Customer Reviews

Turbulent Indigo

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was the first Joni Mitchell cd I bought, and is it ever an eye-opener. Her voice is so deep and so rich, you'd think she was related to Sarah Vaughn or Anita Baker, and the music never distracts from her voice. Her choice of topics here is certainly serious, with song titles like Sex Kills and Turbulent Indigo. And her disdain and utter shock at people's immoralities show on Not To Blame, Magdalene Laundries, and Borderline. But my two favorites are those that end the disc, Yvette In English and Sire of Sorrow. Yvette is almost light and breezy, while Sire of Sorrow evokes memories of Coyote from Hejira. This release certainly was deserving of its Grammy Award.

Each time I give "Turbulent Indigo" a spin I am consistently amazed at how dark and depressing the lyrics are, and yet, the sheer, pure beauty of the music doesn't exactly make this an album to slit your wrists by. Take "The Sire of Sorrow," for example. It has a repugnant lyrical theme of a man whose livelihood has been taken away by some unnamed "tireless watcher," presumably God. But at the same time, that amazing guitar work, arm in arm with Joni harmonizing with herself, make you simply want to sing along, and half the time, you don't even think about the depressing quality of the lyrics.

The same holds true for basically every song on the record. "Not to Blame" is about a famous man (could it be O.J. Simpson?) who beat his wife to death, but everyone just said "She was out of line, you're not to blame," and Joni questions why, saying "Not one wet eye around her lonely little grave said 'He was out of line girl, you are not to blame.'" Again, repugnant theme said in a beautiful way with a fantastic arrangement.

Other album highpoints: "Borderline," "Yvette in English," "Sex Kills," and "The Magdalene Laundries," about nasty people who hide behind masks of morality (remind you of any government types who happen to be ordained churchpeople, hmm?).

To sum up, among her nineties recordings, I'd rank this one pretty high up there, and it's easily, IMHO, one of her top 5 best albums ever. It's worth your money, you can trust me on this one.

Joni Mitchell makes her comeback complete, after the beautiful Night Ride Home. This collection of songs equal the best of her earlier work. She talks about a lot of subjects, from the oppression of women on The Magdalene Laundries (about Irish nuns in a convent) and Not To Blame (about women who are abused.)
The way the people see artists and vice versa is the subject of the title track, with references to Vincent van Gogh (who she imitates on the album sleeve. Another highlight are the complex guitar tunings from Joni. This album has won two grammys in 1996, one for best pop album, winning over Madonna, Mariah Carey and Annie Lennox. The second was another deserved one, for the recording package. The paintings in the sleeve are incredible beautiful and burst with colours and shapes. Turbulent Indigo is one of my favourite albums and stands in the top three of my most beloved albums from Joni Mitchell!

Blazing intelligence and talent that will light our culture long after Britney Spears is running a souvenir shop in Las Vegas.

After a few lesser (but above average) albums Joni is back on song with an album which often achieves the kind of serene musical heights of "Blue", "For The Roses" and "Hejira". Joni the singer songwriter is again shining through rather than hiding behind a band. Wayne Shorter, Greg Leisz and Co all complement her songs perfectly but Joni is the focus - those great guitar chords, off beat rhythms and expressive voice. The lyrics are a bit moralistic at times but always interesting or provocative - "Not to Blame" for instance. "Where Do You Stop" - a duet with Seal is an excellent single but the classic songs are "Turbulent Indigo", "Magdalen Laundry", "Yvette in English" and the amazing "Sire of Sorrow". A memorable musical experience from our greatest living songwriter.

`Turbulent Indigo', written and performed by Joni Mitchell and company is at one in style of both music and cover art work with the later `Taming the Tiger'. Mitchell not only writes all the songs on both albums, but does all the paintings gracing the covers in a style which is plainly an homage to Vincent Van Gogh.

In both albums, Mitchell is also expanding her singing style, with one number having strong hints of Motown, some numbers having a bit of the Tina Turner about them, and several numbers showing what seems to be a strong influence from German Kurt Weill specialist Uta Lemper (or, Fraulein Lemper was influenced by these selections. I'm not too sure how far back Ms. Lemper's recordings may have been available in the United States. I first heard her CDs at least five years after the release of `Turbulent Indigo').

This album must almost invariably be judged on at least two different levels. The first is the more superficial and this is `How entertaining / moving / thought provoking are the performances?. In case you can't guess, these numbers from Ms. Mitchell are simply not the kind of thing you will hear from the average K. D. Laing, Tina Turner, or Barbara Streisand album. Ms. Mitchell continues in her role as the distaff Bob Dylan, the leading singer / songwriter still going strong from their start in the sixties. And, like Bob Dylan, Ms. Mitchell has probably not written a really catchy tune in some years. The other side of the coin is that with her adapting some of the song stylings of Ms. Turner and Fraulein Lemper (I believe), she has made her vocals much more interesting than they were back on the album `Blue'. Thus, you probably don't want to buy this album if you are on your way to a party, unless the party is being thrown by Lou Reed or Patty Smith.

On the other hand, there is the issue of Ms. Mitchell's songwriting, which, on this album, seems to be as strong as it has ever been. I believe it is better than on `Blue' or `Court and Spark' and even better than the later `Taming the Tiger'. On the surface, some of Ms. Mitchell's writing can seem as cryptic as Bob Dylan's early songs, but they aren't. There are no riddles or hopelessly obscure references. Her styling is that of the Bob Dylan who wrote `Percy's Song', except that the subject isn't indignation or protest, it's irony and anguish.

Based on my current experince with Ms. Mitchell's work, I consider this one of her better `later' albums. Please get it and listen to it carefully.

for when you really need to cry

The first track I heard from "Turbulent Indigo" was "Sex Kills". It was at precisely 12:01AM on the day of the album release, and a college station in Philly-- famous for their almost unequaled reverence for Joni and her music-- gave it a major fanfare, usually the type reserved by FM stations for Madonna's latest tripe. The fact that I was blown away by that song is nothing compared to the reaction when I bought and listened to the CD later that day. Unbelievable! Certainly deserving of the Grammy it won the next year (well, two, if you include the well-deserved nod for the beautiful paintings). To this day, I get goosebumps when I listen to the final track.."The Sire of Sorrow...Job's Sad Song". Amazing. Brilliant, poignant, and moving throughout. The old gal really shared with us on this one. Not that she hasn't in the past, but MAN. The title cut is really something. To be able to master the guitar and those tunings...well, I'm all shades of green with envy. I could go on and on, but suffice it to say, this is a work that only Joni could bring to fruition. Thanks!

No-one who loves her doubts Joni's early mastery of her own, very particular, musical form. But when I listened to "Turbulent Indigo"for the first time, it was like being at a dear friend's graduation. The potential she showed thirty years ago has come to fruition. The years have deepened both her physical and her spiritual voices. Her voice has mellowed; her music lilts and seduces, drawing the listener into her world of pain and joy, love and sorrow. This album is a mature, compassionate, and sometimes ironic voice. But it's not only about the lyrics - the music does exactly as it should, the spaces as important as the notes, simple arrangements that support and enhance the words. A gorgeous tapestry, a rich journey.

This is the best, most consistent work Joni has done since 1977's Don Juan's Reckless Daughter. Ten songs that all fit together nicely. This album reminds you that Joni was first in the singer-songwriter-folk genre, and it reminds you that there are more important things to life than just cotton candy love songs. This is what our teenagers should be listening to.