{$Joni Mitchell} evolved from the smooth {\jazz-pop} of {^Court and Spark} to the radical {^Hissing of Summer Lawns}, an adventurous work that remains among her most difficult records. After opening with the graceful {&"In France They Kiss on Main Street,"} the album veers sharply into {&"The Jungle Line,"} an odd, Moog-driven piece backed by the rhythms of the warrior drums of Burundi -- a move into multiculturalism that beat the likes of {$Paul Simon}, {$Peter Gabriel}, and {$Sting} to the punch by a decade. While not as prescient, songs like {&"Edith and the Kingpin"} and {&"Harry's House -- Centerpiece"} are no less complex or idiosyncratic, employing minor-key melodies and richly detailed lyrics to arrive at a strange and beautiful fusion of {\jazz} and shimmering avant {\pop}. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide