The Hissing of Summer Lawns

It is with great merriment that I decree to you that on this day, the twenty-fourth of October, I will no longer be a slave to the music of one Joni Mitchell. All four musical anthologies that she has stitched together to eventually be brought forth to this list, I have sat through in painful agony. The harsh banshee screams perpetrated my nightmares. The dreadful melodies ate away at my soul. But, alas, it is gone. The terrible dragon has been slain, and it shall never wake again. I am free. Free, I say. Farewell, everyone, and know that I am now in the land of summer sun and dewdrops.

That one track is good. Are we not tired of Joni

Very good album.

The lyrics are very interesting (not surprisingly and as expected from Joni Mitchell).

As for the music, I really like the folk and jazz fusion, whereas I'm not a big fan of the more experimental tracks (even if they provide a nice sound change).

I enjoyed most of the songs: "Edith and the Kingpin" (probably my favourite track of this album), "Don't Interrupt the Sorrow", "Shades of Scarlett Conquering", "The Hissing of Summer Lawns", "The Boho Dance" or "Harry's House/Centerpiece".

For me, this is between 3 and 4 stars, but more in the range of 4 stars.

Vierte (und letzte) Album von der alten. Reicht dann auch

beautiful music and lyrics, i need to sit down again and listen more focused

Another Joni album, so can expect an unique and challenging listening experience. Listened once in the morning, which of course might not be enough to appreciate her work fully but so far I'm leaning to, as before, to 3 stars.

Bit rambly ngl, not sure Joni needs 3 albums on here

2.5

I wanted to like The Hissing of Summer Lawns more than I did. There’s no denying that it’s an interesting album, and Joni Mitchell was clearly moving in a more experimental direction here, blending jazz, pop, folk, and unconventional arrangements. But for me, it never quite came together in a way that held my attention.
A lot of the songs feel atmospheric and carefully constructed, but that atmosphere sometimes came at the expense of immediacy. I found myself appreciating the musicianship and Mitchell’s songwriting more from a distance than actually getting pulled into the music. Even when the arrangements became more interesting, I rarely felt the urge to go back and hear a song again.
There are certainly moments that stand out, particularly “The Jungle Line” with its unusual rhythms and percussion, and “Edith and the Kingpin,” which has a darker, more subdued quality. I can understand why the album is regarded as an important part of Mitchell’s transition into her more jazz-oriented period. Still, knowing its reputation probably made me expect something more compelling than what I ultimately heard.
It’s not a bad album by any means. It’s thoughtful, ambitious, and musically distinctive, but it just didn’t grab me. Maybe it’s one of those albums that rewards repeated listens, but after this one, I was left more impressed by what Mitchell was attempting than genuinely moved by the result.

Putain, après m’être farci Court and Spark puis Hejira, me voilà contraint d’enfiler à nouveau le casque pour The Hissing of Summer Lawns, sorti en 1975. Alors autant vous dire la vérité : j’y vais à reculons, le trouillomètre à zéro et le scepticisme au plafond. Car après les deux premières purges, ma réserve de patience envers la sainte patronne des vocalises intellos est déjà sérieusement dans le rouge écarlate.

Le verdict ? Un naufrage total, sans surprise ni sursaut d’orgueil. L’album ne déroge pas d’un millimètre à la trajectoire d’ennui profond tracée par ses prédécesseurs et il s'est écrasé avec pertes et fracas contre le mur de mes tympans. C’est un 1/5, direct, net et sans appel. Une note méritée pour ce qui s’apparente moins à une œuvre musicale mémorable qu’à un somnifère sonore distribué sous ordonnance d'esthètes autoproclamés.

Le fond du problème reste inchangé : cette mixture prétentieuse de jazz mou du genou, de folk précieuse et de soft rock anémique me plonge invariablement dans une léthargie proche du coma végétatif. Joni Mitchell empile les textures léchées, les arrangements soignés jusqu’à l’écœurement et les poses d’intellectuelle torturée qui regarde la bourgeoisie californienne avec un mépris feint. C’est froid, c’est distant, c’est d’une virtuosité technique désespérément stérile. À force de vouloir intellectualiser chaque note et de noyer le groove sous des nappes d’expérimentations tièdes, le disque oublie simplement d’exister et de transmettre la moindre étincelle de vie.

Ce qui m’agace le plus dans cette affaire, c’est le décalage monumental entre le statut quasi intouchable qu’on accorde à cette période de sa carrière et la réalité de l’écoute : un robinet d'eau tiède qui coule pendant trois quarts d'heure sans qu'un seul refrain digne de ce nom ne vienne vous extirper de la torpeur. On tente de nous vendre une fresque sociale acérée sur la faune dorée des banlieues américaines, mais le résultat se résume à une succession de mélodies sinueuses et insaisissables qui glissent sur l’oreille sans jamais accrocher quoi que ce soit d’autre que l’envie furieuse d’appuyer sur stop.

L'album aborde l'aliénation matérialiste et le vide existentiel des banlieues chics américaines, cachés derrière les pelouses parfaites et les arroseurs automatiques :

« He bought her a diamond for her throat
He put her in a penthouse in the sky »

Ouais, autant vous dire que ça ne vole pas haut et pour ceux qui voudraient s'infliger l'intégralité des textes et plonger dans cette dissection clinique du désenchantement moderne, il est possible de trouver les paroles complètes en effectuant une recherche sur Google.

Bilan des courses : l'opération de sauvetage a tourné court et le calvaire touche presque à sa fin. Il ne me reste plus qu'un seul et unique rendez-vous à honorer avec la dame : son fameux Blue. Autant dire que vu le passif, j'ai hâte, mais alors vraiment très hâte d'en terminer une bonne fois pour toutes avec sa discographie.

For the duration of 'bout five record releases, from Blue thru Hejira, Joni M could essentially do no wrong, tho this particular album certainly wasn't a critical smash. 'Rousseau walks on trumpet paths / Safaris to all that jazz.' Not just experimental, but weird, weird, & really fucking weird, The Hissing of Summer Lawns features a Mitchell that had mastered her characteristic cadences: she's fully in control, she knows who she is, why she is, & what she's doing. 'God goes up the chimney / Like childhood Santa Claus / The good slaves love the good book / A rebel loves a cause.' W/ this said, & the same can be said about Court and Spark, Hissing highlights a reachin' Joni. Reachin' for what, you may ask? For Hejira, her zenith & her raison d'être.

Favorite track(s): In France They Kiss on Main Street, Edith and the Kingpin, Don't Interrupt the Sorrow, The Hissing of Summer Lawns

Of the three Joni Mitchell albums I've heard in this project, this is my 2nd favorite? I enjoyed it more than Blue, but less than Court And Spark. That doesn't totally map to the average ratings for these three albums, but I am who I am. No real standout tracks, but a solid overall vibe. Great house cleaning music.

The album cover could easily be a 2010's indie band, so it's also got that going for it too.

It is a vibe albeit a little too poetic for my tastes, but there’s a lot of quality there. Solid folk offering.

2.8

Kind of like any other Joni Mitchell albums. Few lackluster moments I didn't really gel with, such as the last track. Otherwise it kind of just works on the same foot as here follow up album, just a bit less enjoyable for me. Could be the fatigue or the fact that I've had a lot of good albums recently, but this particular one just does less compared to others.

Close to being a 4, forgot how good Joni is

Never really given Joni Mitchell much of a chance. I remember bouncing hard off the album "Blue" for whatever reason. This is great though. The kind of melancholy folk rock I really dig.

I feel guilty with how I am scoring all these Joni Mitchell records. She clearly writes exquisitely crafted character studies. They’re just about people and situations I don’t care about. Bit like Jane Austen.

Cozy and pleasant.

Not the best Joni Mitchel but still decent