I was not at all familiar with Joni Mitchell before listening to this. I was so excited. Her album Blue is ranked 3rd best of all time and I was sure I would love it. The thing is, I didn’t. After listening to the first two albums on the list, I felt genuinely like they were life-changing, like, I almost left this life without knowing this art existed and that would have been a TRAVESTY. That kind of life-changing.
As an aside, I’ve had numerous late-night, one-person dance
parties in my kitchen, listening to Pet Sounds on repeat. And I don’t see that
ending anytime soon. And the random new love of drawing, sketching, coloring, inspired
by Marvin Gaye, hasn’t stopped yet either.
The album is beautiful and
really raw and sad. I just didn’t connect with it. I kind of beat myself up
about it a little to be honest.
But I don’t listen to these works of art one time and move
on. One night I was having a good COVID cry. We were at 281k dead and I
was feeling really ashamed and sad that we have failed so dramatically at
managing this massive crisis. I put on this album and immediately felt better.
Her song Little Green is probably my favorite. Mitchell is
singing to a child named Green, telling her that sometimes in life there will
be wonderful things like “icicles and birthday clothes” and “sometimes there’ll
be sorrow”. Listening to the way she sings “sorrow” the last time in that song,
whoosh, there is it. Just spectacular. Every full-hearted sadness you’ve ever
felt, we’ve ever felt as PEOPLE, and she somehow puts it all in that word. It’s
magnificent.
That was the moment that I realized what I’m listening to
here. This voice can be optimistic and sweet and playful and achingly sad in
the same song and oh my god her poetry. Again, I’m genuinely so relieved that I
didn’t escape this life before finding her.
This album came out in 1971. She wrote some of these songs during
her relationship and breakup with James Taylor. She was taking a break from
performing and living on a Greek island for a time and now every time I listen
to Blue, I picture her dancing on a beach, sometimes happy and sometimes sad,
but always missing home.
The most beautiful lines of the album, from A Case of You:
I remember that time you told me, you
said
“Love is touching souls”
Surely you touched mine
‘Cause part of you pours out of me
In these lines from time to time
Next time you are feeling a little blue, have a listen.
She’ll speak to you, too.
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