Track Listing

1. Sunny Sunday
2. Sex Kills
3. How Do You Stop
4. Turbulent Indigo
5. Last Chance Lost
6. Magdalene Laundries
7. Not To Blame
8. Borderline
9. Yvette In English
10. Sire Of Sorrow (Job's Sad Song)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21506 in Music
• Released on: 1994-10-24
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

CD Description
Joni Mitchell marks her return to the Warner Bros./Reprise label--which released her first four albums through BLUE--byrecording an authentic Joni Mitchell album. The best elements of each stylistic phase are now fully integrated within aband context--but the singer-songwriter has refocused attention on her husky contralto and spatial acoustic guitar tunings.
TURBULENT INDIGO is a masterpiece of contrast and moods, brilliantly paced and arranged, as Mitchell confronts the darkening clouds on America's horizon, but not with a canvas of dark foreboding. Mitchell paints her epic in discreetpastels, and lonely bursts of instrumental colour-- TURBULENT INDIGO makes the medicine go down easy, without giving into slacker nihilism or new age pathos.
On "Sex Kills" she essays a litany of problems without solutions, as Latin percussion, tolling bass, dreamy synths and distant distorto guitars serve to amplify the air of menace...the sound of hervoice the only outpost of lyric calm or order. But "How Do You Stop" follows with tales of success hangovers, a tapestry of country guitar and chi chi Philly soul. Throughout TURBULENT INDIGO, Mitchell's wayward pilgrims wrestle with doubts, but come out in the end on the side of Job, and endure with grace. Just gorgeous, personal music--a new peak for JoniMitchell.

Customer Reviews

deeper shade of blue
The closing song on this album may be the greatest achievement of Mitchell's career. 'The Sire of Sorrow' takes the most interesting tale of the old testament - the only book to really challenge God - and completely reworks it into a contemporary setting that lashes out with bitterness and angst. Added to this, is the compelling music which builds to epic proportions, like thick paint on Van Gogh's canvas. It is beyond pop music, even by Mitchell's standards and makes you realise the genius of the woman. None of her contemporaries (Dylan and Cohen included) could ever reach these heights and as a climax to a fairly disturbing look at the mess we now seem to be in, Mitchell transcends her own legend. Blue and Hejira were certainly landmark albums, but for my money Turbulent Indigo (three decades later)is her final triumph.Lyrically and musically it all falls into place in a bundle of songs which express their views in the way Picasso's Guernica does - chopped imagery of injustice, brutality and greed leading a culture to the brink. Mitchell still manages humour and love like the early days, but these songs are no longer watercolours. They are a dense pallete of oils, flung onto the page with alarm bells added. The greatest of her masterpieces.

Voice is more gravelly to suit smooth and credible music
After listening to six of Joni Mitchell's albums from the 1970s (all of them absolute classics), Turbulent Indigo provides a great refreshment. The songs are still in the same folk-rock mould of her earlier work, but various touches give it a more modern feel and the inclusion of soprano sax on almost every track adds texture to the music as well as portraying Joni's ongoing love for jazz music.
Sunny Sunday is a pleasant opener that leads into the protesting Sex Kills. This song features electric guitars and other touches that make it into the album's rockiest song--and the protesting attitude comes across on the chorus ("the gas leaks, the oil spills, sex sells everything and sex kills") but these words are by no means the least dramatic here.
How Do You Stop is a brilliant ballad featuring Seal and is one of the album's highlights (although not written by Joni herself). The title track is the oddest piece but still a great song. Last Chance Lost is another slice of melodic pop, Joni rediscovering her higher range in amongst the deep vocals she uses for most of this album. The Magdalene Laundries is a sad and beautiful ballad, while the following Not To Blame is about an abusive relationship. After these songs, you can't help wondering why Joni is so miserable and reflective - at least she's not dead! The Magdalene Laundries and Not To Blame are two particularly depressing ballads while Last Chance Lost's title gives it all away. Sex Kills is a major protest and Turbulent Indigo explores the world of art. Only Sunny Sunday can claim to be a 'happy' song.
Borderline is about how everything seems to have a borderline on it nowadays, not moving away from the protesting attitude of Sex Kills. Yvette In English is another major standout, written with David Crosby while the closer The Sire Of Sorrow (Job's Sad Song) is a wonderful epic about sadness and fear (again).
Turbulent Indigo is mainly all about the depressing feelings in life and how to deal with them. The lyrics are sublime as with all of Joni's other songs, and the music reminds you of some of her older work while still retaining a modern feel. The songs are basically among the strongest she has ever constructed and Turbulent Indigo can safely stand alongside albums like For The Roses and Hejira (although I can't see the resemblance between this and the latter album even though many talk about it!).
Buy Joni's great album from 1994 and just enjoy it - let it work its magic on you. PS: Take a peek at the inside artwork - these paintings are among Joni's best!

Stylish!
This is an album that shines even from a sparkling repertoire of albums. The title Turbulent Indigo, fits the style of the album beautifully, with each of the songs written in a sort of existentialist, poetic way that is deceptively accessible and tuneful. The title track along with the observant Sex Kills and the heartfelt Magdelene Laundries, especially distinguish themselves. This timeless album is a reminder of why singer-songwriters are called 'artists'.