Joni Mitchell – Clouds – LP

Joni Mitchell – Clouds

Clouds was Joni Mitchell’s second album, released by Reprise in 1969, and it finds her early folk songwriting moving into a more personal, self-directed space. Mitchell produced most of the record herself, with Paul A. Rothchild co-producing “Tin Angel,” and the self-portrait cover gives the album a visual intimacy that fits her early run. The songs here are spare folk/acoustic Mitchell, with “Chelsea Morning,” “The Gallery,” and “I Don’t Know Where I Stand” showing the careful writing that made this period so important. This copy is a 1970 club edition vinyl pressing, a nice vintage copy rather than a later modern issue. The record is graded VG+, so expect a solid everyday listening grade with some light lines, sleeve marks, or small scuffs possible, but not wear that should dominate the music. At $20, it’s an appealing period copy of a key early Joni album in a dependable grade.