Joni Mitchell’s career hit a high-water mark with Blue in 1971. The album, her fourth and last release on Reprise, defined the confessional singer-songwriter album genre and still resonates forcefully as a major work today. Mitchell would expand her sound after this monumental release and move to Asylum Records. This box set focuses on For The Roses, Court and Spark, and Hissing of Summer Lawns, her first three albums on Asylum, although there is plenty of material here (mostly live) from earlier albums.
For The Roses further fleshed out the folk, art-song and folk-rock of previous albums, but Court and Spark was a richly-drawn commercial breakthrough and perhaps her popular peak. Hissing of Summer Lawns was the album that first drew some unwarranted criticism and questioning of Mitchell’s musical direction, but the jazz, experimentation, and rhythmic explorations had already been hinted at on previous works. The mostly male, rock critic mafia of the day either failed to recognize how she had been introducing these sounds into her previous works or simply wanted to see Micthell remain just another “chick” singer-songwriter.
There are a lot of live recordings here and they’re wonderful to hear. There are also lots of demos, alternate takes, and unreleased sessions. Some of the real gems include two tracks from the For The Roses sessions with Graham Nash and David Crosby, sessions with Neil Young and the Stray Gators, and tracks with vocal assistance from James Taylor. Of special note is Mitchell on two versions of “Raised On Robbery,” which would appear on Court and Spark, and which were recorded on sessions for the Graham Nash solo album Wild Tales, one of which also includes Neil Young and the Santa Monica Flyers.
All of the studio material was recorded at A&M Studios in Hollywood, except the Nash/Crosby sessions and some of the For The Roses sessions which were recorded at Wally Heider Studios in Hollywood, as well as the Wild Tales sessions which were recorded at Rudy Records Studios, in San Francisco.
The other musicians that are included here are Tom Scott and the L.A. Express on 10 tracks from the Live at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion concert from March 3, 1974. Scott also plays on one other performance from this concert. The other live material here is taken from Carnegie Hall on February 23, 1972; the Royal Festival Hall in London, from May 5, 1972; the James Bay Benefit Concert from the Paul Sauvé Arena in Montreal from April 15, 1973; the New Victoria Theatre in London, from April 22, 1974; and Wembley Stadium from September 14, 1974.
These live recordings are a feast for Mitchell fans. While she did release the live Miles of Aisles in 1974 and Shadows and Light in 1980, after touring in five different years in the 1970s, there would only be three years that she toured between 1983-2000 and she hasn’t toured since.
Mitchell’s demos are extraordinary and most of these songs could have appeared just as they are on the final albums. But it is, of course, the way she expanded these songs musically with adventurous new colors she added to her palette that made the final album versions instant classics and, with Hissing of Summer Lawns, revolutionary, albeit initially misunderstood works that presaged pop and rock artists exploring jazz and world music.
Although the 4-LP set only includes 40 tracks and the 5-CD edition includes 96 tracks, the vinyl edition is a beautiful package. Housed in a durable slipcase, the five albums are enclosed in individual jackets and paper/polyvinyl sleeves. The albums are pressed on black, 180-gram vinyl. Vinyl reissues, even when produced with the best sources and processes, are a mixed bag of sound. These reissues are as good as it gets and have a natural sound that is extraordinary given the variety of source material.
There is a 40-page book that features photos, notes, and an extensive interview by Cameron Crowe with Mitchell. From this reissue series, there is also a standalone, three-album Live At Carnegie Hall, 1969 vinyl set. Previous standalone live archival releases include Early Joni – 1963 and the three-album Live At Canterbury House 1967 set.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
A+
