reviews of Blue from the time of release

Dan Heckman in the New York Times said "I suspect this will be the most disliked of Miss Mitchell's recordings". Oh dear.

Timothy Crouse in Rolling Stone was broadly positive but slated quite a few tracks.

Melody Maker failed to pick up on the breadth of the album's theme of the death of the hippy dream, and the romantic appeal of Joni's lifestyle as documented on Blue.

Billy Walker in Sounds was very positive.

Peter Reilly's review for Stereo Review was also positive, and in the final paragraph pinpoints both the album's message of survival and what it has to say about Joni's generation.

Robert Hilburn in the Los Angeles Times was brief but positive.

Lynn Van Matre in the Chicago Tribune said there was nothing better on the album than Both Sides Now, but also opened with "When 1971's over, it's going to be remembered as the year of the singer-songwriter. And even more specifically, it could be remembered as the year of the female singer-songwriter - or, I hope, the year when that species began to take on a whole new importance", which I think turned out to be true.

Geoffrey Cannon in The Guardian.

Peter Goddard in the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.

Nancy Harris in the Fairbanks Daily News.