Five soft rock albums that deserve more love

Joni Mitchell - For The Roses

When this album came out in 1972 it signaled changes in Mitchell’s music.  Her previous four albums got an excellent reception, particularly among the lovers of the folk and singer-songwriter genres that were forming at the time.

While it was awaited with anticipation at the time, the gentle and elegant introduction of jazz elements into Mitchell’s music on this album got a somewhat cold shoulder reception, both among the critics and it still doesn’t get a very high ranking among her wide-spanning output. The only song from the album that seemed to resonate with the listeners was the uptempo “You Turn Me on I’m a Radio.”

Yet, it turns out to be a very strong album that actually set some stylistic parameters for not only Mitchell, but other artists that went on to pursue the softer side of rock and other genres.

All the new elements are introduced with both elegance and care like on “Barangrill” with songs connecting the music here to Mitchell’s previous work (the introductory “Banquet” or “Lesson in Survival”) smoothing the transition. Even today, this album has quite a timeless aura that gives it a right to be reconsidered.