10 Greatest Rock Albums That Are Totally Acoustic
4. Blue - Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell has always been slightly on the fringes of rock and roll. Compared to the other rock wordsmiths of her time like Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, Mitchell's words have always been like pure poetry set to music, with the melodies being almost the icing on the cake. Then again, some of the best lyrical moments often come from a broken heart.
While it could be considered to be a cheeky joke, Blue is a deep introspection into the deep corners of Joni's psyche, as she comes to terms with all of the relationships that she has going on around her. Though there are a lot of straight up heartbroken ballads on here like the title track, the best moments come in the form of her lyrics, like when she talks about the wonder that comes with moving to your adoptive home on tracks like California.
From one song to the next, it feels less like you're listening to songs and more like you're hearing the inner feelings of Mitchell, as she paints these lovely tapestries of sound to get you into the environment. While there may not be anything cold or icy in her sound, you can't help but feel the chill that comes with the sad escapism of something like River. As opposed to most acoustic albums that just show us a different side of a well established artist, Blue doesn't use as many electric instruments because she doesn't need them.