# Deep Tracks - Joni Mitchell - "Blue"



## Guest (Aug 31, 2018)

View attachment 107296


Please *choose up to six selections* for this particular poll.

On all polls created if you click on the number of votes following the song title the username of all voters and their chosen selections will appear.

The tunes themselves will be found below the poll itself as links rather than as embedded videos due to bandwidth issues for those who wish to reacquaint themselves with a tune that may have receded a bit too far into the past to be remembered with the clarity that came when they were first released...

Next up is - *Joni Mitchell - "Blue"*

"Blue" is the fourth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. Exploring the various facets of relationships from infatuation on "A Case of You" to insecurity on "This Flight Tonight", the songs feature simple accompaniments on piano, guitar and Appalachian dulcimer. The album peaked at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart and number 15 on the Blllboard 200.

Today, "Blue" is generally regarded by music critics as one of the greatest albums of all time; Mitchell's songwriting and compositions are frequent areas of praise.

In January 2000, The New York Times chose "Blue" as one of the 25 albums that represented "turning points and pinnacles in 20th-century popular music".

In 2012, "Blue" was rated the 30th best album ever made in Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time", the highest entry by a female artist.

Despite the success of her first three albums and songs like "Woodstock", January 1970 saw Mitchell make a decision to break from performing. In early spring 1970, she set off on a vacation around Europe.

While on the island of Formentera, she wrote some of the songs that appear on "Blue". This journey was the backdrop for the songs "Carey" and "California." Some of the songs on "Blue" were inspired by Mitchell's 1968-1970 relationship with *Graham Nash*. Their relationship was already troubled when she left for Europe, and it was while she was on Formentera that she sent Nash the telegram that let him know that their relationship was over. The songs "My Old Man" and "River" are thought to be inspired by their relationship.

Another pivotal experience in Mitchell's life that drove the emergence of the album was her relationship with *James Taylor*. She had begun an intense relationship with Taylor by the summer of 1970, visiting him on the set of the movie "Two-Lane Blacktop", the aura of which is referred to in "This Flight Tonight".

The songs "Blue" and "All I Want" have specific references to her relationship with Taylor, such as a sweater that she knitted for him at the time, and his heroin addiction. During the making of Blue in January 1971, they were still very much in love and involved. Despite his difficulties, Mitchell evidently felt that she had found the person with whom she could pair-bond in Taylor. By March, his fame exploded, causing friction. She was reportedly devastated when he broke off the relationship.

In 1979 Mitchell reflected, "The Blue album, there's hardly a dishonest note in the vocals. At that period of my life, I had no personal defenses. I felt like a cellophane wrapper on a pack of cigarettes. I felt like I had absolutely no secrets from the world and I couldn't pretend in my life to be strong. Or to be happy. But the advantage of it in the music was that there were no defenses there either."

Mitchell continued to use alternate tunings on her guitar to allow easier access to augmented chords and notes in unexpected combinations.

Due to the stark and bare revelations in the album, when it was first played for Kris Kristofferson he is reported to have commented, "*Joni! Keep something of yourself!*"

*Accolades*-

In 2000, "Blue" won the top spot in Chart's '50 Greatest Canadian Albums of All Time' (Blue was third place in 1996 and 2005)

In 2001, "Blue" was ranked #14 on VH1's list of the '100 Greatest Albums of All Time', the highest album by a female artist to appear on the list.

In 2002, Q Magazine named "Blue" the 8th Greatest Album of All-Time by a Female Artist.

In 2003, "Blue" was ranked #30 on Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time", the highest placement for a female artist.

In 2007, "Blue" was ranked second in Bob Mersereau's book The Top 100 Canadian Albums, behind Neil Young's "Harvest" (which was the second-place finisher in all three Chart polls)

"Blue" was voted #66 in Channel 4's countdown of the '100 Greatest Albums'

In 2006, "Blue" was listed among Time Magazine's 'All-Time 100 Albums'.

In 1999, "Blue" was given the honor of a Grammy Hall of Fame award, which is given to recordings that are at least 25 years old and that have "qualitative or historical significance"

In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked the album #2 on its list "Women Who Rock: The 50 Greatest Female Albums Of All Time".

In 2017, National Public Radio ranked the album #1 on its list "The 150 Greatest Albums Made By Women".

The album was a commercial success. In Canada, the album peaked at number nine on the Canadian RPM Albums Chart. It the United Kingdom the album peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart and was certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales over of 600,000 copies in the UK. In the US the album peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album was later certified platinum for sales over a million copies. The single "Carey" reached #93 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Personnel -

Joni Mitchell - appalachian dulcimer, guitar, piano, vocals

Stephen Stills - bass and guitar on "Carey"

James Taylor - guitar on "California", "All I Want" and "A Case of You"

Sneaky Pete Kleinow - pedal steel guitar on "California" and "This Flight Tonight"

Russ Kunkel - drums on "California", "Carey" and "A Case of You"

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_(Joni_Mitchell_album)

Your commentary on any and every aspect of the album and especially any memories reawakened as a result of the poll is welcomed.


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## Guest (Aug 31, 2018)

"*All I Want*" -






"*My Old Man*" -






"*Little Green*" -






"*Carey*" -






"*Blue*" -






"*California*" -






"*This Flight Tonight*" -






"*River*" -






"*A Case of You*" -






"*The Last Time I Saw Richard*" -


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## Belowpar (Jan 14, 2015)

First one of these I just can't pull the trigger on. To choose 6 is to reject 4 and I don't know where to start. High standards throughout.
I think I mentioned on the Every Picture tells a Story thread, that the first 'proper' wage I ever earnt was paid cash in a little brown envelope last thing Friday. Straight to the record store and this was my other choice. It’s been a friend to me ever since and I’m not about to betray that now!

Will be spinning this over the weekend.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

A musical Mitchell gem, with her unique, utterly distinctive chording/tuning. And that áll-knowing yet innocent childlike voice. Along with Laura Nyro, one of the most unique personal identities in American music. I especially enjoy the slightly uncharacteristic _Carey_; can practically join their stroll and feel that African breeze.

Edit: A reminder that Canada and the US are both American countries .


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## Guest (Aug 31, 2018)

Strange Magic said:


> Edit: A reminder that Canada and the US are both American countries .


Well-intention advice for a friend... Once you cross north of the 49th parallel you might want to add the not-so-gratuitous "North" to "American", eh? -


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Sydney Nova Scotia said:


> Well-intention advice for a friend... Once you cross north of the 49th parallel you might want to add the not-so-gratuitous "North" to "American", eh? -


Right on, Syd. My remark was to remind some perhaps parochial citizens of the US that we do share this continent and don't occupy all of "America" .


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