One of the first concerts I ever attended was Joni Mitchell solo at the troubador in LA right around the time blue was released. It was unbelievable. How can someone channel emotion so?
Blue is one of my all time favorite albums, a desert isle recording. It is best listened to alone late at night or early in the morning.
I own many copies of this recording. The best is my first pressing on vinyl. The vocals and instruments are extremely realistic. The second best is the dcc gold cd, which I sought out years after it went out of print, and for which I paid a pretty penny. Both are exceptional. I use both as system demo discs. The biggest criticism of the recording is its abundant treble energy. Stereophile interviewed Steve Hoffman (?) who remastered this record for DCC and he commented on the difficulties he had taming this energy. The two above versions have smooth treble and palpable realistic detail and timbre. Lesser versions can sound harsh.
Any early joni is excellent but blue is her masterwork.