Joni Mitchell – The Hissing Of Summer Lawns
My favourite album cover of all time! Heijira and Hissing Of Summer Lawns were the first two LPs I (unofficially) inherited from parents when they were reorganising their record collection. Blue and Ladies Of The Canyon came way later for me. I loved Jaco-period Joni, plus my dad played a fretless bass so Heijira and Don Juan's Reckless Daughter were 100 per cent his speed. I don't think we even owned any earlier-period Joni. Anyway, when I think about these two albums, Heijira feels light and ethereal and Hissing… very corporeal and turbulent, more human. I can only really listen to these records on vinyl; they sound like they're at half-mast otherwise. Sonically, Hissing… gets pretty daring at times, especially considering Court And Spark was the preceding studio album. She really took a leap with this one. 'The Jungle Line' is unbelievable; I wouldn't be shocked to hear a song like this on any Björk record tomorrow! 'Shadows And Light' sounds like a beautiful, futuristic spiritual. Even the more conventional tracks seem off kilter, at least melodically, like she's not as concerned in resolving everything for our sake. Hissing… is the first in a string of interesting, bold records for Joni.