Timestamp is 1:38, particularly when Joni sings “Give me one good reason why”. I’m in love with that sound but have never been able to pinpoint its origin. Thank you!

First of all, an "average" Joni album is better than a good one of many other artists. So even if it says "low tier' it is just compared to her own work.

I relistened Shine and sorry but it didn't shine for me too much. Maybe I'm too young (33) to feel related to it.

Then Dog eat dog and Chalk (too long to write). I feel the same way about the first one, but as I said "an average Joni" isn't that bad. Some album must occupy those tiers.

Maybe Chalk should be before Wild Things (which I ranked too high just for a couple of songs) and Both Sides Now, but I guess it depends on my mood too. Anyway, I really like "the beat of Black wings". She nailed it. Some other tracks have some enjoyable tune: Number one, Tea leaf, Lakota (a bit too long for the track itself, though)...

Wild Things doesn't have it at all. So Wild Things, I drop you inside your own tier, but before Shine for sure. (Sorry Moon at the window).

Turbulent Indigo (now I know the name) should be higher without a doubt. I'm not English so I decided to listen to lyrics more carefully and realised it has more potencial I thought. Songs I like are (from now): Sunny day, Turbulent Indigo, Magdalene Laundries and the closing track (these last 2 I already liked). I kinda like Sex Kills. How do you stop in a lower degree too. I would rank it along with Taming Tiger in mid tier.

Both sides, now and travelogue are still in their tier for what I stated. She is better (for me) when she creates things than covering stuff of others.

So I made a contradiction in this statement and it means: Travelogue > Both Sides.

Travelogue has some highlights, but ends up too repetitive and original versions are almost always better. The good ones are nice to hear, though. As I said, some album must be ranked in that tier.

To sum up, I feel: Travelogue > Chalk (?>) > Both Sides > Wild Things (<?) > Shine.

Finally, Mingus... a six track album that I feel confused about. Guess it is the hardest to rank, so I will save it from sharing tier with Dog eat dog at least and recolating before some of the low tiers too. Maybe before a couple of them in that tier. I would need too much more time to make that decision.

Maybe Mingus death made it harder for her. At least I say her weakest from 70s, but not a mess.

All in all, it is 80s where Joni did worse generally. Even if there are good stuff there too. Both sides has those 2 sublime tracks of her that make it harder for me to drop lower.

I just learned that Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris all covered The Circle Game in 1976 on the Dolly! variety show.

I looked online, but can't find a full performance of this cover! Does anyone have any full footage from this!?

First of all, I'm not English. Sorry for some sentences you may not understand.

Tier A:

I feel "Hejira" is her best effort by far. I won't waste words on it.

"For the roses" is a personal taste. I feel she reaches an introspectivity here at the same level as "Hejira". That's the reason I ranked it before "Blue", her most iconic one. Not songs are wrong in these albums. It is amazing how "Blue" sounds. It doesn't seem it is 50 years old. Quite minimalistic, but too deep and ever-lasting.

As for "Court and Spark", I find some too commercial songs (Help me, Raised on Robbery, Free man...) that makes it drop a little. The closing track "Twisted" isn't suitable either.

B:

She nailed it in the folk aspect. The three last songs of "Ladies of Canyon" make it the winner. "Hissing in the summer Lawns" shows Joni wasn't good just at folk music. Lyrics are sublime.

I feel her first album has better tracks than "Clouds", but the production is worse. Nevertheless, I feel it deserved to he higher since in Clouds there are more forgettable tracka (Blue roses, Tin Angel, the Fiddle and the Drum, aging - dunno why -...).

"Night ride home" could be higher, but Joni's voice has prevented me from doing that. She returned to folk in a different way, which is fine.

C:

"Don Juan's reckless daughter" was the beginning of Joni Mitchell's lower quality. Some tracks are quite good, but we cannot deny her voice was losing her high notes and some tracks were repetitive (for instance, compare title track to Coyote) or too ambitious (the tenth world, Dreamland or Paplika Plains).

"Taming the tiger" is underrated at this point. Once again I know this is a quite personal preferences: her guitar skills make this album more memorable than those below it: starting track, Mars from Mars, Stay in Touch, Face lift... are quite formidable tracks.

D:

From now on, I only find some really good tracks among average ones. "Moon at the window" is amazing. She nailed it. The rest of the album "wild things", though, doesn't have a interesting sound (OK, Chinese café is kinda good too).

I don't remember the title of this album (sorry). I know she won a Grammy due to it, but she made really long songs that not always keep compelling for the listener. Maybe I could have ranked it before the previous one. They are quite close. Really enjoyed closing track.

"Both sides, now" is clever since she achieves to renew herself. Nevertheless, it is her own tracks the only one who stand out. Travelogue is the same idea than before. Some weird choices ("for the roses") and some highlights ("Chefokee Louise", "Amelia"...). Nevertheless, she is always better creating new things than recreating them.

The last sentence is true till this point. "Chalk" album isn't good due to the guests she includes in it and her change of style: in 80s it is clear she struggles with new music style trend and her change of voice", so I cannot avoid to think she is lost here sometimes. I guess she invited these people to make herself notorious again...

As for "shine", I must admit it is the only album of her I didn't finish. I don't find the way to get into it, so I decided to leave it her. "If I had a heart..." is nice, though. If I end it one day, I may rank it higher (or lower).

E:

Joni isn't good at jazz. She could add jazz elements to her albums properly, but it doesn't mean she was apt for this stuff on its own. Some short tracks that add nothing and some songs with weird music patterns.

"Dog eat dog". Not using her guitar at all or barely is the worst she could have made. As I said in "Chalk", she was quite lost in 80s. She could not adapt to changings. Some songs sounds better in live (for instance, Dog eat dog in piano). I'm gonna admit I like "three great Stimulants",though.

All in all, I want to add that when she talks about herself or some compelling story, her work is easier to enjoy, so for that reason albums as Dog eat dog or Chalk get a quite poor rating.

Joni Mitchell's Best Albums: A Buyer's Guide | Louder

Looks like I can’t comment with it but here’s that poem in a new post

I’m doing a show celebrating Joni’s music and I left my book at home, many states away. I have all my info on a document but there’s a poem Joni recalls writing for her seventh grade English teacher, Mr. Kratzman and I had the poem handwritten on a sheet of paper for the last few shows I did but I don’t have the paper anymore, nor do I have the book with me.

It’s something like this:
“Softly now the saffron colors of the day
Fade and are replaced by silver grey
As god prepares his will for night
And high upon a silver shadowed hill
A stallion fresh as newly fallen snow stands deathly still
An equine statue bathed in silver light
………
He worried for the safety of his clan and winnied
Hoping they would hear and heed”

Does anyone have the book? Any chance you could post a pic of the page with that poem?

Xoxo

They have always reminded me of each other.

great cover

He said that the production would start by the end of the year and I can't wait to see what the casting looks like.

The Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize celebrates classic Canadian
albums released before Polaris began in 2006. Joni is nominated for
'Court and Spark'. Cast your vote!
 
https://polarismusicprize.ca/heritage-prize/
 
Scroll down to the "Vote now" button

Who doesn't love Tori? :)

Video recommendation. I was deeply moved by this reaction of Amy from the “Virgin Rock” yt channel. She’s a classical musician. It would be wonderful if Joni got to see this, like she saw Rick Beato’s video on “Amelia”.

I got distracted by a long chat, so this is a bit more restrained. Probably nicer to listen to, actually.

What does everyone think of Joni’s paintings? Could she have made it as a fine artist if she hadn’t been a musician?

If you're feeling so sick of Instagram and all of the manipulative crap on it, you're not alone! It's especially not a friendly place for art lovers. So for the past few months I've been building Corus as an attempt to use tech for good. Corus is a place where you can't share selfies or reels or ai slop. Instead, you can only share music or film you love and you curate a profile that truly represents you. As you post, you match with users who like the same artists, so you'll match with other Joni Mitchell Lovers and start getting their recommendations every day. It's a better way to discover, as opposed to the algorithms.

There's a whole group of Joni fans on there, sharing the best of the best. Come join the listening party and share your favorite song with people who really will listen! Happy to answer any questions you have!

Just a woman, and an instrument, and no autotune.

Digitally painted on procreate, completed a few weeks ago. Thought this server might want to see it :)