Ladies of the Canyon

Ladies of the Canyon, released in 1970, finds Joni Mitchell expanding from spare folk toward fuller arrangements that blend acoustic folk, folk rock and pop with jazz-inflected harmony. The album balances intimate, character-driven songs about California life and community with more immediate tracks such as "Big Yellow Taxi", all anchored by Mitchell's distinctive guitar tunings, pianism and conversational vocal delivery. The title track and others on the record show a growing sophistication in melody and arrangement that points toward her subsequent work.