Joni Mitchell Archives Volume 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980) is arranged across six CDs and spans Mitchell’s experimental jazz period that includes 1976’s Hejira, 1977’s Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter and 1979’s Mingus, as well as the 1980 live album Shadows And Light. For many Joni Mitchell fans who love Court & Spark, these songs won’t resonate the way Mitchell’s earlier work did.
I got a kick out of the first cut on Disc 1 which was recorded at the Niagara Falls Convention Center (now a casino!) located about 20 minutes from where I now live! Some of the live recordings don’t sound great. I’m guessing many listeners of Joni Mitchell Archives Volume 4 may wonder where Mitchell’s classics songs went to. The assemblers of this 6-CD set focused on the jazzy music which might not be to everyone’s taste. This set might be of interest to Joni Mitchell completists.
Are you a fan of the jazz period of Joni Mitchell’s career? GRADE: B
TRACK LIST:
Disc: 1
| 1 | Jericho (Live at Convention Center, Niagara Falls, NY, 11/15/1975) |
| 2 | Introduction (Live at Harvard Square Theater, Cambridge, MA, 11/20/1975) |
| 3 | Edith and the Kingpin (Live at Harvard Square Theater, Cambridge, MA, 11/20/1975) |
| 4 | Don’t Interrupt the Sorrow (Live at Harvard Square Theater, Cambridge, MA, 11/20/1975) |
| 5 | Introduction (Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, 11/21/1975) |
| 6 | Harry’s House (Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, 11/21/1975) |
| 7 | A Case of You (Live in Bangor, ME, 11/27/1975) |
| 8 | Woman of Heart and Mind (Live at Gordon Lightfoot’s House, Quebec City, Canada, 11/30/1975) |
| 9 | Introduction (Live at The Forum, Montreal, QC, Canada, 12/4/1975) |
| 10 | Intro to Coyote (Live at The Forum, Montreal, QC, Canada, 12/4/1975) |
| 11 | Coyote (Live at The Forum, Montreal, QC, Canada, 12/4/1975) |
| 12 | Help Me (Live at Dane County Coliseum, Madison, WI, 2/29/1976) |
| 13 | Love or Money (Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, 2/19/1976) |
| 14 | Free Man in Paris (Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, 2/19/1976) |
| 15 | For the Roses (Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, 2/19/1976) |
| 16 | Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire (Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, 2/19/1976) |
| 17 | Big Yellow Taxi (Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, 2/19/1976) |
| 18 | Shades of Scarlett Conquering (Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, 2/19/1976) |
| 19 | For Free (Live at Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY, 2/20/1976) |
Disc: 2
| 1 | Intro to Coyote/Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter (Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, 2/19/1976) |
| 2 | Coyote/Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter (Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, 2/19/1976) |
| 3 | Just Like This Train (Live at Dane County Coliseum, Madison, WI, 2/29/1976) |
| 4 | Shadows and Light (Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, 2/19/1976) |
| 5 | In France They Kiss on Main Street (Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, 2/19/1976) |
| 6 | Traveling (Hejira) [Live at Cameron Stadium, Duke University, Durham, NC, 2/7/1976] |
| 7 | Edith and the Kingpin (Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, 2/19/1976) |
| 8 | Talk to Me (Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, 2/19/1976) |
| 9 | Harry’s House/Centerpiece (Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, 2/19/1976) |
| 10 | Intro to Furry Sings the Blues (Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, 2/19/1976) |
| 11 | Furry Sings the Blues (Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, 2/19/1976) |
| 12 | Trouble Child (Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, 2/19/1976) |
| 13 | Rainy Night House (Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, 2/19/1976) |
| 14 | Don’t Interrupt the Sorrow (Live at Cameron Stadium, Duke University, Durham, NC, 2/7/1976) |
| 15 | Raised on Robbery (Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, 2/19/1976) |
| 16 | The Jungle Line (Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, 2/19/1976) |
| 17 | Twisted (Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, 2/19/1976) |
Disc: 3
| 1 | Furry Sings the Blues (Demo) |
| 2 | Traveling (Hejira) [Demo] |
| 3 | Dreamland (Demo) |
| 4 | Talk to Me (Demo) |
| 5 | Coyote/Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter (Demo) |
| 6 | Black Crow (Demo) |
| 7 | Amelia (Demo) |
| 8 | Blue Motel Room (Demo) |
| 9 | A Strange Boy (Demo) |
| 10 | Black Crow (Live at Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth, TX, 5/16/1976) |
| 11 | Intro to Song for Sharon (Live at Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth, TX, 5/16/1976) |
| 12 | Song for Sharon (Live at Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth, TX, 5/16/1976) |
| 13 | Refuge of the Roads (Early Mix with Horns) |
| 14 | Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter (Early Rough Mix) |
Disc: 4
| 1 | Save Magic (Paprika Plains Embryonic Version) |
| 2 | Otis and Marlena (Early Rough Mix) |
| 3 | Sweet Sucker Dance (Vocals & Drums Version, Take 5) |
| 4 | A Chair in the Sky (Early Alternate Version, Take 6) |
| 5 | Sweet Sucker Dance (Early Alternate Version) |
| 6 | Introduction (Live at Bread & Roses Festival, Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA, 9/2-3/1978) |
| 7 | The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines (Live at Bread & Roses Festival, Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA, 9/2-3/ |
| 8 | Intro to A Chair in the Sky (Live at Bread & Roses Festival, Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA, 9/2-3/1978 |
| 9 | A Chair in the Sky (Live at Bread & Roses Festival, Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA, 9/2-3/1978) |
| 10 | Intro to Goodbye Pork Pie Hat (Live at Bread & Roses Festival, Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA, 9/2-3/19 |
| 11 | Goodbye Pork Pie Hat (Live at Bread & Roses Festival, Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA, 9/2-3/1978) |
| 12 | Intro to The Wolf That Lives in Lindsey (Live at Bread & Roses Festival, Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA |
| 13 | The Wolf That Lives in Lindsey (Live at Bread & Roses Festival, Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA, 9/2-3/1 |
| 14 | A Good Suit and a Good Haircut (Mingus Early Alternate Version) |
| 15 | God Must Be a Boogie Man (Mingus Early Alternate Version) |
| 16 | Solo For Old Fat Girl’s Soul (Mingus Early Alternate Version) |
| 17 | The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines (Mingus Early Alternate Version) |
Disc: 5
| 1 | Sue and the Holy River (Mingus Early Alternate Version) |
| 2 | The Wolf That Lives in Lindsey (Mingus Session Outtake) |
| 3 | Introduction (Live at May 6 Coalition Rally Against Nuclear Power, National Mall, Washington, DC, 5/ |
| 4 | Big Yellow Taxi (Live at May 6 Coalition Rally Against Nuclear Power, National Mall, Washington, DC, |
| 5 | Jericho (Live at SIR Rehearsal Studios, Los Angeles, CA, 7/20/1979) |
| 6 | Help Me (Live at SIR Rehearsal Studios, Los Angeles, CA, 7/28/1979) |
| 7 | Big Yellow Taxi (Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, 8/25/1979) |
| 8 | Just Like This Train (Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, 8/25/1979) |
| 9 | In France They Kiss On Main Street (Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, 8/25/1979) |
| 10 | Coyote (Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, 8/25/1979) |
| 11 | Edith and the Kingpin (Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, 8/25/1979) |
| 12 | Free Man in Paris (Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, 8/25/1979) |
| 13 | Goodbye Pork Pie Hat (Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, 8/25/1979) |
| 14 | Jaco’s Solo/Third Stone From the Sun (Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, 8/25/1979) |
| 15 | The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines (Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, 8/25/1979) |
Disc: 6
| 1 | Amelia (Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, 8/25/1979) |
| 2 | Pat’s Solo (Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, 8/25/1979) |
| 3 | Hejira (Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, 8/25/1979) |
| 4 | Don’s Solo (Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, 8/25/1979) |
| 5 | Dreamland (Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, 8/25/1979) |
| 6 | Black Crow (Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, 8/25/1979) |
| 7 | Furry Sings the Blues (Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, 8/25/1979) |
| 8 | Intro to God Must Be a Boogie Man (Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, 8/25/1979) |
| 9 | God Must Be a Boogie Man (Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, 8/25/1979) |
| 10 | Raised on Robbery (Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, 8/25/1979) |
| 11 | Shadows and Light (Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, 8/25/1979) |
| 12 | The Last Time I Saw Richard (Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, 8/25/1979) |
| 13 | Why Do Fools Fall in Love (Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, 8/25/1979) |
| 14 | Woodstock (Live at Robin Hood Dell West, Philadelphia, PA, 8/28/1979) |
| 15 | Intro to A Chair in the Sky (Live at Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, 9/13/1979) |
| 16 | A Chair in the Sky (Live at Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, 9/13/1979) |
No, but I enjoyed her early career. I caught her a number of times when she played at the old Club 47 in Cambridge with her then-husband Chuck. Not that she played with her husband, mind you — she would do a solo set and he would do a solo set and never the twain would join their voices in song.
Jerry, like you, I’m a fan of the early Joni Mitchell. My favorite Joni Mitchell albums are BLUE and COURT & SPARK. The jazzy albums…not so much.
I kinda lost track of Joni when she went into her jazz phase. Now that I’m no longer a misunderstood teenager, I’d probably enjoy her music from this era if I listened to it. Judging by the playlist, disc one, at least, features some songs from “Court & Spark” and “The Hissing of Summer Lawns”, and other songs from earlier albums are scattered here and there. If these songs are on Spotify, I’ll give them a listen, but I don’t think I’ll be putting this collection of my Valentine’s Day wish list, lol.
Deb, I have the previous Joni Michell sets so I bought VOLUME 4.
I really love this period of Joni Mitchell’s music — though I’m not a fan of collections of multiple takes of the same material, so I won’t be buying this. I might stream it once, but I think I’ve only done that with one of the three previous Archive volumes. When I look at the songs on this collection, they bring back a lot of good memories. And the live band on the Shadows and Light tour, with Pat Metheny and Jaco Pastorius, was superb.
Jeff, I’m with you on Pat Metheny. A brilliant performer! I went to one of his performances when I was living in Madison, Wisconsin in the 1970s and was blown away.