Coyote/Amelia/Furry Sings The Blues/A Strange Boy/Hejira/Song For Sharon/Black Crow/Blue Motel Room/Refuge Of The Roads
With Hejira singer songwriter Joni Mitchell moves still further away from her folk-rock roots to a style heavily dominated by jazz influences. Although she would continue to release many more albums her popularity would decline. (US:13 UK:11)
“She has subtly changed her pristine voice into a smooth jazz like instrument which matches her guitar playing. Her lyrics are still quite beautiful, descriptive, seamlessly humorous, self aware and just very intelligent. The melodies remind me of her early work while the instrumentation is minimalist and nocturnal.”
“Joni Mitchell moved away from the Laurel Canyon folk of her early years toward an aesthetic that embraced elements of the fusion sound that was quickly overtaking jazz. What makes Hejira, so fun to listen to is how she incorporates these elements into her music without fully rejecting her earlier sound.”
“Some might classify this as boring, and it is even further from rock than most of what Joni has done. I prefer to call it dreamy. Even more uptempo songs like Coyote and Black Crow, lean decidedly towards the atmospheric side of things.”
“Easily the best of her jazz period, the whole album flows very well and her guitar playing is extremely impressive. Amelia is transcendent, as are most of the rest. Not really a bad song in the bunch, and considering they are mostly lengthy, musically complex numbers that's saying something. In addition to this Joni's vocals and lyrics are in top form.”
“The singing and the lyrics are at the forefront, and the music is just mostly a backdrop over which Joni paints lyrical ruminations on travelling the paths of existence. Despite being very pleasant, expertly played and ornate, the music is mostly not engaging enough and is there to create a jazzy, smoky atmosphere for the lyrics.”
“Hejira is not a pop album. It does not have any catchy singles or sing-a-long tunes. But it has a true emotional coherence. If you like Joni Mitchell, and want to explore her emotional, mystical side, you will probably love this.
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