Turbulent Indigo

Turbulent Indigo
Turbulent Indigo
Studio album by Joni Mitchell
Released	October 25, 1994
Recorded	1993
Studio	The Kiva (Los Angeles, California)
Genre	Adult alternative
Length	43:06
Label	Reprise
Producer	Joni Mitchell, Larry Klein
Joni Mitchell chronology
Singles from Turbulent Indigo
	"How Do You Stop"; Released: 1994 (Europe and Australia);

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	^[2]
Entertainment Weekly	B+
Los Angeles Times	^[3]
NME	5/10^[4]
Q	^[5]
Rolling Stone	^[6]

Turbulent Indigo is the fifteenth album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, released in 1994.

The album won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Album. John Milward, writing for Rolling Stone, wrote that it was Mitchell's "best album since the mid-'70s".^[7]

As of December 2007^[update], the album has sold 311,000 copies in the US.^[8]^{[better source needed]}

Background

The album marked her return to Warner Music (formerly WEA) distribution after her previous album, Night Ride Home, was distributed by MCA for its then-newly purchased subsidiary Geffen Records (which, prior to the sale to MCA, had distributed through WEA).

Music

The song "Turbulent Indigo" references van Gogh, while describing the mental turmoil both he and Mitchell face in the creative process. The song "Not to Blame" was rumored to be about Mitchell's fellow singer-songwriter and former lover Jackson Browne, who was alleged to have beaten his girlfriend, actress Daryl Hannah.^[9]^[10]

Mitchell also takes in non-personal issues, notably in the song "Magdalene Laundries", which recounts the sufferings of Irish women once consigned to Magdalen Asylums run by the Roman Catholic Church and made to work in the asylums' laundries. Similarly, the song "Sex Kills" referenced a number of late 20th century topical issues, including violence, AIDS, global warming and consumerism.

Artwork

According to Matt Mitchell of Paste Magazine, the album's cover artwork features a self portrait of Mitchell "styl[ing] herself as a Vincent Van Gogh type."^[11]

Critical reception

Turbulent Indigo received critical acclaim. Q's Tom Doyle called the album a "welcome return to the atmospherics and acoustic terrain she's best known for", further writing that "The majority of the tracks here recall the wafting soundscapes of 1976's Hejira, with gentle, controlled feedback, Pastorius-styled bass, Wayne Shorter's tumbling saxophone patterns and walls of acoustic guitars providing a dramatic backdrop for Mitchell's bold lyrical imagery."^[12]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Joni Mitchell; except where indicated

"Sunny Sunday" – 2:21
"Sex Kills" – 3:56
"How Do You Stop" (Charlie Midnight, Dan Hartman) – 4:09
"Turbulent Indigo" – 3:34
"Last Chance Lost" – 3:14
"The Magdalene Laundries" – 4:02
"Not to Blame" – 4:18
"Borderline" – 4:48
"Yvette in English" (Mitchell, David Crosby) – 5:16
"The Sire of Sorrow (Job's Sad Song)" – 7:08

Personnel

Joni Mitchell – vocals, guitar, keyboards
Larry Klein – organ, bass
Wayne Shorter – soprano saxophone on tracks: 1, 4, 7, 9, 10
Jim Keltner – drums on "Sunny Sunday"
Carlos Vega – drums on tracks: 3, 4, 7
Michael Landau – electric guitar on tracks: 2, 3
Greg Leisz – pedal steel guitar on tracks: 7, 8
Steuart Smith – guitar on "How Do You Stop"
Seal – vocals on "How Do You Stop"
Bill Dillon – synthesizer on "Yvette in English"
Charles Valentino – backing vocals on "Yvette in English"
Kris Kello – backing vocals on "Yvette in English"

Charts

Chart performance for *Turbulent Indigo*
Chart (1994)	Peak position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)^[13]	24
UK Albums (OCC)^[14]	53
US Billboard 200^[15]	47
Scottish Albums (OCC)^[16]	60
US Cash Box Top 100 Albums^[17]	42

Certifications

Certifications for *Turbulent Indigo*
Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)^[18]	Gold	50,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

^ Ruhlmann, W. (2011). "Turbulent Indigo – Joni Mitchell | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
^ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Mitchell, Joni". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
^ Willman, Chris (2011). "Album Review – Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
^ Forrest, Emma (November 5, 1994). "Long Play". NME. p. 46. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
^ Q, December 1994
^ Milward, John (2011). "Joni Mitchell: Turbulent Indigo : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 24, 2009. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
^ John Milward (December 15, 1994). "Rolling Stone magazine". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
^ Caulfield, Keith (December 21, 2007). "Ask Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
^ "Jackson Browne casts "Blame' back at Mitchell". Tampa Bay Times. September 30, 1997. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
^ Taylor, Tom (November 11, 2023). "The "very ill" Joni Mitchell song that Jackson Browne says was "beneath her"". faroutmagazine.co.uk. Archived from the original on November 19, 2023. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
^ "The 50 Greatest Albums of 1994, Ranked". Paste Magazine. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
^ Q, December 1994
^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 2661". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
^ "Joni Mitchell Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
^ "Cash Box Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Cash Box. November 12, 1994. p. 8. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
^ "Canadian album certifications – Joni Mitchell – Turbulent Indigo". Music Canada. Retrieved August 11, 2024.

[1] Ruhlmann, W. (2011). "Turbulent Indigo – Joni Mitchell | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 19, 2011.

[2] Larkin, Colin (2011). "Mitchell, Joni". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.

[3] Willman, Chris (2011). "Album Review – Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 19, 2011.

[4] Forrest, Emma (November 5, 1994). "Long Play". NME. p. 46. Retrieved November 13, 2023.

[5] Q, December 1994

[6] Milward, John (2011). "Joni Mitchell: Turbulent Indigo : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 24, 2009. Retrieved July 19, 2011.

[7] John Milward (December 15, 1994). "Rolling Stone magazine". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 11, 2012.

[8] Caulfield, Keith (December 21, 2007). "Ask Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved May 19, 2018.

[9] "Jackson Browne casts "Blame' back at Mitchell". Tampa Bay Times. September 30, 1997. Retrieved March 6, 2022.

[10] Taylor, Tom (November 11, 2023). "The "very ill" Joni Mitchell song that Jackson Browne says was "beneath her"". faroutmagazine.co.uk. Archived from the original on November 19, 2023. Retrieved November 20, 2023.

[11] "The 50 Greatest Albums of 1994, Ranked". Paste Magazine. Retrieved June 7, 2025.

[12] Q, December 1994

[group=-13] "Top RPM Albums: Issue 2661". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 7, 2021.

[ac_UK2_-14] "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 7, 2021.

[ac_Billboard200_Joni_Mitchell-15] "Joni Mitchell Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2021.

[ac_Scotland_-16] "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 April 2024.

[17] "Cash Box Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Cash Box. November 12, 1994. p. 8. Retrieved July 16, 2024.

[CanadaJoni_MitchellTurbulent_IndigoalbumCertRef-18] "Canadian album certifications – Joni Mitchell – Turbulent Indigo". Music Canada. Retrieved August 11, 2024.

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v t e Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album
1960s	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles (1968)
1990s	Longing in Their Hearts – Bonnie Raitt (1995) Turbulent Indigo – Joni Mitchell (1996) Falling into You – Celine Dion (1997) Hourglass – James Taylor (1998) Ray of Light – Madonna (1999)
2000s	Brand New Day – Sting (2000) Two Against Nature – Steely Dan (2001) Lovers Rock – Sade (2002) Come Away with Me – Norah Jones (2003) Justified – Justin Timberlake (2004) Genius Loves Company – Ray Charles and various artists (2005) Breakaway – Kelly Clarkson (2006) Continuum – John Mayer (2007) Back to Black – Amy Winehouse (2008) Rockferry – Duffy (2009)
2010s	The E.N.D. – Black Eyed Peas (2010) The Fame Monster – Lady Gaga (2011) 21 – Adele (2012) Stronger – Kelly Clarkson (2013) Unorthodox Jukebox – Bruno Mars (2014) In the Lonely Hour – Sam Smith (2015) 1989 – Taylor Swift (2016) 25 – Adele (2017) ÷ – Ed Sheeran (2018) Sweetener – Ariana Grande (2018)
2020s	When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? – Billie Eilish (2020) Future Nostalgia – Dua Lipa (2021) Sour – Olivia Rodrigo (2022) Harry's House – Harry Styles (2023) Midnights – Taylor Swift (2024) Short n' Sweet – Sabrina Carpenter (2025)
From 1968–1993, the category was discontinued.

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