First Listen to For the Roses by Joni Mitchell - How did she do that with her voice?

[@spiritof6663]

"For The Roses" is sometimes slightly overlooked coming as it does between the epochal "Blue" and "Court And Spark", but it's just as much a masterpiece. "Banquet" is one of the most elegant social protest songs ever written. The Zen-by-the-roadside tale "Barangrill" is one of my favorite of her songs, which nobody ever talks about. The last song, the classically inspired "Judgment Of The Moon And Stars" is a stunner. "Cold Blue Steel" was about boyfriend James Taylor's drug addiction, and I believe "See You Sometime" was about her relationship problems with him as well. Overall the album is a fantastic transition between the nakedly intimate singer-songwriter style of "Blue" and the jazzier, more musically sophisticated albums to come. It's great you're pushing forward with her catalog--"Court And Spark" should definitely be next, then you'll get to her *actual* crowning achievement "The Hissing Of Summer Lawns".

[@jnagarya519]

"For The Roses" is sometimes slightly overlooked coming as it does between the epochal "Blue" and "Court and Spark". Absolutely true.

[@G-B31]

Very few true Mitchell fans would rate Hissing as her actual crowning achievement. Heirja and DJRD are better albums than Hissing.

[@steverpools276]

Agreed about James Taylor! The line 'Pack your suspenders' was a reference to his 'Mudslide Slim' album cover

[@spiritof6663]

@@G-B31 I disagree. And "Hissing" (which, I freely admit, was not reviewed well at the time) was Prince's favorite Joni album!

[@G-B31]

@@spiritof6663 Firstly, "crowning achievement" and Prince's "favorite" are two different things. I personally believe if Hissing had come out after Herija, it would have been better received. Joni's work was generally underrated as each album was released. perhaps with the exception of Court and Spark.

[@BednariksGhost]

Of the thousands of songs written about the music industry, "For the Roses" is far and away my favorite.

[@davidburgess3882]

"and the moon swept down black water like an empty spotlight"

[@scottmacgregor6184]

Caroline--"Court and SparK" --it's one of her masterpiece albums!

[@robertmccauley754]

Yes “one” of many. Best value of any singular artist.

[@Peter-oh3hc]

Great album

[@2uconner]

Prob one of her best commercial pieces for an album

[@rodneygriffin7666]

One of the greatest artist of All time.

[@loon-a-sea3872]

keep going with Joni, please. I started with Court & Spark in the early 70's, then retraced my steps to the beginning and have been a devotee ever since. i love seeing her get all the recognition today and that young people are discovering what a treasure she is.

[@johncollier9280]

I've been a Joni fan since first hearin' Ladies O' The Canyon. For The Roses is, in my opinion, one o' her greatest achievements. So great to relive it 'n see yer first reaction. May I also recommend her first two albums: Song To A Seagull 'n Clouds.

[@mikerivers9634]

Glad you got round to Joni Mitchell, Caroline. She’s one artist who continues to challenge and thrill to this day. Each album is an evolution as she explores different styles. Her songs can be challenging but ultimately always reward.

[@soundproof8688]

I'm so excited for Caroline, knowing that she is on a trajectory which will inevitably bring Court and Spark, Hissing, and Hejira into her life

[@quethpinkle]

Rewatching these videos for the umpteenth time and so sad she never did Hissing or Hejira (or Shadows and Light for that matter)!

[@jnagarya519]

There are three artists who grew with every LP released: "The Beatles," Bob Dylan, and Joni Mitchell. Another songwriter who plays piano is Billy Joel.

[@bramsteenhoek2674]

I still don't udnerstand how Dylan remained so good after how many albums

[@bulldoginyellowsubmarine9259]

Joni and Beatles are my favourite artists off all-time, I couldn't live without them

[@jnagarya519]

@@jk4675Because that proper grammar.

[@P.Galore]

Very anxious to see you get into " the trilogy" of Court & Spark, Hissing and Hejira...where she disciplines her octave wanderings and gets complete control of her voice while developing a unique electric guitar sound.

[@BuffaloC305]

HISSING, to me, is her MOVIE album. When listeners pile on the re-listens, they always realize SCARLET and KINGPIN and schools of taxi-fishes have whole movies playing out in our imagination. I don't know if she's done any set of songs that sweeps me away.

[@stevekaspar1396]

Love Hissing

[@tubularap]

Ever since I found your channel I had hope that it would come to this. When you did Blue I knew it was coming. This wonderful album was my introduction to Joni Mitchell in 1973. I fell in love with her unique singing and music immediately. I loved your reaction to every track, but when Blonde In The Bleachers played your facial expressions were just perfect.

[@st.bernadetteparish2540]

It's been a long time since I listened to For the Roses, and this is reminding me how great it is. I look forward to your response to Hejira.

[@vincentmorand3923]

Judgement of The Moon and Stars is my favourite song from this album. The lyrics are about Beethoven, but in a very oblique way. The first lines (No tongue in the bell and the fish wives yell, but they might as well be mute) refers to Beethoven's increasing deafness. Specifically, the moment when Beethoven was walking past the cathedral of St Stephen in Vienna. He looked up to the giant bell in the church tower and noticed a flock of pigeons suddenly fly off. It was then he realised he hadn't heard a sound when this giant bell rang, as if there was no tongue in the bell, and he was now completely deaf. That most terrifying of realisations for a composer! And he couldn't hear the loud voices of the fish wives in the market. Near the end of the song Joni mentions broken trees and elephant ivories, referring to the black (ebony) and white (ivory) keys of the piano. The song is a very poetic tribute to Beethoven. I get emotional every time I hear it.

[@waynehauser3611]

What a wonderful voice and talented musician Joni is . She always surprises and never disappoints .

[@pilesovinyl]

You Turn Me On I'm A Radio was a big hit single. Her voice is so unique and impressive, what a high register.

[@WildInNewEngland]

Thanks for a wonderful look at some of Joni's work. At 70 and having really only been aware of her "hits" and a few others in real time, I am enjoying discovering her work along with you. 👍

[@TheEWFX29]

One of the most unique female voices in rock music.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Everything just flows so beautiful and natural. Great reaction Caroline.

[@PogieJoe]

Wow I had never heard this Joni album before and it's absolutely remarkable. Thanks for taking us along the journey.

[@TTM9691]

Oh my gosh, I dropped EVERYTHING when I saw you posted this! Yes!!!! More Joni!!!!! This album is the missing link between Blue and Court And Spark! (her next album). I got chills watching you react to this album, especially the vocal arrangements! She has such a great low register along with her airy upper register. And you appreciating how she gives equal weight to instrumental music and the heavy lyrics! And yeah, the engineering on her stuff is always impeccable, the 70s had the best engineering all over the place. Joni is the Los Angeles sound. Her next album has a full band and is very, very cool, you're going to love the arrangements, and the songwriting is concise and impeccable, every song. A very different album!!!! You won't be able to predict what's coming! ventually double back (on or off the channel) and hit her early albums which are also great, especially "Ladies Of The Canyon". This was a FANTASTIC reaction. I can't wait for you to hit "Court And Spark"!

[@jnagarya519]

I ADORE "For Free" on "Ladies of the Canyon". Another I've always liked by her is "Night in the City".

[@TTM9691]

@@jnagarya519 LOVE "Night In The City". And "For Free" ("Ladies Of The Canyon" is my favorite of her early albums). But "Night In The City" is my fave from her first album, great choice!

[@sonicboy19]

Thanks for this! For The Roses is my personal favorite Joni album. The lyrics, the music, her voice, the production, the musicianship - I love it all! All of that said, it was not an immediate favorite of mine as I was initially exploring her work. I feel that this album is more of a grower, while albums like Ladies Of The Canyon and Court And Spark are more immediately catchy. The title track, For The Roses, and the closing track, Judgement of the Moon and Stars, are two of my favorite songs of hers. The depth of her storytelling is unparalleled, both lyrically and musically.

[@nealfig]

I await your take on her Clouds album, one of my favourites.

[@jnagarya519]

I've been hoping you'd get to Joni Mitchell. Knew you'd love her. Next after "For the Roses" is "Court & Spark". "Ladies of the Canyon" has a wonderful song titled "For Free".

[@BuffaloC305]

CIRCLE GAME and many more, too. Her first two do not offer 're-listening' pleasures - they have a couple of songs on each, but not in total. Then LADIES came along and there were 3 then 4 then 5 consecutives that caught me. But in each of these three, there are heralding moments - heralding the next album, yet to be released at that time. I can't think of any other artist that presages their own Next Album.

[@larrys8025]

My favorite is Chelsea Morning.. I love lyrics. and she paints a morning with someone that is perfect. Great music and perfect lyrics

[@RDRussell2]

I think Bill & Hillary Clinton named their daughter Chelsea because of that song, no? It's a great uptempo Joni song.

[@bruce1947]

Can't wait till you get to court and spark! It's absolutely my favorite joni mitchell album. It's absolutely fantastic!

[@bendancar]

So delightful to see you respond to this gem. Keep going, preferably chronologically. The next 3 albums are like an artist finding her adult self, and we are all invited for the journey. And you will definitely want to keep the lyrics on hand. Her poetry works on the page as well as they work in song. Cheers!

[@bendancar]

And, by the way, the question "Is this real about...?" is mute with Joni. It's all real. There has never been a more personal, open songwriter who wrote from her own experience than Ms Mitchell. After hearing the rough mix of "Blue," David Crosby (a sometimes-lover, of Crosby Still and Nash fame) said, "Jesus, Joni! Leave something for yourself!" It's all so personal, which is part of what makes it so powerful.

[@brucetimmerman7092]

Oh caroline! Love you! I was with you for the Beatles albums and enjoyed watching you very much. Now you are doing Joni Mitchell. Like a dream come true. I love her so much. You could t have chosen a better artist to review. I will be with you the whole way. Thanks dear!

[@capstan50g]

I found this very interesting. There's so much creativity and musical proficiency on display here, it boggles the mind. Thanks for sharing this album and your thoughts on it with us, Caroline!

[@Uuuuutuuuube]

Court and Spark, please. You’ll love it

[@samlewis7878]

The depth of Joni will keep you going for a lifetime. Talent was her middle name.

[@clintatk]

There is a reason why almost no one tries to cover a Joni Mitchell song. No one can sing like her! Thank you for this post. I haven't listened to her in a while and this brings all the feels flooding back. Such a musician, writer, composer, and singer.

[@darrylprice3444]

Great songs on each album, but court n spark works from beginning to end as a complete artistic statement. Great songwriting and great lyrics combine for a winning listening experience.

[@mvswaaij]

The more you listen to these songs, the more you can appreciate them. They do not exactly give themselves the first time. She is such a great musician singer and poet !!!!!!

[@jnagarya519]

She is playing more with her voice in this than in "Blue".

[@greg901]

Absolutely Court and Spark next! One of my favorite albums of all time.

[@musiclistsareus1029]

Roses was never one of my faves, BUT thank you for leading us on a tour. If she hadn't made her masterpieces (Heijira, Court & Spark and Blue, imo), Mitchell's reputation would still be secure even based on her other albums

[@jnagarya519]

Ya hafta listen to "Blue," "For the Roses," and "Court & Spark" in order.

[@tommiellewellyn6040]

Hi Caroline hope all is nothing less than amazing with you! 😊 My mom used to play Joni to me as a toddler and it was her way of calming me down from being rambunctious or as a way to get me to nap as a baby. Love her!! Oh and Joni too!! You’re so musically intelligent,talented,sweet and absolutely gorgeous. Thank you for having such an entertaining channel and making us smile ❤️

[@notvalidcharacters]

I saw Joni in concert 1974 where she performed some of this and as she always does, told an origin-story where she was travelling and pulled into a petrol station. There she got into a conversation with the attendant, an extroverted black guy. "Oh, you're a singer" he says, "I'm a singer too!" and launched into his own song-and-dance routine for her. That became the verse in Barangrill.

[@suchisthismystery2814]

For The 🌹🌹🌹 is my favourite Joni album bar none. It is sadly so frequently overlooked as it is sandwiched between her two most commercially successful albums, "Blue" (1971) and "Court and Spark" (1974). I particularly love the songs "Lesson In Survival", "Electricity", "Woman Of Heart And Mind" and "For The Roses". If I could take only one of Joni's albums to a dessert island to see out my days, it would unhesitatingly be For The 🌹🌹🌹.

[@BuffaloC305]

This album often isn't listed among favorites but, when I listen to it again, I realize this could be my favorite. It's so typical of her transitional albums from one 'generation' of her music to the next one. This is the album that BEGS relistenings. COLD BLUE STEEL, by the way, received a positive review from Jimmy Page, him saying, "There is no way I could play and even hum the lyrics at the same time." The guitar is so percussive and so orchestral at the same time, with rhythms that are soooo perplexing but SOOO perfect while playing them.

[@BuffaloC305]

Caroline - never EVER try to learn guitar from Joni Mitchell songs. NEVER. Gotta promise us... NEVER. She uses open tunings many of which are so weird that'd she'd end up filling up notebooks of hints to remember them and their various chords. She's hired 'expert fans' to re-create some, years and decades later.

[@deluxe67x12]

@@BuffaloC305 I saw a quote once from David Crosby about picking up Joni's guitar which would almost always be tuned to one of her unique tunings, and he would say "Oh, Martians have been here!""

[@jonk6513]

The late 70’s jazz stuff is awesome as well. Jaco!!

[@lilmelvin11]

I first heard Sandy Denny on the vocal duet she did with Robert Plant on "The Battle of Evermore" on the fourth Led Zeppelin album. Amazing! I got the Fairport Convention albums she did and her solo work. Beautiful Woman's voice. Strong and melodic. She should not be forgotten. Folk roots but oh so much more. "John the Gun" especially brilliant. Please enjoy, if you will.

[@brucestanley9656]

So happy you're reviewing Joni! I was hooked, from my first listening of BLUE

[@zedxxx9]

I urge you to make sure you get to the next one... Court and Spark is a masterpiece, right up there with Blue.

[@moonstone1159]

Yes!

[@interested-q4d]

It doesn't get better than this. The acme of her career.

[@gualdimpaisgrandemestre3362]

Muy grande Joni con su peculiaridad voz,grande entre las grandes.

[@jonk6513]

I always have considered Joni Mitchell music (60’s-70’s) to be “grown up music”. I’m 54 and I still feel that way

[@aseriesofsneaks]

This was the first Joni Mitchell album I heard and remains my favourite. It feels like sometimes it gets overshadowed by the album that preceded it ('Blue', her most critically acclaimed record) and the one that followed ('Court and Spark', her most commercially successful), but I think it's every bit as exceptional as those two. I really hope you'll listen to 'Hejira' or 'Court and Spark' next. Of her later albums, 'Turbulent Indigo' is another classic.

[@buddyneher9359]

I really enjoyed experiencing this with you, Caroline. Although this album came out when I was in high school, I only knew the songs from it that were on the radio. And yes, "You Turn Me On, I'm A Radio" was the breakout hit. The deeper cuts were far outside my musical interests.... nice to get to appreciate them now. Thanks!

[@adamsjoberrg]

I think For the Roses might be my favorite album from Joni. Regarding "Blue" as some kind of closure, this album is entirely different and at the same time such a natural progression. Blonde in the Bleachers is such a beautiful arrangement, and when the drum kit enters it's the first time Joni has a band(drums and bass) playing with her, such a powerful moment in her career.

[@PHL76Music]

I agree regarding "Blonde in the Bleachers." It's a beautiful song that paints pictures in one's mind. The band enters at just the right time to put illustrate that "You can't hold the hand of a rock n roll man... very long." It's funny how that line popped into my head at a time when I contemplating holding the hand of a rock n roll man myself. It was as if she was warning me. :-)

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

She made such wonderful albums. Great reaction songs for a seagull is a good one too.

[@benoitrenaud519]

Expanding my knowledge of Mitchell with Caroline is great!

[@diogenesagogo]

Hearing these tracks again is giving me goose bumps. She's incredible.

[@jeffmartin1026]

What a joy to watch someone hear this LP for the first time. What a joy to watch you get completely lost in the music, the true art that Joni is. For me this is in constant battle for first place in her works. A lot of this LP was written while she was "on retreat" at her home in Canada. That's why the piano is utilized so much, and her reference to nature and about her family. Cold Blue Steel.... is probably my favorite song by her.

[@Hummingbirds2023]

I love watching young people discover the wonderful music and talented artists I listened to when I was a younger woman. I never went any where without my records! Live Joni music of my youth! 💞

[@heidih2887]

she produced all her own albums from Clouds through the next 12 or 13 albums, with the excellent engineering of Henry Lewy. Totally ground-breaking! :D (The final albums were co-produced by Joni and her then-husband and bass player Larry Klein) So refreshing to see a new generation of musicians and song writers learning about the genius of Joni! :D

[@CallMeCaroline]

Glad you enjoyed the video! I’m currently editing the court and spark video!

[@axelowell4084]

Thank you Caroline for highlighting Joni Mitchell.

[@dannygriffith6185]

The seeds of " Court & Spark' are evident in " For the Roses"..... The jazz inflections with more instruments & her vocal style....For the Roses is "Blue" transitioning.....Court & Spark, Hissing of Summer Lawns & Hejira are IMO her artistic recording peak.

[@daveherres3374]

Excellent choice and commentary as usual.

[@jocgo]

Glad you’re on a Jon Mitchell journey. She’s an amazing songwriter. You will enjoy this

[@lilmelvin11]

Love your explorations! Mitchell is a "particularly" interesting artist....I would love to hear your take on Sandy Denny, her work with Fairport Convention and her brief solo work. An extraordinary vocalist also....I'm a massive fan of Richard Thompson's music also. You are a true Treasure,, yourself. . I adore your enthusiasm, your curiosity. You Carry On....

[@mrheem44]

This is a great LP. Gets forgotten glad you are checking it out

[@gaetanocascio2420]

For some reason, the transition of "For the Roses" into "See You Sometime" is one of my all time favourites. Also, what you said about melody and lyrics being treated as equals by Joni Mitchell couldn't be more true. Her prosody here is still pretty conventional though, one of the peaks of her lyrical maturity can be found in the album "Hejira", by some considered her best one (I still prefer the "Blue"-"For the Roses"-"Court and Spark" trilogy to it): all throughout that album, I'm sure you'll be blown away by the mastery with which she composes and (even more importantly) delivers her lyrics, by relying on the natural music of language. I don't know how to explain it very well, but that makes most of the songs from "Hejira" almost impossible to sing by anyone other than Joni Mitchell herself. This comment feels like such a spoiler for "Hejira". But I hope you will continue your journey into Joni Mitchell's albums, you won't regret it. Thank you very much for your videos.

[@glennsmusicchannel]

Court and Spark next, absolutely - though she does put out a live album right after FTR called Miles of Aisles. Half with a jazzy band, half solo. Pretty nice record. Love seeing you react to Joni. She is a giant.

[@brachiator1]

Love this album. Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire is one of the most immaculately produced songs I have ever heard. The guitars sound exceptionally clean and pure. You can hear the strings being plucked. When I bought this album as a college student, I was lucky enough to have a great home audio setup, and I was knocked out by how the music production matched the artistry of the songwriting and musicianship.

[@rickc661]

Hejirra is my fave J.M. album, by a lot.

[@rosmeeker1964]

Me too.

[@51monalisa]

thank of reminding me of this record i didn.t played it for years

[@alanaltimont9007]

Excellent job--really nice observations about differences with Blue.

[@waldorfstatler3129]

The shift from For The Roses to Court and Spark/Hissing of Summer Lawns/Hejira is like the shift from the Beatles Help to Revolver/Sgt Pepper/White Album. Can't wait to see your reactions to those Joni Mitchell albums.

[@zedxxx9]

Thanks for this... I have a newfound love for For The Roses. It is actually an awesome transitional album between Blue and Court & Spark. I had forgotten it has all those awesome background vocals. You will hear lots more of them on the next one...

[@dggydddy59]

It's really too bad that, even among Joni's fans, this album sort of gets passed over. Blue was her biggest Critic's Darling so everybody hypes that one and Court And Spark had a full band for the first time and it was her biggest seller so everybody also hypes that one. But this one here is when she really started to explore what she could do with the sound of her music. Like you noticed, these harmonies and background vocals are anything but the usual stuff anyone else would've done. She's also singing in a lower register now. And she makes use of many different wind and string instruments in a way she had never done before. This is the missing piece between Joni being a real folkie type solo performer with just a voice and one guitar or piano and starting to expand into becoming a bandleader, music arranger and record producer. And, typical Joni, the result is phenomenal. For The Roses is an essential work that shows Joni really breaking out of her mold and starting to reach out even farther in her artistry towards a musical future even more open to the possibilities. This is one of her greatest albums and it's just too bad that it gets so overlooked just because most people are only aware of a couple of them. You started at her 4th album, this is her 5th, and everybody is raving at you to listen to her 6th and later ones. Her first 3 are also no less excellent than these others, they're full of incredible songs, so don't shortchange yourself by overlooking them. Cheers!

[@Philliben1991]

Her best album is 'Blue' but my favourite Joni song is 'Hissing Of Summer Lawns'.

[@W4TB]

You need to listen to "Court And Spark"

[@chrisblower8868]

Nice reaction - I think it'll be interesting to see how you rank the next three. Court and Spark, Hissing of Summer Lawns and Hejira. All fantastic but so different.

[@sloth361]

Would love to see you go through Kate Bush’s discography as well!

[@michaellewis9167]

My favorite Joni Mitchell album.

[@jnagarya519]

Another of interest -- she recorded a Joni Mitchell song before Mitchell had a recording contract -- is Buffy Sainte-Marie, when she recorded for Vanguard.

[@richardburke6902]

Great album to do a first listen with. It almost seemed like some of the songs made you break a sweat. idk. But as a long-time Joni fan, I would encourage you to do a first listen to Joni’s “Ladies of the Canyon”, (1970). On the song “For Free” the saxophone sounds a lot like the saxophone we hear on this album in a few songs. Thank you. 💙🙏🏻

[@johnwarren6211]

Hi Caroline, please listen to Hejira, Joni's deepest, darkest and most complex album ever, in my opinion.... would be interested to hear what you think. PS Thanks for the Beatles reviews, great to hear a new slant on stuff I raved over in the 60s!!!

[@Albinsable]

Great reaction to a great, much neglected album.....you are the first I've seen to react to this album.....thank you

[@OtherLetter]

Court and Spark is my favorite of hers. I'd really like to hear how you appraise it.

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

I can't wait for you to get to 'Edith And The Kingpin'.

[@paulgraham4293]

i think its her most intimate album , even more than Blue. she singing to only you, the one listener. extraordinary for many reassons. find all of them yourself.

[@hongfang2508]

This was my first Joni album. I loved it!

[@jjkey7120]

I guess she'd already made one of the best albums of all time (Blue) and decided to push the envelope on this one, experimenting with arrangements. 'Let the Wind' is the most moving lyric on this album for me; I never tire of this LP

[@yes_head]

For the Roses is quintessential bookstore-cafe music. It suffers a bit compared to what bookends it in her catalog, but there's really nothing bad about it. Yeah, Joni lets her voice go on some crazy melodic journeys that are sometimes hard to follow, but repeated listens helps familiarity to set in.

[@jasonremy1627]

You've got to do "Hejira" as your next album. It's my second favorite after Blue. Really different, but still great

[@W4TB]

They claim Joni is a folk singer, but she is deeply rooted in Jazz.

[@jnagarya519]

She began as a folk singer, evolved into rock with a band, then into jazz, which is not to my taste.

[@heyskipj]

I've given Joni a listen here and there after my favorite artist, Prince gave her a nice shout-out in his song, "Starfish & Coffee." Such an interesting and quirky voice. I love her storytelling. I always think she's singing me a lullaby. Her voice can be soothing even though her delivery at most times is anything but. Love the musicians she has, they compliment her very well and keeps things interesting. Does she do all instruments? Onto Blue!

[@chrisdelisle3954]

As incredible as "Blue" is, this might be my favorite record of hers. Although a lot of people love "Court And Spark" and the jazzier records after that, I'm not sure that she ever got better than "Blue" and "For The Roses."

[@ontherun9510]

Caroline, about harmonies, she does it all her self on the record. Next: Court and Spark. Highly recommended!

[@lengyrotron4329]

Ladies of the Canyon, everyone a winner!

[@YewtBoot]

This album, in particular, showed much more use of her own voice harmonizing with the main melody. Her favorite background instrument at the time was the clarinet. No one yet has written a more poignant song than Joni about heroin addiction in "Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire." Make sure you're ready for it when you dive into the lyrics. In general, also, the recording quality on this album exceeds that on the previous ones. Hejira will make a final giant step in quality of recording. It's likely her masterpiece record.

[@Blue-qr7qe]

I love this album! Happy to have you listen to it. I know she was with Graham Nash for a time, but some of this might have come out of a relationship she had with James Taylor. Possible a couple or few songs on BLUE were also for him. A Case of You (from the BLUE album) was written to/about Leonard Cohen. I enjoyed your reaction. Thanks -

[@hongfang2508]

Joni was transitioning to a jazzy sound that would become more prominent through the 1970s.

[@davidrauh8118]

This was definitely a transition album between Blue and Court & Spark when she started to transition into a more jazzy feel. And ultimately went into jazz even more with Hissing of Summer Lawns and Hejira.

[@williamchang823]

Can't wait til you get to Hejira, it's my favorite Joni album for sure

[@stevenblock9712]

I do hope you will go on to the Court and Spark album, one that had hit singles, which is something she eschewed ever afterward. She was truly a genius from a very young age with a sound that no one can approximate and that amazing songwriting. In 2020, Rolling Stone listed "Blue" as #3 in its 500 Best albums list.

[@jamesmcnally1253]

Joni was recovering from her nervous breakdown when she wrote this album,she's living in Vancouver in the woods ,she's reflecting on her past relationships,See you sometime is about James Taylor,blonde in the bleachers is her realizing dating rock stars isn't a good idea,it very self reflective which is all Joni's music at this time,alot of pain,but it's beautiful,one of my favorites

[@DanInMUC]

Oh I wish I watched this reaction before Court&Spark, so I could see you transition from Blue into C&S. For the roses has for me a lyrical depth that makes me prefer it to its predecessor. The rhythmic section in Blonde in the bleachers is the entrance to Joni's musical maturity that, in my opinion, will culminate in Hissing (the layering!) and Hejira, her masterpiece.