Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980)

The late 1970s were a good time for Joni Mitchell’s music. The latest volume of the Joni Mitchell Archives series focuses on this period through demos, outtakes, and live recordings. It’s not a complete picture, but it’s one that helps explain how a folk singer from the Canadian prairies came to work with jazz heavyweights and write lyrics for a Charles Mingus standard.

Joni Mitchell :: Archives Vol. 3

By dabbling in outtakes, demos, and live cuts, Archives Vol. 3 tracks Joni Mitchell’s evolution in the early ’70s, right down to the dead ends and paths not taken. The studio tracks offer fly-on-the-wall glimpses into Mitchell’s working process.