In The Groove Ep.2: Joni Mitchell - Blue

In The Groove is a weekly seg where one of us here at Studio 1 will talk about an album they are spinning in the shop and are subsequently being inspired by. We’ve teamed up with the good folks over at On Vinyl and together we will dig into a monthly theme and highlight some stand out songs on a bunch of our fantastic guitars.

For the best listening experience, curated vinyl range,all in pristine condition, be sure to head to www.onvinyl.co.nz

Our theme this month is Classic Singer/Songwriter and the album the we’ve been listening to in depth is one that will be loved by many, it’s Joni Mitchell’s 1971 masterpiece, Blue. 

Now, I’m familiar with this record buuuuuut I hadn’t gone in deep on it and given it the ears that it so very much deserves, stupid me I know! After playing it in store a few times I started listening to it in the car… and then at home… and then on headphones while painting the bathroom and I’ve come to the conclusion that Joni Mitchell is a genius. A fact that was long ago established as lore and I am proudly here today to back it up once again. 

The album cover is of the artist's face in monochrome and features a simple block typeface. The album title sits to the back of the mix, while Joni Mitchell is bolder in a pale blue. Like all great album covers, it says so much about the music inside, before you’ve dropped the needle. Mitchell’s closed eyes suspend from her trademark fringe as those anthemic cheekbones drape south and she delicately coos into a microphone. It’s an arresting image and when I’m taking it in, I can almost hear her singing the patiently acrobatic open word of the title song. 

Alternate tunings are something Mitchell navigated with ease and inspiration, and on Blue there are a bunch of different tunings and capo positions for those of you that park a car in that garage. Although there are more emotionally wealthy songs on the record, the detuned guitar and propulsive rhythms of “This Flight Tonight”  appealed to my 90s alternative rock pedigree. For this song the guitar is tuned Ab Ab Eb Ab C Eb and favouring the Martin D-28, I’d put a fiver down and say that that is what Mitchell is playing on the record. 

The playful dulcimer part of “All I Want” entices my ear to dance like a stone across a calm pond while the simple bass drum thumps its foot on the shore, willing the stone to go further. When Mitchell sings “oh I love you, when I forget about me” she immediately endears herself by admitting her shortcomings as a free spirited artist in pursuit of the next aural fix. She exists wholeheartedly in her lyrics and when you listen or read them, you feel like you are being granted a portal into her personal existence. 

Her soulful vibrato and vocal range waft around the room on phrasing that is almost freeform. Like she’s learnt and unlearnt how to sing and can deftly sculpt a lyric into any measure of music with her ears closed. Not to mention all the while accompanying herself on multiple instruments with skill, passion and feel - with Blue she left all other singer/songwriters in the Laurel Canyon dust.

There isn’t a song on Blue that didn’t encompass me completely and demand my full attention. The minimal, timeless instrumentation, the intimacy and dynamics that Mitchell sings with, the alarming dryness of her vocal. These all add up to make me feel like I'm being sung directly to; and I’m more than happy to listen to these indelible tales of love, shame, adventure and loss. This album is easily a new ATF.