius. Overall, this is a spectacular showcase of Joni during one of the most satisfying times in her career. Rating: 8
Wild Things Run Fast (1982): Hmmm. I must say that I'm not a big fan of this one. It was her first album for Geffen Records, and has a decidedly more pop feel to it. A lot of these songs seemed geared towards the radio - which always struck me as weird, because the work she had been doing, starting with The Hissing of Summer Lawns had nothing to do with the mainstream. However, the first song on Wild Things Run Fast , "Chinese Cafe / Unchained Melody" is a gem, and one of my favorite Joni songs. The rest of the album is O.K. This is one of my last choices if I want to listen to her music. But a lot of people like this album, so give it a try. Rating: 5
Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm (1988): Yet another good album. In many ways, Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm is just as radical and adventurous as anything she put out in the '70s. It's one of those albums that you have to listen to from start to finish - on their own, songs like "Lakota" and "The Reoccurring Dream" aren't that strong, but in the context of the whole album, they work very well. Chalk Mark in a Rainstorm is another lyrical journey for the listener, also. Joni uses a lot of Native American and environmental images in a lot of the songs. Highlights include "My Secret Place," "Cool Water" and, of course, "The Beat of Black Wings." Though the songs on Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm might not appeal to the average listenter, like many of Joni's records, it's one that gets better with each listen.Rating: 7
Night Ride Home (1991): Everyone called this album a 'return' for Joni. After years of more technical records, Joni picked up her guitar again for Night Ride Home and began doing acoustic songs. This album starts off strongly, but strays towards the middle. "Passion Play (When All the Slaves Are Free)," the title track, "Everything For Nothing" and "Slouching Towards Bethleham" are all first-rate songs. This is a good album...but it doesn't begin to compare to the next one she would release... Rating: 7
Turbulent Indigo (1994) : What an amazing collection of songs. Turbulent Indigo should rank up there with Blue and Court and Spark as one of Joni's classic albums. It is mainly an acoustic album, with little tinges of jazz in songs such as "Sunny Sunday." Every single song on here holds it own against some of her best material, and it expanded on Night Ride Home lyrically and musically. One of her most memorable songs, "Sex Kills," appears on this album, along with other favorites, such as "Last Chance Lost" and "The Sire of Sorrow (Job's Sad Song)." This is a favorite album for many Joni fans. If you are new to Joni's music, this is a good place to start. Rating: 8.75
Hits and Misses (1996): Released on my birthday, Reprise Records decided to release what they believed to be Joni's "greatest hits" on one disc. Joni wanted them to release a "greatest misses" also. This two-disc set (sold seperately) only reinforces my hatred for "greatest hits" compilations. It seems to always be about the record label and never the artist. (also see: Warner Bros. "Prince: The Hits and B-sides." That was horrible.) The "Hits" CD is good only for one song: "Urge For Going," which has was previously unavailable. The rest of the CD doesn't seem to flow, and a lot of songs were left out. How could their be a Joni Mitchell greatest hits CD without anything from Hejira ???? The "Misses" is more compelling. It showcases a lot of Joni's '80s material, with some songs from Turbulent Indigo . (?) I prefer this CD to "Hits," because it is alot more interesting. Don't waste your time with these. "Hits" Rating: 6. "Misses" Rating: 7
Taming the Tiger (1998) : Joni's first album of original material in four years is another good album, even if it is a little harder to get into than her other albums. Taming the Tiger deals with many topics, such as the current state of the music industry on the title track. This album also shows Joni experimenting again musically - "Harlem in Havana" starts off with some cool guitar effects that blend in perfectly with the keyboards, while "Man From Mars" finds Mitchell going back to jazz influences. "No Apologies" will make an adequate greatest hits package one day; it is an amazing song that recalls some of her work on Hejira. Over all, Taming the Tiger takes a little longer to sink in than the albums before it. Once you get used to it, it turns out to be a really good effort. Still, I don't imagine radio stations playing anything from this CD. But that's probably not Joni's intention with this album - it is a good representation of where she is at at this moment in her career. It's good to hear her pushing the boundaries of music, because nobody is as good as Joni when it comes to exploring new ideas with each album. Rating: 8
Both Sides Now (2000) : This album features Joni singing classic tunes from other artists, as well as two of her most well-known songs, "A Case of You" and, of course, "Both Sides Now." The orchestration and Joni's voice combine for a beautiful piece of work, and this is another stellar addition to Joni's library. It's perfect for a rainy day, and it seems to grow on me after every listen. Both Sides now is defenitely not without its faults, though, but overall it's worth a listen. The strings add so much to her music: the revamped version of "A case of you" sounds completely different from the original version on Blue. After hearing so many remakes of that song, it is bittersweet to hear Joni sing it again, in a way that only she could.
Rating: 6.5
