Album of the Day

Joni Mitchell's TURBULENT INDIGO was a return to her old label, Reprise Records, and to some extent a return to her classic sound – jazz-informed, acoustic-dominant songs that generally turn their backs on whatever technology was in vogue in 1994. Produced with longtime collaborator Larry Klein, the collection touches upon topical issues like spousal abuse (“Not To Blame”), scandal-ridden churches (“Magdalene Laundries”) and AIDS (“Sex Kills”), but Mitchell's insightful lyrics make them evergreen. The overall outlook may be a bit pessimistic - tortured artist Vincent Van Gogh inspired Joni's self-portrait on the cover – but it's hard to get depressed listening to vocal and instrumental work that's this transcendent. A Grammy winner for Pop Album of the Year, TURBULENT INDIGO was released 25 years ago today, and it remains a late-career highlight for the legendary singer-songwriter.