Hearing Ronstadt’s version of “River” sent me off to find my vinyl copy of Joni Mitchell’s Blue, the album on which it first appeared.
If memory serves, “River” got very little airplay at the time of release (1971); “My Old Man” and “Carey” were the two I remember hearing in regular rotation on the radio. Maybe “The Last Time I Saw Richard” was played once in a while, too.
This was Joni at her most melancholic and her simplest. She had guitar help from Stephen Stills and James Taylor and percussion from Russ Kunkel, but mostly it was Joni, her guitar or piano and her spectacular voice, singing three-minute word paintings. The opening bars of the title track (placed fifth on Side 1) ought to hook you.
If you’ve never heard this album, you should.
Linky is right. It’s a gem. I didn’t play the radio very much…instead relying up my 8-tracks and lp records for musical entertainment so I have no recollection of airplay time. I do know that I replaced this same album at least twice. I must find it on CD….