For the first 20 years of Joni's career, I called myself a 'High Priest of the Joni Mitchell Fan Club"!
The first time I ever heard her voice was on the radio in 1969. The song was 'Marcie' from this album. I had been hearing Judy Collins sing 'Both Sides Now" alot, because it was very popular at the time. And Tom Rush's version of "Urge For Going" was a favorite of mine then. In fact, I played them on my guitar back then. However, I had not made the connection of those songs to Joni yet.
I immediately loved Marcie. I can remember laying in bed in the middle of the night, alone, listening to the radio, just hoping that THAT song would come on again. Marcie haunted me like no other song that I can ever remember. The lyrics were such beautiful poetry. No one else was writing like that! Joni had touched my soul and presented me with a religious experience. :)
I became a huge fan and over the years always bought everything that she produced. I have many 'favorites'...'Hissing', being one...and I love 'For the Roses!', but still, to this day, I have to have my occassional dose of STAS!! Above all other masterpieces that she has given us, this one stands out as the most alluring gift of her genius.
Yes, the jazz is great but the simplicity of this album gave us an example of folk music that transcended anything that had ever been done and, IMHO, has still ever been done!
My observation over the years is that Joni was not a popular artist with most people. Her music was not really 'radio' music.
She attempted pop with minor success and her jazz, though beautiful and meteoric in it's boldness, was not generally accepted. I actually never knew another person who really loved her music other than myself and the one other High Priest, who was a close friend of mine.
This album is a wonderful introduction to Joni and in my opinion, should be where any newbie should begin. How can anyone ever hope to understand Joni if they don't know where her roots are?
I would recommend this album over any other. If a person doesn't like it, then they probably aren't going to like anything else that she has done. At least, they aren't going to love any other. How could they?
This is Joni at her purist and her finest. Her beginnings. Fresh, youthful, unpretentious, uncluttered with the heartache, bitterness and sense of being jaded that she seems to project in her later works.
This is the music that I hope is celestial because I have never grown tired of it and hope to be able to listen to it throughout eternity!