What is there to say about Joni Mitchell’s Blue album that hasn’t been said already? Blue was the work of Joni Mitchell at her peak. It was an open diary pouring out her bleeding heart, her sorrow and her sadness. She became a poet and lyricist in her own right, using her new approach to pop and jazz-influenced music as the channel to express intimate emotions which became universal, touching the world and future generations in such a way that it still resonates in listeners heads today.
Blue provides sparse, crisp and beautiful arrangements. Featuring keys, dulcimer, bass and percussion, the album shines in sophistication. This attention to detail is nevertheless enhanced in her confessional truths about failed relationships, the loss of a child through adoption, the yearning and nostalgia of a past era, the searching of the soul and its peace of mind, and the ultimate struggle between love and loneliness. No one like Joni Mitchell could write, play and sing like an exotic bird ‘But when he’s gone, me and my lonesome blues collide. The bed’s too big, the frying pan too wide.’
Blue touched (and still does) the hearts of everyone. Blue is breathtaking; Blue is timeless.