Blue (Joni Mitchell album)
Blue | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 22, 1971 | |||
Recorded | 1971 | |||
Studio | A&M, Hollywood, California | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 36:15 | |||
Label | Reprise | |||
Producer | Joni Mitchell | |||
Joni Mitchell chronology | ||||
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Singles from Blue | ||||
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Blue is the fourth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, released on June 22, 1971, by Reprise Records. Written and produced entirely by Mitchell, it was recorded in 1971 at A&M Studios in Hollywood, California. Created just after her breakup with Graham Nash and during an intense relationship with James Taylor, Blue explores various facets of relationships from love 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, number 9 on the Canadian RPM Albums Chart and number 15 on the Billboard 200.
Today, Blue is generally regarded by music critics as one of the greatest albums of all time; the cohesion of Mitchell's songwriting, compositions and voice 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".[1] In 2020, Blue was rated the third greatest album of all time in Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time", the highest entry by a female artist.[2] It was also voted number 24 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000). In July 2017, Blue was chosen by NPR as the greatest album of all time made by a woman.[3]
History
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.[4] While on the island of Crete and staying in Matala, she wrote some of the songs that appear on Blue.[5] This journey was the backdrop for the songs "Carey" and "California"—"Carey" was inspired by her relationship with an American named Cary Raditz, who was the "redneck on a Grecian Isle" in "California".[6] Some of the songs on Blue were inspired by Mitchell's 1968–1970 relationship with Graham Nash.[7] 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.[7] The songs "My Old Man"[7] and "River"[8] 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.[9] 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".[10] 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.[11] By March, Taylor's fame had exploded, causing friction. She was reportedly devastated when he broke off the relationship.[12]
The album was almost released in a somewhat different form. In March 1971, completed masters for the album were ready for production. Originally, there were three old songs that had not found their way onto any of her previous albums. At the last minute, Mitchell decided to remove two of the three so that she could add the new songs "All I Want" and "The Last Time I Saw Richard". "Little Green", composed in 1967, was the only old song that remained. The two songs removed were:
- "Urge for Going" – her first song to achieve commercial success when recorded by country singer George Hamilton IV. It was later released as the B-side of "You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio" and again on her 1996 compilation album, Hits.
- "Hunter (The Good Samaritan)", which was released in 2021 on her EP Blue 50 (Demos & Outtakes).
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."[13]
Mitchell continued to use alternate tunings on her guitar to allow easier access to augmented chords and notes in unexpected combinations.[14] 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 to yourself!"[15]
Critical reception and legacy
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
About.com | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Christgau's Record Guide | A[18] |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
MusicHound | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 10/10[21] |
Rolling Stone | favorable[22] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Sputnikmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Today, Blue is generally regarded by music critics as one of the greatest albums of all time, with Mitchell's songwriting and compositions being 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".[25]
Jason Ankeny of AllMusic describes Blue as "the quintessential confessional singer/songwriter album". Praising the songs as "raw nerves, tales of love and loss etched with stunning complexity", Ankeny concludes writing "Unrivaled in its intensity". The writers of Pitchfork gave the album a perfect 10-out-of-10 rating, calling it "possibly the most gutting break-up album ever made".[21]
Blue was included in the 2018 edition of Robert Dimery's book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[26] Based on Blue's appearances in professional rankings and listings, the aggregate website Acclaimed Music lists it as 4th most acclaimed album of 1971, the 16th most acclaimed album of the 1970s and the 49th most acclaimed album in history.[27]
Accolades
Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Consequence of Sound | United States | The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time[28] | 2007 | 28 |
Entertainment Weekly | Greatest Albums Ever[29] | 2013 | 11 | |
Kitsap Sun | Top 200 Albums of Last 40 Years[30] | 2005 | 57 | |
Paste | The 70 Best Albums of the 1970s[31] | 2012 | 21 | |
Pitchfork | The 100 Best Albums of the 1970s[32] | 2004 | 86 | |
Radio WXPN | Greatest Albums[33] | 2005 | 13 | |
Rolling Stone | 50 Essential Female Albums[34] | 2002 | 2 | |
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time[35][36] | 2012 | 30 | ||
2020 | 3 | |||
Top 100 Albums of Last 20 Years[37] | 1987 | 46 | ||
Women Who Rock: The 50 Greatest Albums of All Time[38] | 2012 | 2 | ||
Stylus Magazine | Top Albums of All Time[39] | 2004 | 109 | |
Time | Top 100 Albums of All Time[40] | 2006 | N/A | |
VH1 | 100 Greatest Albums of Rock and Roll Era[41] | 2001 | 14 | |
Vibe | Essential Albums of the 20th Century[42] | 1999 | N/A | |
Mojo | United Kingdom | The 100 Greatest Albums Ever Made[43] | 1996 | 18 |
The 100 Records That Changed the World[44] | 2005 | 65 | ||
NME | 101 Albums To Hear Before You Die[45] | 2014 | N/A | |
All Times Top 100 Albums[46] | 1974 | 67 | ||
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time[47] | 2013 | 63 | ||
Q | The 50 Best Albums of 70s[48] | 1998 | 23 | |
The Guardian | Top 100 Best Albums Ever[49] | 1997 | 35 | |
The Observer | The 50 Albums That Changed Music[50] | 2006 | 14 | |
The Times | The 100 Albums of All Time[51] | 1993 | 26 | |
Uncut | 200 Greatest Albums of All Time[52] | 2016 | 33 | |
ChartAttack | Canada | Top 100 Canadian Albums of All Time[53] | 1996 | 3 |
Top 50 Canadian Albums of All Time[54] | 2000 | 1 |
Commercial performance
The album was a commercial success. In Canada, the album peaked at number nine on the Canadian RPM Albums Chart. In the United Kingdom, the album peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart and has been 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 number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Joni Mitchell.
Side one
- "All I Want" – 3:34
- "My Old Man" – 3:34
- "Little Green" – 3:27
- "Carey" – 3:02
- "Blue" – 3:05
Side two
- "California" – 3:51
- "This Flight Tonight" – 2:51
- "River" – 4:04
- "A Case of You" – 4:22
- "The Last Time I Saw Richard" – 4:15
Personnel
According to the liner notes:[55]
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Charts
Chart (1971) | Peak position |
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Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[56] | 9 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[57] | 24 |
UK Albums (OCC)[58] | 3 |
US Billboard 200[59] | 15 |
Chart (2019) | Peak position |
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US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[60] | 24 |
Chart (2021-2022) | Peak position |
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Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[61] | 44 |
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[62] | 23 |
Scottish Albums (OCC)[63] | 82 |
US Folk Albums (Billboard)[64] | 5 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[65] | 46 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[66] | Gold | 35,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[67] | 2× Platinum | 600,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[68] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
References
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- ^ "The Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: No. 3 Joni Mitchell Blue". Rolling Stone. September 22, 2020. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- ^ Tsioulcas, Anastasia (July 24, 2017). "The 150 Greatest Albums Made By Women". NPR. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
- ^ Weller, Sheila (April 8, 2008). Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon—And the Journey of a Generation. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780743491471. Archived from the original on May 29, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
- ^ Haig, Matt (2015). Reasons to Stay Alive. London, U.K.: Cannongate Books. p. 231. ISBN 9781782116820.
Formentera was also where Joni Mitchell wrote the album Blue.
- ^ Mossman, Kate (December 17, 2021). ""I didn't want anyone to know it was me": on being Joni Mitchell's "Carey"". New Statesman. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Joni Mitchell Library – Crown and anchor me or let me sail away..." JoniMitchell.com. June 3, 2014. Archived from the original on September 13, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
- ^ "Sweet Inspiration: Joni Mitchell and Graham Nash". The Flower and the Vine. May 14, 2013. Archived from the original on September 13, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
- ^ "50 Reasons to Love Joni Mitchell's 'Blue'". The New York Times. June 20, 2021. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
- ^ "Carole King & Joni Mitchell | 1969 to 1972 Music Biography". Girls Like Us – The Music. Archived from the original on May 25, 2019. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
- ^ Bego, Mark (May 26, 2005). Joni Mitchell. ISBN 9781589792210. Archived from the original on May 29, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
- ^ Bego, Mark (May 26, 2005). Joni Mitchell. ISBN 9781461662020. Archived from the original on May 29, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
- ^ Crowe, Cameron (July 26, 1979). "Joni Mitchell". CameronCrowe.com. No. 296. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 26, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
- ^ Fusilli, Jim (November 4, 2008). "A 65th Birthday Tribute to Joni Mitchell". The Wall Street Journal. p. D7.
- ^ The Joni Mitchell Interview – A CBC Music Exclusive Archived February 12, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, 2013, 0:44:47 minutes
- ^ Ruehl, Kim. "Joni Mitchell – Blue > Review". folkmusic.about.com. The New York Times Company. Archived from the original on September 24, 2010. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
- ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Blue – Joni Mitchell". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 23, 2019. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: M". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Archived from the original on June 29, 2017. Retrieved March 8, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Mitchell, Joni". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
- ^ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 769. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
- ^ a b "Joni Mitchell: The Studio Albums 1968–1979 | Album Reviews". Pitchfork. November 9, 2012. Archived from the original on May 31, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
- ^ Crouse, Timothy (August 5, 1971). "Joni Mitchell Blue > Album Review". Rolling Stone. No. 88. Archived from the original on January 30, 2002. Retrieved July 26, 2006.
- ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). "Joni Mitchell". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. London: Fireside. pp. 547–548. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. Retrieved September 8, 2009. Portions posted at "Joni Mitchell > Album Guide". Rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on July 31, 2011. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ^ "Joni Mitchell – Blue". Sputnikmusic. June 9, 2006. Archived from the original on October 9, 2015. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
- ^ Jon Pareles; Neil Strauss; Ben Ratliff & Ann Powers (January 3, 2000). "Critics' Choices; Albums as Mileposts In a Musical Century". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 31, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
- ^ Dimery, Robert; Lydon, Michael (2018). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. London: Cassell. ISBN 978-1-78840-080-0.
- ^ Franzon, Henrik (n.d.). "Blue". Acclaimed Music. Archived from the original on May 24, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
- ^ "The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time". Consequence of Sound. September 15, 2010. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Entertainment Weekly's 100 Greatest Albums Ever". Stereogum. June 28, 2013. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Top 200 Albums | The top 20 are shown below, head to page 24 for the rest of the best". products.kitsapsun.com. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "The 70 Best Albums of the 1970s". Paste. January 7, 2020. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "The 100 Best Albums of the 1970s". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on May 31, 2009. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "885 Countdown: Greatest Albums (2005)". xpn.org. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Rock On The Net: Rolling Stone: The 50 Essential 'Woman In Rock' Albums". www.rockonthenet.com. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 2012 edition – MusicBrainz". musicbrainz.org. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 22, 2020. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
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- ^ Sheffield, Rob (June 22, 2012). "Women Who Rock: The 50 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
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- ^ "Is Full List one of the All-Time 100 Best Albums?". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Rock On The Net: VH1: 100 Greatest Albums". www.rockonthenet.com. Archived from the original on November 2, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Vibe's 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century". Archived from the original on April 15, 2018. Retrieved January 22, 2021 – via whitgunn.freeservers.com.
- ^ "Rocklist.net...Mojo Lists..." www.rocklistmusic.co.uk. Archived from the original on November 26, 2012. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Mojo (UK) – The 100 Records That Changed the World (2007) – Acclaimed Music Forums". www.acclaimedmusic.net. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "101 Albums To Hear Before You Die". NME. May 7, 2014. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "NME Best Albums Of All Time 1974". BestEverAlbums.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2016. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time: 100-1". NME. October 25, 2013. Archived from the original on May 2, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Rocklist.net...Q Magazine Lists". www.rocklistmusic.co.uk. Archived from the original on May 11, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Rocklist.net...The Guardian Best Albums Lists..." www.rocklistmusic.co.uk. Archived from the original on February 3, 2010. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ Guardian Staff (July 16, 2006). "The 50 albums that changed music". the Guardian. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Rocklist.net...The Times All Time Top 100 Albums – 1993..." www.rocklistmusic.co.uk. Archived from the original on December 8, 2017. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Rocklist.net..Rocklist.net... Uncut Lists ." www.rocklistmusic.co.uk. Archived from the original on June 8, 2017. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet – ChartAttack's Top 100 Canadian Albums of All Time". shadowy.brainiac.com. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Chart Attack (Canada) – Top 50 Canadian Albums of All Time (2000) – Acclaimed Music Forums". www.acclaimedmusic.net. Archived from the original on January 29, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ Blue (LP liner notes). Joni Mitchell. US: Reprise Records. 1971. MS 2038.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 7515". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Joni Mitchell – Blue". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
- ^ "Joni Mitchell Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
- ^ "Joni Mitchell Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Joni Mitchell – Blue" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
- ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2022. 41. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
- ^ "Joni Mitchell Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ "Joni Mitchell Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2003 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
- ^ "British album certifications – Joni Mitchell – Blue". British Phonographic Industry.
- ^ "American album certifications – Joni Mitchell – Blue". Recording Industry Association of America.
External links
- Blue at Discogs (list of releases)
- Hilburn, Robert (December 7, 1996). "Joni Mitchell looks at both sides now: her hits – and misses". Los Angeles Times. Posted at "Joni Mitchell looks at both sides now: her hits – and misses". southcoasttoday.com. ("All I Want" inspiration is discussed.)