Mitchell, Joni: The Hissing Of Summer Lawns (CD)

The Hissing Of Summer Lawns is personal protest music and barbed social commentary as only Joni Mitchell can deliver. The follow-up to her most commercially successful album pursues adventurous jazz-dictated directions, abstract impulses, and tough-minded lyrics that stand in contrast to much of her prior work. As does the songwriting, which sees Mitchell turning further away from introspective portraits and sketching third-person narratives that put her in the roles of observer, mythologist, and impressionist – mostly from the perspective of a male gaze.

Throughout, and no matter the subject matter, the singer-songwriter is in control – unlike many of the protagonists populating the record. Deemed by Rolling Stone the 258th Greatest Album of All Time, The Hissing Of Summer Lawns unfolds with exceptional soulfulness, transparency, warmth, and airiness.

1. In France They Kiss On Main Street
2. The Jungle Line
3. Edith And The Kingpin
4. Don't Interrupt The Sorrow
5. Shades Of Scarlett Conquering
6. The Hissing Of Summer Lawns
7. The Boho Dance
8. Harry's House / Centerpiece
9. Sweet Bird
10. Shadows And Light