"With time I came to realise that Joni's great gift is for capturing the tangled ways in which people ruminate and, trying to make connections, communicate with each other, she replied, before name-checking two Mitchell classics, Blue and Hejira. But my mention of Janet Jackson, she said, makes her think of Prince, whose favourite Mitchell album was 1975's initially misunderstood experimental gem, The Hissing of Summer Lawns."
"She is right: the album is vibey, and after a few listens at home it works particularly well as I take it for a walk on a crisp winter's day. My early favourite is the avant-pop of The Jungle Line, which uses an early version of sampling to create an intoxicating swirl of distorted drums and synthesised percussion. Lyrically it's an abstract collage of modern city life and music industry politics, the imagery delivered in a half-sung style I recognise from Laura Marling."
Early exposure to Joni Mitchell came via a 1997 Janet Jackson sample and a Travis cover of 'River'. Mitchell's voice and style initially felt like an acquired taste compared with childhood pop preferences such as Michael Jackson, TLC and Meat Loaf, and teenage affinity for Alanis Morissette. The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975) is an experimental, vibey album that employs social critique and won admirers like Prince. 'The Jungle Line' uses early sampling to create a swirl of distorted drums and synthesised percussion, pairing abstract urban and music-industry imagery with a half-sung delivery reminiscent of Laura Marling.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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