Joni Mitchell “Blue” released 50 years ago today, June 22nd, 1971. Considered one of the best albums ever by almost all of the publications that rate such things, it’s the “quintessential confessional singer/songwriter album” written by Mitchell after breaking up with Graham Nash and in the midst of a relationship with James Taylor. Blue went to #15 in the US and to #3 in the UK. I didn’t really listen to Blue until the late 80′s/early 90′s in college when my roommate had it on pretty heavy rotation; I’m not entirely sure why my parents didn’t have it in their collection in the 70′s (they listened to and had a ton of folk like Dylan, Carol King, even James Taylor but no Joni Mitchell). My favorite song is “Carey,” an utterly delightful and almost danceable track which was about another guy (not Nash or Taylor but another American, Carey, she met while staying on Crete, she also wrote “California” about him; “Carey” was the sole single released from Blue and “California” was its b-side). I also really like “All I Want” and “This Flight Tonight” (both about James Taylor).