Album #159: The Hissing Of Summer Lawns

By Joni Mitchell (1979).

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This album is an unhappy marriage of '70s 'folk' and 'world music' with a touch of jazz. Like Paul Simon's Graceland (⭐), the hodge-podge it creates is interesting only as a pointer to better, more interesting music. It never really melds together, feeling more like borrowing aspects of other music without properly incorporating it. I guess the same criticism is also valid for S&M by Metallica (⭐) - maybe fusion just does nothing for me.

Joni Mitchell's voice is fantastic, and the guitars that accompany it can really create a fantastic feeling. But every track sports a trumpet line, a time change, a lyric, or a lack of cohesiveness that falls flat.

Sweet Bird is the redeeming track here. I checked other reviews after writing this post, and preferring that track seems to make me some sort of JM luddite. Really I haven't heard enough of her music to have a position, but that makes me hopeful for other albums of hers that may be on the list.

Rating

⭐

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