The Hissing of Summer Lawns: a poll

tl;dr even though hejira is her most realized record-as-soundworld the in-betweenness of hissing is what draws me to it

This is my favorite too. “Oh well, just another hard time band with negro affectations” = such a great line that you could never get away with now, although I don’t *think* she meant anything problematic by it (if anything she’s calling out the white dudes)

I'm pretty sure Hejira is ur fav Joni record...

Edith is correct as poll-winner, surprised to see seven votes for The Jungle Line, removing that song would make the album better in my challenging opinion

― niels

it's not on the demos record, which was how i got into the record. the demos also has "dreamland" and less skunk baxter.

I am looking that demos record up now, remember the Edith demo from Tyler's rarities piece, was great

I guess it's not the first time the Joni/SD comparison has been brought up here Literate Jazz-Pop TS: Steely Dan vs. Joni Mitchell 1974-1980

There is a sense of freedom in Joni's work, in her phrasing and the melodies she writes, which is absent in SD, which is obv very very controlled, a different kind of jazz. I think the only other artist that I am familiar with who explored similar territory is Van Morrison.

oh yeah and Brad otm btw, was just teasing, Hissing is probably the Joni record I've spent most time with in the past few years, probably her best album title

a storyteller observing her characters with an eye that isn't detached or unsympathetic but still doesn't interfere emotionally with what's already happening, allowing the scene to develop almost of its own accord. i hear the word "honesty" associated with joni's work a lot and i think this is really the form of honesty she deals in, a kind of pop flannery o'connor, characters so completely realized that their feelings power them toward their fates.

Booming post.

The Jungle Line is the eye-of-the-duck of the album. Makes me think of African Nite Flight off of Bowie's Lodger.

One of my favourite ephemeral moments on this album is the opening phrase 'He bought her a diamond for her throat' - it's the phrasing on that last little 'for-her-throat', sounds like a flute line, like something Mancini would have played or something.

yes - incredible delivery on that line

Never gave this one any time and now...now I'm in love.

but...will she love you?

I will take my chances.

I'd have picked "Don't Interrupt the Sorrow" or maybe "Sweet Bird". I'm surprised to see all the admiration for "The Boho Dance", it always struck me as unremarkable.

I love the balls out confidence to place ‘The Jungle Line’ as the second track on this album...it’s such a jarring jumpcut it really disturbed me for such a long time, but now see it as someone so in control of their artistic vision...breathtaking...consequently I have a penchant for weird/off kilter second tracks

I think it's her best album. Everything is lockdown inflected now but I listened to this in what feels like the briefest of window of being able to listen to music in public spaces and it utterly transformed me and the dull urban space I was occupying at the time.

"The Jungle Line" was the song that got me into Joni Mitchell. I was into Bow Wow Wow at the time and I immediately recognized the "Jungle Line" beat as a Bow Wow Wow beat played at half tempo.

I agree that it's hard to imagine these ten songs in any other order.

today is the day this album really clicked for me. thanks, thread!

It’s funny: this record’s sonic influence is strikingly all over Kate Bush’s “Never For Ever” but I’ve never read a KB interview where she gives Joni M more than a passing acknowledgment.