release date: Mar. 1968
format: digital / vinyl (2023 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,54]
producer: David Crosby
label: Reprise Records - nationality: Canada
Track highlights: 1. "I Had a King" - 3. "Night in the City" - 5. "Nathan La Franeer" - 6. "Sisotowbell Lane" - 10. "Cactus Tree" (live)
Studio album debut by Canadian folk and singer / songwriter Joni Mitchell [aka Roberta Joan Anderson]. The original vinyl album's A-side is labelled "I Came to the City" (tracks 1-5), and the B-side: "Out of the City and Down to the Seaside" (tracks #6-10). Mitchell wrote all songs herself, and she is only accompanied by few others on just a couple of tracks.
Apparently, the album was released somewhat unnoticed despite the fact that Mitchell was already a familiar name for having written songs for other artist including Judy Collins, Fairport Convention, and Tom Rush, and the album just made it to the US Billboard 200 peaking at number #189.
I do find it more than ordinarily interesting, it may be slightly narrow in its sound, production, reflecting scarse arrangements, but it's definitely a fine album.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]
