Joni Mitchell
"Hejira"
Asylum 7E-1087
Performance: Very Good
Recording: Excellent
The trouble with any Joni Mitchell album is her ongoing tug of war within herself. She is inevitably down, reconciles herself to happiness and then sees through the facade and ends on a melancholy note.
This is not the rule, of course, but she is so heavy and writes so poignantly and skillfully about her experiences that the above is my stereotype of her.
Much of "Hejira" (a fleeting to a better place) is based around the dilemma of her need for artistic freedom juxtaposed with the thought of how nice it would be to stay with a lover for some time. I get the impression that she has never been happy for any length of time.
I don't intend to give the impression this is a bad LP (it isn't) but, I imagine people who already like Mitchell will be the major market for "Hejira." Jon Mitchell is a very complex woman who is able to wear many masks and get away with it, but this album, the mask is removed.
Grade B.
Printed from the official Joni Mitchell website. Permanent link: https://jonimitchell.com/library/view.cfm?id=3431
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