A Woman of Heart and Mind

Joni Mitchell turns 75 today.

For my morning hot tea and vinyl, I picked “For the Roses” and “Blue.” There is so much to appreciate here: songwriting, composition, phrasing, who steps in to help out (Stephen Stills, James Taylor, Graham Nash), and that voice. Oh my goodness.

I’m on my second copy of “For the Roses” and the cover of “Blue” is looking pretty bad. Recorded over 45 years ago (1972 and 1971, respectively), they are among a handful of albums I own that have, as they say, stood the test of time. If you haven’t heard them in a while or never heard them before, I encourage you to give them a spin. She’s a poet and a musician and about as authentic as it gets.

Happy birthday, Ms. Mitchell.

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housemountainviews

A career working with teenagers on the fringes of society has made me both sensitive to and appreciative of the complexities of character and the struggles, inner and outer, that we all wrestle with in one form or another. My writing emphasizes character development over action, and, as a lifelong Southerner, the rhythms and cadence of the Southeastern United States influence both my spoken and written voice. View all posts by housemountainviews