Contrary to what most people think, I consider Blue to be her second best album. It's probably the emotional or confessional theme that many gravitate to but, not to put down Blue, I've heard better from other artists. However, Blue is still a great album, which holds a special place in my heart and is the soundtrack to a specific period of my youth.
IMHO, Joni's best album is the follow-up, For the Roses. With this album, she really excelled in every respect. And although Blue could be considered perfect, For the Roses is on another level entirely. After initially listening to a couple of Joni's lacklustre albums from the '80s, it was For the Roses that made me very curious about her '70s output.
Btw, between 1968 and 1976, the only studio album that I don't care for is Court and Spark - it just sounds like an uninspired collection of leftovers. Personally, Hejira was her last great album.
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