Joni Mitchell - Hejira
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Free Music Notes for Hejira
Free Music Review: One of Joni's best
Hit: 5 Stars
HEJIRA is unquestionably one of Joni's greatest albums...while the melodies of the songs are less powerful than some of her other work, the lyrics are probably the best she has ever written. The songs, all of which are haunting and most of which are lengthy, are sheer poetry. Like all of my other favorite Joni albums (HISSING OF SUMMER LAWNS, FOR THE ROSES) I found HEJIRA difficult to get used to at first, but after listening to it several times I have grown to love it immensely. The entire album deals with travel and all that it entails; it has the feel of a long journey and supposedly the album has proven to be immensely therapeutic to those travelling across the country, particularly those travelling alone. "Song for Sharon," a nine-minute meditation on one woman's obsession to get married, is easily one of Joni's best songs--she has referred to it many times as "an epic," and it truly is one. "A Strange Boy" also contains some of her most poetic lyrics, particularly the line "love--the greatest poison and medicine of all." "Blue Motel Room," a gorgeous jazz tune, "Refuge of the Roads," and "Coyote" are also masterful, and while I don't think of it as the masterpiece many others do, "Amelia" is also very beautiful. Joni has said that her other songs could have been written by other songwriters, but she is the only one who could have written HEJIRA, and it's the truth. This is some of the most imaginative, most unique music that she has ever written.Free Music Review: Pure and essential Joni
Hit: 5 Stars
This is easily my favorite collection of songs from Joni. The lyrics and musicianship are more intense and personal here than on any other of her works. The collaboration with Jaco Pastorius couldn't have come at a better time. Save for Black Crow and maybe Coyote, the entire CD is mellow, smooth. The lyrics are so purposeful and descriptive of her emotions and thoughts, she uses the English language beautifully. Even a bonus cameo by Benny Goodman on the title track hidden in there for good measure.
An easy-listening 50 minutes spread out over just 9 tracks, just 2 of them under 5 minutes in length. You can really get absorbed into a song without fear of it ending too soon. Rather introspective in nature, but she does well to throw in a light bit of humor now and then, e.g.
There's a gypsy down on Baker Street,
I went in to see her as a kind of joke,
And she lit a candle for my love luck,
And 18 bucks went up in smoke. (from Song For Sharon)
Like tragic opera, these songs are not bouncy and happy. The words can make one dwell on what she was thinking, the things she is trying to express, while the acoustic guitar and electric bass music weaves like a tapestry across the entire album.
28 years later, and I still haven't tired of this one, and likely never will.
Free Music Review: Thought provoking and iinovative...
Hit: 5 Stars
From the first bars of its opening track - "Coyote" - the uplifting interaction between Jaco Pastorius' bass, Larry Carlton's lead guitar, Bobbye Hall's percussion, Joni Mitchell' driving rhythm guitar and her beautifully metered lyrics, send a clear message: this album demands attention. And, as they say, that's only the start. What follows is one of the best examples of how innovation and thought can take a potentially "tired" format - i.e. mid 1970's "folk" music - onto a wholly different plane. In this case, the inclusion of Jaco Pastorius' drifting jazz bass lines, Larry Carlton's controlled guitar backings and Joni Mitchell's own acoustic & electric guitar contributions push the arrangements behind each track to previously undiscovered heights. And... rising above it all is the sheer quality of the songs. "Amelia" and "Song For Sharon" are absolutely stand-out numbers... perfect examples of how to marry thought provoking poetry within a wholly apt musical context. The rest - absolutely first class on any normal album - compete for space.
Musically complex, highly reflective and often overlooked when reviewing her more popular output over so many years, "Hejira" is not only Joni Mitchell's most satisfying album but one that pays out enormous rewards for repeat listening.
Free Music Review: Never heard Joni before I heard this...
Hit: 5 Stars
I must admit I didn't know squat about Joni Mitchell when I purchased this CD about 15 years ago. I was simply a huge Jaco Pastorious fan who was buying anything he played on during his prime (75-81). On the other hand I love pop/rock albums that have a fluidity and continuity to them. Albums like Santana's "Abraxous", Floyd's "Wish you were Here", Earth, Wind, and Fire's "All n All". These are all albums that require listening to them in their entirety to fully appreciate.
Needless to say it was easy for me to fall the this album on it's own merits. By the 4th or 5th time I listened I pretty much forgot I bought this because of Jaco.
This is simply one of the most beautifully seamless and artistic constructions I've ever listened to. The vocals, the lyrics, the instrumentation, the flow, the recording...all exceptional. I don't even bother putting on this classic unless I know in advance I have the entire hour to myself where I know I won't be disturbed or interrupted. It's that kind of album.
I've since been scared to purchase another Mitchell album out of fear that I would be let down in comparison to Hijera.
This is the "Kind of Blue" of pop music...get it and listen!
Free Music Review: Joni Mitchell - in a class by herself
Hit: 5 Stars
I bought this album because I play bass and I learned that Jaco Pastorius played on it (I also got "Mingus" - "Don Juan's..." and "Shadows and Light" are on my wish list). Mr.Pastorius is a powerful presence on the songs he plays on, his melodic sense really empowers the music. But, I could not help but fall in love with Joni as an artist. Her songs most of the time seem to have no beat - the music seems to be floating around you. You almost feel like she is improvising a story right along with her guitar. I imagine her sitting by a campfire with her guitar, singing her stories all through the night. This aspect is to me, musically speaking, the one that really sets her apart. This is not verse/chorus/verse/chorus/guitar solo/chorus music. Joni takes you by the hand and guides you through the twists and turns of love, fate, loss, and the structure of the music (or apparent lack of it) reflects that perfectly.Of course, her voice itself is absolutely beautiful and evocative. Joni is one of the greatest musical talents of the XX century, and I don't think she has gotten all the recognition she deserves. Joni Mitchell is in a class by herself, and this album proves it beyond the shadow of a doubt.