Joni Mitchell - The Hissing Of Summer Lawns

About "The Hissing Of Summer Lawns"

The Hissing of Summer Lawns is the seventh studio album by the Canadian-American singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, released in November 1975 on Asylum Records. It continues the jazz-influenced sound of Mitchell's previous album, Court and Spark, with more unconventional and experimental material. It features sampling, synthesizers such as the Moog and ARP, and contributions from acts including the jazz-rock groups the L.A. Express and the Jazz Crusaders and James Taylor, David Crosby, and Graham Nash.

The lyrics focus on women's experiences such as standing up to patriarchal norms ("Don't Interrupt the Sorrow") or frustrations with suburban life (the title track, "Harry's House"). As with many of her albums, Mitchell created the cover art. It depicts a painting depicting a group of men carrying a large snake superimposed over the Beverly Hills suburbs; Mitchell's house is shaded in blue.

While it did not spawn a major hit single like its predecessor, The Hissing of Summer Lawns reached number 4 in the US and remains Mitchell's last top-10 album. "In France They Kiss on Main Street", the only single, reached number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Hissing of Summer Lawns initially received negative reviews, with critics finding the jazz stylings a disservice to Mitchell's lyrics and comparing it negatively to Court and Spark. However, it later became one of her most acclaimed works. It appeared at number 258 in Rolling Stone's 2020 edition of its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and at number 217 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums in 2000.