Best Joni Mitchell Albums/Songs to start with?

October 26, 2023 1:50 PM

Hi all, I am trying to get into more of Joni Mitchell's musical works. What are some of her best albums and songs to start with? I am also learning to play the piano in my spare time, and if there is any with solid piano tunes, that would be great as well. Being Canadian, I was told I had to check her music out!
posted by RearWindow to Media & Arts (21 answers total)

You might just start with her greatest hits album, aptly titles Hits. Includes my very favorite song about my home state, California.
posted by rabbitbookworm at 1:55 PM on October 26, 2023 [3 favorites]

I grew up listening to Joni (thanks to my fabulous mama) and the first album of hers I would play for you is Ladies of the Canyon. It's full of a lot of different types of songs and opens with my very first favorite song ever. Morning Morgantown is the song that always brings me back to my own center where I can be still.

Then I would play Blue for you but not before grabbing some tissues because sad. My favorite from that album is All I Want.

Also the album Mingus is excellent.
posted by RobinofFrocksley at 2:04 PM on October 26, 2023 [6 favorites]

Joni Mitchell Mingus is one of my favorite things ever created. I don't know if that is good or bad to start with in terms of appreciation for Joni Mitchell. But if you are familiar with any Charles Mingus or just like jazz or Jaco Pastorius, it is a fabulous album.
posted by cmm at 2:10 PM on October 26, 2023 [2 favorites]

I started with ladies of the canyon and i still think that was a great idea! listen in order, but my personal favs are rainy night house and willy!
posted by maighdeann mhara at 2:14 PM on October 26, 2023 [1 favorite]

Ladies Of The Canyon: for piano specifically, For Free.

Also for piano, on For The Roses: See You Sometime.

And sorry Blue fans, but her best record was Hejira, hands down.
posted by Rash at 2:22 PM on October 26, 2023 [4 favorites]

In the spring of my freshman year in college, I heard a friend playing and singing Michael From Mountains. Without having heard Joni Mitchell, I walked to the record store to purchase her Song to a Seagull album. In addition, I recommend Ladies of the Canyon and Court and Spark. I will always regret never having had the opportunity to experience a live performance.
posted by Scout405 at 2:29 PM on October 26, 2023 [3 favorites]

You could start with Joni Mitchell Archive Vol. 1, which captures her very earliest recordings.

Or with Blue, which is her critical-consensus best album, or Court and Spark, her best-selling one.

I wouldn't recommend starting with Song to a Seagull--if you're going to do that, start with the archive instead; or Hits--rumor is that she would only allow her record label to release it if they did so at the same time as the companion release Misses; or Miles of Aisles, a live album that, while it's pretty good, also captures how uncomfortable she often was in front of large crowds at the time. Really, anything after Hejira probably isn't the place to start (there are some gems in there, but those years are not her peak).

Exceptions to the rule: Love Has Many Faces: A Quartet, A Ballet, Waiting to be Danced, a box set that Joni curated herself that includes material from her entire career, including lesser-known versions of the hits and selections from the sometimes-maligned '80s and '90s releases; and Dreamland, another Joni-curated collection. I see her as a great artist, and it's interesting to me to see how she would choose to be remembered.

Place to really not start: the Big Yellow Taxi EP, released in 1996 to capitalize on the popularity of the tv show Friends: original and radio edits, the original a cappella with guitar, plus four unremarkable and completely unnecessary dance remixes. The most inessential Joni Mitchell recording ever.
posted by box at 3:18 PM on October 26, 2023

Any footage of her playing live is worth checking out. Maybe from the 1970 Isle of Wight festival or here playing Carey.
posted by rongorongo at 3:31 PM on October 26, 2023 [1 favorite]

Any footage of her playing live is worth checking out. Maybe from the 1970 Isle of Wight festival or here playing Carey or River. Or Blue
posted by rongorongo at 3:37 PM on October 26, 2023

I'm partial to Court and Spark, with Blue in second place. But that's probably a minority opinion.
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 3:56 PM on October 26, 2023 [1 favorite]

Joni Mitchell Blue is the soundtrack of my youth and it's hard for me to compare it to other albums. The holidays are coming, listen to River; her voice is fluid, the piano is just right.

I sometimes sing Morning Morgantown, just so lovely, happy.

Thanks for the question, I'm enjoying listening to Joni Mitchell.
posted by theora55 at 7:03 PM on October 26, 2023 [2 favorites]

My real introduction to her (other than hearing “Big Yellow Taxi” and “Both Sides Now” on AM radio when I was a kid) was via the album Blue, which probably makes me very unoriginal. However, I don’t care because it’s still my favourite of her albums. Not a stinker in the bunch, and some real beauties: “California,” “A Case of You,” “All I Want,” “Carey,” “River.” Could listen to it on repeat and have many times. “River” is a piano song and would probably be a nice one to learn.

I also like her songs “Woodstock” and “Circle Game.”
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 7:04 PM on October 26, 2023 [2 favorites]

I never really liked Joni Mitchell (I know, anti-eponysterical) much, but I happened across The Hissing Of Summer Lawns and was kind of blown away by it. If you listen to Harry’s House, it’s amazing to me how modern it sounds - retrospectively it obvious that album was a bit of a touchstone for, say, Zero 7. Just beautiful production and arrangement, and the lyrics are so evocative - like, that song basically does as well as Mad Men at conjuring up mid century New York.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 7:26 PM on October 26, 2023 [2 favorites]

Wow not as many votes for blue as i had expected. So, here's mine.. one of the best albums ever in the history of albums, imo. Sometimes critical acclaim tracks..
posted by elgee at 7:31 PM on October 26, 2023 [1 favorite]

I just came from seeing a friend who recommended the song Cactus Tree.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:30 PM on October 26, 2023

Joni Mitchell is my very very favorite ever, and you can't go wrong with any of it. None of the above commenters have mentioned the album Clouds, which has some big hits ("Chelsea Morning" and "Both Sides Now") as well as some of my favorite deep cuts ("That Song About The Midway" and "Gallery"). Blue was my introduction to Joni, and there's not a clunker on the whole thing. Seconding Ladies of the Canyon, Court and Spark, and For The Roses as essentials. But my one true love that I would take to the desert island is Hejira.
posted by Daily Alice at 8:31 PM on October 26, 2023 [2 favorites]

I was gonna be a rebel and say Hissing of Summer Lawns, but Jon Mitchell (eponysterical) beat me to it.
posted by matildaben at 10:15 PM on October 26, 2023 [1 favorite]

"Court and Spark" is most accessible in a lot of ways, easiest one to get into, and it rules. The A-side is unmatched in music I do think.

"Blue" rules.

"Hissing of Summer Lawns" rules.

"Hejira" rules but I believe no one can like it until they (1) already love Joni and (2) are 35 years old.

These are the Joni Mitchell albums that rule. After getting into these I'd suggest that "For the Roses" is underrated.

I'd also suggest you listen to each one every day for at least a month before moving to the next one, but maybe I'm a psychopath.
posted by kensington314 at 12:17 AM on October 27, 2023 [3 favorites]

Ugh

No one holds a candle to Joni

It's not even fair
posted by kensington314 at 12:18 AM on October 27, 2023 [2 favorites]

Piano? Get Blue (her most universally loved album) and focus on
* "My Old Man"
* "Blue" (the song)
* "River"
posted by pracowity at 10:58 AM on October 27, 2023 [2 favorites]

> I will always regret never having had the opportunity to experience a live performance.

Yet! She's still performing!
posted by The corpse in the library at 11:01 AM on October 27, 2023 [4 favorites]