"And so once again, America, my friend...you are fighting us all. Oh my friend, how did you come to trade the fiddle for the drum?"

These moving words are from the new Joni Mitchell album, "Clouds." If deep moving lyrics turn you on, so will this album. Joni has a tremendous insight and an extremely eloquent way of expressing herself, but that is not her singular talent. "Clouds" (Reprise records) seems like a celebration of Miss Mitchell's fine style.

These is no instrumental accompaniment on the album except her guitar, which she plays quite well. The songs, all by Miss Mitchell, are sometimes a little trite, but the lyrics and her strong clear voice more than make up for any weakness of the songs. The album is a must for all lovers of folk music.